BSNblog

Saturday 9:00 PM EST Portland Trail Blazers (27-20, 11-11 away, 6th in the Western Conference) @ Dallas Mavericks (30-16, 14-7 home, 3rd in the Western Conference)

Bookmaker Reviews:

Spread: Mavericks -8.5

Total: 193

Money Lines: Dallas – 180, Portland +160

The Dallas Mavericks have been rolling through their schedule grabbing wins of all kinds of late. A game after blowing out the Knicks in MSG by 50, they barely held on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by one point. The Mavs are coming off a 112-106 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday where the backups for the Suns outplayed the bench of the Mavericks to the tune of 41-26 in bench scoring. The Dallas bench which in years past was a strength of the team, has lost a little bit of its luster this season. You know there are problems when Louis Amundsen looks unstoppable at times against you. The Mavs need to add a body down low if they want to have a realistic shot at beating the league’s premier teams. Currently they are just one notch below the likes of the Lakers, Celtics and Cavaliers but are on the doorstep.

The Portland Trail Blazers have been riddled with injuries much in the same way Swiss cheese is riddles with holes. Losing starting and backup centers Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla for the season wasn’t enough, now they have to contend with playing without all-star guard Brandon Roy. Against the Jazz Wednesday night, the Roy-less Blazers fell behind big early and were dominated for most of the game losing 106-95 at home. Portland has been only .500 on the road and without Roy they will have a tough time in this one.

Key Players: Dallas

• PF Dirk Nowitzki 25.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.2 blocks 0.93 steals. Top 5 in MVP voting if season ended today.


• SG Jason Terry 16.5 PPG off the bench. Reigning 6th man of the year


• SF Shawn Marion 11.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG. One of the league’s longest defenders. A big reason for the Mavs success


• PG Jason Kidd 8.9 PPG, 9.2 APG 5.3 RPG, 1.69 steals

Key Players: Portland

• F/C LaMarcus Aldridge 16.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG. One of the league’s best young big men. Can guard Dirk outside better than most.


• PG Andre Miller 12.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.0 RPG. Will have to take more assertive role in Roy’s absence


• SF Martell Webster 11.1 PPG Former bench player has had at least 14 points in last 4 games


• SG Rudy Fernandez 8.5 PPG. Must show now or never if he has the chops to start in the NBA.

Who will win?

The Blazers being on the road and short-handed against a tough Dallas team is quite a tall order. Aldridge is the perfect foil to guard Dirk as he is his equal in height and length and is probably a little faster and stronger than Dirk. Dirk, however can hit any shot on the floor and has unlimited range and if he can’t do it all, he has a couple of nice swingmen to kick out to, not to mention a future Hall-of-Fame point guard in J. Kidd.

Sportsbook outlook: The Mavs have too much at home for the banged up Blazers. If Aldridge can’t stop Dirk at least a little bit, this one could be a blowout. Either way, Mavs still take this contest easy.

Final: Mavericks 94 – Blazers 81. Take the Mavs and the under.

The most recent encounter between Manchester City and Manchester United was a high-scoring Premier League fixture played at Old Trafford earlier in the season that saw United prevail 4-3 over its visitors.

Man United are the current holders of the carling cup and need to turn around a 2-1 defeat from the 1st leg. Match odds have Man United at 4/6 and City are 9/2.

United go into the clash in confident mood after returning to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a Wayne Rooney-inspired 4-0 win over Hull City on Saturday. Sir Alex's squad is also in peak physical condition and boosted by Rio Ferdinand's return in defence.

This is a tough match to call. While City’s home football betting record deserves respect, the close proximity of Old Trafford means that United is likely to enjoy fairly substantial crowd support during this match. Furthermore, United is the team most capable of putting an end to City’s sterling home record.

