News and Notes For Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesday, January 23,
2006

 

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Illinois-Indiana

Press Notes

Illinois has
won six of the last seven games, and 11 of the last 15, in the series. The Illini also own a five-game winning streak over the
Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. After playing Big Ten leader Wisconsin
on Saturday, the Illini next host Indiana, who is
tied for second in the conference. Illinois
plays three of its next four games at home. In six of its seven losses, Illinois
has led during the second half.

Northern Iowa-Southern Illinois

Press Notes
At the halfway point of the Missouri Valley Conference
season, the University of Northern
Iowa
(15-4, 6-2 MVC)
stands in sole possession of first place. The Panthers head to Carbondale,
Ill.
, for a battle with second place Southern
Illinois
(15-5, 6-3). UNI shot a
season-best 11-for-17 from three-point range against Missouri State Jan. 18,
including connecting on 8-of-10 from behind the arc in the first half. For the
season, the Panthers now have five players who have made at least 15
three-pointers. The Panthers have dropped nine straight games at SIU Arena. The last time UNI won
in Carbondale was in the 1996-97
season, when it posted a 92-81 victory. Southern Illinois
is 15-5 overall, 6-3 in Missouri Valley Conference action, and stands in a tie
for second place, one half game behind UNI.

 

San Diego State-UNLV

Press Notes

Less than 72 hours after returning home from facing 13th-ranked
Air Force, San Diego State (13-6 overall/2-3 MWC)faces
its second consecutive top 20 RPIteam
when the Aztecs travel to Sin City to face UNLV(16-4/3-2
MWC). The Aztecs encounter their second consecutive
juggernaut at home, as UNLV has won eight straight
games at the Thomas &Mack Center this season, is 10-1 in 2006-07
and has won 18 of their last 21 home games dating back to last season (one of
those losses is to San Diego State). Tuesday marks the 40th meeting
between the schools with UNLVowning a
28-11 series lead. SDSU owns a school-best three-game
win streak against the Rebels, having swept UNLVlast
season, winning 83-67 in San Diego, 81-70 in Las Vegas and 63-60 in Denver.

Virginia Tech-Miami

Press Notes

Looking to snap a three-game slide, the Hurricanes play
host to Virginia Tech Tuesday with an overall record of 9-11 and 2-4 mark in
ACC play following an 86-67 loss at Florida State Saturday. Miami
continues to be one of the better three-point shooting teams in the ACC,
hitting an average of 6.3 three-pointers per game which ranks among the top
half of the league. The Hokies head to Coral Gables
with an overall record of 14-5 and are 4-1 in league play following a 67-64
overtime victory over Maryland
Sunday evening in Blacksburg.

Press Notes

After proving itself capable of beating very good teams,
Virginia Tech has to be careful not to slip up against lesser opponents. The 24th-ranked
Hokies look to stay near the top of the ACC on Tuesday when they take on
slumping Miami at the BankUnited Center.

Wins over No. 5 Duke and top-ranked North Carolina in a
recent eight-day span served notice that Virginia Tech (14-5, 4-1) is a
legitimate threat to win the ACC for the first time since joining the
conference in 1995.However, just four days after upsetting the Tar Heels, the
Hokies stumbled to an 82-73 loss at Florida State, which had lost its first
three conference games. Virginia Tech returned to the win column Sunday with a
67-64 overtime victory against visiting Maryland
and is tied for second with North Carolina,
one-half game behind Boston College.
The Terps had a chance to win it with 10 seconds to play in regulation, but
missed a jumper from the corner.Virginia Tech’s 14-5
record is the program’s best mark through 19 games since it was 17-2 in the
1995-96 season, which marked its last trip to the NCAA tournament. The Hokies’
4-1 ACC record is their best in league play since they started 5-0 that same
season. Miami (9-11, 2-4) will try
to end a three-game overall losing streak, and a three-game skid at home. The
Hurricanes shot only 35.5 percent (22-of-62) from the field Saturday in an
86-67 loss at Florida State.

