Daily Sports Roundup
Monday, February 15
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Kansas plays on the road against Texas A&M, UConn meets Villanova, and the NBA and NHL take the night off.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
It'll be top-ranked Kansas taking on Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Monday night in the best game on the college basketball schedule. The Jayhawks (24-1 SU, 10-11-1 ATS) didn't have much trouble with Iowa State in their last game on Saturday, pulling away for a 73-59 victory. Xavier Henry was good for 16 points in that contest for Kansas, while Cole Aldrich grabbed 12 rebounds. The Aggies (18-6 SU, 12-8 ATS) slipped past Texas Tech 67-65 on Saturday. B.J. Holmes scored 18 points for Texas A&M in that victory , and Donald Sloan had 14 points.
The other marquee team in action on the college basketball schedule for Monday is Villanova, which plays host to Connecticut. The Wildcats (22-2 SU, 16-7 ATS) cruised to a 92-81 win over Providence on Saturday, with Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds each scoring a game-high 22 points for Villanova in that contest. The Huskies (14-11 SU, 9-14 ATS) couldn't get much offense going against Cincinnati in their Saturday outing, as they fell 60-48. Kemba Walker had 14 points for UConn in that defeat, while Jerome Dyson was good for 13 points.
Today's Wagering Tips
Monday, February 15
Lines off the board
South Carolina State at Morgan State
Jackson State at Texas Southern
Lines to keep an eye on
Virginia at Maryland: The Terps opened as 8-point favorites and that number quickly jumped to 8.5. Maryland has covered eight of their last 10 games.
Kansas at Texas A&M: The Jayhawks opened as 7.5-point favorites and climbed to 8 right out of the box. The total opened at 143 and fell to 142.5.
Weather to watch
Parts of the South that rarely see snow are expecting the white stuff for the second time in three days. It doesn't take much to postpone games in that area of the country so keep an eye on the weather for updates.
Who's hot
Villanova is 11-1 SU in their last 12.
Maryland is 8-2 ATS in their last 10.
Who's not
Connecticut is 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six.
Youngstown State is 1-9 SU in their last 10.
Key stat
4 - The number of drivers who have won the Daytona 500 and gone on to win the championship in the same year. Richard Petty did it four times, Cale Yarborough did it twice, Lee Petty did it first (1959) and Jeff Gordon did it last (1997). Sunday's winner, Jamie McMurray, is a 150-to-1 longshot to win the 2010 Sprint Cup title.
Injury that shouldn't be overlooked
Louisiana-Monroe guard Tony Hooper has missed the Warhawks' last two games with an ankle injury but is questionable to return tonight. The senior is averaging 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and will be sorely needed for tonight's game key conference game against Arkansas State.
Game of the day
Kansas Jayhawks at Texas A&M Aggies
Notable quotable
"No, no, no, no, no. I don't think I can bear that anymore. I'm just happy with this third one. This is the last one."
-- New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson after winning his third NBA Slam Dunk Challenge when asked if he would return for a four-peat.
Tips and notes
Delays in the downhill has been an embarrassment for the Vancouver Olympics, but it may result in more medals for the host country when the men start today. Whistler was removed from the World Cup circuit after three events were canceled for slushy conditions in the 1990s, so Canadians Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Robbie Dixon and Erik Guay have the most experience on these slippery slopes.
There's no place like home, especially if you hang your hat in Hawaii. The Warriors would have a winning record if they stayed on the island, but they are 0-7 on the mainland entering tonight's game at New Mexico State. Adding to its road woes, Hawaii lost its sixth straight at Louisiana Tech on Saturday in a rare Southern snowstorm.
Tennessee State's season appeared to go from bad to worse last week when four players, including leading scorer Josh Sain, were dismissed from the team for academic reasons. However, the Tigers have won two straight since the move, including an upset of defending OVC champion Austin Peay. They host in-state rival Tennessee Tech tonight.