Daily Sports Roundup
Monday, December 7
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Flyers battle the Canadiens, the Spurs try for a win in Utah, and the Ravens and Packers hit the gridiron under the lights.
Colliding on the gridiron . . .
It's Baltimore (6-5 SU, 6-5 ATS) at Green Bay (7-4 SU, 6-4-1 ATS) as Monday Night Football hits the gridiron at Lambeau Field this week. The Ravens slipped past rival Pittsburgh 20-17 in overtime last Sunday, as Joe Flacco went 23-of-35 for 289 yards passing with one touchdown and no interceptions. Ray Rice ran for 88 yards on 19 attempts, while Willis McGahee had a TD run, and Derrick Mason had a TD catch. Billy Cundiff booted a 29-yard field goal for the win in overtime.
The Packers had no trouble beating lowly Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, getting three touchdown strikes from Aaron Rodgers in the 34-12 road victory. Rodgers went 28-of-39 for 348 yards passing in that contest, with no interceptions, while Donald Driver, Donald Lee, and James Jones had the TD catches. Charles Woodson also returned an interception for a score. Oddsmakers have Green Bay as a 4-point home favorite for Monday night, with the total for the contest at 42.5.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
There are four games on tap in the NBA on Monday, with Denver at Philadelphia, Portland at New York, Golden State at Oklahoma City, and San Antonio at Utah. The Spurs (9-8 SU, 8-9 ATS) fell 106-99 at home to Denver on Saturday night, with Tony Parker scoring a team-high 27 points and Tim Duncan adding 26 points. The Jazz (11-8 SU, 10-9 ATS) lost 108-101 in Minnesota on Saturday, with Carlos Boozer scoring 21 points and Deron Williams contributing 18 points.
Michigan State (at Citadel), Texas A&M (vs. North Texas), and Texas (vs. Long Beach State) are the top teams in action in college basketball on Monday night. The Longhorns (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) stayed perfect on the season with a 69-50 win over Southern Cal last Thursday. Damion Jones was good for 19 points for Texas in that victory. Long Beach State (4-3 SU, 4-2 ATS) is coming off a 79-68 win over UCLA In the 76 Classic, with T.J. Robinson scoring 25 points on the day.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, there are nine games on the National Hockey League's schedule for Monday, including Philadelphia at Montreal. The 13-12-1 Flyers were blasted 8-2 at home by the Capitals on Saturday night, with Peter Laviolette making his head-coaching debut with the team. The 13-14-2 Canadiens are coming off a 5-1 win over the Bruins on Friday night, as Mike Cammalleri recorded a hat trick. Jaroslav Spacek and Glen Metropolit also had markers for the Habs in that win.
Also on the ice on Monday: New Jersey at Buffalo, Atlanta at Toronto, Carolina at Pittsburgh, Washington at Tampa Bay, Edmonton at Florida, Colorado at St. Louis, Minnesota at Phoenix, and Calgary at Los Angeles. The 18-7-3 Flames edged the Sharks 2-1 in San Jose on Saturday night, with Daymond Langkow scoring the game-winning goal. The 17-10-3 Kings fell 5-4 in a shootout to the Blues on Saturday. Jon Quick stopped 27 of 31 St. Louis shots in regulation time.
Today's Helpful Tips
Monday, December 7
Lambeau slip
Both the Ravens and Packers need a win to remain in the playoff picture, but points may come at a premium on Monday night. Snow showers are forecasted for Green Bay from 8 a.m. until the early afternoon which could complicate playing conditions at Lambeau Field. There is only a 10 percent chance of precipitation during the game with a mild wind out of the northwest (endzone to endzone). Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-to-low 20s.
The total for the game opened at 44 and can be found as low as 42.5 at some shops now. Green Bay is a 3.5-point favorite.
The Ravens have a 2-5 over/under record in their last seven games.
Philly has The Answer
Allen Iverson will make his triumphant return to Philadelphia on Monday. Coincidentally, “The Answer” will face the team that plucked him from the 76ers four years ago. The 10-time All-Star has played 19 career games against the Nuggets, averaging 27.4 ppg.
Iverson last played for Philly during the 2006-07 season. With Iverson in the lineup for 15 games that year, the 76ers went 5-10 overall and 8-7 ATS.
Injuries to guards Willie Green, Louis Williams and Jrue Holiday will thrust Iverson into the starting lineup. In three games as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies this season, AI averaged 12.3 ppg and 3.7 apg.
These two teams are on completely different levels. Denver has won 9-of-11, covering in three straight, while the 76ers have lost nine in a row.
Colorado blues
St. Louis will try to improve upon its division-leading road record (7-2-3) when it faces the Avalanche in Denver. The Blues faired well against Colorado last year, playing outstanding defense in three wins while outscoring the Avs 10-3.
Avalanche Goalie Craig Anderson has missed the last two games with a sore neck and is listed as “day-to-day”. Backup Peter Budaj will start against St. Louis if Anderson cannot go. Budaj has allowed an average of 3.24 goals in six games this season and the Blues are 2-2-0-1 with him under the net.
St. Louis has won four of the last five meetings in this series and 8-of-12.
The Blues are a -150 favorite with a total of 5.5.
Ahhh-burn!
The ACC and SEC meet on the hardcourt Monday night when Virginia and Auburn collide.
The Cavaliers look to get back on track after losing to Penn State, 69-66, a week ago. They might get some help from forward Jamil Tucker who is expected to return for his first game of the season after dealing with personal matters. Tucker is a dangerous three-point shooter and averaged 7.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg last year.
Auburn has 3-0 ATS in three meetings against Virginia during the past decade. The Tigers edged the Cavaliers 58-56 last December as 3.5-point underdogs.
Virginia has experienced a case of the Mondays recently, going 1-8 ATS in the team’s last nine games on Monday.
Auburn opened as a 4-point favorite with a total of 135.
Notable quotable
“Handling the football from a skill position, whether it's a punter, kicker, quarterback, wide receiver, is definitely something that you always increase the focus on when you get to this time of the year. I mean 20-25 degrees, we practiced outside today. I don't really consider that cold. We practice in it, so it should be a benefit to us.”
-- Packers head coach Mike McCarthy on December weather affecting ball protection.