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NEWSLETTER College Basketball Prediction From Robert Ferringo

Take Oklahoma (-2) over Tulsa (2:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13)
I think that this OU-TU game is going to be more of the same for Oklahoma. They are the big boys in the state, and they will flex their muscle again here against the Golden Hurricane. The Sooners hung 101 points on a better Tulsa team last year in a 10-point win. While this year’s game will be lower-scoring, I still see OU leaving Tulsa with another victory. Tulsa has not played well against good teams this year, getting rolled by Oklahoma State and Wichita State. They simply aren’t as good as they were last year, and they are still getting used to Frank Haith’s system. Oklahoma lost at Creighton earlier this year in a game they gave away in the second half. I think that one still stings, and I don’t see them losing another circled true road game. This is a veteran team, and Lon Kruger is a great coach. He’s had all week to get them ready, and I think OU will take care of its business and keep the Hurricane at arm’s length in this one.

NEWSLETTER NHL Hockey Prediction From Doc’s Sports

Take ‘Over’ 5.5 – Tampa Bay at Washington (8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13)
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals square off on Saturday night in what should be another exciting game. These teams just played in Tampa on Tuesday night as the Caps won 5-3. There were a total of 71 shots on goal in that game and plenty of good scoring chances on both sides. That’s been the recent history for the meetings between these two – back-and-forth games with lots of quality shots and lots of goals. No reason to expect anything to change on Saturday as both teams are comfortable playing that style, and I’m not thrilled with how either team’s goaltenders have played in the net of late. Both teams are also missing some key defense men due to injuries, which will weaken an already-soft defense for each squad. All signs point to another game going over the total in this one.

NHL Grand Salami - December

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI

Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
12/1 5 26.5 31 OVER
12/2 10 55.5 45 UNDER
12/3 4 21 22 OVER
12/4 11 60.5 65 OVER
12/5 3 15.5 24 OVER
12/6 12 64 65 OVER
12/7 4 21.5 21 UNDER
12/8 3 15.5 16 OVER
12/9 10 55.5 54 UNDER
12/10 2 11.5 6 UNDER
12/11 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/12 4 21 23 OVER
12/13 13 - - -

Preview: Rangers (12-10) at Canucks (18-9)

Date: December 13, 2014 10:00 PM EDT

The Vancouver Canucks appeared to hit the wall at the end of their just-completed seven-game road trip. Though they're finally back home and rested, meetings with the New York Rangers haven't gone very well in the past few years.

The Canucks look to snap a three-game losing streak Saturday night and avoid a fifth straight defeat to the Rangers, who have had even more time off than Vancouver before beginning a four-game trip.

The Canucks (18-9-2) won three of the first four on their eastern trek but appeared to have run out of gas while playing the final three contests in four days to close the stretch. They straggled home after falling 3-1 to Montreal on Tuesday, getting outshot 13-5 in the second period and managing a season-low 16 shots overall.

'We're definitely excited,' goaltender Ryan Miller said. 'A lot of guys are ready to get home. After 14 days, it's just time. We'll regroup.'

Vancouver gave up 11 non-shootout goals in the last three contests after posting two shutouts in the first four on the trip.

'We'll take the .500 road trip (3-3-1) and we'll go back home and get better and keep improving," forward Alexandre Burrows said. "It would have been nice to get more, but if you looked at the two-week road trip early in the year and said (we would go) .500, I think we would have taken it. We got through it.'

Vancouver is opening a four-game homestand and looking for a third consecutive victory at Rogers Arena, but New York has limited the Canucks to three goals during its run in the series. The Rangers took the most recent meeting 3-1 at Vancouver on April 1 for their second straight win there.

New York (12-10-4) has been off since avoiding a third straight defeat with a 4-3 overtime victory over Pittsburgh on Monday. Defenseman Kevin Klein overcame losing part of his ear on a high stick in the first period to score in the extra session for his career-high sixth goal.

It was also his career-best third game-winner - two of which have come in OT - and Klein is tied for the team lead with Rick Nash at plus-9.

'We needed it for a couple reasons,' said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 32 saves. 'Obviously for confidence, but also we need points to get back in the race.'

