Hangin' Tough

NCAA Basketball:
Duquesne Dukes +18 @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Bob Huggins has done a nice job putting WVU back where they were under John Beilein by bringing them all the way up to #6 in the rankings.  Tonight's matchup with Duquesne should be a lot tougher than you think - the Dukes have already beaten Iowa and took Pitt to double overtime last week in a 67-58 loss.  Even without high scoring Melquan Bolding (who they lost to a broken wrist in the season opener), Duquesne is a feisty team that can hang with the best of them.  West Virginia can't take this one lightly or they'll be staring at a big upset.  Look for the Dukes to hang tough tonight.  Duquesne +18

Too Much Green

NBA Basketball:
Milwaukee Bucks @ Boston Celtics -12
The Celtics are cruising...they've won 7 in a row and have already opened up an 8-game lead on the Raptors in the Atlantic.  Milwaukee comes into town tonight having lost 3 in a row, most recently to Cleveland, 101-86.  Rookie Brandon Jennings has provided the excitement for them, averaging over 21 points and 6 assists a game, but the Celtics D will be too much tonight.  The Bucks will have a tough time scoring and the Celts will win in a blowout. Celtics -12

Please, Not Nebraska

NCAA Basketball:

Long Beach St. @ Texas -21
As long as Long Beach State doesn't mean "Nebraska" in another language or there's not a Snoop sighting on the Long Beach State bench, things should be ok in Austin tonight.  The Longhorns look to start the season 7-0 with a victory tonight against the 4-3 49ers of Long Beach St.  Texas has already beaten Iowa, Pitt, and USC (all by 16 points or more) and looks to take care of business again tonight against a team coming off a huge win vs. a not so great UCLA team.  Damion James vs. TJ Robinson should be a nice matchup, with both averaging a double-double.  The #2 Longhorns will be too much, though, and can help turn Texas fans' interest to basketball for a while (before football's big championship game) with a blowout win tonight.  Texas -21

The Return

In honor of Allen Iverson's return to the 76ers tonight...

Fun in the Sun

NFL Football:
New England Patriots -4 @ Miami Dolphins
After a blowout loss at New Orleans last Monday, Bill Belichick and the Patriots will come up with a gameplan today for a victory and to make sure no one gets closer to them in the AFC East.  The Pats beat Miami only 4 weeks ago at Foxboro, 27-17, and that Dolphins team was with Ronnie Brown.  This one, obviously, is not.  As good as Ricky Williams has been carrying the load by himself, it won't be enough today.  The Patriots should win handily.  Patriots -4

My Holiday Wish: A BCS Mess

NCAA Football:
Texas @ Nebraska +14
Let's see...Nebraska beats Texas, and TCU gets to play Florida or Alabama in the national championship.  Or will it be Cincinnati?  Or Boise State?  Wouldn't it be nice if the BCS was so messed up that they had to figure out some sort of playoff?  Tonight's game could help.  Nebraska's defense has only given up more than 20 points once this year (31 to Texas Tech) and their D is only allowing an average of 11.1 points per game, which is good for 3rd best in the country.  Texas is no slouch though, with Heisman candidate Colt McCoy leading the way on offense.  This should be an excellent matchup of an explosive offense vs. an explosive defense.  The wild card tonight will be Nebraska's offense and if they can show up and put some points on the board.  They are heavy underdogs and may even win outright and pull off the upset.  Defense will reign supreme tonight.  Nebraska +14

Lebron and the Avengers

NBA Basketball:
Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers -12
After a tough start, the Cavs are finally looking like the team who, before they ran into the machine called Dwight Howard in last year's playoffs, was a game away from playing in their 2nd NBA Championship in 3 years. The Cavs are 7-2 at home, while the Bulls are 2-8 on the road. Guess who one of those home losses was to? You got it, Nov. 5 againt the Bulls (86-85). The Bulls have lost 5 of their last 6 with all 5 losses coming on the road. The Cavs have won their last 2 handily, beating the Suns and Mavericks by 17 and 16 points respectively. Expect Lebron & Co. to go off and avenge that earlier loss to the Bulls with a blowout win tonight. Cavs -12

Don't Get Distracted Tony

NBA Basketball:
Boston Celtics +2 @ San Antonio Spurs
Great matchups tonight...Garnett vs. Duncan...Pierce vs. Jefferson...Rondo vs. Parker...Allen vs. Ginobli...but's who's going to D up Eva Longoria?  We all know why she sits courtside every game...she's the X-factor.  However, tonight it's not going to work.  The Celts have won three in a row at the AT&T Center and the triple threat from Boston (now a quadruple with Rondo) will take care of business again in what is expected to be a marquee matchup on TNT.  Tune in to see a big road win by the Celtics and a few shots of Eva...you know they can't resist.  Celtics +2 

When Will It End?

