Arriving off of a strong – but losing – playoff effort last year against the Chicago Bulls, the Pacers came roaring back to start out the 2011-2012 year. The squad is experiencing its greatest early record in the prior 8 years, but are still troubled against the more skillful squads in the league. Whereas they’re 11-4 thus far, simply four of those wins are against squads with records above .500.
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With the Magic coming to visit on Tuesday, January 24, the Pacers will have a better challenge on their hands, and they’re going to need the home court edge tonight. Indiana is undefeated at home this year and will look to stretch out their record to 6-0. If they are able to grab a win, it’ll be the 1st time the squad has begun a year with six consecutive home wins since the 2002-2003 year.
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However the Magic are a fearsome adversary who are 11-5 on the year thus far. And recent history is all on Orlando’s side. The Magic have defeated the Pacers in Indiana in each one of the prior three bouts between the two. In fact, Orlando has won these matches on the road in Indianapolis by about 13 points. The most recent contest between the two was January 26, 2011.
The Pacers will also have to find a way to handle Magic celebrity Dwight Howard. Howard has headed the squad to an 11-3 record over Indiana, and he has put up double-doubles in each one of these contests. In spite of the challenges ahead for the Pacers, the sports book lists them as the -3 faves to defeat the Magic. The total is set at 182.5.
Both squads come into this match with a 7-3 record over their last 10 contests. The Pacers have a 5-0 home record thus far, whilst the Magic are 5-3 on the road. Watch for Orlando to make a shockingly strong showing after their devastating 87-56 loss to the Boston Celtics a few days ago.
Category: Basketball
Number 1 ranked Kentucky against the NCAA competition hopefuls Georgia? Seems like a recipe for a blowout, especially as Kentucky just regained that coveted No. 1 location on the standings for the 1st time in the prior two months. Whereas the Kentucky Wildcats are ahead of the standings and enjoying an 11 game win streak, the Georgia Bulldogs can best be termed inconsistent to date in the season.
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Kentucky is 19-1 and 5-0 in the SEC. They’re coming off of a particularly unsightly game at home versus Alabama, where they netted their previous 15 points at the foul line. Fortunately, the squad is fairly great from the free-throw line, where they made 23-of-29 to hold onto the win, 77-71. That win, combined with Syracuse dropping their 1st game of the season, put Kentucky back ahead. Their current 11 game win streak is also their best since going 19-0 in the course of the 2009-2010 season.
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Georgia is going to have its hands full facing the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday, January 24. The Georgia Bulldogs netted an invite to the NCAA competition for the 1st time in the last three years in 2011, but two of their primary competitors advanced to the NBA. Since losing them, Georgia has lost much of their offensive touch, scoring merely 61.9 ppg with a pathetic 39.9 percent field-goal proportion. The Georgia Bulldogs are presently 10-9 overall and 1-4 in the SEC.
With the Kentucky Wildcats averaging 79.5 ppg, and the Georgia Bulldogs at 61.9, it’s not surprising the sportsbook is favoring the Wildcats by 12 points. It may be a bargain taking the Cats, as the game might wind up pretty effortlessly as a 15- or 20-point blowout. The total is established at 129, but and I would expect this match to go under the total. If Kentucky performs even a little bit of defense, the Bulldogs’ offense could possibly be successfully shut down all night.
The Kings have their work cut out for them when they face the Rockets in Houston on January 13th. This is a condition of both squads rebuilding for the future as both squads look nothing like their early 2000′s heydays. The Kings look to get back to their former prominence in the west with outstanding play from their young stalwarts. The Houston Rockets are still handling the after effects from the retirement of Yao Ming. The Houston Rockets are preferred by 3 points by the sports book and this wants to be a hard game to call.
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Sacramento is paced by G Marcus Thornton and PG Tyreke Evans, which offer a young nucleus for the Kings to build on. The frontcourt is helped by PF DeMarcus Cousins and his dependable play. The Kings are also helped by the expert presence of SG John Salmons arriving from the sideline as a deep threat. Former Indiana Hoosier great Keith Smart coaches the Kings.
