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This year's Super Bowl pits two teams from the Northeastern region of the United States against one another to determine who will win the sport's ultimate prize. Going into this game, the New York Giants definitely have momentum working in their favor, as they have played about as well as they could have in this year's Playoffs. Considering that New York barely made it into the postseason to begin with, it is remarkable that they are now representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. Their opponent, the New England Patriots, have been the most successful professional football organization in the past decade, and they are certainly not going to make it easy for the Giants to win this game. Quarterback Tom Brady has the opportunity to add another Super Bowl ring to his already stellar career, and he certainly understands that this might be one of the last chances he gets at leading New England to a potential Super Bowl Championship. Look for Brady and the rest of the Patriots to hold nothing back and win this game by at least a touchdown to cover the spread.
Everyone is looking at the fact that New York won in Foxboro during the regular season by a score of 24-20 as an indication that they will once again reign supreme by the end of Sunday evening. The problem here is that New England is playing with a much higher level of confidence than they were at that particular time, and the Giants are really going to need a near-perfect game on both sides of the ball in order to obtain this victory. Quarterback Eli Manning has been the key to New York's success in the Playoffs this year, but it also doesn't hurt that he has two of the best wide receivers in the game of football to which he can throw. Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks didn't get a lot of publicity before the season started, but they certainly have been one of the big reasons why New York now finds themselves in the final game of the season.
People point at the Patriots' porous defense as the reason that they believe the New York Giants ultimately end up winning this game. While it is true that New England has one of the NFL's worst defenses, they have been playing much better during the Playoffs. It is certainly going to be a test for the secondary to keep Manning from completing a high percentage of his passes, but head coach Bill Belichick is one of the best minds in the game of football. He will certainly have something planned to throw Manning off any rhythm that he would be able to obtain. This looks like a game that the Patriots are ultimately going to end up covering the spread, which is good because that means that they will be crowned Super Bowl Champions.
As far as experience in the postseason goes, New England certainly has the advantage in this category when you compare the two teams. The Giants, however, are more skilled and athletic, which could ultimately switch the game over in their favor. Look for the Patriots to pull away, however, as the game reaches its conclusion thanks to Brady's poise and masterful understanding of the passing game. It will be the New England Patriots that will ultimately be crowned the 2012 Super Bowl Champions. |
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In determining who is ultimately going to come out on top in the race for the Big 12 regular season conference title, you have to take into consideration that the Jayhawks have been the best team in the conference for so many years now that it is hard to bet against them. Although if there is one team that definitely has a shot at defeating them, it would be the Missouri Tigers. With Missouri being one of the best teams in the nation, it should come as no surprise if the Tigers are able to come away with a victory at home. There are a couple of different reasons to like the Tigers in this one, but Kansas also seems to be in a good position to win this basketball game. Missouri is one of the best offensive teams nationally, but the Jayhawks have established themselves as a superb defensive team that is very adept at shutting down the opposition's best player. When all is said and done, however, Missouri should be the team that ends with a win against the spread.
What might be a little difficult for Kansas to overcome in this game is the fact that the Tigers are playing this game at home, which has proven to be a winning proposition every time they have stepped foot onto their home floor this season. One thing that is going in Kansas' favor, though, is the duo of Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor on their roster. Now in his junior season, Robinson has made sure that the rest of the nation take notice into just how skilled of a player he is. There is a lot of things that Robinson can do on his own, but he wouldn't be the player that he is without a good point guard like Taylor leading the offense. Even though he won't be the most celebrated point guard in the history of the Jayhawks program, Taylor has really stepped up his game in the past two seasons and allowed Kansas the opportunity to at least have a shot at competing for a National Championship.
While Missouri might be the surprise team of the 2011-2012 season, it was evident throughout the course of last season that the Tigers were going to have a very good roster this year. New head coach Frank Haith has done a nice job of switching the team to offensive sets that are not quite as antiquated, which has really picked up the tempo and scoring that the program does on a regular basis. With five players averaging in double digits for points per game, Haith has done a nice job of calling plays that will ultimately get the entire team involved on a regular basis. If Marcus Denmon can finish out the year like he has started it, the Tigers could be a very dangerous team when it comes time to decide who will be crowned National Champion.