Pro Bowl betting – Sunday, January 31, 7:20 PM ET

The AFC figures to be led by Houston’s Matt Schaub and Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, who won AFC Offensive Player of the Year. Peyton Manning of Indianapolis and the other six Colts will miss this game due to their Super Bowl commitments, and there are a few injuries on the team. Tom Brady and Wes Welker of New England, along with Philip Rivers of San Diego and Jake Long from the Jets, will be missing from the offensive side, while Buffalo’ Jairus Byrd and Houston’s Brian Cushing are the defensive injuries. Still, even with all the injuries, it’ll still be worth the price per head to see the AFC talent do their thing in Miami.

The NFC had four of the five top-rated quarterbacks in the NFL, and two of them have a history; Aaron Rodgers was given the starter’s role in Green Bay in place of Brett Favre, who retired, then came back to lead Minnesota to the NFC Super Bowl game. Favre and Rodgers should split time for the NFC under center, as Drew Brees joins four other New Orleans teammates in preparing for the Super Bowl. Injured players include St. Louis’ Stephen Jackson, Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Dallas’ Andre Gurode on offense, while Chicago’s Lance Briggs and Arizona’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will miss out on defense.

US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) for this game aren’t out yet as some players could still drop out of the contest due to injury or other reasons, but the NFC has won the last two meetings and three of the last four in a change from their Super Bowl betting fortunes: The AFC has won seven of the last 10 in the Super Bowl. This game, which is usually a meaningless exhibition, should be won by the talent under center, and with injuries to Rivers and Brady, as well as no Manning, the NFC has the upper hand with Rodgers and Favre, who will want to make up for his deadly pick in the late seconds of Minnesota’s overtime loss to New Orleans.

NFL picks: NFC

Vikings vs Saints odds – Sunday, January 24, 6:40 PM ET

Favre was on fire in a 34-3 rout of Dallas at home, where he got comfortable quickly in his first year with the Vikings. Favre was 15-of-24 for 234 yards and four touchdowns, and his play in the Metrodome was a huge reason for his success in Minnesota. However, Favre’s numbers were slightly lower across the board away from home, and the Vikings lost their last three road games of the season. His numbers in losses at Arizona, Carolina and Chicago? A completion percentage of 64.9%, 273.3 yards per game, with four touchdowns and three picks and a passer rating of 86.5.

The Saints lost their last two home games of the regular season to Dallas and Tampa Bay, but reclaimed the Superdome with a 45-14 mauling of Arizona last week. The offense, which had struggled down the stretch, came alive behind Drew Brees, who was 23-of-32 for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while Reggie Bush had a pair of big touchdowns and 217 all-purpose yards, showing the big-play ability that New Orleans thought they were getting with the second overall pick in the 2006 draft. The defense, after giving up a big play on their first drive, pulled their sleeves up and dominated the Cardinals for the rest of the game, even knocking Kurt Warner out of the game twice.

The Saints are 3.5-point favorites at home according to US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews), and the Brees we saw last week is more like the one that finished second to Peyton Manning in the MVP race, and who also had a 120.1 rating at the Superdome this year. Favre will need to be at his best in front of the Metrodome crowd, and he’s 1-1 in conference-championship games on the road in his storied career. But the edge goes to the Saints, who will be aiming for their first Super Bowl appearance, and the key will be a front seven that pressures Favre all day long.

Super Bowl betting pick: Saints -3.5

Warriors vs Suns odds – Saturday, January 23, 9:00 PM ET

The Warriors can barely put together a lineup these days, as they’ve played three straight games with eight players ahead of Friday’s game against New Jersey. Monta Ellis has played every minute of the last four games despite a sore ankle, the ankle he had surgery on the offseason. But he’s still put up 31.0 points over his last five games, taking 138 shots in the process. Corey Maggette has averaged 30.8 points, while Andris Biedrins has grabbed 10.8 boards over his last five games. Even rookie Stephen Curry is coming on, putting up 17.8 points, and these injuries are giving him some valuable learning experience.

The Suns snapped a four-game skid by throttling New Jersey on Wednesday, and they also face Chicago on Friday night. Phoenix is just happy to be home after coming up empty on a four-game road trip, and they were 16-4 at home before Friday’s game against the Bulls. The Suns’ disdain for defense is amusing at times, and with this meeting with the Warriors, a ticket would definitely be worth the price per head in entertainment value.

