1-12-13

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Today's NFL Picks

Green Bay at San Francisco

The Packers look to build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 road playoff games. Green Bay is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Niners favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (+3). Here are all of this week's picks.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST (1/8)

Game 109-110: Baltimore at Denver (4:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 134.360; Denver 147.000 Dunkel Line: Denver by 12 1/2; 42 Vegas Line: Denver by 8 1/2; 46 Dunkel Pick: Denver (-8 1/2); Under

Game 111-112: Green Bay at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Green Bay 140.948; San Francisco 141.937 Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 48 Vegas Line: San Francisco by 3; 44 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (+3); Over

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DCI Pro Football
The Daniel Curry Index

Divisional Round Predictions

Season
Straight Up: 155-92 (.628)
ATS: 122-132 (.480)
ATS Vary Units: 504-701 (.418)
Over/Under: 124-131 (.486)
Over/Under Vary Units: 423-414 (.505)

Saturday, January 12, 2013

AFC Divisional Round
DENVER 28, Baltimore 17

NFC Divisional Round
SAN FRANCISCO 25, Green Bay 23

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Hoopsgooroo

109 Ravens +10 @ 4:30p
111 Packers +3 @ 8p

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Strike Point Sports
7-Unit Play. Take #110 Denver (-9.5) over Baltimore (4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12)

Baltimore is going to have an emotional let down. There is no other way to look at it. The Ravens were riding on cloud nine heading in to their matchup with Indianapolis as it was Ray Lewis' last home game in front of the Baltimore fans. Even with all that extra motivation the Ravens didn't play that well. I know that Ray Rice had two costly fumbles, but if the Colts wide receivers had made a few more catches that game could have been quite interesting.

Denver has been an absolute machine this season and that includes a drubbing of the Ravens earlier in the year, in Baltimore no less. The Broncos and their fans will be as excited as can be welcoming in Baltimore to the thin air. The Broncos balanced offense will keep the Ravens pass rush at bay and it will also keep the secondary guessing. Look for Peyton Manning to be at his best in this Saturday contest.

Baltimore is just 1-5 ATS in their last six Divisional Playoff Games and 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games following a S.U. win. The Broncos meanwhile are 6-1 ATS in their last seven playoff home games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win.

This could be Peyton Mannings best team. This Broncos team is balanced and efficient. Defensively they are solid at stopping both the run and the pass and offensively they can score points with the best of them. I just don't see how Baltimore can keep pace on either side of the ball. Their defense isn't good enough to control Manning and his cohorts and offensively they just can't make enough plays to beat the Broncos in Denver. Lay the big line in this one.


3-Unit Play. Take #111 Green Bay (+3) over San Francisco (8:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12)

The playoffs are all about elite quarterbacks and their is no way Colin Kapernick is beating Aaron Rodgers. I know that San Francisco is an outstanding home squad but they were last season as well and when an elite quarterback came to town they couldn't get the job done. Yes, they made mistakes to cost them the game, but that is what the NFL is all about. This game is going to be the exact reason why San Francisco should have never gone away from Alex Smith.

Green Bay is slowly getting healthy and each week that they continue to play their injured players get better and better. I love the three points in this one, but when it comes down to it I don't see them being necessary. I see the Packers winning this game outright. Colin Kapernick is just not the type of QB that I want under center with our playoff lives on the line.

If you are a stats guy try these on for size; Green Bay is 5-1 ATS in their last six playoff games, 4-1 ATS in their last five playoff road games, 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games versus a team with a winning record, and 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games on the road versus a team with a winning home record. San Francisco is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games versus the NFC, 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home playoff games, and 1-4 ATS in their last five playoff games overall. Take the road dog in this one.