Nash scored to give him six goals and three assists in an eight-game point streak.

The Rangers will take another stab at ending their season-long inconsistency as they open a swing that also takes them to Edmonton and Calgary before heading back east to close the trip against Carolina on Dec. 20. New York has gone 1-4-1 in its last six away games and is 3-5-1 on the road overall.

"We're going out west. Western trips sometimes are good for the team, to bond a little bit, and also sometimes you've got a lot of travel, so you get kind of both, where you're getting the bond and you are traveling quite a bit," center Derek Stepan said. "... We gotta make sure we put good efforts on the ice."

Another dominant performance against the Canucks from Lundqvist would help. He blanked Vancouver in two straight starts Jan. 13, 2011 and Oct. 18, 2011, before stopping 34 shots April 1.

Lundqvist, though, has posted a 3.48 goals-against average in his last four games in what's been a down season for him so far.

The Canucks have gone 0 for 13 on the power play in the past four contests.

NBA Preview: Pistons (4-19) at Kings (11-12)

Date: December 13, 2014 10:00 PM EDT

The Sacramento Kings are taking care of the basketball worse than anyone in the Western Conference during their recent struggles.

The Detroit Pistons are coming off a rare win but aren't exactly the kind of team that takes advantage of extra possessions.

The Kings welcome the Pistons Saturday night with hopes of correcting a nine-game rough patch in their second date on a five-game homestand, but it'll have to happen without DeMarcus Cousins.

Sacramento (11-12) fell 113-109 to Houston on Thursday and turned the ball over 22 times, which led to 27 points. Over a 2-7 stretch, it's averaged a conference-high 17.3 turnovers with a minus-7.4 margin.

"These losses are tough. We have to find ways to finish," said Jason Thompson after a 13-point, 15-rebound effort. "We really have to know how to get leads and not worry about the scoreboard."

The good news is Detroit (4-19) is shooting a league-low 40.7 percent and scoring 14.6 points per game off turnovers, which is also among the worst in the league.

That said, the Pistons scored a season-high 28 points off turnovers in Friday's 105-103 win in Phoenix to open a three-game road trip. The victory ended a 13-game losing streak.

"This is just one, but at least you can breathe a little bit and then get ready for another one tomorrow night," coach Stan Van Gundy told the team's official website.

Andre Drummond had a game-high 23 points and 14 rebounds, but Brandon Jennings' struggles continued with eight points on 4-of-13 shooting. In seven games since returning from a sprained thumb, the point guard has averaged 8.0 points on 23.0 percent from the field.

He could have some pressure off his shoulders with Jodie Meeks, who was out all season with a lower back injury, making his season debut Friday and finishing with 12 points in 22 minutes. Meeks had a breakout season with the Los Angeles Lakers a season ago, averaging a career-best 15.7 points while shooting 40.1 percent from 3-point range.

The Pistons are shooting 27.5 percent from long range in six games this month, and they expect Meeks to give them a boost from more than just the perimeter.

"He's not just a shooter," Van Gundy said. "That's one of the things when we signed him, people saw him as just a 3-point shooter. But he's a guy who can play on the move and make plays off the dribble. He certainly adds something and you can see we're going to have more options offensively with him."

Sacramento will remain without Cousins (viral meningitis), without whom the Kings have gone 2-6, but Omri Casspi could return after missing the last three games with a left knee contusion.

"After watching him in practice (Friday), there should be no reason for him not to go tomorrow," coach Michael Malone told the team's official website.

With Cousins out, Rudy Gay has remained fairly consistent with his season scoring and averaged 21.4 points, though he was just 4 of 18 for 13 points against the Rockets.

Darren Collison has upped his scoring to 21.6 points on 49.4 percent over five games. He scored 24 against the Rockets but committed six turnovers.

While Reggie Evans and Ryan Hollins have filled Cousins' starting role, much of the offensive production has been filled by reserve forward Derrick Williams. He scored 17 against the Rockets and is averaging 12.4 points in the last five games he's received more than a few seconds of playing time.