The Suns should definitely be favored by bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) at US Airways Center, as the Warriors haven’t won there since March 2005, which is a span of nine games. The Warriors are a brutal 4-17 away from home, and to make matters worse, they’re a miserable 2-6 in the second half of back-to-back games. This won’t be helped by their injury worries. The Suns are 3-6 in the second half of back-to-back games, but they get the advantage of being at home. Neither team has a particularly tough opponent on Friday night, but the Warriors still have to travel, while the Suns should be rested and riding the momentum of an easy win on Friday night. Take a close look at the total, as well: surprisingly, three of the last five meetings between these two have gone under.

Sports wagering pick: Phoenix

Nonetheless, the coaching change from Dungy to Caldwell could not have been any smoother. NFL betting fans saw the Colts start the season with 14 straight wins, which adds to another in the long line of 10-game winning seasons in the Peyton Manning era, and saw the Colts flirt with perfection.

As it stands now, they’ll have to face the team that ruined their perfection in the AFC Championship Game.

The Colts were in a very unique position in Week 16 and they made a controversial decision that could be second-guessed. With a 14-0 record, the Colts had already locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC along with home-field advantage through the playoffs, which meant that win or lose, they were playing for nothing. But some people might not a call a perfect regular season record ‘nothing’.

On the other hand, the Jets needed the win just to keep their playoff hopes alive and not only did they get that win, they have won their way all the way to the AFC Championship game.

If the Colts win, then Caldwell and the coaching staff made the right move. If not, then the Colts will regret not disposing of the Jets when they had the chance.

The sportsbook odds makers (us sportsbook review) favor the Colts heavily because the Jets are a fairly one-dimensional team. The Jets run the ball well but everyone knows they have to run the ball because they are playing with a rookie quarterback at the helm.

The Colts faced a very similar team last week when the Baltimore Ravens were in town and they know what they are up against. If the Colts can succeed in shutting down the Jets running game, then winning this game will be rather easy. If not, the Jets will hang around.

The Jets got lucky last week as they won 17-14 over the San Diego Chargers, whose Pro Bowl kicker, Nate Kaeding, missed three field goals.

The Colts won’t make those types of mistakes.

NFL Picks: Colts -7.5

With the win, unbeaten Barcelona has 46 points in 18 games, while Real coach Manuel Pellegrini was left at 41 after losing his visit Athletic Bilbao.

Barcelona took revenge Sevilla last week that kept him out of the Copa del Rey Odds.

Julien Escude against their fence, in the 49th minute, Peter at 70 'and Messi at 85' and 91 ', scored for the defending champion.

With his goals, Messi became the top scorer with 14 goals, two more than David Villa, Valencia striker, also reached 100 points with Messi .

In an encounter that was played earlier, the Madrid blew a good opportunity to remain as interim leader of the League after losing 1-0 against Athletic.

The inspired Bilbao goalkeeper, Gorka Iraizoz, refused repeatedly to the goal box Pellegrini, who scored his third defeat.

The Basque left early to intimidate his rival, and midfielder Carlos Gurpegi and striker Tobias Mikaelsson had opened the account just the first minute of the match.

A disadvantage was surprised Madrid two minutes later when Lassana Diarra could not control Fran Yeste, who crossed for Fernando Llorente scored the 1-0 unmarked in the eyes of the goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka had numerous options to beat Iraizoz, but the draw did not come.

Gurpegi was ejected in the fifth minute of added time for a second yellow card.

In another match, Bridge and Uruguayan Walter Pandiani before 10 minutes sealed victory Osasuna 2-0 at home to Espanyol.

Juanfran midfielder opened the scoring in the 7 minutes, after a confusing play in the area.

Pandiani, who had not scored in Pamplona this season, hit a header two minutes later, before the Osasuna midfielder, Rupert, was sent off for a second yellow card near the end of the first part.

NFL betting fans saw the Ravens blow out the Patriots last week and now they’ll get a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Ravens lost to the Indianapolis Colts back in Week 11 so they’ll have to come up with a different game plan to win.