NBA Basketball:
Dallas Mavericks -7 @ New Jersey Nets
We all know this is the biggest sucker bet in the world - going against the 0 and whatever team at home with a small spread, but we're going to take it anyway.  A new coach is definitely not the solution in NJ...they need a full makeover.  That's why Dallas should have an easy time tonight, especially only giving 7.  And how could you ever go against the guy in this photo? Mavs -7

Remember the National?

From our friends at mentalfloss.com:  Bud Shaw of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer wrote a great article today on the quick rise (and fall) of The National, the daily sports newspaper that lasted a whole year and a half.

Check it out here.

Newsworthy Video of the Day

Hilarious.  15-second mark is where it gets good.

Where's Spike These Days?

NBA Basketball:
Phoenix Suns -7 @ New York Knicks
Gone are the good old days of Patrick Ewing and John Starks leading the Knicks in the playoffs during the Michael Jordan dominated years.  Gone are the days that people were actually interested in a Spike Lee-Reggie Miller courtside feud loaded with good old trash-talking.  Now the loyal Knick fans get to think about their wonderful ex-GM Isaiah Thomas and the press coverage he provided for them that they didn't want and how that, along with many other bad moves, got them to today.  Tonight, they get to host one of the best teams in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns at 14-3, all while they try to figure out how to get their 4th win of the season.  Don't expect that to happen soon, especially tonight.  Look for the Suns to roll over the Knicks at MSG.  Suns -7

NBA Basketball:
Boston Celtics -4 @ Charlotte Bobcats
If you want to have some real fun, couple that Suns pick with the Celtics tonight.  After a non-typical start, the Celts have turned it on as of late.  Tonight they are in Charlotte, who has won 4 in a row after losing 7 in a row.  The first time these two teams met was the Bobcats' first game of the season and the Celts won handily, 92-59.  Look for a similar result tonight.  Celtics -4

WTF of the Day

Believe me, no one was a bigger fan of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair in the glory days of wrestling during the 1980s...but are these guys serious?

To see more of these two beat on each other in Melbourne last week, click here.

Another 4th and Stupid?

NFL Football:
New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints -2
Talk about strength of schedule...after tonight, the Patriots will have played two undefeated teams in three weeks on the road in prime time.  If they can play another epic game like the one we saw in Indy, ESPN will be very happy.  Let's just hope for Patriots fans' sake, there's not another repeat 4th down call that is still being debated.  This is a tough one to call tonight, and both defenses will have their hands full trying to defend against Brees and Brady.  The Patriots still do not look like the championship caliber team we are used to...look for the Saints D to overcome the Brady factor and help the Saints to a big win and a step closer to an undefeated meeting with the Colts in February.  Saints -2

Waah Waah!

NFL Football:
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings -10
There will be no Favre tears today when the Vikings take on the Bears in Minnesota. Favre will be looking to bring the Vikes to an incredible 10-1 record today, after coming off their 3rd win in a row against Seattle. During the 3 game winning streak, they are averaging over 33 points/game. Look for Favre to hook up with Harvin, Rice, and former Bear Bernard Berrian today in a huge win over the Bears. Oh, and also, that guy Adrian Peterson do a few things, too. Vikings -10

Where's The Mailman?

NBA Basketball:
Portland Trail Blazers @ Utah Jazz -6
Look for the Jazz to take care of the tired Trail Blazers after a tough Portland loss at Memphis last night. Utah has been a disappointing .500 team this year, while Portland has shown how a few years of great drafts can pay off with a solid 12-6 start so far. However, the energy levels will be much higher with Utah well rested and at home. Utah -6

Not Just Basketball

NCAA Football:
North Carolina -6 @ NC State

Many of the great in-state rivalries take place today in college football with some big ones on tap: Florida-FSU, USC-UCLA, Virginia-VA Tech, but we like one in particular: UNC-NC State. Even though college basketball is in full swing now, North Carolina continues to impress on the football field this year. Ranked #23 and looking for a solid bowl bid, TJ Yates and the Tar Heels will take care of NC State today at Carter-Finley Stadium. UNC -6