Saturday evening on January 14th, the New York Knicks come into Oklahoma City to battle against the OKC Thunder in this huge game between these two teams. It is a tale of two teams as the OKC Thunder come into play with a regular squad of young guns versus the NY Knicks who it appears from year to year usually comes into play with plenty of changes going on. The NY Knicks are liked by 4 points and this could hold unless Durant has one of his usual killer games.
The United Center in Chicago will be on edge as the Wizards come into town to face the Chicago Bulls. In years past, this contest might have been the toughest ticket to get as the second comeback by Michael Jordan turned the Washington Wizards into media darlings throughout the league. Jordan now is long retired nonetheless and the Washington Wizards have changed into an awesome young squad with vast quantities of possible waiting to be utilized. The sportsbook has the Bulls favored by 8 points which looks correct and looks like a solid bet with Chicago being rooted on at home.
The Staples Center will come alive on January 11th when the Miami Heat competes with the Clippers. The Miami Heat comes in with one of the best records in the NBA supported by an amazing lineup of stars. The Miami Heat lead the league as a team in points obtained and assists. The sports book has the Miami Heat favored by 8 points and with the backcourt they include, it appears to be a sure bet. Let’s take a closer look at the Miami Heat this year and what they offer.
These two teams have been doing comparatively well this season. This really should not a surprise to anybody as these two colleges are well noted for their share of victories in basketball for several years. Both these teams will be at it on the hardwood on January 9, when Western Virginia visits Connecticut.
Whereas this particular competition might not have the same intensity that its football version does, the Jan 9 – Oklahoma at Oklahoma State game still has its own brand of excitement. With the conference basketball year just under way, both the Sooners and Cowboys will make an effort to set the tone for the remainder of their year with this game. In Oklahoma’s case, they are going to be looking to continue what has been a good start as they finished the non-conference slate with a 10-2 record.
On Jan 8th, postseason college football comes to Mobile, AL when the Arkansas State Red Wolves face the Huskies at the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Both teams come up with rookie head coaches with the Huskies headed by first-year head coach Dave Doeren. Temporary head coach David Gunn who’s been the running backs coach all year heads the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Arkansas State has hired Gus Malzahn who will take the reins after the year ends. The take from the sports book is now Arkansas State (-1 ½) with an over-under established at 63 points.
It is not just the Division I-A colleges receiving face time on ESPN, on January 7th the NCAA Division I-AA Championship game is performed at Pizza Hut Park in Fricso, TX. The Bison battle against the Bearkats in a fight of the 2 greatest small colleges in the country. Both the Bearkats and the Bison have steamrolled their competition all year long and both are additionally coming into play with comparable styles on offense. As the defenses are going to get a work out, anticipate plenty of running and plenty of 1st downs by each team. The sports book is having a tough time with this one as the line now is currently at North Dakota State (-1) with the over-under scheduled at 46.
Birmingham, AL plays sponsor to the Compass Bowl on January seventh with the Pittsburgh Panthers taking on the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The Pitt Panthers come in just after the 1-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. Graham resigned his post on December 14th to take the head coaching position at Arizona State. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will don the headset for the Pitt Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU enters into competition with the threat of the “Death Penalty” passed on in the 1980′s still being discussed today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is already in his fourth year on the sidelines of SMU. The wagering line has this set at Pittsburgh (-3) with an over-under of 47 points.
The Pittsburgh steelers are matched up vs the Broncos in the nfl Playoffs. The Pittsburgh steelers ended as a wild card with an outstanding record of 12-4 in the AFC North division, while the Broncos concluded up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming champions of the AFC West. The Pittsburgh steelers will be going to Denver to compete vs them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
It all comes down to this as the #1 rated Tigers take on the #2 rated Crimson Tide in the BCS National Championship Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January 9th. After winning the national championship in 2009 and additionally winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this match. LSU head coach Les Miles is additionally no stranger at this time as he has won the national championship in 2007. 2 excellent squads and head coaches meeting on a collision course in what will certainly be an excellent game. The sportsbooks currently have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under established at 40 points.