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DOC SPORTS

4 Unit Play.#109 Take Baltimore Ravens +10 over Denver Broncos (Saturday, 4:30 pm CBS)The Broncos have been on a roll, but the Ravens have the players on both sides of the football that will be able to take this game down to the wire. These two teams met late in the regular season, and it was all Denver. And that is why this line is so high. Expect the Ravens to learn from that poor showing and play much better in this game. Baltimore is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road playoff games. Denver is just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 playoff games. Baltimore took New England to the wire last year, and expect them to do the same on Saturday against another high-powered offense.
Denver by 3

4 Unit Play.#112 Take San Francisco 49ers -3 over Green Bay Packers (Saturday, 8 pm FOX)This is a game that features a better all-around team in San Francisco against a team with a better quarterback in Green Bay. We will side with the better all-around team, and expect the 49ers to complete the season sweep of the Green Bay Packers. San Francisco dominated the first meeting between these two squads in a game that was not a close as the final score would indicate. Green Bay is getting a little healthier, but I just do not expect all of their injured players over the last two months to be at full strength. The Packers got a gift last week when Christian Ponder was ruled out and all they had to worry about was Joe Webb. That will not be the case on Saturday, as Colin Kaepernick is healthy and has the ability to beat teams with his arms or his legs. San Francisco is 14-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 20 home games.
San Francisco by 10

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ROB FERRINGO
2-Unit Play. Take #110 Denver (-9.5) over Baltimore (4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12)

2-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 44.5 Green Bay at San Francisco (8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12)
1-Unit Play. TEASER: Take #110 Denver (-9.5) over Baltimore (4:30 p.m.) AND Take #116 New England (-9.5) over Houston (4:30 p.m.)

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ALLAN EASTMAN
5-Unit Play. Take #110 Denver (-9.5) over Baltimore (4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12)
This is my Game of the Week and I am going with the Broncos. This is a big emotional letdown for the Ravens. They had Ray Lewis' final home game last week and they won a big one over Indianapolis. I think it is going to be hard for them to get back up to that emotional level this week in Mile High. Peyton Manning has owned the Ravens in his career. And he has had a lot of success against this defense. I think he will again here. Denver has been the best team in football over the last two months. They are doing a great job and they will have a big advantage being at home in this game. I am laying the points and I think that this one will be a blowout just like the 34-17 win the Broncos earned in Baltimore earlier this year.
3-Unit Play. Take #111 Green Bay (+3) over San Francisco (8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12)
AND

4-Unit Play. Take Green Bay Total Points 'Over' 20.5
I really like Green Bay to win this game. I think that they will be able to move the ball against this 49ers defense. Green Bay has already played the Niners once and they have revenge in this game. I think it will be hard for San Francisco to beat a team like the Packers twice in one season. If the Packers are going to win this game I think they are going to score at least three touchdowns. And even if they lose this game I think it will be a shootout rather than a defensive game. The Packers have only been held below 21 points twice this year. I don't think it happens here. I think Green Bay is the better team and they have a big advantage with their quarterback. This team has won a Super Bowl recently and they were the best team in the NFC last year. I think they are undervalued. They will get the road win here.

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VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER
3 Unit Play. #112 Take San Francisco -3 +100 over Green Bay (8:00p.m., Saturday, Jan 12 FOX)
This play is all on the defense of the San Francisco 49ers! The 49ers get this game at home and the Packers have had trouble on road games this year losing 4 out of 8 road games. If the Packers have trouble moving the ball on the 49ers defense this game will be San Fran's to win and I see them winning by a touchdown. San Francisco is 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 home games and again I see the home team advancing to the next round of the NFL Playoffs.

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INDIAN COWBOY
7-Unit Play. #110. Take Denver Broncos -9.5 over Baltimore Ravens (Saturday @ 4:30pm est).

4-Unit Play. #112. Take San Francisco 49ers -3 over Green Bay Packers (Saturday @ 8pm est).

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POINTWISE COLLEGIATE


BASKETBALL PROPHECY
COLLEGE KEY RELEASES


SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 SCORE
(11:00) Georgetown 66 - ST JOHNS 59 (ESPN2)
(12:00) SYRACUSE 81 - Villanova 64
(12:00) INDIANA 73 - Minnesota 71 (BIG10)
(12:00) Delaware 76 - GEORGIA STATE 66
(12:00) PITTSBURGH 62 - Marquette 59 (ESPNU)
(12:00) TOWSON 65 - Northeastern 61
(12:00) CLEMSON 64 - Virginia 63
(12:00) NORTH CAROLINA STATE 77 - Duke 74 (ESPN)