There is certainly going to be a lot of talent on display in this particular game, and it is one that could eventually be decided by whoever scores the last basket. Missouri is the higher ranked team, but the Jayhawks currently lead the Big 12 Conference for regular season standings. All things aside, the Tigers are the team that will eventually walk away from this one with a victory against the spread. |
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This year's SEC has been one of the most competitive conferences in all of college basketball, and there are many teams that look to have their seasons shaping up pretty well to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. The Vanderbilt Commodores have really improved as a program under the guidance of head coach Kevin Stallings. It has been Stallings who has done all of the necessary recruiting to bring in a higher caliber of athlete to the Vanderbilt campus. Due to the time and effort of the Commodores coaching staff and players, a great deal of offseason work has led Vanderbilt to one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. Now, they have to hope for the best when they travel to Gainesville, Florida to take on the Gators. Currently ranked number 11 nationally, Florida appears to be one of the only teams that can legitimately matchup well with Kentucky once the conference tournament rolls around. With arguably the best backcourt in the nation, the Gators have once again staked their claim to be a threat once March Madness starts in full effect.
While Florida might have the best backcourt duo regardless of conference, the Commodores are not far behind in that particular category. John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor have both done a tremendous job during their time in Nashville of doing everything they could to change the culture of the Vanderbilt basketball program. With Taylor in his final season and Jenkins potentially leaving for the NBA after this season, it might be the end of an era for the Commodores once this season wraps up. One thing that Stallings has to be proud of in this instance, however, is the fact that Jenkins and Taylor have done everything they could to make Vanderbilt a legitimate contender on a national level. What will ultimately become very interesting now is whether the Commodores can keep up this level of success for the foreseeable future.
In terms of offense, there haven't been many teams that have produced more on a regular basis than the Florida Gators. One thing that head coach Billy Donovan has to be really excited about is the fact that the Gators are spreading the ball around and have many different players scoring points throughout the course of the game. With Bradley Beal, Kenny Boynton, Patric Young, and Erving Walker all averaging over 10 points per game, finding ways to produce on the offensive end of the floor doesn't seem to be the problem. What is ultimately going to decide if Florida plays for another national title is if their defense can improve enough over the course of the next two months to lock down the best teams in the nation. If Donovan can make this happen, the Gators have as good of a shot at winning it all as any of the top-ranked teams.
For so long, talk in the Southeastern Conference has always been about the quality of the football that is played on Saturday afternoons. With the resurgence of Kentucky, Vanderbilt stepping to the forefront of success nationally, and Florida remaining one of the most consistent programs from season to season, the future of basketball in the SEC looks pretty bright in its own right. On Saturday afternoon, Vanderbilt and Florida will be colliding, and you should look for the Gators to be the team that ultimately comes away with a win against the spread. |
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The NBA's Southwest Division is one of the league's most competitive this season, and two of the biggest reasons why is the play of the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs. Both teams have done an exceptionally good job of coming out of the gate quickly to get this lockout-shortened season off to a good start. While Houston does not find themselves that advantageous of a position right now, as they are in third place, there is definitely going to be a Playoff opportunity waiting for them if they continue to play as well as they are. As there is little margin for error right now in the Southwest, it will be important for both of these teams to put 100% of their effort into winning this important early season game. If San Antonio can find a way to facilitate a good offensive gameplan, they should be the team that ultimately comes out on top in this one against the spread.
Shooting guard Kevin Martin has once again proven to be a very integral part of the Houston Rockets roster. Averaging over 20 points per game, Martin has done a pretty amazing job of getting a lot of shots off during the course of the game while not hurting the overall success of his team. Martin is considered to be one of the best pure scorers in the NBA, and he continues to fulfill that role nicely for Houston. Kyle Lowry has done an excellent job of being the floor general for his team, and he currently finds himself leading the team in assists per game and second in points per game. The Rockets have definitely seen their results improve as Lowry has continued to make himself a more effective player, and it will be interesting to see if the rest of the team will continue to rally around him as their leader.
With Tim Duncan starting to get past his prime playing years, the San Antonio Spurs have now turned to Tony Parker as their go-to scorer every time down the floor. It is difficult for any NBA team to have their point guard be their leading scorer, but head coach Gregg Popovich has done a masterful job with setting up his team's gameplan so the ball does not end up in Parker's hand every time a shot goes up. Shooting guard Manu Ginobili is also an effective scorer in his own right, but he has been hurt for the majority of the season so far, so his contributions have been limited. Over the years, though, the team has proven that Ginobili is essential to their ability to win games regularly throughout the course of the season.
While the regular season is shorter than it normally would be, that doesn't mean rivalries that previously existed are not going to be as intense. The San Antonio Spurs continue to be one of the Western Conference's most consistent teams on a yearly basis, and they have done an excellent job of finding what they need to do as a team in order to maximize the amount of success that they are able to enjoy. Houston has struggled a little bit in recent years, but they certainly realize that they have the opportunity to get themselves back in the Playoffs once the regular season comes to an end. The Spurs are ultimately the team that you want to select to come away from this game victorious against the spread. |
What shouldn't be surprising to most NBA fans is how well the Chicago Bulls are doing through the first 20 games of their season. This is a team that has been meticulously built over the past five seasons to compete for NBA Championships every year. Through both the NBA Draft and the free agent market, Chicago has once again become a real contender in the Eastern Conference. One team that is really turning a lot of heads this season is the Philadelphia 76ers, who have done a fantastic job of resurrecting a franchise that was down on their luck for so long. It has taken some outstanding performances by many different players on the team, but it seems as though the roster has really come together since the current season started. As Philadelphia really hasn't been the most consistent team lately, it will be interesting to see exactly how far they will be able to take this success once the pressure to win starts climbing.
