College Bowl Betting Odds and Basketball Matchups: Dec. 26
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Top Betting Odds for Dec. 26
Hope everybody had a great holiday. Time to get back to the grind, get rid of the tree and use those gift cards wisely. College football also returns on Wednesday with the Little Caesars Bowl from Detroit and there's a huge slate of NBA games.
Let's roll!
Central Mich. (6-6 SU, 5-7 ATS, 7-3-1 O/U) vs. Western Ky. (7-5 SU, 8-4 ATS, 6-4-1 O/U)
Western Kentucky is favored by nearly a touchdown but they are going through a major transition. Willie Taggart, long-time head coach an led the team to the 2002 FCS title, left for South Florida on Dec. 8. Western Kentucky decided to give Bobby Petrino another chance after he screwed up at Arkansas. For this game, defensive coordinator Lance Guidry will be calling plays. Western Kentucky led the conference with 31 sacks and was 12th among FBS teams with 7.42 tackles for loss per game. Central Michigan found their stride offensively in the second half of the season, scoring at least 30 points in each of their final six games, and the defense showed signs of improvement after yielding an average of 39.4 points during a 2-5 start..Western Kentucky is 5-0 ATS last 5 non-conference games. College Football Line: -Western Kentucky is a 6-point favorite. Total: 57.5.
LA Lakers (14-14 SU, 12-15-1 ATS, 15-12 O/U) at Denver (15-13 SU, 17-11 ATS, 15-13 O/U)
Last game: (Nov. 30): LOS ANGELES LAKERS (-5.5) over Denver, 122-103. So do you think Steve Nash makes a difference? The 38-year old point guard returned two games ago and now the Lakers are on a five-game winning streak. Nash suffered a fractured leg on Oct. 31 and missed nearly two months. The Lakers beat Golden State in overtime on Saturday and on Wednesday afternoon, the Lakers defeated the Knicks athome, 100-94, giving 4. Nash had 11 assists and 16 points, but also played 38 minutes. Can he play back-to-back games against the speedy Ty Lawson (who also played on Wednesday)? This is a tough task for the Lakers, who lead the NBA in rebounding. Denver is 8-1 ATS last 9 playing with no rest. Pro Hoops Lines: NL.. Total: NT.
New York (20-8 SU, 15-13 ATS, 14-12-2 O/U) at Phoenix (11-17 SU, 11-16-1 ATS, 14-14 O/U)
Last game: (Dec. 2). NEW YORK KNICKS (-11.5) over Phoenix, 106-99. The Knicks are coming off a 100-94 road loss to the Lakers on Christmas Day, getting 4. The Knicks will try to avoid rare consecutive losses on Wednesday night when they visit the Phoenix Suns. New York has employed the league's most 3-point-oriented offense all season, firing a league-high 29.2 3-pointers a game. The Knicks (20-8) have also been efficient, making 11.5 to shoot 39.5 percent. But the team's long-range shooting has gone cold, with New York connecting on 31.2 percent over the last five games, contributing to three losses in that span. The Suns come in having lost two in a row after winning four straight. They matched a season-low point total in a 103-77 home loss to the Clippers on Sunday. Phoenix is 4-1 ATS L5 in series. Pro Hoops Odds: NL. Total: NT.
Golden State (18-10 SU, 16-11-1 ATS, 18-9-1 O/U) at Utah (15-14 SU, 13-15-1 ATS, 14-14-1 O/U)
The Warriors will try to avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time in well over a month Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz, winners of 10 of 12 in this series at home. On Saturday, Golden State let a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead slip away Saturday in a 118-115 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jarrett Jack posted season highs of 29 points and 11 assists off the bench while David Lee scored 20 to go along with 11 rebounds for the Warriors, who were outscored 56-38 in the paint. Utah entered Sunday having dropped four of five but regrouped to win 97-93 at Orlando in its first game since losing point guard Mo Williams for what is expected to be a significant chunk of time. Williams suffered a sprained right thumb the previous night in a 105-89 loss at Miami. Earl Watson, who dished out a season best-tying eight assists off the bench against the Magic, should also see plenty of minutes with Williams sidelined. Golden State is 5-1 ATS L6 in series. Basketball lines: Utah is a 4-point favorite. Total: 203.