"I'm just staying ready," Williams said. "No matter the number of minutes I play, I'm just going to be ready to play basketball. I'm not looking into it any further than that."

EPL Best Bets - Week 16
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

The midweek fixtures in the Champions League were all about Liverpool and Manchester City. Both had tough matches which they needed to win in order to qualify from their group.

On Tuesday Liverpool could only manage a 1-1 draw with Basel, finishing third in a group that looked fairly straightforward from the outset. In a much harder group, City needed to win at the intimidating Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Stripped of arguably their four best outfield players, they came away with a fantastic 2-0 win. It was the sort of victory that could galvanise City’s season. With Chelsea recently dropping points, the title race is nowhere near over yet.

Let's handicap Week 16 of the Premier League.

The Banker: Manchester United to beat Liverpool at 4/5 (Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET)

Sunday's big game sees arguably English football’s fiercest rivalry. Last year was an anomaly in recent United vs. Liverpool fixtures, as it was the men from Merseyside who held the upper hand. It was the first time since 2001/02 that Liverpool had finished above United. However since the end of last season, Liverpool have nose-dived as quickly as they rose last season, while United have been steadily improving under Louis van Gaal.

United’s progress must not be overstated. They have not been coasting through games like they often did under Sir Alex Ferguson, but van Gaal has instilled the ‘win when you don’t play well’ habit that eluded David Moyes. The Red Devils have won five on the spin. Particularly pleasingly, Robin van Persie seems to have discovered some form. The Dutchmen scored twice as United edged past Southampton on Monday night. They have had an extra day’s rest over Liverpool, who will be mentally and physically exhausted after their exit from the Champions League. 4/5 on United to compound Brendan Rodgers’s woes is a good price.

The Solid Bet: Aston Villa +0.5 at West Bromwich Albion at 41/50 (Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET)

Aston Villa rarely convince in matches, but neither do West Bromwich Albion. This West Midlands derby is between two sides in transition, and it will probably be a tight, tense affair. West Brom are 23/20, and at that price they cannot be backed against anybody. They have won just three times all season, and two of those were against Leicester City and Burnley. Villa, meanwhile, have hit a bit of form and are unbeaten in five, moving them up to mid-table. They have won their last two games, against teams of a similar calibre to West Brom in Leicester and Crystal Palace.

Both these teams are probably more happy playing as underdogs. Neither’s strengths lie in possession; rather they lie in quick transitions between defence and attack, and this suits away teams more. Villa are a team who tend to do their best work on the road. With just one point and one goal from their last five games, it is difficult to see how the Baggies can break Villa down, and 41/50 on Villa +0.5 looks a very solid bet.

The Outsider: Burnley to beat Southampton at 17/4 (Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET)

Southampton’s bubble may have burst. Their three fixtures against the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal were seen as their first big tests of the season, and Koeman’s men lost them all. The news was not all bad: they were competitive in the first half against City, were level until the 89th minute against Arsenal and had 15 shots to Manchester United’s 3. However, confidence will have taken a knock and a tricky trip to a reviving Burnley is hardly the perfect fixture.

Burnley’s home form will be crucial this year. Last year the only side to beat them at home were Leicester - the only team to finish above them. And this season the Clarets have competed well in all their home games apart from the first one against Chelsea. With star striker Danny Ings fully fit and a recent tightening up of the defence, 17/4 on Burnley to win looks an appealing outsider bet.

The First Goalscorer: Diafra Saho for West Ham United at Sunderland at 11/2 (Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET)

While fellow early-season surprise packages Southampton fall, West Ham have gone from strength to strength recently. They have won four on the bounce and now sit fourth in the Premier League. The simple reason for this is nothing to do with a change of system; it is simply that Sam Allardyce has better players available this season.

One of them is striker Diafra Sakho. Sakho was plucked from obscurity in the summer, as he joined from Ligue 2 side FC Metz where he’d scored goals for fun. The man from Senegal has continued that form this season with an incredible seven goals in nine games. With such a record it is baffling that he is not favourite to score in a game where West Ham are actually slight favourites. Instead it is the talented yet erratic Andy Carroll who leads the market at 5/1. But Sakho’s goalscoring record is miles better than Carroll’s and at 11/2 he is surely a good shout to break the deadlock at the Stadium of Light.

