All top 5 ranked NCAA teams are playing this weekend.  The shock waves are beginning to be felt as #2 Kentucky falls to #19 ranked Tennessee.  The Volunteers shook the Wildcats 74-65 at home in Tennessee today.  DeMarcus Cousins poured in 15 points for Kentucky but J.P. Prince upstaged him with 20 of his own.  Will Kentucky still be #2 on Monday?

The after shocks from that one are nothing compared to the ones that will be spreading out from Oklahoma St. if #1 Kansas falls to the unranked Cowboys who are 7th in the Big 12 but leading the Jay Hawks by 14 with 6 minutes to play.   James Anderson has already sunk 20 points for the Cowboys.

The #3 ranked Purdue Boilermakers host the #14 ranked Michigan St. Spartans tomorrow.  This game has become even more important for Purdue with the #2 ranked team already defeated and the #1 team being shocked as well.  Purdue won their first match up with the Spartans 76-64.

The #4 ranked Syracuse Orange host #7 Villanova later this evening.  The Wildcats of Villanova won their last match up with Syracuse last year 89-86.  The Orange need to pull this one out at home if they want any chance of increasing their rankings.

The #5 ranked Duke Blue Devils host the unranked Virginia Cavaliers tomorrow night.  Duke won their last confrontation last February 79-64.  Duke has a chance to come out smelling like a rose in this top 5 shake up is over and the after shocks have subsided.

The road to March Madness just keeps getting better and better.  Will all of the top 5 lose this weekend?  It is not likely but it is nice to feel the hair tingle on the back of your neck as you wonder what lay in the unknown.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Thursday night the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled into Boston to take on the Celtics with a monkey on their back.  They had lost 9 straight in Boston including the playoffs.  The Celtics lead their division are still a major force to reckon with in the NBA.  The Cavaliers are 45-14 this season and are number one in the Eastern Conference.  The Celtics are 36-20 and are tied for 3rd over all with the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference playoff race.  Cleveland came into town 19-10 on the road.  They desperately wanted to make it 20.

The game began with the Celtics showing why they are one of the most famous franchises in the NBA.  Things even looked worse for the the Cavaliers when O’Neil hurt his thumb in the second quarter.  The losing streak in Boston seemed destined to become 10 and then Cleveland woke up in the second half and outscored Boston 60-32.  LaBron James ended up with 36 points and the Cavaliers won their 20th away game and snapped the 9 game losing streak in Boston 108-88.

The Cavaliers wound up sinking 10 of their last 13 baskets showing Boston that Cleveland could still click.  It is hard to imagine anything but a Cavaliers-Lakers Finals match up but stranger things have happened.  Cleveland has yet to get over that final hump and prove they are the best in the NBA.  This could be the year that they do.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

March Madness is just around the corner so we thought it might be time to talk about the top 5 teams in the NCAA today.  There have been some surprises in the NCAA this year.  Last years National Champions the Tarheels of North Carolina are struggling while their rivals the Blue Devils of Duke are in the hunt.

The Duke Blue Devils are ranked 5th in the nation with a 23-4 record.  They are in 1st place in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.  They are fresh off of a 67-55 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday. Coach K continues to work miracles with this team.  Kyle Singler had 25 points against Virginia Tech and is the spiritual leader on this team which should do well in March.

The Orange out of Syracuse are 26-2 and lead the Big East Conference.  They are ranked 4th in the nation.  They defeated Providence last night 99-85.  Rick Jackson dumped in 28 for the big orange.  Syracuse likes their chances in March and are up for the pressure.

Ranked 3rd in the nation are the Boilermakers of Purdue.  Their 23-3 record provides them with 1st place in the Big Ten Conference.  They beat Illinois 75-65 on Saturday night.  It was a strong overall effort with Mike Davis contributing 16 points.  Purdue is now in the drivers seat after passing Michigan State for the conference lead over the weekend.  Purdue runs the floor well and could be very competitive in March.