The Hurricanes are 35-105 all-time against ranked
opponents, including 1-1 this season.

Miami won the
last meeting with Virginia Tech 70-59 at home on Feb. 22. The Hurricanes have
won seven of 10 overall, and four of five at home against the Hokies.

Florida State-Boston College

Press Notes

Florida State,
which has won two consecutive ACC games, travels to play its third conference
road game of the season as they play at Boston
College
. The Seminoles enter
Wednesday’s game having won two consecutive games with victories over No. 23
Virginia Tech (Jan. 17, 82-73) and Miami (Jan. 20, , 86-67) and play Boston
College hoping to win their third consecutive ACC game for the first time since
the 1994-95 season. Florida State is 11-1 at home, 2-4 on the road and 1-0 on a
neutral court this season and has two victories over ranked teams – current No.
1 Florida (Dec. 3, 70-66) and against No. 23 Virginia Tech (Jan. 17, 82-73).
The Seminoles are averaging 6.7 points more in the last three games (82.7 ppg)
than they are for the entire season (76.0).

Approved sportsbooks are at www.linetrackers.com

 

Wednesday, January
24, 2007

 

Tulsa-SMU

Press Notes

The SMU Mustangs (11-7, 0-4
Conference USA)
host the Tulane Green Wave (8-8, 1-3 C-USA). The Mustangs and Green Wave have
each won nine times in series history. The Mustangs fell 59-56 at Fogelman
Arena in New Orleans on Feb. 1, 2006. The Mustangs are 7-3 at
home this season and are looking for their first league win this year. The two
home losses in conference have been examples of the thin line between victory
and defeat. The Ponies fell to Southern Miss 57-56 on Jan. 10, as Derrick Roberts left-elbow jumper at the buzzer was just long. SMU stormed back from 21 down in the second half to take a
one-point lead before falling. Against UTEP on Jan.
20, Donatas Rackauskas had
a game-tying three-point attempt with 17 seconds remining.
The Mustangs lead Conference USA in 3-point percentage defense (.304) and
rebounding defense (28.8) and rank second in rebound margin (+8.0) and scoring
defense (61.3). Nationally, the team is ninth in rebound margin, 40th
in blocked shots, and 42nd in scoring defense.

GA Tech-Maryland

Press Notes

Georgia Tech goes in search of its first road victory of
the season when it visits Maryland.
Tech, 13-5 overall, 2-3 in the ACC, is coming off a 77-61 loss to No. 4 North
Carolina Saturday night, which snapped a two-game winning streak for the
Jackets. Maryland, 15-5 overall
and 1-4 in the ACC, dropped both its games last week on the road at Virginia
(103-91) and Virginia Tech (67-64 in overtime). The Jackets have dropped 15
straight games on opponents’ home courts, including 12 ACC losses, and has not
won a true road game since Feb. 26,
2005
, a 76-72 victory at Miami.
But the Yellow Jackets have had several close calls, including three one-point
defeats. One of those close calls was an 87-84 overtime loss to the Terps last
year at the Comcast Center.
Tech is concluding a five-game stretch, beginning with its Jan. 6 game against
Clemson, against teams with an average current RPI of
14.6. They have a combined record of 77-16. Maryland
has won nine of the last 14, including both regular-season meetings in 2005-06.
Tech is 4-8 against Maryland
under head coach Paul Hewitt, 1-5 at College Park.
Tech is 16-20 vs. Gary Williams-coached Maryland
teams. Seven of the 12 games between Tech and Maryland
since Paul Hewitt became the head coach have been decided by 10 points or
fewer.