Ravens Season Recap

The Ravens season started out great when they won their first three games and were considered among the best teams in the NFL. Then they completely lost their rhythm.

The Ravens proceeded to alternate wins and losses for nearly two months after that and were in danger of missing the playoffs completely. But a run in December secured their berth and for a second year in a row, they have won a playoff game.

Colts Season Recap

The Colts season was a little different as they played at a level far more consistent than the Ravens. The Colts started the year with 14 straight wins and there was some serious debate as to whether they could become just the second team in NFL history to win all 16 regular season games.

But in Week 16, coach Jim Caldwell decided to rest his starters in the second half and the Colts lost for the first time. In Week 17, the Colts lost again as they rested their starters and they know head into the playoffs without having played a serious game for nearly a month. We’ll see if the rust is a factor.

The Matchup

The Colts are a big favorite in the sportsbook (us sportsbook reviews) for this game and considering they already defeated the Ravens once this season, they should be fairly confident.

The first battle took place in Baltimore and the Colts won 17-15. They did a fantastic job of shutting the Ravens running attack down and the Ravens simply couldn’t respond with their passing game.

That’s really where the Colts have the advantage.

At home, they’ll be able to dictate the pace and as rested as they are, don’t be surprised if this game turns out to be a blowout. The Ravens just can’t succeed in this contest unless they find a way to run the ball.

NFL Picks Pick: Colts -7

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings

BSNblog Pick: Vikings -2.5

NFL Betting Total: 45.5

The Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl odds took a hit down the stretch of the season as the team that won 10 of its first 11 games also lost three of its last five. It was a perfect start to the season for the Vikings, who had a lot of things coming together at one time.

Obviously, quarterback Brett Favre made the biggest impact on the team as he introduced a lethal passing game in one of his best seasons as a pro. He garnered MVP votes all the way throughout and helped develop youngsters Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. Meanwhile, the defense also took off.

But in the final stretch of the season, the Vikings suffered injuries to cornerback Antoine Winfield and linebacker E.J. Henderson, and the defense went south. Beyond that, the running game on offense was not much of a factor in the final six weeks and as the team relied solely on Favre’s arm, the offense became too predictable.

While it was a tough finish to the season for the Vikings, the good news is that they have had a bye week to rest the players that needed some extra time off and to give the coaches a clear path on how to fix the previous miscues.

While most people want to pile on the Vikings and suggest that they fell off with their final stretch, the truth of the matter is that all three losses they suffered – to the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears – all took place on the road whereas they still finished 8-0 at home.

The Dallas Cowboys will be a tough test for Minnesota but the Vikings have consistently played their best football at home. The Cowboys have won four straight games impressively but this is still a team that relies on the run, which the Vikings are good at stopping, and tend to make mistakes in the passing game when they are forced to be one-dimensional.

The Vikings should be fresh and at home, they are tough to run again. Look for them to force the game into Tony Romo’s hands, which can sometimes be dicey.

This will be a close contest all the way around but at home after a bye week, we should a team closer to the 10-1 Vikings rather than the team that finished 2-3.

NFL Picks: Vikings -2.5

Sports betting sharps saw a different Kurt Warner than they had seen in the last month of the season. Warner finished 29-of-33 with 379 yards and five touchdowns. If he plays like that again, he’ll be tough to stop along with the Cardinals.

Why The Cardinals Can Win

The Cardinals actually played better on the road than they did at home this year, which is a great sign for them. They were 6-2 away from home this year and they played very sharp on the road.

Their entire team went to the Super Bowl last year and they had a similar run like this a year ago. Nobody believes in them, they are a weekly underdog and they are just buying time until they lose. They were a home underdog to Green Bay last week and they pulled it out. Considering how the Saints played down the stretch – losing three straight – they can hop on top of this listless team early and really force their hand.

Why The Saints Can Win

Because the Saints always thrive in a shootout. The Packers put 45 points and 500+ yards worth of offense on the Cardinals defense last week – what are the Saints capable of doing?

