DUSTIN HAWKINS
NBA | Dec 29, 2017
Bucks vs. Thunder
Free Play on Thunder -8½ -115
TOMMY BRUNSON
I know full well that the Big Blue faithful will make the short trek from Lexington to Nashville and have themselves a good old time in Music City, but I also know full well that just having some fans in the stands at Nissan Stadium is not going to lead to a Kentucky win - let alone a cover against the fundamentally (and better) Northwestern Wildcats.
Northwestern finished the regular season at 9-3, and they wound up in the second spot in the Big Ten's West Division with a 7-2 straight up mark. Coach Pat Fitzgerald is taking his team to their 3rd straight bowl game, and they do play this one off a win (finally!) in last year's Pinstripe Bowl as the underdog against Pittsburgh. The Wildcats are just 2-6 straight up in their previous bowl games, but don't let that scare you away from laying the wood here, as this team from Evanston enters with a 7 game win and cover streak on their side, while Kentucky closed the regular campaign a rather pedestrian 2-4 straight up, with just a 1-7 against the spread mark.
This game will swing heavily in favor of the Wildcats - of Northwestern that is - as senior RB - Justin Jackson has set school records in his tenure at Evanston, and it is not likely that the Wildcats - of Kentucky that is! - will stop Mr. Jackson today, especially when you consider Georgia and Louisville rushed for over 700 combined yards against the UK stop-unit and found the end-zone 8 times in the last 2 games of the season for Kentucky.
Throw in the fact that Kentucky quarterback Stephen Jackson unbelievably threw just one touchdown pass over his last 6 games of the season, and this figures to be a long day for Big Blue.
The KY defense allowed nearly 30 points per game, and ranked way down near the bottom of the NCAA in passing yards allowed too this year. That spells trouble against a NW offense that finished at nearly 30 points per game scored. You throw in the Northwestern defense allowing under 20 points per game against, and you realize that this impost is definitely not too large for the sizzling Wildcats from Northwestern to get on top of....Lay the wood!
5* NORTHWESTERN
JOEY JUICE
Let's back the Heat at Home as they face a Brooklyn team that has been really having a hard time away from home, this current 5-game road-trip (0-3) not withstanding. They blew a 16 point lead to the Pacers to fall in OT, they were slammed by the Spurs, and they were slammed by the Pelicans, failing to cover in both of those games as the underdog.
To make matters even worse for the Nets, Miami is coming in having won 5 of their last 7, and they finally destroyed a team they couldn't find a way around previously, The Orlando Magic, who have proven to be a thorn in their side all season long before getting crushed by the heat most recently 107-89. Payback was bitch in that one.
Bottom Line: Miami has won 6 straight head to head matchups with Brooklyn and beat them earlier this month in Brooklyn 101-89. Now they are home and will clobber them.
Miami gets the win and cover.
3* MIAMI
West Virginia (-2') at OKLAHOMA ST.
By Eric Schroeder
My free play is in College Basketball, as I like West Virginia to get it done against Oklahoma State, as the two open Big 12 play in Stillwater.
I'm a big Bob Huggins fan, think he is one of the best coaches in the nation. And there isn't anyone who does a better job during the preseason than Huggy.
Think about it, how many times since he's been at West Virginia, have you heard about his team until a late collapse in February, that usually drops the Mountaineers to a 4- or 5-seed, rather than a 1 or 2?
Since a season-opening, 88-65 loss to Texas A&M in Germany, the Mountaineers have reeled off 11 straight wins, including victories over Missouri, Virginia and Pittsburgh.
West Virginia's trademark defense ranks sixth in the nation with 10.5 steals per game, and no surprise seeing it is No. 1 with turnover margin, at +9.8. The Mountaineers are always tenacious, as Huggins teaches a nose for the ball, and his players are relentless.
At the other end, they average 29th in the nation with 84.8 points per game.
The Cowboys won't have enough firepower to overcome what West Virginia brings to the wood defensively.
Take the road team.
3* WEST VIRGINIA
Pittsburgh at CAROLINA (-130)
By Chris Jordan
After delivering a free winner on the Washington Capitals last night, I keep it on the ice with the Carolina Hurricanes against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in a crucial Metropolitan Division matchup at PNC Arena.
Currently, the both have 41 points. But the Hurricanes have two games surplus, which means they're one spot ahead of the seventh-place Penguins in the Metro. Tonight gives Carolina an opportunity to distance itself a bit more, by taking advantage of a Penguins team that has won just three of its last eight games.
Pittsburgh embarks on a tough three-game road trip, and this - in their minds - might look like the easiest one. That could spell trouble if the Pens overlook a physical Carolina team and one of the best goalies in the game. It can also spell trouble after the Pens suffered injuries on Wednesday to right winger Bryan Rust, defenseman Chad Ruhwedel and goaltender Matt Murray. Defenseman Kris Letang is also out with an injury. None of them will play.
But Cam Ward will play, and Carolina's goalie brings a 9-2-1 mark into this game. I'm expecting him to be between the pipes for the Hurricanes, who are on a 6-2-2 run and are 7-4-2 in December. The Canes have won five straight games on home ice.
The Penguins were 4-0-0 in last season's series, so the 'Canes will be looking for the win in the teams' first meeting of this season by coming out on the attack fast. Carolina, which ranks first in the league in fewest shots against per game (29.31) this season and has outshot their opponents in 28 of 36 games, is 15-3-2 when scoring first.
All Carolina in this one, as it notches the win over the champs.
2* HURRICANES