Kansas-Baylor

Press Notes

Kansas  (16-3, 3-1) continues its short tour of the Lone Star
state when it travels to Baylor (11-7, 1-4) Wednesday. The Jayhawks
and Bears look to bounce back from road losses Saturday. KU fell at Texas Tech
69-64, while Baylor lost at Oklahoma
91-51. Kansas’ loss snapped a
10-game winning streak. Baylor has lost two straight heading into the Kansas
contest. No. 8/8 Kansas (16-3,
3-1) plays its second of four games in nine days at Baylor. The Jayhawks had a 10-game winning streak snapped at Texas Tech
69-64 Saturday. KU is scoring 76.5 points per game and giving up 59.7. The Jayhawks have held every opponent to under 50 percent
shooting this season and are making 48.4 percent to their opponents’ 37.6
percent from the floor. Kansas
forces 17.6 turnovers per game and averages 7.3 blocked shots per contest.
Baylor (11-7, 1-4) is looking to snap a two game losing skid after Oklahoma
handed the Bears a 91-51 loss at Norman
Saturday. BU has lost four of its last five games with three of those on the
road. Additionally, three of the four losses have been by 10 points or less.
Baylor is scoring 75.8 points per game and giving up 69.3. Kansas
has won 11 of the 12 meetings with Baylor and has won five straight in the
series. Baylor’s lone win versus Kansas
came in 2001 when it defeated the then-No. 5 Jayhawks 85-77 in Waco.
Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas
is 9-1 against Baylor.

Penn State-Iowa

Press Notes

Iowa (10-9,
2-3) plays the first of two home games when it hosts Penn
State
(10-8, 1-4) Wednesday, Jan.
24. Iowa lost to Ohio
State
82-63 in Columbus
Saturday evening. Penn State
lost to Michigan State
91-64 Saturday in State College. With the 60-49 win over
Minnesota, Iowa
improved its home winning streak in Big Ten Conference games to 11 straight.
The Hawkeyes have won the last six meetings, 10 of the last 12, 11 of the last
14 and 13 of the last 17. Iowa
won both meetings last season, defeating the Nittany Lions 80-76 in State
College
and 59-44 in Iowa City.
Iowa also won single games in
both 2004 and 2005. Iowa holds a
9-3 advantage in games played in Iowa City,
with all 12 meetings taking place in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have
won seven of the last eight meetings in Iowa City.

Tennessee-Mississippi

Associated Press

Chris Lofton’s sprained right ankle likely will keep Tennessee’s
star guard out of Wednesday night’s game at Mississippi.
Lofton, who leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring at 21.5 points per
games, sprained the ankle in the second half of Saturday’s 64-61 victory over South
Carolina
.

 

Press Notes

The Vols are in a stretch where
they are playing five of six games on the road. The stretch began with three
consecutive road games (at Vanderbilt, at Ohio State and at Auburn) before UT
returned home to play South Carolina Saturday, Jan. 20. The Mississippi
game begins a two-game road trip that will continue at Kentucky
Sunday, Jan. 28. Each of Tennessee’s
last four games has been decided by one possession. The four games have been
decided by a combined total of nine points. Vanderbilt scored on a tip-in as
time expired to take an 82-81 win in Nashville
Jan. 10 and then Ohio State
needed a 3-pointer with 11.2 seconds left for a 68-66 victory in Columbus,
Ohio
, Jan. 13. Auburn
took an 83-80 win Jan. 17 and then UT defeated South Carolina 64-61 on Jan. 20.
Tennessee is leading the SEC and
ranks seventh in the nation with 83.2 points per game. The Vols
will be without the services of All-America guard Chris Lofton Wednesday night.
Lofton, who is leading the SEC in scoring with 21.5 points per game, suffered
an injury to his right ankle Saturday, Jan. 20. X-rays performed Monday were
negative and his status remains out indefinitely.

