Daily Sports Roundup
Monday, February 22
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Pacers head to Dallas in search of a road victory over the Mavericks, while the Jayhawks get a visit from the Sooners.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
There are just five games on the NBA's schedule for Monday, with Chicago at Washington, Milwaukee at New York, Atlanta at Utah, Charlotte at the Clippers, and Indiana at Dallas. The Pacers (19-36 SU, 24-31 ATS) beat the Rockets 125-115 in Houston on Saturday, with Danny Granger pouring in 36 points. Indiana is just 7-21 (12-16 ATS) on the road. The Mavericks (35-21 SU, 23-33 ATS) beat Miami 97-91 at home on Saturday, their third straight win. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 28 points in that contest, while Jason Kidd had 21 points and 11 assists.
As well, the top teams in action on the college basketball schedule for Monday are West Virginia (at Connecticut) and top-ranked Kansas (vs. Oklahoma). The Jayhawks (26-1 SU, 10-12-2 ATS) easily got past Colorado in their last game on Saturday, winning 94-74 at home behind 24 points from Xavier Henry. Tyshawn Taylor and Cole Aldrich each had 17 points in that win. The Sooners (13-13 SU, 9-14 ATS) were thumped 83-68 at home by Kansas State on Saturday. Tommy Mason-Griffin had 16 points for Oklahoma, which has lost four games in a row.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, the Olympic men's hockey tournament gets a day off on Monday. The qualification round of the event will be staged on Tuesday, with quarterfinal matchups on tap for Wednesday, and the semifinals set for Friday. The Bronze Medal Game will be played Saturday, while the Gold Medal Game is on Sunday.
Monday's Wagering Tips
Lines off the board
Charlotte Bobcats vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Clippers guard Baron Davis (back) is listed as questionable.
Lines to keep an eye on
Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks: The total opened at 204 and quickly jumped to as high 206 at some books. The Knicks have played in six straight overs but the Bucks are 5-1 on the under in that same span.
Weather to watch
A weekend winter storm in the Midwest left lots of snow and ice and caused delays at many of the region's major airports. Road conditions also could create travel problems for teams in the area.
Who's hot
Utah Jazz are 12-1 SU and 10-2-1 ATS in their last 13.
Chicago Bulls are 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven.
Washington Wizards are 5-0 ATS in their last five.
Who's not
L.A. Clippers are 1-6 SU in their last seven.
N.Y. Knicks are 1-9 SU in their last 10.
Kansas Jayhawks are 1-6 ATS in their last seven, all SU wins.
Key stat
21 - The exact number of points the Kansas Jayhawks have been favored by in three of their last five games - all three ATS losses. They are favored by 21.5 points tonight against Oklahoma.
Injury that shouldn't be overlooked
L.A. Clippers guard Baron Davis has missed the last two games with a sore back but said he hopes to return for tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Davis is averaging 15.6 points per game but his 7.8 assists and ability to run the offense have been missed the most. Keep an eye on the line when a decision about Davis is made.
Game of the day
Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz
Notable quotable
"The way I executed, the way I skied, is something I'll be proud of the rest of my life. I skied with 100 percent heart -- I didn't hold anything back. ... It's just awesome. There's nothing else to say."
-- American skier Bode Miller after coming back to win the gold medal in Sunday's super combined. He was in seventh place entering the slalom event.
Tips and notes
-- Last week's trades didn't go over well in the Clippers' locker room. Chris Kaman criticized the decision to trade Marcus Camby for Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake and to swap Al Thornton and Sebastian Telfair for Drew Gooden. The new lineup resulted in their first win in seven games Saturday, but how long before the losing attitude rubs off on the new blood?
-- Jim Calhoun's return from a medical leave is starting to show on UConn, which fell from a top 10 team to a Big East bottom-feeder during his absence. The Huskies upset Villanova on the road and routed Rutgers last week, covering by an average of 15 points per game. They get another shot at a top team against West Virginia, which is favored despite sleepwalking lately.
-- Austria boasts four of the world's top five ski jumpers but they bombed in Saturday's individual normal hill event. Olympic newcomer George Schlierenzauer took the bronze and the rest placed no better than eighth. The embarrased Austrians say they did not adjust well to a wind change, but they are much better equipped, trained - and now motivated - for today's large hill format.