(1:00) ALABAMA 61 - Tennessee 60 (ESPN2)
(1:30) SOUTH CAROLINA 71 - Auburn 67
(1:45) GEORGIA 72 - Mississippi State 63
(1:45) Kansas State 77 - WEST VIRGINIA 72


(2:00) NOTRE DAME 60 - Connecticut 56
(2:00) IOWA STATE 68 - Texas 67 (ESPNU)
(2:00) Charlotte 69 - RHODE ISLAND 68
(2:00) Butler 77 - DAYTON 70 (NBCS)
(2:00) George Mason 75 - UNC-WILMINGTON 71
(2:00) FLORIDA STATE 82 - North Carolina 74 (ESPN)
(2:00) Kent State 64 - BALL STATE 57
(2:00) LASALLE 73 - Richmond 72
(2:00) COLORADO 78 - Ucla 67
(2:00) NORTHERN IOWA 66 - Bradley 65
(2:00) WESTERN MICHIGAN 61 - Ohio U 57
(2:00) Valparaiso 70 - WISC-MILWAUKEE 59
(2:15) WISCONSIN 67 - Illinois 56 (BIG10)
(2:30) GEORGIA TECH 75 - Virginia Tech 60


(3:00) SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 66 - Houston 64
(3:00) OKLAHOMA 81 - Oklahoma State 71
(3:00) SMU 63 - Tulane 62
(3:00) TEXAS STATE 55 - Texas-Arlington 54
(3:00) NEW MEXICO 71 - Fresno State 60
(3:00) Akron 65 - NORTHERN ILLINOIS 51


(4:00) Harvard 76 - DARTMOUTH 52
(4:00) CALIFORNIA 68 - Washington 63 (ESPN2)
(4:00) Florida 67 - LSU 66 (ESPNU)
(4:00) LOUISVILLE 80 - South Florida 64
(4:00) William & Mary 70 - HOFSTRA 69
(4:00) JAMES MADISON 61 - Princeton 60 (NBCS)
(4:00) ST BONAVENTURE 77 - Virginia Commonwealth 72
(4:00) WAKE FOREST 64 - Boston College 61
(4:00) KENTUCKY 83 - Texas A&M 63
(4:00) Kansas 92 - TEXAS TECH 75
(4:00) XAVIER 65 - George Washington 61 (CBSC)
(4:30) Detroit 63 - CLEVELAND STATE 58
(4:30) ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK 74 - Fla International 59


(5:00) Middle Tennessee State 81 - LA-MONROE 66
(5:00) Central Florida 72 - EAST CAROLINA 67


(6:00) TEMPLE 69 - Saint Louis 60 (ESPNU)
(6:00) BAYLOR 86 - Tcu 65
(6:00) Wyoming 73 - NEVADA 67
(6:00) PRINCETON 64 - Pennsylvania 45 (NBCS)
(6:00) BOWLING GREEN 55 - Eastern Michigan 54
(6:00) UTAH 63 - Southern California 52
(6:00) ARKANSAS 74 - Vanderbilt 59 (FSN)
(6:26) SEATTLE 67 - Denver 66
(6:30) TULSA 81 - Rice 63


(7:00) LONG BEACH STATE 72 - Hawaii 70
(7:00) Louisiana Tech 76 - UTSA 61
(7:00) SAINT MARYS 80 - San Francisco 73
(7:00) TOLEDO 71 - Central Michigan 64
(7:00) BUFFALO 73 - Miami-Ohio 71
(7:00) CAL-IRVINE 86 - Cal-Northridge 82
(7:00) St Josephs 77 - DUQUESNE 73


(8:00) SAN DIEGO STATE 75 - Colorado State 74 (NBCS)
(8:00) WESTERN KENTUCKY 66 - Florida Atlantic 58
(8:00) Missouri 78 - MISSISSIPPI 75 (FSN)
(8:00) Cincinnati 63 - RUTGERS 62
(8:00) Illinois-Chicago 70 - WISC-GREEN BAY 66
(8:00) Indiana State 74 - SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 65
(8:00) ILLINOIS STATE 65 - Drake 52
(8:00) NORTH TEXAS 68 - South Alabama 67
(8:15) LA-LAFAYETTE 71 - Arkansas State 58
(8:30) Memphis 63 - UAB 62


