Daily Sports Roundup
Wednesday, February 24
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Olympic hockey tournament hits the quarterfinals, while BYU takes on San Diego State, and Orlando meets Houston.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
There are 11 games on the NBA's busy schedule for Wednesday, including Orlando at Houston. The Magic (38-19 SU, 28-26-3 ATS) knocked off the Cavaliers by a final score of 101-95 in their last game on Sunday. Dwight Howard picked up 22 points and 16 rebounds for Orlando in that contest, while Jameer Nelson was good for 18 points. The Rockets (28-27 SU, 25-30 ATS) couldn't get past New Orleans on Sunday, falling by a score of 102-94 on the road. Chase Budinger had a team-high 18 points off the bench in Sunday's loss for the Rockets, who will be without Trevor Ariza (hip flexor injury) on Wednesday.
Also on the NBA hardwood on Wednesday: Minnesota at Atlanta, Memphis at Washington, Indiana at Chicago, New Orleans at Milwaukee, Oklahoma City at San Antonio, the Lakers at Dallas, Philadelphia at Phoenix, Charlotte at Utah, Detroit at the Clippers, and Portland at Toronto. The Raptors (31-24 SU, 28-27 ATS) have won two straight games heading into Wednesday's matchup, most recently beating the Wizards 109-104 at home on Saturday. Jarrett Jack had 23 points in that game, while Chris Bosh was on the sidelines with a sprained ankle.
As well, there are eight games involving ranked teams on the college hoops schedule for Wednesday, with Dayton at No. 20 Temple, No. 9 Ohio State at Penn State, No. 12 Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, No. 3 Purdue at Minnesota, No. 22 Texas A&M at No. 24 Baylor, Oklahoma State at No. 21 Texas, South Florida at No. 7 Villanova, and San Diego State at No. 13 BYU. The Cougars (25-3 SU, 15-10 ATS) are unbeaten at home so far this season (14-0 SU, 8-5 ATS), and they've won three in a row. BYU beat Wyoming 85-63 in their Saturday matchup.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, the Olympic men's hockey tournament hits the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, with top seeds the United States, Sweden, Russia, and Finland matching up against the four winners of Tuesday's qualification round contests. The marquee game on the ice on Wednesday will be Russia vs. Canada, with Sidney Crosby and company wiping out Germany 8-2 in their qualification round game on Tuesday night. Russia won their group in preliminary action.
Wednesday's Wagering Tips
Lines off the board
Portland Trail Blazers at Toronto Raptors – Chris Bosh (ankle) has missed the last three games and is doubtful.
Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls – Danny Granger (personal) did not play on Monday and is out indefinitely.
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs – Tony Parker (hip) has missed two of the last four games and is doubtful.
Orlando Magic at Houston Rockets – Trevor Ariza (hip) is expected to miss the team’s next three games.
Charlotte Bobcats at Utah Jazz – Andrei Kirilenko (back) and Deron Williams (quad) both missed last game and are doubtful.
Philadelphia 76ers at Phoenix Suns – Both teams played on Tuesday. Steve Nash (back) did not travel with the team for Tuesday’s game and is questionable. Willie Green (shoulder) missed Tuesday’s game and is questionable.
Lines to keep an eye on
The Grizzlies-Wizards total jumped from an opener of 198 to 199. The last three games in this series have gone over.
The total for the Minnesota-Atlanta game has escalated from 203 to 204.
Weather to watch
Rain is expected to pour down over Vancouver on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. There is a 50 percent chance of showers at 6 a.m. and a 30 percent until 11 a.m on Wednesday.
Pre-afternoon medal events like the men’s cross-country and women’s alpine giant slalom could be affected by the rain.
Who’s hot
The Suns have played to eight consecutive unders.
Southern Mississippi is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games.
Who’s not
Davidson is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games.
The Bobcats are 2-7 ATS during their last nine outings.
Key stat
22-0 – Lakers record this season when leading after the third quarter. That stat could provide an in-game betting opportunity should L.A. get down in the fourth after leading before the period started.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Wizards forward Josh Howard will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL on Monday. Howard looked rejuvenated on his new team after being dealt by the Mavericks, averaging 17 ppg during his first three outings with Washington. Al Thornton is expected to replace Howard in the starting lineup.
Game of the day
Dayton Flyers at Temple Owls (-3.5, 117.5)
Notable quotable
"Brian is one of the greatest Eagles of all time and he is an even a better person and leader. In my mind, there has not been a more versatile running back that the NFL has seen. I had a conversation with Brian this morning to let him know. This is by far the most difficult part of this job. We wanted to make this move in order to maximize Brian's chances of landing with another NFL team."
-- Eagles head coach Andy Reid said after the team elected to waive running back Brian Westbrook.
Tips and notes
- Dirk Nowitzki said Brendan Haywood was “the guy that really made the trade work for us.” Haywood has relished his new role with the Mavs saying, “this is the first time in my career I get to play with a pass-first point guard." Haywood’s energy has provided Dallas with a defensive presence at center and 11.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
- The Pistons have scored more than 100 points during regulation in only one game since Dec. 12. This points to a large under number but Detroit’s O/U record only stands at 14-17 during that span. Detroit is in a back-to-back situation on Thursday and the veteran lineup has only mustered an average of 90.7 ppg in that situation this season.
- After the Jazz traded Ronnie Brewer, Deron Williams said he thought the trade made the team “worse” and the other teams in the West got “better.” Williams and Brewer were known to be very close, almost like an older-younger brother relationship. Williams was even reported saying he was glad only to be in a three-year deal with the Jazz because he is uncertain about his future there. Williams did not play on Monday and is doubtful for Wednesday.