 

Thursday, January 25,
2007

 

Weber State-Idaho State

Press Notes

Idaho State University’s men’s basketball will look to get
back on the winning track by starting a four-game homestand
on Thursday night in a huge game, as the first place Bengals take on the
tied-for-second Weber State Wildcats.The game is the
second of the season between the two schools, as Idaho State won the opener
58-55 in Ogden on January 4. Idaho State
is 10-9 on the season, and 5-1 in the Big Sky Conference, good enough for first
place, one game up on both Weber State
and Northern Arizona, and two up in the loss column on
four teams, including Montana and
Montana State.
The Bengals had their five game winning streak snapped with a 58-57 loss at Montana
State
, missing a three to win with
0.9 left. The Wildcats are 12-9 overall, and their 5-3 record has them tied for
second in the Big Sky, and they would move into a virtual tie for first with ISU with a win on Thursday. The Wildcats have lost two
straight, dropping a 90-86 overtime decision to the Montana Grizzlies after
losing 63-48 to Montana State
on Thursday.

Oregon-Washington

Press Notes

In the wake of a tough road stretch, the Washington
Huskies (11-7, 1-6 Pac-10) eagerly return to the friendly confines of Bank of
America Arena to host seventh-ranked Oregon (18-1, 6-1) on Thursday, Jan. 25 at
8 p.m. Washington won in each of the Ducks’ last five visits to Seattle. The
Huskies have an 11-1 home record this season and are 0-6 in road contests.
Thursday’s game begins a stretch when UW will play five of its next seven games
at home. That’s the opposite of the way the Huskies opened Pac-10 play, with
five of seven on the road. On Saturday, Jan. 27, UW entertains Oregon
State
(9-11, 1-6). Oregon
will be without the services of leading scorer (18.4 ppg) Aaron Brooks, a
product of Seattle’s Franklin
High School
. He is suspended for
Thursday’s game due to an incident during the last meeting between the Ducks
and Huskies, This Season’s Record vs. Ranked Opponents: 1-3. All-Time Record
vs. Ranked Opponents: 75-199 (won 7 of last 8 games in Seattle
vs. ranked foes). Last Win Over a Ranked Opponent: UW 88, #12 LSU 72 (12/20/06,
Seattle)


Mr. Hibachi

Mr. Hibachi

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Often when Washington Wizards scoring machine Gilbert Arenas hoists up a shot, he screams out, “Hibachi!”

Well, Mr. Hibachi is hoping to grill the Magic Friday night.

First place in the Southeast Division is at stake in Orlando. The Wizards (22-16) sit a half-game ahead, but healing Miami should prove a major threat the rest of the way.

WagerWeb.com lists Washington as a 4-point underdog, but much will depend on Arenas, who has been a bit schizophrenic recently. He erupted for 51 points Monday in a 114-111 defeat of Utah, then scored just 16 on 4-of-14 shooting in a 99-98 victory Wednesday against New York.

Winning despite an off-night by Arenas, who is averaging 29.9 points a game, should prove heartening. It marked the first time in six games that Washington won when Arenas failed to score 20 points.

Meanwhile, the return of Miami center Shaquille O’Neal from knee surgery has been delayed. He will not travel for a game Friday night in Philadelphia. His earliest comeback would be at home Sunday against Dallas in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals.

The Heat are still 2.5-point favorites against the 76ers, according to WagerWeb.com.

“Shaq is working out, feeling good, getting better day to day,” Heat interim coach Ron Rothstein told the Associated Press on Thursday. “That’s it. Case closed.”

NO MATCH IN DALLAS: The Los Angeles Lakers have played well despite injuries to center Kwame Brown and forward Lamar Odom.

But defeating Dallas again? In Dallas?

Forget it.

The Lakers were outscored, 69-44, in the middle quarters Thursday night in a 114-95 loss that avenged the Mavericks’ defeat in Los Angeles. The Mavericks are 33-4 since opening the season 0-4 for the first time in franchise history.

The Lakers were buried at the starting forward spots, where starters Luke Walton and Brian Cook were outscored, 56-17, outrebounded, 21-3, and outassisted, 8-3, by the combination of Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard. The Mavericks enjoyed a 53-28 rebounding advantage for the game.

And for the second game in a row, Kobe Bryant was the lone double-figure scorer among Laker starters with 26 points.