The Wildcats of Kentucky are ranked 2nd in the nation.  At 26-1 and leading the Southeastern Conference the Wildcats are the real deal.  However, on Saturday Kentucky struggled to get by Vanderbilt 58-56.  DeMarcus Cousins found the net for 19 points but Vanderbilt held this powerhouse to less than 36% accuracy from the floor.  Never the less, the Wildcats will be hard to corner in March.

The Kansas Jayhawks are ranked number 1st in the nation.  They have a 27-1 record and are 13-0 in the competitive Big 12 where they are 1st in the Conference.  Kansas stumbled on Monday and were embarrassed by the Oklahoma Sooners 81-68 providing them with their first loss of the season.  Xavier Henry found the hoop for 23 points but too much on this day.  Kansas clinched the Big 12 and are still the team to beat in March.

There is nothing quite like March Madness in the NCAA.  Once again the competition will be fierce.  It should be a lot of fun to watch.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

The first half of the NBA season is history. The All-Star game was a huge success in Arlington.  Now it is time to take it too the hoop all they way to the championship.  It is time for those flash in the pan teams that have hung on with all their glory to move to the wayside and let the good times roll.

The L.A. Lakers have won 4 straight since the all-star break and have done so without Kobe Bryant.  That is a pretty good sign that the Lakers are for real and should be expected to repeat but anything can happen in the NBA on a given day.  The Lakers are 42-13 on the year and 26-4 at home.  That is pretty impressive.  Right now Phoenix is a safe 9.5 games behind them in the Pacific Conference.

The Denver Nuggets lead the Northwest with a 35-18 record and are equally as impressive at home with a 23-5 record.  However, they are 12-13 on the road.  The Utah Jazz are only 1.5 games back with 2 other teams only a few games back in the race.  This one will not be over until it is over but look for the Jazz to make a move.

In the Southwest the Dallas Mavericks are 33-21 and 15-9 at home.  They are 17-12 on the road which is second to only the Cleveland in the NBA.  The San Antonio Spurs have always been a spur in their saddle and are only a game back.  The Mavericks will need to pull an ace out of their hat to hold onto this one.

In the Southeast Orlando is 36-18 with a record of 20-5 at home.  Atlanta is 1.5 games back with a 21-6 record at home.  The Magic better keep the magic going or some Hawks might just soar in for the kill.  In the Central the Cleveland Cavaliers are 43-11 holding the best winning percentage in the NBA, who said O’Neil and James could not play together?  They are 24-3 at home and 19-8 on the road.  They have won 13 straight and are on their way to the NBA Championship. The Bulls are second and 16 games back.

In the Atlantic the Boston Celtics are 33-18 with a home record of 15-9. The Toronto Raptors are 4.5 games back.  The Celtics are hanging on but are not playing to their potential.  Lucky for them they lead a weak division.  At 9-1 the Celtics have the best division record in the NBA.  I will be very surprised if the Cavaliers and the Lakers do not face off in the Championship this year.   Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Sunday night was a huge night in Arlington, Texas.  Cowboys Stadium, which cost over 1 billion dollars to construct, was filled to the gills.  Over 108,000 fans grabbed a seat to watch a major sporting event and got a chance to see the famed Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders as a bonus.  No, it was not the Super Bowl, although that game will be played there in 2011, it was the NBA All Star Game and history was in the making.

To be exact 108,713 people were present to watch the NBA East get by the West 141-139.  It was the biggest crowd to ever watch a basketball game. The former record was 78,129 set back in 2003.  Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, joined with Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, to put this event together.  Both were over joyed.

Dwyane Wade won the All Star MVP scoring 28 points. Players were a little concerned that their perception might be a little off with so much space behind and around the baskets but it would not be the case.  The players were as impressed with being part of history as were the fans.  The game may have been over shadowed by the history making attendance hype but overall everyone got what they came for.  The NBA needed a boost and they received it Sunday Night in Arlington.  Now the NBA needs to take it to the basket just as hard the rest of the season.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

The ACC in college basketball has always been a very competitive division.  Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski can vouch for that.  Coach K as he is more lovingly known had led the Duke Blue Devils to a 20-4 record so far this season and a number 8 ranking in the nation.  Today at  1pm eastern time in Dukes Cameron Indoor Stadium the Duke Blue Devils will host the Maryland Terrapins who are 16-6 and are second in the ACC behind the Blue Devils.