English Premier League betting breakdown: Burnley's December problems
By SOCCER AUTHORITY

Game of the week: Man Utd (-120) v Liverpool (+375)

While Man Utd are yet to light up the league after spending big in the summer, they have won 5 games in a row and are now 3rd in the table.

Liverpool have had a sluggish start to their campaign and currently sit in 9th position. Brendan Rogers’ men have had problems scoring goals, and problems defending. If they're to return to the form we seen last season, they must start finding the back of the net.

Key stat: Man Utd have won 7 of their last 8 home matches against Liverpool in all competitions

Underdog of the week: Newcastle (v Arsenal) +750

Newcastle are coming off a win against the league leaders Chelsea, so you can imagine confidence is flying high. Arsenal do have a fantastic record at home, but we believe the price on the Magpies here is a little inflated.

Key stat: Arsenal are missing about 8 starting players due to injury and suspension

Team to watch: Southampton (v Burnley) -125

Southampton have been very exciting to watch this season and they rightfully hold 5th position in the Premier League, their form has dipped a bit lately with losses to Arsenal and Man Utd but we should point out how desperately unlucky they were in both games.

Key Stat: Burnley have never won a Premier League match in December

Notable Injuries

Chris Smalling DC (Man Utd)

Daniel Sturridge FW (Liverpool)

Jack Wilshire CM (Arsenal)

Aaron Ramsey CM (Arsenal)

Courtois -GK (Chelsea)

NCAAB Saturday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**North Carolina at Kentucky**

-- Kentucky (10-0 straight up, 5-5 against the spread) has been a double-digit favorite in nine of its 10 games to date. The Wildcats have won by double-digit margins in every game, including a 72-40 victory over Kansas as seven-point 'chalk' on a neutral court.

-- John Calipari's team took a significant hit Thursday when junior slasher Alex Poythress tore his ACL and was lost for the rest of the season. Poythress was averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

-- Kentucky has failed to cover the number in three of its last four games. UK came up just shy in a 58-38 win over Providence as a 21-point favorite. Likewise, a 63-51 triumph over Texas as a 12.5-point home 'chalk' wasn't quite enough for its betting supporters. As for Wednesday night, the Wildcats never threatened to take the cash in a 56-46 win over Columbia as 25.5-point home favorites. The Lions raced out to an 11-0 lead and never trailed in the first half, leading by a bucket at intermission. But UK's work on the offensive boards ended up being too much for Columbia. Aaron Harrison scored a team-high 14 points, while Willie Cauley-Stein produced 10 points and 10 rebounds.

-- North Carolina (6-2 SU, 5-3ATS) is playing its first true road game of the season here. Roy Williams' team bounced back from a surprising 60-55 home loss to Iowa last week by blasting East Carolina by a 108-64 count this past Sunday. Brice Johnson was the catalyst against the Pirates, finishing with 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. J.P. Tokoto added 19 points and dished out eight assists against ECU.

-- UNC is led by Marcus Paige, who is averaging a team-best 14.0 points per game. The junior point guard has a 27/13 assists-to-turnovers ratio, but he is making only 35.5 percent of his shots from the field and 34.0 percent from long distance. Paige has scored in double figures in six of UNC's eight games.

-- UNC won two of three games during Thanksgiving holidays at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. After dropping a 74-66 decision to Butler, the Tar Heels bounced back with wins over UCLA (78-56) and Florida (75-64).

-- UK's Andrew Harrison will be looking to respond from an awful performance Wednesday vs. Columbia. He was an atrocious 1-of-12 from the field, missing all five attempts from 3-point range.

-- When these schools met in Chapel Hill last year, UNC captured an 82-77 win behind 23 points from Paige. The Tar Heels covered the spread as three-point home favorites. They have beaten UK outright in seven of the last 10 head-to-head meetings, compiling a 9-1 spread record.

-- The 'under' is 9-1 overall in UK games thanks to the nation's top-ranked scoring defense. The 'Cats are giving up just 45.8 points per game.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (3-3) for UNC.

