*** POINTWISE ***
•ORANGE BOWL
CLEMSON VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 8:00 PM EST
---------------------------------
Let it fly! Take a quick peek at the above stats to see just how this contest will likely play out. The Mountaineers of West Virginia, & the Tigers of Clemson meet for only the 2nd time, with the first coming in the '89 Gator Bowl (27-7 CU win). For the Mounties, this marks their 10th consecutive bowl season, as well as their 3rd BCS bowl in the last 7 years. It must be noted that in those prior 9 bowl games, WVa, altho winning 4 straight with Pat White at QB ('05-'08), has allowed an average of 33.7 ppg. Sure, they've averaged 36.8 ppg themselves, over their last 6 bowl games, but just 14 ppg the last 2 years (no White). This season, they wound up in a 3-way tie for the BigEast crown, nailing this spot via higher BCS rating. They are led, of course, by QB Smith, who has thrown for 3,978 yds (65%, 25/7).
And that includes an astounding & school-record 38-of-65 for 463 PYs vs the #1 team, & #2 "D" in the nation, namely LSU. He has topped 400 PYs 4 times TY, so try 410 PYs vs Louisville's 19 ppg "D". Just 3 losses for WVa, but 2 by 26 pts (LSU & Syracuse). The Tigers return to the Orange bowl for the first time since they nailed down the 1981 national championship, with 22-15 win over Nebraska. Thirty Years! The Fridge, etc. CU opened the year at 8-0, climbing to the 6th spot in the polls, only to drop 4 straight, before their shocking 38-10 rout of VaTech in the ACC title game. QB Boyd is the real deal, with 3,578 yds, 61%, & 31/10. And that includes 3 TDs in that VaTech win. Altho neither team can be trusted, defensively, it must be noted that Clemson allowed 35.5 ppg in its final 6 regular season games. And CU is on a 1-5 ATS bowl slide (only cover by 1½ pts). Edge goes to the dog.
PROPHECY: WEST VIRGINIA 34, Clemson 31 RATING: *3-STAR
________________________________________________
•NBA BASKETBALL
----------------
TORONTO RAPTORS 103 - Cleveland Cavs 99
ORLANDO MAGIC 119 - Washington Wizards 97
BOSTON CELTICS 104 - New Jersey Nets 98
MIAMI HEAT 101 - Indiana Pacers 93
Chicago Bulls 99 - DETROIT PISTONS 89
NEW YORK KNICKS 103 - Charlotte Bobcats 98
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 97 - Memphis 96
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS 108 - Philadelphia 104
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 119 - Golden State 100
DALLAS MAVERICKS 100 - Phoenix Suns 99
DENVER NUGGETS 103 - Sacramento Kings 92
Houston Rockets 97 - LA CLIPPERS 93
BEST BETS: ORLANDO, CHICAGO (4), SAN ANTONIO (2), HOUSTON
__________________________________________________ __
•COLLEGE BASKETBALL PROPHECY
-----------------------------
Xavier 76 - LASALLE 70
Duke 73 - TEMPLE 69
ST BONAVENTURE 67 - George Washington 54
St Josephs 71 - DUQUESNE 67
CINCINNATI 63 - Notre Dame 55
West Virginia 62 - RUTGERS 51
Illinois 74 - NORTHWESTERN 68
NORTHEASTERN 67 - UNC-Wilmington 57
CENTRAL FLORIDA 70 - Tulane 59
GEORGETOWN 68 - Marquette 61
DELAWARE 63 - Hofstra 62
James Madison 76 - WILLIAM & MARY 63
DREXEL 67 - Towson 44
FLORIDA STATE 68 - Auburn 60
VA COMMONWEALTH 73 - Georgia State 69
CHARLOTTE 67 - Richmond 66
MEMPHIS 83 - Tennessee 82
OKLAHOMA STATE 72 - Texas Tech 65
KANSAS 90 - Kansas State 76
MISSOURI STATE 74 - Illinois State 67
SO MISSISSIPPI 70 - East Carolina 62
Saint Louis 64 - DAYTON 58
BRADLEY 69 - Southern Illinois 66
NORTHERN IOWA 74 - Indiana State 70
Wichita State 83 - EVANSVILLE 71
TCU 69 - Rice 57
MARSHALL 76 - UTEP 73
HOUSTON 68 - Tulsa 64
IOWA STATE 67 - Texas 66
Syracuse 89 - PROVIDENCE 78
MINNESOTA 65 - Iowa 55
MURRAY STATE 78 - Eastern Kentucky 65
Eastern Illinois 64 - SIU EDWARDSVILLE 54
BEST BETS: ST JOSEPHS, WEST VIRGINIA, GEORGETOWN, AUBURN, JAMES MADISON, SAINT LOUIS, UTEP
•ORANGE BOWL
CLEMSON VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 8:00 PM EST
---------------------------------
Let it fly! Take a quick peek at the above stats to see just how this contest will likely play out. The Mountaineers of West Virginia, & the Tigers of Clemson meet for only the 2nd time, with the first coming in the '89 Gator Bowl (27-7 CU win). For the Mounties, this marks their 10th consecutive bowl season, as well as their 3rd BCS bowl in the last 7 years. It must be noted that in those prior 9 bowl games, WVa, altho winning 4 straight with Pat White at QB ('05-'08), has allowed an average of 33.7 ppg. Sure, they've averaged 36.8 ppg themselves, over their last 6 bowl games, but just 14 ppg the last 2 years (no White). This season, they wound up in a 3-way tie for the BigEast crown, nailing this spot via higher BCS rating. They are led, of course, by QB Smith, who has thrown for 3,978 yds (65%, 25/7).
