Larry Ness
Superstar Triple Play-NBA (won last two / 5-1 with individual games!)
NJ Nets (7:35 ET)
Mil Bucks (8:05 ET)
Chi Bulls (8:35 ET).
After winning four of five games to start the season, New Jersey dropped six straight (0-5-1 ATS) by an average of 15.1 points. Jason Kidd challenged his teammates during the skid and soon after his comments, the Nets shot a season-high 53.7 percent from the field to end their slide with a 106-101 road victory over Portland on Wednesday. They followed that with a 98-93 victory at Seattle on Friday and a 102-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in the finale of a four-game Western Conference road trip. Jefferson had 27 points in Sunday's win (he leads the team at 25.1 PPG) while Kidd added 15 points and 14 assists (he leads with 8.4 RPG and 10.4 APG), plus Vince Carter came off the bench to score 19. Carter has been used as a reserve in three straight games after missing the final five games of New Jersey's losing streak with a badly sprained right ankle. He could return to the starting lineup Tuesday. Even with Carter still limited, the Nets are shooting 49.8 percent from the field and averaging 102.0 points during their current run. The Nets return home to meet the Grizzlies (4-9), losers of five straight road games (2-3 ATS)) since winning their road opener Nov. 7. Once an excellent defensive team, the Grizzlies are allowing 107.8 PPG this year, the third-worst mark in the league. STP on the NJ Nets.
Milwaukee (7-4) remained perfect at home with a 97-95 victory over Dallas on Saturday and will now be looking to win its first seven games at the Bradley Center since opening 18-0 there in the 1990-91 season. The win over the Mavericks was Milwaukee's fifth straight overall and featured a 35-point fourth quarter to pull out the victory. Michael Redd (leading scorer at 24.5 PPG) had 27 point and he's scored at least 21 points in every game during the five-game run. Mo Williams had his third double-double in the last five games, recording 19 points and 10 assists. The point guard is averaging 15.6 points and 10.0 assists during Milwaukee's winning streak. Philadelphia (3-9) has been in a free fall since starting the season 2-2. The Sixers have lost seven of their past eight and are trying to avoid their second four-game skid of the month. Andre Iguodala's all-around game has been the lone bright spot for Philadelphia. He leads the team in scoring (18.2) and assists (5.0) and also averages 6.8 rebounds. Kyle Korver, the Sixers' second-leading scorer last season, has missed the last four games with a groin strain. Philadelphia is 1-9 SU (3-6-1 ATS) as an underdog TY and is scoring only 89.9 a contest (one of just four teams averaging under 90 points). Meanwhile, the Bucks are just 1-4 on the road where they allow 105.6 PPG, but 6-0 (5-1 ATS) at home, where they allow just 91.6 PPG. STP on the Mil Bucks.
The Bulls just complete another miserable "circus" road trip, going 1-5 SU and ATS. Chicago (2-10) was considered to be one of the top teams in the East after advancing to the conference semifinals last season. Instead, the Bulls have been one of the worst, averaging an NBA-low 86.5 points and shooting a league-worst 38.5 percent from the floor. This game will be the Bulls' first at home since a 101-71 loss to Toronto on Nov 10. They are 1-3 in Chicago after finishing with a conference-best 31-10 mark at home last season. The good news for Chicago is that Luol Deng, averaging 15.3 points, returned to Chicago's lineup on Sunday after missing the previous three games with a sore lower back and had 21 points and nine rebounds. While the Bulls have had little success this season, they have had no problems playing against the Hawks lately. Chicago has not lost to Atlanta since a 116-101 defeat on April 9, 2004, sweeping the last three season series. The Bulls won all four over the Hawks last season, outscoring them by 16.5 points in their two wins at the United Center. The Hawks are wrapping up a three-game road trip with this game and have opened their trip with consecutive wins, after losing their previous 17 away from home. Atlanta is coming off an impressive 94-87 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, as it rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit and from 10 points down in the fourth. The Hawks also came back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in their 82-79 win at Miami on Wednesday. They have not completed a perfect three-game trip since April 9-12, 1997 and after two HUGE comeback wins, I see their luck running out here, vs the desperate Bulls. Atlanta, which went just 12-29 on the road last season, has not won three in a row away from home in November since opening the 1997-98 season with four straight road victories. STP on the Chi Bulls.
Las Vegas Insider
CBB (11-2 run with Insiders since Nov 16 / 7-1 in BKB!)
Florida State
Tubby was pretty much run out of Lexington and I'm not so sure why he picked Minnesota? The Gophers return all five starters from LY's team but while that's the good news, it's also the bad news. The not-so-Golden Gophers were 9-22 overall and 3-13 in the Big 10. Minnesota has opened 3-0 this season but hasn't been tested. Three seniors lead the way, in 6-9 center Tollackson (13.7-6.3), 6-9 forward Coleman (11.7-6.0) and guard McKenzie (10.7). The rest of the team (starters and backups), are quite questionable. FSU has missed the NCAAs in each of the last two seasons, amid much controversy. While the Seminoles will miss PF Thornton this year, Leonard Hamilton has plenty of talent. His guard rotation of Swann (16.6), Douglas (12.4) and Rich (10.6-4.7) is excellent. Up front, the 6-9 Echefu (10.6-6.1) will get plenty of help from 6-10 freshman Vaughn (5.4-3.0), 6-9 sophomore Reid (5.0-4.1) and 6-8 junior Breeden (4.9-2.7). FSU lost in OT to Cleveland St and then by one point to USF in a tourney in Daytona Beach (troubling) but then came back with a 30-point win over Georgia State and a 65-51 win at 24th-ranked Florida (Rich had 20 points and 11 rebounds). Tubby's team is NOT ready for primetime just yet (if ever TY?), while Hamilton will want a win here (on national TV) against his high-profile coaching peer! Las Vegas Insider on Florida State.
20* CBB Blowout of the Month (16-8 CBB run / last 20* covered by 25 points!)
20*UTEP
The Aggies had a great season LY, winning 25 games, the WAC title and giving Texas a tough time in the first round of the NCAAs. While head caoch Reggie Theus bolted for the NBA (Kings), the Aggies return three starters and lots of depth. Guards Gibson (15.0), Peete (10.2-4.2 APG) and Carter (7.2) form a solid trio. Up front, forwards Hawkins (14.6-8.4) and McKines (8.8-6.0) are paired with centers Passos (9.8-7.7) and Iti (5.3-4.7), who are 6-9 and 7-0 respectively. However, while the team looks good on paper, the Aggies have opened 2-4 (0-5 ATS). Their only wins are over Cal-Davis and Le Moyne-Owen (whatever that is?). They've lost at Ohio by eight, at Duke by 25 and in neurtal site games to Texas (by 15) and West Va (by 14). Meanwhile, UTEP is 3-1, losing only to 15th-ranked Texas A&M, by 81-76 on the road! The 6-5 Jackson (23.3-5.0) is paired with PG Kilgore (12.3-5.3 APG) in the backcourt, aided by freshman Culpepper (9.5). The 6-11 Sampson (7.3-5.4) has two decent forwards alongside, in Watts (6.3-4.5) and Ramalho (4.0-4.5). This is a bitter rivalry (schools are VERY close) and after sweeping New Mex St two years ago, UTEP lost 71-69 at New Mex St and then 68-62 at home LY. The Miners "smell blood" this time around! CBB Blowout of the Month 20* UTEP.