-- CBS will have the telecast at noon Eastern.

**Michigan at Arizona**

-- Michigan (6-3 SU, 2-5 ATS) has been one of the country's biggest disappointments, unfathomably dropping back-to-back home games to Eastern Michigan and New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Wolverines have failed to cover the number in four straight lined games.

-- Michigan is led by junior guard Caris LeVert, who is averaging team-highs in scoring (17.7 PPG), rebounds (5.4 RPG), assists (4.1 APG), field-goal percentage (45.3%) and steals (2.2 SPG). However, LeVert made just 4-of-12 from the field and had more turnovers (three) than assists (two) in Tuesday's loss to the Eagles.

-- Arizona (9-0 SU, 4-5 ATS) has four quality wins on its resume, including scalps of Gonzaga, San Diego State, Kansas State and Missouri. Mark Few's Bulldogs gave the Wildcats a tough test last Saturday night, but Sean Miller's squad was able to capture a 66-63 win in overtime. Gonzaga took the cash, however, as 4.5-point underdogs. Brandon Ashley led four Arizona players in double figures with 14 points.

-- Arizona is coming off of Tuesday's 87-56 win over Utah Valley as a 27-point home favorite. Stanley Johnson paced the winners with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot. Dusan Ristic came off the bench to contribute 13 points and seven boards in just 18 minutes of playing time. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson chipped in with 12 points and 10 boards.

-- John Beilein's squad has a pair of quality wins over Syracuse and Oregon. The victory over the Ducks came on a neutral floor.

-- This will be Michigan's second underdog situation of the season. The Wolverines lost a 60-55 decision to Villanova as 4.5-point 'dogs.

-- Michigan has watched the 'under' go 4-2 overall.

-- The 'under' is 5-4 overall for 'Zona, 3-3 in its home games.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Gonzaga at UCLA**

-- Few might have his best team at Gonzaga (8-1 SU, 4-2-1 ATS) and that's a bold statement because the Bulldogs have gone to the NCAA Tournament in every one of his 14 previous seasons. However, the Bulldogs haven't advanced past the Sweet 16 since Dan Monson got them there (with a little help from Casey Calvary's last-second putback against my Gators) in 1999 when they lost to eventual champ UConn at the West Region finals in Phoenix.

-- Gonzaga is led by senior guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. Those veterans are loving the arrival of Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer, who is averaging a team-high 16.4 PPG. Domantas Sabonis, the freshman son of Arvydas, has added size and plenty of game to the roster. Sabonis is averaging 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. (Can you imagine how nasty Arvydas would've been in college and the NBA if he had landed in the US as a freshman in college before his knees were shot?!)

-- Pangos is one of the country's best pure shooters. He's averaging 10.4 PPG, making 48.4 percent of his shots from the field. Pangos is shooting at a 40.6 percent clip from deep and is burying 86.4 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe. He has a stellar 49/11 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- Wiltjer isn't the only transfer making an impact for the 'Zags. USC transfer Byron Wesley is averaging 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.

-- UCLA (8-2 SU, 4-6 ATS) is No. 113 in the RPI with only one victory over an RPI Top-100 foe. The Bruins beat Long Beach State (#79) 77-63 as 10-point home favorites on Nov. 23.

-- Since a pair of losses to UNC (76-58) and Oklahoma (75-65) at the Battle 4 Atlantis, Steve Alford's club has won four in a row. UCLA is off a 77-66 win over UC-Riverside as a 17-point home 'chalk.' Norman Powell scored a team-high 20 points, while Tony Parker and Kevon Looney produced double-doubles. Parker had 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Looney went for 12 points and 11 boards. Bryce Alford finished with 16 points and eight assists.

-- Powell is averaging a team-high 17.9 PPG. Alford, the sophomore who is the head coach's son, is averaging 17.5 points and 7.1 assists per game.

-- Gonzaga owns three quality wins over SMU, Georgia and St. John's.

-- Totals have been an overall wash for Gonzaga (3-3) with the 'under' cashing in its lone road assignment.