The game today will be the 1000th game coached in Coach K’s amazing career.  He has an overall record of 853-278 over a 30 year span.  The future hall of fame coach has a pretty impressive resume and has been chased by many NBA teams in the past including the Celtics and the Lakers. Duke has been equally impressive their last 2 games defeating Boston College 66-63 and their North Carolina rivals the Tar Heels 64-54.  Maryland has only played 1 game in the last week due to prevailing snow and that was a 92-71 beating of the on their heels Tar Heels.

Duke leads this series 106-60 and have reigned supreme in their last 5 contests.  Duke is the top offensive team in the ACC while Maryland is number 2.  This should be a dandy. It is also Coach K’s 63rd birthday and as much as 2nd place Maryland needs a win here the Blue Devils would hate to lose on such a special day for their beloved coach.  Look for Duke to win this in a nail biter.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

If you would have told me prior to the Super Bowl that Colts QB Peyton Manning would throw an interception for a touchdown in the 4th quarter I would never have believed it.  Peyton is the ultimate field general but on this night in Super Bowl XXIV he threw a pass he will never forget.

The Indianapolis Colts jumped off to a 10-0 lead over the New Orleans Saints Sunday night and sudden doom seem to linger in the air for Saints QB Drew Brees and his teammates.  By half time the Saints managed a couple of field goals to get back into the game.  The rock group ‘Who’ bellowed out some old ballads at half time but when the final 2 quarters ended no one would be asking the Saints ‘Who Dat?’ anymore.

Payton, Sean not Manning, showed his coaching vigor by opening the second half with an gutsy onside kick which the Saints recovered.  The Saints and Sean Payton made the right decision and 6 plays later Brees threw a 16 yard TD pass to give New Orleans their first lead.  Peyton Manning and the Colts bounced right back as they marched 76 yards for a score to regain the lead 17-13.  The Saints answered with a field goal closing the gap to 17-16.

Suddenly the Saints defense had come alive.  They would not allow Manning or the Colts to score again.  The Saints marched down to score again and then hit on a 2-point conversion as well to take the lead they would never give up 21-17.  Then the Saints added another field goal to make it 24-17.  With the final minutes ticking down Peyton was given the opportunity to pull off another great come back like he has done numerous times in his career.

This time it was not to be.  Peyton rushed a throw under the pressure of a Saints blitz.  He tried to force it into the capable hands of Reggie Wayne but instead Tracy Porter picked it off and returned it over 74 yards for a touchdown making the final score 31-17.  The Saints had won their first ever Super Bowl and in New Orleans the ultimate party had begun.  Congratulations to the Saints.

Another great NFL season is in the history books.  For some it is merely a game where grown men run around a field and play with a ball.  But for avid football fans it is much more than a game.  It satisfies our most primitive emotions for pure strength, speed and supremacy.  It is over for now but not for long.  Before you know it the 2010 season will begin.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Thirty-two hours from now Super Bowl XLIV will commence sparking what shows promise of being a tremendously entertaining match-up.  The Indianapolis Colts take on the New Orleans Saints in what most reassuringly will be a fierce air battle in the skies over Miami.

It is the last day before the biggest sports event of the year.  The media hype has been raging unrelentingly for two weeks now.  There has been much talk but now it is time for action.  Avid NFL football fans know what these two offensive powerhouses are capable of.  But what will they do tomorrow in the game of games.

The Colts were 9th in the NFL in offense establishing 363 yards per game.  The Saints however were number 1 displaying 403.  The Colts and QB Peyton Manning were 2nd overall in passing offense averaging 282 yards per game.  The Saints and QB Drew Brees were 4th at 272 yards per game.  A big difference to watch for is that the Colts were ranked 32 in rushing with only 80 yards per game while the Saints were ranked 6th with 131.