DRIBBLES: Suspended Denver superstar guard Carmelo Anthony has only two games left to serve on his 15-game suspension. He will miss both games this weekend before returning Monday night against visiting Memphis. WagerWeb.com lists the host Nuggets as 1.5-point favorites Friday night against suddenly struggling Cleveland. … How was Portland rewarded for its home victory Wednesday night over the Cavaliers, arguably its best performance of the season? With a game Friday night at Phoenix, winners of 11 in a row. The Blazers are 14.5-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com. … Chris Webber is expected to receive more extended minutes for Detroit Friday night in Minnesota. He played just 17 minutes in his Pistons debut. WagerWeb.com lists Webber’s team as a 1.5-point favorite against the Timberwolves.

Slumping Kirilenko

Slumping Kirilenko

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Is Andrei Kirilenko lost in Utah or have his skills suddenly and inexplicably deteriorated?

That is the question being asked both inside and outside the organization. In fact, it’s a question he’s asking himself.

The heretofore productive forward is no longer, partly because he is not utilized extensively in the offense. He’s scoring just 9.1 points a game compared to an average of about 16 over the past three years.

Yet he’s shooting a respectable 45 percent from the field, indicating he’s either become gun-shy or the emergence of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur as significant offensive threats has decreased his role in the offense.

Kirilenko, who missed five games with a sprained ankle early in the season, is pulling down just 5.2 rebounds a game compared to 8.1 a year ago. His blocked shots and assists have also markedly decreased.

Jazz owner Larry Miller told radio station 1280 AM that Kirilenko is “putting himself on thin ice” with his inconsistency and complaints about his role on the team.

“I’d almost like to call his bluff, say ‘OK, automatically we’re going to leave you out there. You’re going to take 20 shots a night five games in a row. And then we’ll see,’ ” Miller said. “That would resolve the issue. He’s either going to make them or he’s not.”

Kirilenko, who took just six shots in a 102-94 win Friday night at Toronto, expressed his frustrations on the court after meeting with coaches this week.

“I just go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth and I go to sleep,” he said.

The saga will continue for Kirilenko and the Jazz Saturday night in Chicago, where they are 6.5-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com.

MAGIC MAGIC GONE: Remember when Orlando was 13-4? That has become a more distant memory by the day.

The Magic are 9-14 since despite a five-game winning streak during that stretch. They have dropped their last four, including an alarmingly lopsided 114-93 home defeat Friday night to Washington that shoved them 1 ½-games behind the first-place Wizards in the Southeast Division.

Orlando is fine in the backcourt with Jameer Nelson and Grant Hill, and Dwight Howard is established as one of the finest centers in the NBA. But one major reason for Orlando’s struggles is starting forwards Tony Battie and Hedo Turkoglu. The pair combine to average just 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds a game. They were outscored, 52-14, and outrebounded, 23-9, by Washington starting forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison Friday night.

WagerWeb.com lists the Magic as 3.5-point underdogs Saturday night in New Jersey, which will attempt to become the first Atlantic Division team to reach .500 since it was 5-5 on Nov. 20.

DRIBBLES: Charlotte forward Gerald Wallace played his first game in nearly a month and erupted for 18 points and 15 rebounds in a 96-75 win Friday night in Atlanta. The surging Bobcats, who have won six of 10, are 2-point favorites at home Saturday night against the Hawks, whose three-game winning streak was snapped. … Chris Webber made his first start Friday night for Detroit, registering 18 points and seven rebounds in a 104-98 overtime victory at Minnesota. The Pistons could take over first place in the Central Division with a home victory Saturday night against Sacramento and a Cleveland loss in Golden State. WagerWeb.com lists Detroit as a 6-point favorite and the slumping Cavaliers as 3-point underdogs. Chicago can also forge a first-place tie by defeating the Jazz. … Boston forward Paul Pierce hopes to return from a left foot injury by the first week of February. The Celtics have collapsed without the all-star. They have lost six in a row and are likely to make it seven Saturday night in Washington, where they are 11-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com.