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The Houston Rockets look considerably distinct from the days of Yao Ming and Steve Francis running the show. Youthful PG Kyle Lowry runs the offense with assistance from PF Luis Scola and PG Goran Dragic. Veterans help the Houston offense with fellow SG’s Courtney Lee and Kevin Martin chipping in when they are able to. Ex- Celtics great Kevin McHale leads the Houston Rockets at head coach.
Just not too long ago, this match might have been all over television with the likes of Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, and Bobby Jackson pacing the Kings. The Houston Rockets had Yao Ming, Steve Francis, Robert Horry, and also Tracy McGrady in it. The times have certainly transformed things for both squads as the era of free agency and pay caps have made long-term dynasties practically obsolete.
This ought to be an excellent match between these 2 once-mighty franchises with the game itself too near to call.
The AT&T Center might get some long distance action on Jan 13th as the Portland Trailblazers visit San Antonio to battle against the Spurs. Portland is a young squad trying to build up as the brief but electric Brandon Roy era formally came to a close with his retirement in December. Former #1 pick Greg Oden has furthermore had frequent problems with his knees as Portland seemingly can’t shake the specter of Sam Bowie. The Spurs want to defend their court with stunning plays from their regular constant lineup. The Spurs are liked by 8 points and this looks to be an awesome bet.
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Portland is led by SF LeMarcus Aldridge who has performed well without Greg Oden. Veteran SF Gerald Wallace provides defense at a high-caliber for the Trailblazers with the backcourt rounded out by Raymond Felton as well as Wesley Matthews. Star G Jamal Crawford provides some scoring and a deep menace for the Trailblazers. It’s a time of adjustment for the Trailblazers and this season they want to make a run at the playoffs.
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San Antonio looks to remain in the upper-tier of the west with Gregg Popovich again heading the team on the sideline. The Spurs are led by their usual 3-man foundation of PF Tim Duncan, SG Manu Ginobili, and PG Tony Parker. Veteran SF Richard Jefferson provides an awesome alternate to Duncan’s inside prowess. C DeJuan Blair completes the starting lineup for the Spurs. Parker is supported by veteran PG T.J. Ford who is able to supply points and assists on restricted minutes off of the sideline.
This looks to be an awesome game between these two squads with the Spurs looking for their devotees to raise the noise levels up. Portland is a young squad of adjust trying to right the ship in a shortened season that looks to have a lot of questions on their future.
On January 12th, things heat up when the Cleveland Cavaliers enter into Phoenix to battle against the Phoenix Suns. Two years ago, this would’ve been a stellar matchup with LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire going head to head in a collision course. In the era of free agency however, times certainly have evolved as this matchup seems dramatically different. Phoenix is favored by 6 points over the Cavaliers and this seems to be a secure bet.
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The Cavaliers have gone through quite a sea change in the last 3 years as a team. With the departure of LeBron James still wreaking havoc on the team all this time around later, the Cavs have battled mightily to produce a quality basketball team to put on the court. The Cavaliers lost a record 23 consecutive matches last season with the sole bright spot arriving in the form of Baron Davis who helped the team with a couple of late season wins. Baron Davis departed for New York just after the lockout ended and the Cavs again are faced with the candidate of a tricky season. The Cavs are steadied by veterans PF Antawn Jamison and fan favorite PF Anderson Varejao. SG Daniel Gibson and also PG Kyrie Irving total the backcourt for the struggling Cavaliers.
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The Phoenix Suns additionally are going through changing times in this existing NBA landscape. Star PG Steve Nash is continually asked about his future as Nash is in his very last year under contract. The rumor is that the Phoenix Suns may maybe deal him to a competitor before the season ends. Despite the fact that both Nash and the Phoenix Suns front office reject those rumors, it’s sure to be a slight diversion to the team. Ageless SF 39-year old Grant Hill has skilled a rebirth of sorts in Phoenix. This resurgence has convinced former all-star SG Michael Redd to sign with the Phoenix Suns at the nba minimum contract to stage a miraculous comeback after 2 demoralizing knee accidents over the past 3 seasons in Milwaukee. C Marcin Gortat and SF Jared Dudley are doing their best to make up for the loss in frontcourt output as a result of Amare Stoudemire’s defection to the New York Knicks.