(9:00) CAL-FULLERTON 94 - Cal-Riverside 65
(9:00) UTEP 81 - Marshall 56
(9:30) Arizona 72 - OREGON STATE 67 (ESPNU)


(10:00) SANTA CLARA 79 - Byu 78
(10:00) LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT 61 - Portland 54
(10:00) UNLV 70 - Air Force 56
(10:00) IDAHO 64 - New Mexico State 62
(10:00) PEPPERDINE 67 - San Diego 63
(10:00) PACIFIC 63 - Cal-Poly Slo 54
(10:00) CAL-DAVIS 71 - Cal-Santa Barbara 70
(11:00) STANFORD 68 - Washington 65 (FSN)


BEST BETS: MINNESOTA, MARQUETTE, TEXAS, BUTLER, GEORGIA TECH,
HARVARD, UTAH, TULSA, CENTRAL MICHIGAN, COLORADO ST, INDIANA STATE,
UTEP, WASHINGTON


NBA


SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 SCORE
(3:35) LA CLIPPERS 109 - Orlando Magic 93


(7:05) INDIANA PACERS 96 - Charlotte Bobcats 95
(7:05) Atlanta Hawks 95 - WASHINGTON WIZARDS 92
(7:35) Utah Jazz 93 - DETROIT PISTONS 89
(7:35) Houston Rockets 104 - PHILADELPHIA 98


(8:05) CHICAGO BULLS 104 - Phoenix Suns 95
(9:05) Memphis Grizzlies 97 - DALLAS MAVERICKS 95
(10:05) Miami Heat 117 - SACRAMENTO KINGS 116


BEST BETS: HOUSTON (4), SACRAMENTO

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CAPPERS ACCESS

Broncos
Packers
Oklahoma St

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ASA's 10* NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR

Denver Broncos

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Norm Hitzges

Denver
San Fran

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★★★KEY RELEASES★★★


Saturday, Jan. 12

MEMPHIS by 14 over Dallas Mavs
NEW ORLEANS by 3 over NY Knicks
DELAWARE by 11 over Georgia State
MARQUETTE by 1 over Pittsburgh
LASALLE by 13 over Richmond
TULSA by 24 over Rice
AIR FORCE Plus over Unlv


Monday, Jan. 14

OVER in the Orlando-Washington game

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Duke, Indiana on upset alert

Making picks for college basketball's biggest games on Saturday


Updated: January 11, 2013, 10:55 PM ET
By Ted Sevransky | ESPN Insider

PRINT




Both Duke and Indiana run the risk of being upset on Saturday.
Every Friday during the college basketball season, Ted Sevransky (better known as Teddy Covers) will provide ESPN Insiders with his picks on Saturday's biggest games, along with a few under-the-radar matchups. He'll give a projected point spread and pick for each.
Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina State Wolfpack

Projected point spread: Duke -2.5 to -4.5
The era of teams going undefeated for an entire season in college basketball is decades in the rearview mirror. At 15-0, Duke is going to lose a game (or two or three) at some point this season, and its short trip to Raleigh is a prime upset-alert type of ballgame.
NC State's focus is clearly not an issue. Neither is the Wolfpack's talent level, with four upperclassmen and a pair of stud freshmen all averaging in double figures, led by frontcourt mates C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell and point guard Lorenzo Brown.
The Blue Devils never even sniffed a point-spread cover in their five-point win against NC State in the lone meeting between these two teams last season. In fact, Duke needed to rally from 20 points down at home in the final 12 minutes just to steal the straight-up victory. It's a loss the Wolfpack most assuredly remember well -- and one that they're poised to avenge.
The Wolfpack lead the nation in offensive field goal percentage, hitting 53 percent of their shots. They've been even better at home, connecting at a 56 percent clip for the campaign while averaging 87 points per game.
Duke lost its first two true road games last season (at Ohio State and at Temple), and this will be its first true road game of 2012-13. Coming off arguably their best defensive game of the season -- holding Clemson to just 40 points on 28 percent shooting -- I expect the Blue Devils to be hard-pressed to achieve similar results against a much better, more balanced offensive squad. Upset alert!
The ATS pick: NC State
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Indiana Hoosiers