SEC Basketball Notebook

SEC Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

South Carolina’s hopes of a third consecutive postseason bid of any kind are quickly unraveling, and things don’t get any easier as the Gamecocks hit the road for four of the next six games.

The Gamecocks (10-6, 0-3 SEC) have dropped by consecutive games to then-No. 2 Florida and Kentucky by a combined 82 points. In fact, over the last four games, USC has been outscored by 112 points. The losses to the Gators and Wildcats are the Gamecocks’ worst since 1915.

Tennessee is also struggling with three straight losses after stubbing a toe at Auburn Wednesday. The No. 22 Volunteers seemed to have the game with the Tigers in control before AU hit an 18-0 surge to turn the tide.

UT coach Bruce Pearl picked up a costly technical foul in the closing minute, in part due to a timeout granted Auburn. But Peal was also miffed by the fact that the Tigers shot 23 second-half free throws (making 18) to three for the Vols.

South Carolina’s struggles are across the board. The Gamecocks rank 12th in the SEC in scoring offense (62.6 points a game), field-goal shooting (41.7 percent), 3-point shooting (31.1 percent), rebounding margin (-1.7), assists (11.1 per game) and steals (4.4 per game).

Tennessee is in much better shape, topping the SEC in scoring offense at 84.2 points a game. Junior sharpshooter Chris Lofton leads the SEC with 22.5 points and 3.4 3-pointers a game with freshman JaJuan Smith also providing a boost with 14.2 points and 35.5 percent shooting (44 of 124) from outside the arc.

Tre’ Kelley has been the only consistent scoring threat for South Carolina, despite an ongoing battle with a knee injury. Kelley is the Gamecocks’ leader in scoring with 16.5 points a game (third in the SEC) and 4.5 assists a contest.

The Volunteers swept the season series with USC last year, but the Gamecocks knocked off UT in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. UT is a 15-point favorite tonight.

GEORGIA at No. 10 ALABAMA (1:30 p.m. EST): The Crimson Tide get back home where they should be safe from another blowout. Alabama has lost seven of its last eight SEC road games dating back to last season, including blowouts at Arkansas and Vanderbilt this year. At Coleman Coliseum, though, the Tide (14-3, 1-2) is 9-0 this season and has rattled off 16 wins in a row. Alabama coach will celebrate his 42nd birthday against the Bulldogs, who stunned Arkansas 67-64 on Wednesday. Georgia (11-5, 3-1) trailed the Razorbacks 62-55 and 64-58 in the closing moments but scored nine unanswered points on 3-pointers – the last on Steve Newman’s 26-footer as time expired. The Bulldogs knocked off ’Bama 88-79 last season despite Tide guard Ronald Steele’s career-high 26 points, but haven’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2003. Alabama’s frontcourt of Jermareo Davidson (14.2 points, 9.3 rebounds per game) and Richard Hendrix (14.9, 8.8) should be too much for Georgia. The Tide are 5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.

AUBURN at MISSISSIPPI STATE (3 p.m. EST): The Tigers broke through for an 83-80 triumph against 22nd-ranked Tennessee Wednesday, Auburn’s first victory against a ranked foe since 2004. Junior Frank Tolbert led AU (12-7, 2-2) with a career-best 24 points and provided the exclamation point with a fast-break slam dunk. Quan Prowell added 21 points for the Tigers, 21 in the second half when Auburn uncorked an 18-0 blitz to stagger the Volunteers. The Tigers are off to their best SEC start since 2003. Mississippi State (10-6, 1-2) is back in action after a week off following a tough-to-swallow 64-60 loss at Kentucky last weekend. The Bulldogs have been one of the tougher defenses to shoot against, limiting opponents to 37.3 percent overall shooting (second in SEC) and 27 percent from 3-point range (first in SEC). Freshman guard Barry Stewart is coming on for State with 21 points in the last two games and is shooting 40.4 percent (36 of 89) from 3-point land.