The United Center in Chicago will be in the spotlight as the Wizards arrive in town to take on the Bulls. In years past, this contest would’ve been the hardest ticket to get as the second comeback by Nike Jordan turned the Washington Wizards into press darlings throughout the nba. Jordan is currently long retired nevertheless and the Washington Wizards have become an amazing youthful team with vast quantities of prospective waiting to be drawn on. The sportsbook has the Bulls liked by 8 points which looks correct and looks like a quality wager with Chicago being rooted on at home.
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The Wizards come into this year with a new logo design and a fresh uniform to represent a change of approach and perhaps a change of fortune. The Washington Wizards are a great distance from the times of Gilbert Arenas hitting game-winning shots every other week. Youthful breakout stars SG Nick Young and PG John Wall who steady the Washington Wizards backcourt with stellar play lead Washington. The Washington Wizards are rounded out by their frontcourt consisting of PF Andray Blatche, C JaVale McGee, and also veteran SF Rashard Lewis. Watch for the Washington Wizards to put up a quality competition vs the Bulls in this one.
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The Bulls have wished for a return to the glory days of the 1990′s. They have had excellent youthful stars come through the organization such as Tyson Chandler, Ben Gordon, Jamal Crawford, and Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls this year are headed by celebrity PG and 2010-11 Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose who has helped the Bulls prominently since being drafted in 2008. Veterans SF Luol Deng and PF Carlos Boozer offer some power on the inside game. C Joakim Noah has been the most talented center that the Bulls have had in a long time. Veteran SG Rip Hamilton covers the 2 spot admirably for Chicago in its’ quest to pursue farther into the playoffs.
Saturday night on January 14th, the New York Knicks come into Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in this huge competition between these two teams. It’s a tale of two teams as the Thunder come up with a dependable squad of young guns against the Knicks who it looks from year to year constantly comes into play with plenty of changes going on. The Knicks are favored by 4 points and this might hold unless Durant has one of his usual killer competitions.
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The Knicks have had a soap opera in the previous 15 years or thereabouts in the nba. From almost winning all of it with Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston to Allan Houston’s popular 100 Million-Dollar contract and his subsequent knee injury and that only covers the butt end of the 1990′s. The Isiah Thomas era of the Knicks will go down in nba history as among the most disastrous campaigns in recent recollection. With such problems in past years, the Knicks looked to make some noise in the offseason and so they did when they locked up Amare Stoudemire from the Suns. The Knicks are paced by star SF Carmelo Anthony and the above mentioned Amare Stoudemire at power forward. C Tyson Chandler delivers presence and veteran leadership at center whereas young guns G Iman Shumpert and PG Toney Douglas round out the team.
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The Thunder have had great promise within the last few handful of seasons with superstar SF Kevin Durant breaking out and dominating rival teams with his play. Oklahoma City is made up of a youthful team behind Durant with G James Harden, PG Russell Westbrook, and PF Serge Ibaka taking up the slack. PG Nick Collison is the one mainstay from the old Seattle Supersonics squad, which moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Thunder are now on top of in the standings in this youthful season with great promise to complete the season on top.
The Staples Center will come alive on Jan 11th when the Heat takes on the Los Angeles Clippers. The Miami Heat comes in with among the best records in the NBA supported by an awesome lineup of stars. The Miami Heat lead the NBA as a squad in points won and assists. The sports book has the Miami Heat preferred by 8 points and with the backcourt they feature, it is apparently a sure wager. Let’s have a closer look at the Miami Heat this year and the things they offer.
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With celebrity SF LeBron James leading the way, Miami brings non-stop scoring. SG Dwyane Wade also brings potent scoring at the 2 slot with PF Chris Bosh’s stable play at the 3. Bolstering the Miami Heat attack are PF Udonis Haslem and PG Mario Chalmers who bring up the rear with a stable flow of assists and rebounds. After practically winning it all a year ago, the Miami Heat look to go deep in the playoffs this year.