And that includes an astounding & school-record 38-of-65 for 463 PYs vs the #1 team, & #2 "D" in the nation, namely LSU. He has topped 400 PYs 4 times TY, so try 410 PYs vs Louisville's 19 ppg "D". Just 3 losses for WVa, but 2 by 26 pts (LSU & Syracuse). The Tigers return to the Orange bowl for the first time since they nailed down the 1981 national championship, with 22-15 win over Nebraska. Thirty Years! The Fridge, etc. CU opened the year at 8-0, climbing to the 6th spot in the polls, only to drop 4 straight, before their shocking 38-10 rout of VaTech in the ACC title game. QB Boyd is the real deal, with 3,578 yds, 61%, & 31/10. And that includes 3 TDs in that VaTech win. Altho neither team can be trusted, defensively, it must be noted that Clemson allowed 35.5 ppg in its final 6 regular season games. And CU is on a 1-5 ATS bowl slide (only cover by 1½ pts). Edge goes to the dog.
PROPHECY: WEST VIRGINIA 34, Clemson 31 RATING: *3-STAR
________________________________________________
•NBA BASKETBALL
----------------
TORONTO RAPTORS 103 - Cleveland Cavs 99
ORLANDO MAGIC 119 - Washington Wizards 97
BOSTON CELTICS 104 - New Jersey Nets 98
MIAMI HEAT 101 - Indiana Pacers 93
Chicago Bulls 99 - DETROIT PISTONS 89
NEW YORK KNICKS 103 - Charlotte Bobcats 98
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 97 - Memphis 96
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS 108 - Philadelphia 104
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 119 - Golden State 100
DALLAS MAVERICKS 100 - Phoenix Suns 99
DENVER NUGGETS 103 - Sacramento Kings 92
Houston Rockets 97 - LA CLIPPERS 93
BEST BETS: ORLANDO, CHICAGO (4), SAN ANTONIO (2), HOUSTON
__________________________________________________ __
•COLLEGE BASKETBALL PROPHECY
-----------------------------
Xavier 76 - LASALLE 70
Duke 73 - TEMPLE 69
ST BONAVENTURE 67 - George Washington 54
St Josephs 71 - DUQUESNE 67
CINCINNATI 63 - Notre Dame 55
West Virginia 62 - RUTGERS 51
Illinois 74 - NORTHWESTERN 68
NORTHEASTERN 67 - UNC-Wilmington 57
CENTRAL FLORIDA 70 - Tulane 59
GEORGETOWN 68 - Marquette 61
DELAWARE 63 - Hofstra 62
James Madison 76 - WILLIAM & MARY 63
DREXEL 67 - Towson 44
FLORIDA STATE 68 - Auburn 60
VA COMMONWEALTH 73 - Georgia State 69
CHARLOTTE 67 - Richmond 66
MEMPHIS 83 - Tennessee 82
OKLAHOMA STATE 72 - Texas Tech 65
KANSAS 90 - Kansas State 76
MISSOURI STATE 74 - Illinois State 67
SO MISSISSIPPI 70 - East Carolina 62
Saint Louis 64 - DAYTON 58
BRADLEY 69 - Southern Illinois 66
NORTHERN IOWA 74 - Indiana State 70
Wichita State 83 - EVANSVILLE 71
TCU 69 - Rice 57
MARSHALL 76 - UTEP 73
HOUSTON 68 - Tulsa 64
IOWA STATE 67 - Texas 66
Syracuse 89 - PROVIDENCE 78
MINNESOTA 65 - Iowa 55
MURRAY STATE 78 - Eastern Kentucky 65
Eastern Illinois 64 - SIU EDWARDSVILLE 54
BEST BETS: ST JOSEPHS, WEST VIRGINIA, GEORGETOWN, AUBURN, JAMES MADISON, SAINT LOUIS, UTEP

Comment