Defensively, there is no team that has been better so far this year than the Chicago Bulls. Ranking number one in the league in points allowed per game, the Bulls take pride in their ability to stop the other team from generating offense on a regular basis. The 76ers, on the other hand, have the fourth-ranked offense in terms of points scored per contest That is why Wednesday night will provide some good insight into just how good Chicago's defense and Philadelphia's offense really are. Point guard Derrick Rose is averaging about four less points per game than he was last season, but that is because other members of the Bulls roster are starting to show just how good they are at scoring the basketball. Luol Deng has really started to become an integral part of this Chicago team, and they rely on him not only for his offense but defensively as well. If Deng can continue to supplement Rose's scoring with his own, the Bulls should have no problem winning this game against the spread.
The most amazing aspect of the 76ers team right now is the fact that their leading scorer, Lou Williams, is actually coming off the bench. In the 18 games that he has participated in, he has not had the opportunity to start in one of them. Yet, 15.5 points per game scoring average is almost one point higher than the player right behind him (Jrue Holiday). Philadelphia has provided Williams with the opportunity to grow and develop as a player, and their trust and respect for Williams' game is paying off for them. The team would probably like it if Andre Iguodala were to score more, but this is a team that is having no difficulty winning basketball games, so they don't want to make many changes at this point in the season.
Both the Bulls and 76ers have crafted their stories as franchises throughout the years, and now it appears as though the current generation of players and coaches will get the opportunity to add to the legacy that has previously been established. With Rose, Deng, and other terrific players, Chicago should have no problem winning this game against the spread. Philadelphia just does not have the kind of talent on their roster to go toe-to-toe with the Bulls in this one. |
So many times, the focus of the college basketball world deviates from the "one game at a time" mentality, and it is hard to keep yourself in that frame of mind if you ultimately don't have the fortitude it takes to grind out a 30+ game regular season schedule. For some teams, it truly builds character and makes them better prepared for when the games really begin to get difficult. The Clemson Tigers have played decently well this season considering that they lost head coach Oliver Purnell to DePaul over the summer. Now, the Tigers are trying to piece the roster back together with guys who are actually comfortable with the school and different coaching staff. Virginia has always had good basketball teams, but this year is a little different in that the Cavaliers are nationally ranked and looking to put themselves in the best position to ultimately make some noise in the ACC Tournament. With only three losses so far, Virginia is doing a tremendous job of keeping their emotions in check and not making an attempt to play at a skill level that is significantly different from the opponent that they are facing. The Cavaliers should have no problem in this one considering that Clemson is in disarray right now.
Andre Young is in his fourth, and final, season with the Tigers, and the diminutive point guard has really done an excellent job with leading Clemson's offense the past four seasons. While his playing career will more than likely not extend to the NBA, fans of the Tigers program know that Young has made them better ever since he stepped foot on campus. Guard Tanner Smith is also in his senior season for Clemson, which means that there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of the Tigers coaching staff to replenish the talent in the backcourt that will be leaving after this season. If Young and Smith do a good job with creating offense for their teammates, Clemson might stand an outside chance of winning this game against the spread.
The Virginia Cavaliers have played exceptionally well over the course of the 2011-2012, but it will be a year filled with disappointment if they don't do well in the postseason. Virginia is a program that has had its ups-and-downs over the past decade, and they always seem to be tough for conference opponents to play. The Tigers will certainly have their hands full with forward Mike Scott, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility this season after sustaining a severe knee injury 10 games into the 2010-2011 season. Scott has returned with a vengeance, however, by averaging over 16 points and 8 rebounds per game. If the Cavaliers are expecting to get a win, though, they will need a great deal of help from the role players on their team.
The ACC has become the quintessential power conference in college basketball over the years. Duke and North Carolina have done a fantastic job of putting other teams from the ACC on the map, but their notoriety still pales in comparison to the two heavyweights. Both Clemson and Virginia aspire to be relevant in this conference, but they are going to need some outstanding recruiting classes and a continued commitment to getting the most out of their players. For this game in particular, it appears as though the Cavaliers should be able to pull away with the victory on Tuesday night. |
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