They had a week off to clear their minds, nurse some wounds and study their problems. Sean Payton and Drew Brees have been this far in the playoffs once before, so they won’t be complete newbies.

This is the perfect matchup for the Saints – they just have to play their game.

What Will Happen

The Saints will feel confident going into this game but the Cardinals will hop on top of them early on. The difference is they know that in the playoffs you have to kick it up a notch and we saw it last week when they hung 51 on one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Saints will be a bit rusty after a bye week and that will be all it takes for the Cards to get ahead and play with the lead like they did last week.

BSNblog Pick: Saints -7

NFL Picks: Cardinals +7

Storylines: The Packers

Not many people have noticed this but the Packers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They won seven of their last eight games to finish the year and their lone loss was that miraculous last-second comeback by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers offensive line, running game and defense has improved every single week and they are now a very dangerous team.

Although they’ll have to go on the road the entire way, this team is capable of winning in different ways. They will be tough to stop.

Storylines: The Cardinals

For a second year in a row, those who bet NFL football watched the Cardinals stumble into the playoffs. They won three of their last six games but their two wins over Detroit and St. Louis were fairly uninspiring.

Throw in a rash of injuries and it’s really simple math: the Cardinals might be running out of gas.

Sure, they still have Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, but they’ll need more than that. They’ll need turnovers and they’ll need the Packers to be off their game. That may be too much to ask.

Matchup

NFL betting cappers need to be aware how beaten up the Cardinals are. They were already without left tackle Mike Gandy and now will likely be without wideout Anquan Boldin. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is questionable with a knee injury and could be limited if he does play. Safety Antrel Rolle is also banged up and is in a similar boat.

That’s a lot for the Cardinals to overcome especially without a top-flight wide receiver and their top cornerback.

The Packers led the NFL in turnover margin, interceptions and run defense. That indicates that not only are they the hotter, healthier team, but they also have the better defense and the better fundamentals.

The only thing the Cardinals have going for them is home field advantage but that won’t be enough.

BSNblog Pick: Packers -1

The Philadelphia Eagles will be hoping to help the smaller part of that stat out as they have already lost to the Dallas Cowboys twice this year and will be looking to avoid a third – and season-ending loss – to the Cowboys this Saturday.

Those following the NFL lines know that the Cowboys shutout the Eagles last week and have a very good chance to win again this week. The Cowboys are favored by four and unless the Eagles can come up with a different game plan, they are likely to lose.

Why The Eagles Can Win

The Philadelphia Eagles have the most explosive passing offense in the NFL. They led the league with 21 passing plays of 40 yards or longer and with DeSean Jackson on the field, they can score at any point.

Those who are betting NFL football know that you can only contain Jackson for so long, but at the same time, the Eagles have to create some other threats. In the two matchups this year, they haven’t run the ball well. By running the football, it will force the Cowboys to pay attention to other aspects of the offense other than Jackson.

Once the Eagles soften the Cowboys defense up, then they can go deep to Jackson all they want.

Why The Cowboys Can Win

The Dallas Cowboys can win because they have the edge on the line of scrimmage. In two games against the Eagles this year, the Cowboys have eight sacks and have held the Eagles running game to 3.8 yards per carry. Last week, the Eagles only ran the ball a total of 10 times.

Look for more of the same from the Cowboys, who know they can protect Tony Romo and they can attack Donovan McNabb when they feel like it.

The Cowboys are hot right now and considering they know what it takes to be the Eagles, they should be confident for this game.

What Will Happen

Those who bet on sports know that the Cowboys are hot right now. Romo has a quarterback rating of 100 or more in five of his last six games, Miles Austin is impossible to cover, Jason Witten is a solid weapon over the middle and the running game is working.

The Cowboys have the edge along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and that will again be the difference.

NFL Picks: Cowboys -4

In 2008 Pittsburgh was a squad (although it was not dominant at all) can win the close games. Just remember the Super Bowl against Arizona, but this year the balance was loaded on the other side and therefore the elimination became a reality. The Steelers became the thirteenth-ranked team not to make the NFL Playoff Brackets after winning the Super Bowl.

