Daily Sports Roundup
Sunday March 21
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Sprint Cup Series returns at Bristol, while the Blazers meet the Suns, and March Madness offers up eight matchups.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
There are seven games around the NBA on Sunday, with Houston at New York, Oklahoma City at Indiana, Sacramento at the Clippers, Detroit at Cleveland, San Antonio at Atlanta, Washington at the Lakers, and Portland at Phoenix. The Trail Blazers and Suns last met on the court on February 10, with the Blazers picking up a 108-101 road victory. LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team-high 22 points for Portland in that contest, while Andre Miller and Steve Blake each tossed in 20 points. Amare Stoudemire scored a game-high 24 points in the loss for the Suns.
As well, top-seeded Syracuse and Duke highlight the second-round Big Dance matchups on Sunday. The Orange thumped No. 16 Vermont in their tourney opener on Friday, getting 18 points from Wes Johnson in a 79-56 victory. Syracuse will take the court on Sunday as a 7.5-point favorite against No. 8 Gonzaga, which beat No. 9 Florida State 67-60 on Friday. Meanwhile, Duke blew past No. 16 Arkansas Pine Bluff 73-44 on Friday, and they'll face No. 8 California on Sunday as a 6-point favorite. The Golden Bears bounced No. 9 Louisville in the first round on Friday, as Theo Robertson tossed in 21 points in the 77-62 win.
Along with California vs. Duke it's No. 5 Texas A&M (-1.5) vs. No. 4 Purdue in South Region action on Sunday, while No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh (PK) joins Gonzaga vs. Syracuse on the West Region slate. In the Midwest Region on Sunday it's No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. No. 2 Ohio State (-6.5) and No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Maryland (-1). Finally, the East Region offers up No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 2 West Virginia (-5.5) and No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 4 Wisconsin (-4). The Ivy League's Big Red dispatched No. 5 Temple 78-65 in their first-round contest.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
The NHL has nine games on tap for Sunday, with Calgary at Minnesota, Buffalo at Carolina, Tampa Bay at Florida, Nashville at St. Louis, Phoenix at Dallas, Atlanta at Philadelphia, San Jose at Edmonton, Colorado at Anaheim, and the Rangers at Boston. The 31-27-12 Bruins were blanked 3-0 by the Penguins in their last game on Thursday night, and they're 0-3 against New York so far this season. The 31-31-9 Rangers are coming off a 4-3 loss to St. Louis on Thursday night. Marian Gaborik scored his 37th goal of the year in that defeat for New York.
Roaring around the track . . .
Finally, the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series return from a one-week break to take the track in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Kyle Busch won both races at Bristol last season, and he's pegged as the 5/1 Vegas favorite to make it three in a row on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson is next on the Vegas odds list at 6/1, with Jeff Gordon at 17/2, and Mark Martin at 9/1. Other odds to visit victory lane on Sunday: Tony Stewart (10/1), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (11/1), and Denny Hamlin (11/1). 2008 Food City champ Jeff Burton is at 18/1.
Sunday's Wagering Tips
Lines off the board
Houston Rockets at New York Knicks – David Lee (knee) was a late scratch from the team’s last game but is expected to play.
Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes – Manny Legace (knee) has missed the last three games and is questionable. Alexandre Picard (upper body) is doubtful.
Phoenix Coyotes at Dallas Stars – Robert Lang (lower body) missed Thursday’s game and is questionable.
Lines to keep an eye on
The total in the Thunder-Pacers game has elevated from an opener of 205.5 to 206.5 at most shops. This series has seen four straight overs and the over has cashed in 9-of-10.
The Kings-Clippers total has dropped one point since opening at 200. The last five games between these teams have gone under.
The opening total of 202.5 in the Pistons-Cavs matchup fell a point to 201.5. Detroit has played to four straight overs.
The Spurs-Hawks total opened at 195.5 and has been bet down to 194.5.
Who’s hot
Maryland is 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games.
The Coyotes have won seven straight, earning 7.08 units on the moneyline in that stretch.
San Antonio is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games.
Who’s not
Michigan State is 2-4 ATS in its last six outings.
Evengi Nabokov has lost four straight starts for the Sharks, giving up a total of 14 goals during that span.
The Clippers are 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games.
Key stat
3-0 – ATS record for Xavier in their last three second round games from the last three years. The Musketeers are 9-2 ATS in the Dance since the 2004 season.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Tyreke Evans, the frontrunner for the NBA Rookie of the Year, could miss the remainder of the season after taking a vicious blow to the head from the Bucks’ Ersan Ilyasova. Evans had a concussion, a chipped tooth and a gum laceration. The former Memphis Tiger is averaging 20.4 ppg this season. The Kings face the Clippers on Sunday and Ime Udoka could be in line for a start. This injury leaves Sacramento very thin at the guard position.
Notable quotable
"There's 347 Division I schools. There's one that's dominating and there's a handful that have put themselves in the position with the right mindset and the right talent to walk in the door. I would love the opportunity."
-- Ohio State women's basketball coach Jim Foster said about getting the chance to play UConn in the NCAA Tournament.
Tips and notes
- Despite Ohio State’s relatively easy win over UCSB on Friday; the team’s starters didn’t get to rest in the second half. The Buckeyes bench accounted for 14 minutes of play while four starters played more than 37 minutes. Ohio State has used a six-man rotation most of the year but fatigue could start to show in the matchup against Georgia Tech being the team’s fifth game in 10 days.
- According to Jason Richardson, Phoenix is playing like the team that “went 14-3 at the beginning of the season.” He said that the Suns are playing with more cohesion now more than ever because “nobody has personal goals.” J-Rich also mentioned the team was mostly concerned about moving up in the playoff standings to get home-court advantage so they are not content with just getting in. The Suns have won 8-of-10 and three straight ATS.
- Paul Hewitt’s coaching tactic of banning cell phones from his players to try to “connect” them may have had something to do with Georgia Tech advancing to the second round of the Dance. Before the conference tournament, players had to surrender their cell phones to the coach and D’Andre Bell said it made them more of a “family” and gave them a sense of “trust” on the floor. The Jackets are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five.