Docs Sports
3 Unit Play. #8 Take Cleveland -5 ½ over Buffalo (Sunday 1:00 pm CBS) Nobody would have guessed that this game would have great playoff implications but that is exactly what has developed. The Browns have been dominating as a favorite, covering 12 of their last 15 games. The have a solid QB in Anderson and the same thing cannot be said for Buffalo, as they have alternated quarterbacks all season long. The Browns have made a living all season long beating the teams that they are supposed to beat and playing Buffalo at home certainly falls under that category. The Bills pounded Miami last week, but they will face a team will a powerful offense on Sunday. The Browns continue to light up the scoreboard and all but wrap up the sixth seed in the AFC. Cleveland 27, Buffalo 17.
4 Unit Play. #16 Take New Orleans -3 ½ over Arizona (Sunday 1:00 pm Fox) I have to admit that this line surprises me a little bit, as both teams are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Arizona has never been a good road team and the Saints are starting to put it together after a tough start to open the season. The Saints should be on a three-game winning streak for it not for a horrible play call against Tampa Bay two weeks ago. But they have put that botched play behind them and took out their frustration on Atlanta last Monday Night. The Cardinals have lost two of their last three games including a home loss against San Francisco. They have just one road victory on the season and that will not be enough to keep this game close. New Orleans 28, Arizona 17.
3 Unit Play. #28 Take San Diego -10 over Detroit (Sunday 4:15 pm Fox) After a hot start to the season, Detroit has finally realized who they are and thrown in the towel on this season, losing five straight. That includes a heartbreaker to Dallas last week in which they dominated for 58 minutes only to lose it at the end, when the defense could not fall on a fumble. San Diego can clinch the AFC West with a victory, so expect them to come out firing after an emotional win last week @ Tennessee. Detroit does not have the defense to stop San Diego and thus expect the Chargers to light up the scoreboard. This will be a high scoring game that San Diego pulls away from late and thus ends the season for the Lions in regards to their playoff hopes.
Pointwise NFL Phones
3* Green Bay, Seattle, Minnesota
2* NYG, Indy, Buffalo, Miami, Jets
Winning Points Hoops
NBA
Sunday, December 16
*Detroit over Golden State by 9
The Warriors couldn?t beat Detroit at home a month ago despite the Pistons playing
their fifth game in seven days and missing Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess.
Detroit roared back from a 22-point deficit to win as a one-point favorite, 111-104.
The Warriors had problems with Detroit?s zone defense in the second half, but didn?t
have Stephen Jackson. He was under suspension at the time.
DETROIT 104-95.
Boston over *Toronto by 5
The teams met only nine days ago in Boston with the Celtics posting an easy 112-84
victory. The Celtics hardly broke a sweat, resting their starters the entire fourth quarter.The Raptors have been missing their best player, Chris Bosh (check status), out with a groin injury and versatile seven-footer Andrea Bargnani (check status), who has been out with a knee injury. Both didn?t play against Boston.
BOSTON 100-95.
*Denver over Portland by 10
This is Portland?s fifth game in eight days. The Nuggets had no trouble covering 10 _
points at home when they beat the Trail Blazers, 110-93, last month. The Nuggets
established a fast pace and Portland had trouble keeping up. That could happen here,
too. DENVER 110-100.
*Los Angeles Lakers over Los Angeles Clippers by 6
The Clippers beat and covered against the Lakers in their previous two meetings last
season. Keep in mind there?s no home-court edge in this matchup with both teams
playing at the Staples Center.
LA LAKERS 109-103.