-- The 'over' is 5-4 overall for UCLA, cashing in three of its last four games. The Bruins have seen the 'over' go 4-2 in its home games at Pauley Pavilion.

-- ESPN2 will have the broadcast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB betting cheat sheet

Looking to wager on the elite teams in college basketball Saturday? Don't have time to handicap every Top 25 matchup? Put your mind at ease and just cheat - with our NCAAB Top 25 betting cheat sheet featuring all of Saturday's biggest games.

South Carolina Upstate Spartans at (20) Maryland Terrapins

* USC Upstate leads the Atlantic Sun in steals per game (10.8) and is allowing 55.2 points and 36.4 percent shooting – both second in the league through Wednesday.

*Maryland's Evan Smotrycz, who has played only twice this season after averaging 11 points in 2013-14, missed the last three games and is day-to-day with a foot injury.

(11) Wichita State Shockers at Detroit Titans

*The Shockers are 127-25 (83.5 percent), the best winning percentage of any Division I team, since the start of the 2010-11 season.

*Detroit ranks in the top 25 nationally in turnover margin (13th), steals per game (23rd) and free throw percentage (25th).

(18) North Carolina Tar Heels at (1) Kentucky Wildcats

*North Carolina Marcus Paige leads the team with 14 points per game but is just 10-of-32 from the field - 4-of-19 from long range - over the last three contests.

*The Wildcats continue to struggle from 3-point range, as they went 2-of-17 against the Lions to drop to 27.7 percent on the season.

Morehead State Eagles at (12) Ohio State Buckeyes

*Morehead State has led the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding margin six straight seasons (2008-14), paced the league in rebounds five of the last six years and had the conference’s top individual four of the past six seasons.

*The Buckeyes have been dominant at home this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 32 points per game while winning by 50 plus points twice.

(15) Oklahoma Sooners at Tulsa Golden Hurricane

*Oklahoma’s defense has been stout all season, holding opponents to 61.3 points per game on .362 field goal and .273 3-point shooting.

*Tulsa's James Woodard has scored in double figures in 37 of his last 43 games but finished with just six points in the loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Nicholls State Colonels at (6) Wisconsin Badgers

*Traveling has not been kind to the Colonel. Nicholls State has lost all four games on the road this season and have been outscored by 103 points and outrebounded by 71 in those games.

*Wisconsin is 199-22 (.900) at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan, owning the 4th-highest home win percentage in that span (since 2001-02). That includes a mark of 102-8 (.927) in nonconference games at the Kohl Center.

(14) Utah Utes at (10) Kansas Jayhawks

*The Utes can thank a renewed defensive focus for their improvement this season. Utah is leading the Pac-12 in both scoring defense (57.4 ppg) and rebound margin (+10.5).

*Kansas are ranked in the top 10, but they are far from perfect. “We’re not a good passing team at all,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self told reporters. “We don’t make the game easier for our teammates.”

Michigan Wolverines at (3) Arizona Wildcats

*Michigan has recorded 16 assists and 21 turnovers while averaging 26.5 rebounds during their past two games, where they got upset twice.

*.The Wildcats have allowed fewer than 60 points on five occasions and have racked up 78 steals compared to the opponent’s 34.

(24) Nothern Iowa Panthers at VCU Rams

*Seth Tuttle has scored in double figures every game this season and has shot at least 50 percent from the field in eight of the Panthers' nine contests.

*VCU's trademark defense has been a surprising weakness on the young season, as the Rams are allowing 70.3 points - 263rd in the nation.


Oregon Ducks at (25) Illinois Fighting Illini

*Illinois will be the third ranked team the Ducks have played in nine games this season. The Ducks lost both of those games straight up and against the spread.

*As a team the Ducks have 47 blocked shots on the season, averaging 5.9 blocks per game to rank third in the Pac-12.

Texas State Bobcats at (9) Texas Longhorns

*The Bobcats surge this season can be thanks to their ability to create turnovers. Texas State is causing an average of 19.6 turnovers per game, while taking the ball away on 25.1 percent of opponents possessions.

*The Longhorns have outrebounded their opponents in seven of their first eight games and sport a +13.5 rebound margin entering Saturday's contest.