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The LA Clippers have a long history of mediocrity under the ownership of Donald Sterling. But with breakout stars such as Blake Griffin changing the landscape for Los Angeles’ “other team”, things have modified in the last couple of seasons. The Clippers appear to be content for a playoff berth this year in the always-challenging Pacific Division. L . A . is headed by celebrity PF Blake Griffin who has continued to be a menace to the basket as well as the boards. Free Agent developments SG Chauncey Billups and celebrity PF Chris Paul provides veteran leadership that was sorely lacking with the departures of Baron Davis and Chris Kaman. The LA Clippers are also benefited by the outstanding play of SF Caron Butler and C DeAndre Jordan. Watch for this to be an awesome contest between the proved stars of Miami against the young guns of the LA Clippers Staples Center will be electrified for this contest.
Both these teams have been doing relatively well this year. This should not be a shocking to anybody as both of these colleges are well noted for their share of wins in basketball for plenty of years. Both these teams will be at it on the court on January 9, when Western Virginia visits Connecticut.
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The Western Virginia Mountaineers is coming off an extraordinary 21 point win vs Rutgers Knights, where the senior Darryl Bryant took the Scarlet Knights to task by dropping 29 points on them, as well as Kevin Jones who had a good game with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Connecticut on the other hand lost their prior game vs the Seton Hall Pirates by 12 points. Jeremy Lamb was still extraordinary even so with 19 points.
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West Virginia is just a better squad than Connecticut offensively when you compare these two teams. Defensively, Connecticut is the better squad, but you have Kevin Jones who averages a double-double for the year and Darryl Bryant who’s just a monster offensively, which assists West Virginia get the advantage over Connecticut. Kevin Jones is one of the better rebounders in the league this year and he’ll leap over folks to get that rebound. The Connecticut Huskies do not have anybody that can box this kid out. It ought to be an appealing game to watch even though I would not say that this match up in the clash of the titans or anything of that sort.
Due to the fact the Connecticut Huskies do not have anybody on the squad that can guard both Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant, if I were gambling on this game, I would bet for the Western Virginia Mountaineers winning vs the Connecticut Huskies. Both of them can make you pay if you leave them undefended. One of them will certainly have a major game on Monday January 9.
The unsightly specter of the Lockout had loomed big over the NBA world until earlier this year. The NBA has effectively tipped off in earnest over Christmas weekend with both the players and the owners at last coming to a deal. The NBA welcoming committee travels to the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. when the Boston Celtics (1-3) face the Wizards (0-3). Both teams come into play with shaky records and a slow start to the year. The sportsbook seems to have the nod on the greater team as the line presently stands – Boston (-7) 184 ½ .
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The Boston celtics come into the game attempting to rebound from a disappointing year last year as their 56-26 record got them bounced out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-1 by the Heat. As Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are in the final year of their particular contracts, this year marks a turning point for the Boston celtics. It’s unlikely that the Boston celtics will be able to resign both players as the “Big 3″ era might come to a close. In this young year, the Boston celtics are lead by Ray Allen and his usual long distance pyrotechnics. Celebrity point guard Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce provide a stable complimentary force behind Allen. Kevin Garnett has gotten off to a slow start, but the damage of 15 prior NBA seasons could be catching up with him. Guard Keyon Dooling has furnished an amazing shooting spark off of the bench. The Boston celtics come in averaging 96.3 PPG and allowing 100.8 PPG.
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The Washington Wizards come into play attempting to right the good ship formerly referred to as the Bullets. The breakout of celebrity shooting guard Nick Young who averaged more than 20 points per game until going down with injury had lifted Washington’s sub-par year last year, when they went 23-59. The Washington Wizards this season are averaging 82.7 PPG, which is among the worst showings in the league. Washington is allowing 97.7 PPG on average, which is somewhat a lot better than the Boston celtics. Guards Nick Young and John Wall pace the balanced Washington Wizards attack.