SPORTS REPORTER Hoops
NBA
*DETROIT over GOLDEN STATE by 7
This game will be immensely entertaining, but Nellie?s squad faces a distinct disadvantage against a Pistons squad that can play Rasheed Wallace at center and nullify the spacing issues the Warriors create by playing small ball. Both teams are rested and ready to go, but the experienced Pistons should be able to handle the unorthodox Warriors. DETROIT 101-94
BOSTON over *TORONTO by 6
RECOMMENDED TOTAL
OVER
*DENVER over PORTLAND by 4
The Nuggets are coming off a tough game against the Spurs last night, but have the benefit
of playing at home and having a manageable 8 PM start time. Tonight they host a
Portland team that has shown a lot of potential, but struggled on the road. Did you know
that despite only averaging 94.1 points per game ? good for 29th in the NBA - the Trail
Blazers rank in the middle of the pack in offensive efficiency? Their scoring is suppressed
by being the fourth slowest paced offense ? a trait they?ll abandon tonight against the
run-and-shoot Nuggets. Portland is capable of putting up some points every few games
and tonight should be one of those nights. DENVER 123-119
*L.A. LAKERS over L.A. CLIPPERS by 9
Adding insult to injury, despite being back at the Staples Center the Clippers play their sixth road game out of seven. No wonder these guys never win ? they can?t catch a break! L.A.LAKERS 103-94
The Sports Reporter
NCAA
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16
ILLINOIS STATE over *BOWLING GREEN by 4
Redbird F Brandon Sampay (ankle) wasn?t really needed in Redbirds? cruise-control win over Cincinnati. But whether or not he returns, visitor should have enough to stave off rusty (with ten days off) Falcons whose own road win over the Bearcats doesn?t look nearly so impressive, now. ILLINOIS STATE, 68-64.
*ARKANSAS STATE over BALL STATE by 5
Would expect that suspension of ASU?s leading scorer, G Adrian Banks, would endure through this contest, but check status. Ball remains depth-starved, but may be coming off the canvas, just a bit. ARKANSAS STATE, 67-62.
*OLD DOMINION over VIRGINIA TECH by 6
Monarchs have consistently underperformed per expectations this season, but given rare opportunity to face an ACC opponent they?re actually capable of handling on their home floor,would expect ODU to rise to this specific occasion. OLD DOMINION, 76-70
*UL-MONROE over UL-LAFAYETTE by 6
RECOMMENDED
NORTH CAROLINA over *RUTGERS by 32
Scarlet Knights in early rebuilding stage . . . not where you want to be against an outfit capable of RAC-ing them up under the ESPN klieg lights. NORTH CAROLINA, 96-64.
RECOMMENDED
*ARIZONA over FRESNO STATE by 23
?Cats shook off West-to-East travel hangover last Saturday to outfinish the Illini in
Chicago in OT. They return to action with exams in the rearview mirror. James Tchana'sback for this visitor, though he played but briefly against UNLV last weekend; G DwightO'Neill remains out indefinitely. Despite Lute Olsen?s self-imposed exile, ?Cats appear to be coming around, and could be primed to go on a bit of a roll. ARIZONA,
87-64
*NEVADA over CENTRAL FLORIDA by 11
Winning Points Hoops
NCAA
Sunday, December 16
BEST BET
Old Dominion over Virginia Tech by 17
Haven?t had one of those patented, targeted Blaine Taylor affairs in a while, but here
comes another in the series of mostly successful attempts to earn himself a huge portrait
hung from the rafters as well as a recruiting nugget in the great state of Virginia.
ODU?s head coach is waxing his mustache as we speak, preparing the Monarchs for a
less intense version of Seth Greenberg?s defense. When the Hokies aren?t getting steals
to fuel transition, their halfcourt offense is poor. ODU?s point guard is a heady player,
they have multiple three-point shooters, and the other side?s point guards are freshmen.
OLD DOMINION, 72-55.
BEST BET
Nevada* over Central Florida by 22
Central Florida might be dialing Reno 911 for help as they ascend in altitude and attitude
from the first meeting between the WAC and A-Sun in rare, in-season, non-conference
home-and-home. UCF is 0-2 SU in true roadies to date, and their slim win vs.
Nevada was the ever-skeptical ?gym christening? variety, accomplished when Nevada
was under the added burden of traveling a long way after a team member had been
booted for being a bad boy at a party gone bad. Prior to that 63-60 season-opening
defeat, Nevada coach Mark Fox said the focus would be more on his own team rather
than Central Florida. Not now. Marcellus Kemp shot 1-for-8 from three-point range
in that game and will do much better in this re-hook. NEVADA, 81-59.
Illinois State over Bowling Green* by 1
Arkansas State* over Ball State by 18
UL-Monroe* over UL-Lafayette by 10
ULL needs to shoot straighter to be able to hang in there within conference this season.
UL-MONROE, 80-70
North Carolina over Rutgers* by 22
Roy Williams could be stretched out on his back on the scorer?s table with a guy holding
a sun lamp over him while this one unfolds. If it gets down to Rutgers? walk-ons
vs. Roy?s blue-chip subs, only Rutgers can get burned. NORTH CAROLINA, 82-60.