(8) Gonzaga Bulldogs at UCLA Bruins

*The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 379-239 in the first half this season, an average of 15 points per game.

*Freshman Kevon Looney has been dominated this season. The Bruins's stud ranks sixth in the nation in rebounding while leading all freshman in with seven double-doubles.

'Utah pulls off upset'

On Saturday, the #10-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (7-1, 5-3 ATS) host the #13-ranked Utah Utes (7-1, 5-2-1 ATS) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Kansas has reeled off six consecutive wins since their loss to #1 Kentucky taking down Michigan State, Georgetown the past two. Utah also comes into the contest on a 6-0 streak since their early loss to #18 San Diego State defeating Wichita State, BYU the past two on the hardwood. Offense has been much more difficult for Jayhawks this season as they average 70.1 points/game on 41.4 % shooting. Utah is a higher scoring team averaging 78.6 points/game, while shooting the tenth-best percentage in the country at 51.6%. Defensively, Jayhawks allow 63.6 PPG on 40.2% shooting while Utes enter limiting opponents to 57.4 points/game on 35.5% from the field. Utah also excels in guarding the 3-point line, limiting foes to 33.8% from beyond the arc. Kansas struggling a times this season to initiate offense, Utah solid defensively wouldn't surprise Utes pull off the massive road upset. Consider taking the expect 5 point spot knowing Utes have a sparkling 12-2 stretch as underdogs of 6 or less, have cashed 9-12 tickets away from Salt Lake City and are on a profitable 21-7-2 ATS stretch in non-conference games.

College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes -

Michigan at Arizona December 13, 05:15 EST

The Wildcats off an easy 87-56 victory over Utah Valley cashing as -27 point favorite put a season opening 9-0 (5-4 ATS) streak and the nations fifth-longest home stretch (27-0 SU, 17-9 ATS) on the line when they host Michigan Wolverines at McKale Center in Tucson Saturday afternoon. Wolverines with a slew of new players dotting the roster losing two straight including a shameful loss to then 2-5 NJT Highlanders won't give Wildcats much resistance. Expect both Wildcat streaks to be extended as they move to 5-0 ATS vs Big Ten opponents while Wolverines fall to 2-7-1 ATS away from Ann Arbor in December non-conference games.


Gonzaga at UCLA December 13, 10:00 EST

The Bruins returning only three players that had any significant minutes last season face a huge test when Gonzaga pays a visit to Pauley Pavilion Saturday night. The Zags are loaded this season thanks to a strong foundation of returning players including arguably the best pair of shooters in college basketball in Kevin Pangos nailing 48.4% from the field, 40.0% from long range with Gary Bell Jr. dropping 45.0% of his shots, 43.9% from outside. Zags with five players dropping double digits helping the team net 84.4 points/game the Bruins current 8-0 (4-4 ATS) streak on home court is at risk. However, Bruins pretty solid on the defensive end (69.4 PPG) you do bet Zags at some risk as they're 2-6 ATS away from home scoring =< 70.0 points and just 2-9 ATS vs Pac-12 opponents

NCAAF Where the action is: Early money moving big-name bowl game odds
By JASON LOGAN

Odds for the big-name college football bowl games have only been open for short time and already early action has dictated a few notable moves.

We talk with Peter Childs, about that first rush of money, where it landed and how the books are adjusting.

Cotton Bowl: Baylor Bears at Michigan State Spartans – Open: +1, Move: +2.5

Oddsmakers opened with Baylor, fresh off a College Football Playoff shunning, as a 1-point favorite versus Michigan State and immediately took money on the favorite, bumping this spread as high as BU -2.5. But according to Childs, he first considered opening the Cotton Bowl as a pick’em.

On one side, you can say the Bears will come out to prove they belong among the Final Four vying for the national title. And on the other, you can say that Baylor will come out flat after the disappointment of not making the playoff cut.

“I hate this spot for Baylor,” says Childs. “They were all in to get into the playoffs and it’s all they’ve talked about. Hell, they campaigned for it and hired media companies to market for it.”