What about the Broncos? After a splendid start with a new coach and a new pin, were overcome. First for San Diego, who fought for the title of the West and now the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, who are looking for tickets for the AFC wild card. Despite all this, I think I did too for a set to start the season looked to win five or six NFL Betting games.

Miami also was a disappointment. It is true that first lost Chad Pennington and Ronnie Brown later (the soul of the offense of "wildcat"), but either way and thought that stability had come to the Dolphins.

A further disappointment was Terrell Owens with the Buffalo Bills. We must admit that it is difficult to excel in a team that is in the midst of reconstruction, but hoped that Terrell became the figure who bear the burden of the Bills. Unfortunately this did not happen and all I saw was both cocky and selfish type who left the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

The Raiders are already suffering a chronic illness. Discomfort expressed by the public for Al Davis did not continue with the recruitment of staff, we now have jokes about the possible death of the owner, who perhaps has not been disclosed. The Raiders are probably the most lives squadron of memory. His motto "Commitment to Excellence" takes us back to days of glory, which have lagged far behind. The Raiders JaMarcus Russell can put in the "Hall of Shame" as one of the less fortunate picks of all time, next to Ryan Leaf.

"I came to Rome just for the World Cup. Now my goal is to score many goals and play well with the yellow shirt and red. Then we'll see what happens in June, the Nazionale is a consequence," said Toni, in his presentation with his new club in Trigoria, near the Italian capital.

"In recent months, there were many teams that wanted me, but I just wanted to come to Rome. We have worked with the broker and the company to reach an agreement and I am very happy to be here," added the player, 32 years.

Toni has recently been compared with former Argentine player Gabriel Batistuta, who as he said with Fiorentina and was part of the staff of the Rome.

"They did it often (compare him with Batistuta), when he wore the purple shirt (from Fiorentina). But I, in Florence, broke the record of goals that had Gabriel," he recalled. "In Rome, he won the league. Let's see what happens with me," he said.

Bayern Munich officially on Thursday Toni loan to Roma after the problems suffered by the Italian coach the Bavarians Dutchman Louis Van Gaal.

On Friday, to everyone's surprise, the forward was made in the training center in Trigoria Rome, where he spent New Year's day.

In his first touchdown, he trained with other players of his new team, such as Brazilian Cicinho and Julio Baptista, and scored in the session.

Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Ole Miss Running Rebels

BetOnline Odds: Ole Miss -3

2009 Recap: Oklahoma State

The Oklahoma State Cowboys were hoping for a special year in Stillwater. They appeared to have all the constituents with a potent offense and an improving defense. But then they lost to Houston at home and then they lost wideout Dez Bryant to suspension, and then they suffered a few key injuries to quarterback Zac Robinson and running back Kendall Hunter.

All of that added up to three big losses – including a thumping at the hands of Texas – and the Sooners land in the Cotton Bowl.

9-3 is still a very good year for the Cowboys but it’s not what they were hoping for with so much talent on the roster.

2009 Recap: Ole Miss

The Ole Miss Running Rebels were also hoping for a banner year in 2009 but they found out quickly that they couldn’t win big games. Even with a star quarterback like Jevan Sneed leading the way with a solid defense, the Rebels came up short time and time again. It started with an unexpected loss to South Carolina, then snowballed with losses to Alabama and Florida. To cap it off, the Rebels lost to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

8-4 is still a good year for the Rebels but the four losses were big ones and that’s what the season will be remember for unless they get a Cotton Bowl win.

Matchup

The NCAA football odds are set at a field goal because this is a fairly even matchup. Both teams disappointed in 2009 and both teams are clearly in the second tier of their conference.

But Ole Miss has the better defense and that should be the difference. They’ll have to ease quarterback Jevan Sneed into the game and get him some easy completions early on but as his confidence grows, the Rebels should take control of this game. Dexter McCluster is also going to be a huge headache for the Pokes defense.

Expert Sports Handicapping Pick: Ole Miss -3