Projected point spread: Indiana -5.5 to -7.5
Indiana has an exceptional talent level that has carried it to a 14-1 record heading into the heart of Big Ten play, but its level of execution has been mediocre at best. The Hoosiers have played sloppy basketball on a fairly consistent basis over the past month.
Yes, Tom Crean's team still leads the nation in scoring and features excellent shooting from both inside and outside the arc, but the Hoosiers' sloppiness was on display as Indiana blew a double-digit lead in its overtime loss to Butler and again at Iowa last week, where the Hoosiers' shot selection and ballhandling were awful. Even the Hoosiers' 23-point win at Penn State earlier this week was far from a thing of beauty.
Early-season wins over North Carolina and Georgetown don't look quite as impressive now that both teams have struggled since. Minnesota might be the best team Indiana has faced all season, even though Tubby Smith's 15-1 record hasn't attracted the same hype.
Rodney Williams, Trevor Mbakwe and Elliott Eliason have the interior size to bang with Cody Zeller and Christian Watford in the paint. Andre and Austin Hollins (no relation) combined for 23 assists in previous Gophers road wins at Illinois, USC and Florida State. This projected point spread might look a bit short, but this should be a tight, competitive game.
The ATS pick: Minnesota
Connecticut Huskies at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Projected point spread: Notre Dame -7 to -9
Cooley is having a very strong season for Notre Dame.


Notre Dame coach Mike Brey summed it up well before Monday night's outright upset win on the road at Cincinnati: "I'll be disappointed if we don't play like men." The Irish basketball team (unlike its football counterparts that same night) played like men in that win, because they are men. All five starters are back from last season's 22-win team, and Brey has been blessed with a healthy squad and a stable rotation.
Leading scorer and rebounder Jack Cooley is a senior. Junior guards Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins combine to average almost 13 assists per game. Their best perimeter shooter, Scott Martin, is a senior, and 6-foot-10 center Garrick Sherman is a junior. Brey's rotation goes only seven deep, so the Irish are not a squad that can withstand an up-tempo pace or foul trouble, but this is a smart, self-aware basketball team that has been able to control pace and avoid fouls against every opponent this season.
All three previous Huskies losses have come in highly competitive games against quality foes -- by six against New Mexico, by four against NC State and by six in overtime at Marquette -- so this is not an easy team to lay points against. The Huskies lost by a single bucket as nine-point home favorites in their lone meeting with the Fighting Irish last season.
Despite UConn's competitiveness, Notre Dame is a one-way team right now, as it is still an undervalued commodity in the betting markets. If I'm not playing on the Irish, I'm passing the game -- it's just that simple.
The ATS pick: Notre Dame
Butler Bulldogs at Dayton Flyers

Projected point spread: Near pick 'em
Dayton has already lost at home as a double-digit favorite against Weber State and failed to cover as chalk against the likes of Northern Illinois, UAB and Manhattan. The Flyers' program was in modest decline when Brian Gregory got the Georgia Tech job, and that decline continued in Archie Miller's first season in 2011-12. It was Dayton's third straight campaign with fewer victories than it had the previous season.
That modest decline seems to have continued into 2012-13. Point guard Kevin Dillard, the Flyers' leading scorer who turned heads last summer with his performance at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas, is struggling with turnovers and hitting only 38 percent of his shots. The Flyers don't have a legitimate low-post shot-blocker or a great 3-point shooter on the roster.
That's bad news against a team like Butler, which is proving its mettle on the A-10 highway with an impressive upset win as an underdog at Saint Joseph's earlier in the week. Brad Stevens' squad has already won games away from home against the likes of Indiana, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, North Carolina and Marquette. The Bulldogs are most assuredly battle-tested.
If you haven't seen Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clarke play for the Bulldogs yet, do yourself a favor and watch him here. He is averaging four made 3-pointers per game and is quite capable of lighting up the scoreboard in what should be another road win for the Bulldogs.
The ATS pick: Butler
[+] EnlargeStephen Dunn/Getty ImagesLook for Sean Miller's Arizona team to get a nice rebound win Saturday against Oregon State.