“They have to be disappointed being here and that lack of motivation is a factor, in my opinion,” he adds. “I don’t understand all the support for Baylor in the past few hours, but we had to move it with the amount of action we’ve seen.”

Sugar Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide – Open: -9, Move: -10

The No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff opened just under a double-digit favorite versus No. 4 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl – the semifinals for the national title game. Money hit the Tide and pushed the number to -10. However, that adjustment prompted action on the Buckeyes, following their one-sided stunner against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. Alabama -10 (-105) / Ohio State +10 (-115).

“So far, good two-way action at the number 10,” says Childs. “Solid number and I don’t see this one moving all that much. We’ve seen quite a bit of Ohio State moneyline bets, to the point where we lowered them down from +280 to +270.”

Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Mississippi Rebels at TCU Horned Frogs – Open: -3, Move: -3.5

Texas Christian is another Big 12 team with a chip on its shoulder heading into bowl season. The Horned Frogs were bumped from the Final Four by Ohio State, despite ranking No. 3 entering Week 15 and thumping Iowa State 55-3. They did everything they could do and weren’t even given a New Year’s Day time slot, instead settling for a New Year’s Eve game with Ole Miss.

A flood of action forced bookmakers to move off the key number. They first adjusted the juice on TCU, going -3 (-115) trying to entice money on the discounted Rebels. But it wasn’t enough and they made the move to -3.5.

“Moving off the number -3 takes a lot of money, basically all the early money was on TCU but at 3.5, we’re starting to see a bit of Mississippi money come in,” says Childs.

Much like its Big 12 brethren, Baylor, Texas Christian could be motivated to show up the selection committee or be completely disinterested in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl after having its national championship hopes dashed.

“I see this like I do the Baylor game, I question TCU’s motivation here,” adds Childs. “They wanted to be in the playoffs, not this bowl game. Mississippi will also have strong crowd support with this game being in the South, in Georgia (Georgia Dome).”

NCAAF line watch: Three bowl bets you shouldn't wait on
By STEVE MERRIL

With the matchups set and the odds on the board for college football bowl season, Steve Merril tells you which bowls you should bet right away in order to get the best value. Here are two bowl spreads and a total to bet now:

CAMELLIA BOWL

South Alabama Jaguars (-2.5) vs. Bowling Green Falcons

The line reversed in the this bowl after Bowling Green opened as a 1-point favorite and early money quickly came in on South Alabama, making the Jaguars 2.5-point favorites. This line will likely rise higher and hit the key number of 3, so shrewd bettors should jump on this game now.

Bowling Green is one of the worst teams to make a bowl game this season. The Falcons come into this game in a tailspin, losing three straight games and four of their past six games overall. Bowling Green has been dreadful versus the pointspread and it is just 2-7-1 ATS during its last 10 games.

South Alabama is playing in its first bowl game and it gets to stay in state, which gives the Jaguars a nice edge. Bettors should play this game now and take the best of the number.

ARMED FORCES BOWL

Houston Cougars vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (-3)

Pittsburgh was briefly a 2.5-point favorite over Houston and early money quickly came in on the favorite, moving the line up to -3. This line will probably tick up higher above the key number at some point, so Pitt bettors should get on this game soon.

Pittsburgh holds a significant offensive edge in this game and since Houston has a below-average defense, bettors will certainly favor the better offense in this matchup.

Houston’s best win this season came at Memphis when it was fortunate to be on the receiving end of five turnovers. Other than that gift-wrapped win, the Cougars beat a slew of losing teams. Take Pittsburgh now before the line goes higher.

MILITARY BOWL

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (50.5)

Virginia Tech and Cincinnati are complete opposites. The Hokies have a terrible offense and a very good defense. The Bearcats have a potent offense and a terrible defense. This total was probably a difficult one for the oddsmakers to set. The total opened 50.5 at most books.

Cincinnati is currently a 3-point favorite over Virginia Tech. The Bearcats opened at -3.5 and the line drop is because early money came in on Virginia Tech. This could indicate future money on the Under as well since a low-scoring game would favor the Hokies.

You can definitely make a case that Virginia Tech/Under and Cincinnati/Over are somewhat correlated in this game.