The Saints scored an average of 31 points per game while the Colts averaged 26.  Defensively speaking the Colts gave up an average of 19 points per game while the Saints gave up 21.  Don’t allow those numbers to be misleading however because both of these teams have opportunistic defenses that make plays when they have too.

The hype surrounding this game has been incredible.  By now everyone should know that Peyton Manning’s father Archie was a beloved QB for the Saints for a decade and a half.  Peyton and little brother Eli, QB for the New York Giants, grew up around the Saints.  That was then, this is now.  Peyton is now a legend in Indianapolis and Drew Brees is the hero in the ‘Big Easy”.

The bottom line is this.  Peyton would love nothing more than to earn his second Super Bowl ring.  Drew Brees would like nothing better than to win his first and the first for a NFL franchise that has been yearning for a championship since, well, forever.  The Saints fans are devoted to their team and no doubt the city of New Orleans needs the lift.  In the end only one team will walk off the field tomorrow night victorious.  That team will be the group that let’s their actions do their talking on the field.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

For the first time in NFL history the Pro Bowl will be held before the Super Bowl Odds and considering how things have gone so far it might be the last time. This is the first time in 30 years the NFL Pro Bowl has not been held in Honolulu, Hawaii and even though many of the best players in the league are not there, the crowd will be large and the controversy surrounding the game has attracted a lot of attention.

The NFC is a 2-point favorite with a total of 57 at SBG Global.

Since the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are playing in the Super Bowl, their players will not be in the game. In addition to those players, a large number of other players have backed out. In fact, there have been a record 33 changes to the Pro Bowl rosters already.

The players are not happy, some of the NFL betting coaches are not happy but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is optimistic and that might be all that matters. “We’ll see what works, and what doesn’t.” Goodell said, “We’ll talk to the players and other participants and try to figure out what the best approach will be.” The next two years the game will be held in Hawaii but future plans for the Pro Bowl have not been announced.

The AFC and NFC teams are going to look nothing like true Pro Bowl rosters. Yes, there will still be players like Tennessee’s Chris Johnson and Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones Drew, but other players like Jacksonville’s David Garrard and Chicago’s Johnny Knox have no business being at the Pro Bowl Odds. If the game were being held in Hawaii then perhaps there would not have been as many defections. “Personally, I like it better over there,” said Denver safety Brian Dawkins, “This is not truly a getaway. But it’s still special. I appreciate this too much to take it for granted. So if I could play, I was going to play. A lot of people would love to do what I do for a living. I will never take this for granted.”

With all of the changes to the rosters and despite the game not being held in Hawaii, the game is sold out and will have the highest attendance since 1959.

The NFC has won three of the last four Super Bowls and has a very slight 20-19 all-time edge. The NFC is a slight favorite this year simply because their quarterback rotation and their depth looks better than the AFC’s. Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo are the three NFC quarterbacks while Matt Schaub, David Garrard and Vince Young are the three AFC quarterbacks.

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On February 7th in Miami, Florida Super Bowl XLIV will be played signaling a climax to another great NFL Football season.  It seems like only yesterday that we were teased by mini camps and the exhibition games.  I can still feel the excitement that was building when the season kicked off in September.  Now it is drawing to a close.

As a die hard football fan I look forward to the Super Bowl and yet it sends those unwanted signals to my brain that the long hard summer without the game is approaching.  I will have to live off the tidbits of anticipation presented by the trades and rumors of trades in the off season.  I will have to find satisfaction in watching the draft and then survive until the mini camps start once again.

I am not certain who will win Super Bowl XLIV.  I only hope that the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints provide us with a game for the ages.  In my heart I need an NFL transfusion that will sustain me through the off season.  I need a knock down, drag out war in the trenches that will satisfy my need for gridiron action.

I have been wondering who wants to win the Super Bowl more.  Peyton Manning, the Colts QB, would like to win his 2nd.  Drew Brees, the Saints QB, would like to win the first one for the city of New Orleans, which has seen its share of agony.  Manning will no doubt go down in NFL lore as one of the greatest field generals to ever step on the field.  Brees could very well cement his role in legend by leading his team to victory.  All I ask for is a game.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

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