Arizona Wildcats at Oregon State Beavers

Projected point spread: Arizona -6.5 to -8.5
The pollsters had Arizona as the No. 3 team in the nation prior to its loss at Oregon on Thursday night. The bookmakers most assuredly did not have the Wildcats ranked as highly -- viewing them as a top-20 squad, not a top-five team. That's why Sean Miller's team was in a near-pick-'em spread range heading into its loss in Eugene and why the Wildcats won't be double-digit chalk as they head to Corvallis to take on the team coached by the president's brother-in-law (Craig Robinson, who is Michelle Obama's older brother).
The Beavers have interior size, solid depth and a veteran backcourt with juniors Ahmad Starks andRoberto Nelson, but they certainly don't have much momentum, losing three out of four since taking a week off over the holidays. All three losses came in Corvallis, and the Beavers were favored in two of the three. Facing a Feisty Arizona squad coming off its first loss of the season is not the recipe for an immediate Oregon State turnaround.
The ATS pick: Arizona
Georgetown Hoyas at St. John's Red Storm

Projected point spread: Near pick 'em
The Red Storm let a trio of winnable games get away from them in the past few weeks, losing in overtime at Villanova, by a single bucket at home to Rutgers and by seven at home to UNC Asheville (blowing a 12-point lead with less than 12 minutes to play). It was a similar story last season, when the frosh-laden Red Storm lost five times by seven points or fewer.
This season's team is still a very young squad, as the top 10 scorers in coach Steve Lavin's rotation are either freshmen or sophomores. Right now this team is executing much better on the defensive end of the court than it is on offense.
Georgetown blasted St. John's in both meetings last season, winning by 20 and 10. But John Thompson III's Princeton offense has been completely shut down in the past two games, as the Hoyas failed to reach 50 points in losses to Marquette and Pitt. The Hoyas were held to 37 points earlier this season in a defensive struggle against Tennessee -- and won the game. Look for another low-scoring struggle here in a game that should stay well under the total.
The ATS pick: Take the under
Illinois-Chicago Flames at Green Bay Phoenix

Projected point spread: GB -4 to -6
Brian Wardle's Phoenix went through some major early-season growing pains, in large part due to a bevy of injuries and suspensions that left his roster rather depleted for extended stretches of the nonconference slate. Following a miserable stretch of seven losses in an eight-game span, Green Bay has found its mojo.
First, the Phoenix pulled a major upset over Marquette. They followed that up with a pair of confidence-inducing blowouts over lesser foes at home. Last week, they got a pair of key contributors back in the lineup. Second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Brennan Cougill, a 6-9 senior, returned from his suspension, giving sophomore Greg Mays and junior 7-foot center Alec Brown some low-post help. Perimeter sharpshooter Cole Stefan, a La Salle transfer, is finally back on the court following a lengthy concussion-related absence.
Given the Phoenix's early struggles and the lack of market knowledge or respect for the trio of returning players, Green Bay is legitimately an undervalued commodity.
Illinois-Chicago has been blown off the floor by double-digit margins in each of its past four road tilts despite the fact that the Flames were competitively priced in every one of those games (from -3.5 to +2.5). The Flames have an emerging home/road dichotomy that the betting markets haven't seem to have noticed just yet.
The ATS pick: Green Bay
Maryland Terrapins at Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Projected point spread: Miami -7.5 to -9.5
Miami is no paper tiger. All the Hurricanes have done is win games and cover point spreads from day one this season, even after losing leading rebounder and shot-blocker Reggie Johnson to a broken thumb.
The Hurricanes still have plenty of interior size and muscle with Kenny Kadji, Julian Gambleand Raphael Akpejiori down low. And Jim Larranaga's backcourt is exactly what I'm looking for when supporting a team against a quality foe, with veteran playmakers Durand Scott,Shane Larkin, Trey McKinney Jones and Rion Brown all making good decisions with the basketball.
Miami is playing championship-level defense, holding foes to 37 percent shooting for the season. And the Canes have been point-spread machines, especially after a poor showing at the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii over Christmas, riding a 9-2 ATS run into the weekend. Facing a Maryland squad that just gave one away in a turnover-filled second-half debacle at home against Florida State, look for the Canes' point-spread success to continue.

The ATS pick: Miami
Ted Sevransky

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Ted Sevransky, better known as Teddy Covers, has been handicapping sports in Vegas since 1998.