Arizona* over Fresno State by 21
Lousy schedule and bad efforts vs. the few strong foes prompts a ?Say no to Fresno?
message. ARIZONA, 88-67.
Alex Smart
6 unit Total GOY Green Bay/St. Louis over
2 unit Cleveland
2 unit Atlanta/Tampa Bay under
L T Prophets
2 unit Carolina
2 unit Phi/Dallas under
2 unit Wash/NYG under
Mike Rose
3 unit Buffalo
3 unit San Diego
2 unit Jax/Pitt under
Roberto Ferraringo
7-Unit Play. Take #266 Pittsburgh (-3.5) over Jacksonville (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16)
Note: This is our NFL Game of the Month.
I think we have a strong bounce back performance from the Steelers in front of the home faithful. The weather for this game is going to be awful, and I don?t think that the boys from Florida are going to be down for some snow, wind, and general cold weather. The Jags are going to be without DT Marcus Stroud and DE Reggie Hayward, and although they have gotten along without Mike Peterson this is the type of game they will miss him the most. The Jags have the No. 27 pass defense and without Stroud and Hayward I don?t see their run defense being strong enough to stop the Steelers. This is a revenge game. And Pittsburgh is 12-1 ATS at home with revenge off a double-digit straight-up loss against a team off a win. Basically, Pittsburgh excels in these situations where they come back, with extra motivation, and lay a whooping on a team that?s value is high after a victory. I do think this game will be close for a while, but I think that the Steelers do win this game by two touchdowns.
2.5-Unit Play. Take ?Over? 45.5 Detroit at San Diego (4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16)
I think that San Diego can put up 30+ points here all by themselves ? especially if they could manage 23 against Tennessee. The Chargers are going to be without Shawne Merriman and Jamal Williams, which should lighten the pass rush and allow Detroit a little more time and room to operate. These two teams average a combined 46.3 points on offense and allow an average of 45.3 on defense, so merely an ?average? day should cover these numbers. But with key defensive personnel missing I think both offenses will open things up. The ?over? is 11-4 in Detroit?s last 15 road games and 5-1 in their last six overall. The ?over? is also 8-3 in San Diego?s last 11 games against sub-.500 team, 5-2 in their last seven games against the NFC, and is 9-2 since 2002 at home against NFC teams.
2-Unit Play. Take New Orleans (-3.5) over Arizona (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16)
I just think that the Cardinals have run out of steam. The loss of Adrian Wilson on defense has been too much to overcome and there is just now way that you can trust Kurt Warner on the road, especially without Anquan Boldin and with a banged-up Larry Fitzgerald. I think this line should be a couple points higher and in a game where I anticipate a lot of scoring the hook on this three doesn't worry me as much.
2-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 43.0 Buffalo at Cleveland (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16)
Yes, these are two pretty terrible defenses. But you can't underestimate the conservativeness of Dick Jauron. I think that's going to hurt the Bills in this game, especially if they fall behind, and I think it helps keep the scoring down in this one. This game will have a playoff feel to it and I expect both clubs to be a little tentative and nervous. Mix in some snow, cold, and 22-mile-per-hour winds and I see a sloppy grinder that Cleveland wins by double-digits.
Pacific Star
5 unit Pitt
3 unit Buffalo
3 unit Jax/ Pitt over
3 unit Carolina
3 unit Car/Sea over
3 unit TB/Atl under
3 unit KC
3 unit AZ
3 unit Oak
3 unit Philly
Teddy Servaransky
5 unit Oakland
3 unit Buffalo
3 unit Carolina
3 unit Washington
Carlo Campanella
Game: Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers Dec 16 2007 1:00PM
Prediction: under
Reason: Jacksonville has won 4 of their last 5 games and enter off a 36-6 blowout victory against Carolina last weekend. The offense is putting up 23.5 points per game this year, while their stingy defense is holding foes to just 17.6 points per game! Pittsburgh enters off a 13-34 loss at New England, but has not lost back-to-back games this season and is on a 5-2 winning steak during their last 7 games. The Steelers average 23.8 points per game behind QB Ben Roethlisberger, but supported by a defense shutting opponents down to an awesome 14.5 points per game! Look for that defense to step it up this week as we find Pittsburgh owning an INCREDIBLE 0-11 (Over/Under) record after losing their previous game as Favorites!
7* Play On UNDER
Jim Kruuger
3 unit San Diego
3 unit Philly/Dallas under
MARK LAWRENCE
5* Minn
4* Jags
3* Wash