No. 16 LSU at ARKANSAS (3:45 p.m. EST): The Tigers struggled to get past Auburn and Ole Miss at home, but stand in first place in the SEC West as they enter the first of their two annual grudge matches with the Razorbacks. LSU (13-4, 2-1) is averaging only 62.7 points a game in league play, but has offset that by beating foes on the backboards by an average of 7 rebounds a game. Sophomore swingmen Tasmin Mitchell and Terry Martin have emerged as the Tigers’ secondary scoring options behind Glen Davis (18.7 ppg). Mitchell is producing 16.7 points a game in SEC play (14.6 overall), while Martin overcame a goose egg in his SEC debut vs. Alabama with a career-best 23 points against Auburn and 15 against Ole Miss. Martin has hit 9-of-18 3-pointers in SEC play. Arkansas is reeling with three losses in a row by a total of 12 points. The Hogs (12-6, 1-3) have led in the final 35 seconds in three their losses by four points or less. Junior center Steven Hill notched a career-high 15 points against Georgia and has connected on his last 12 field goals. LSU swept the Razorbacks last season and has won seven of the last eight games with Arkansas. The last four games of the series have been settled by a total of 12 points. The Hogs are 2.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.

No Name Pats Defense

No-Name Pats D

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer

Every year, right around this time, stories start popping up about the anonymity of the New England Patriots.

The annual rite is easy to figure. First of all, the Patriots are usually still alive in late January. And, because of that, media types worldwide struggle to find story angles. Typically, they all come to this simple conclusion: There just aren’t any.

That’s the way New England likes it. Take away Tom Brady and this is a team without stars. They are a team in every sense of the word, mind you. And the Pats protect that identity better than any other team in NFL history. But, in the eyes of the media, for the most part, they are boring, nameless and faceless. And no unit personifies that more than this year’s defense.

“Sunday’s game is going to be about who executes the best, who plays the hardest and who makes the most plays.”

That was a generic quote from defensive back Artrell Hawkins, regarding the AFC title game against the Colts Sunday. Quick, how many of you know who Hawkins is? That’s the point.

This unit is filled with Hawkins-types. On the other side of the defensive backfield, there’s Asante Samuel. At linebacker, there’s Mike Vrabel. In the middle of the line, there’s Vince Wilfork.

Sure, there are die-hards out there who know who these guys are. But as the postseason wears on, and more and more casual fans start tuning in, these guys become more and more anonymous.

“We have to be clicking on all cylinders to have a chance.”

Another canned quote, this one from linebacker Tully Banta-Cain. Most people can’t even pronounce his name, much less know who he is.

“We’re not going in with the mentality that we can stop every play. However, when we do get our opportunities we need to make them worthwhile.”

That offering was from Ellis Hobbs. He plays cornerback, as well, by the way.

So you get the idea. The “Who Are These Guys” idea.

But the funny thing, is they don’t care. That’s the Bill Belichick way. Prepare the right way, work harder than anyone else and win at all costs. Style points mean nothing. Headlines mean nothing. Names mean nothing.

And you have to admit, it works. The Chargers and Jets sure were befuddled by the Patriots’ defensive schemes. And surely, Belichick will have another airtight plan for Peyton Manning and Co.

“Throwing the ball before they are even in their break, getting the ball out of his hands fast, changing and adapting to the routes, and knowing where the receivers are going if he has to scramble,” Hobbs said of the way Manning handles his offense. “All those little things are what makes them so good.”

We’ll find out just how good on Sunday. Indianapolis is -3 on WagerWeb.com.

FIRST-YEAR HONORS: The NFL 101, a national media committee which features 101 sportswriters and broadcasters, honored two rookie coaches this week. The group named the Jets’ Eric Mangini and the Saints’ Sean Payton the AFC and NFC Coach of the Year, respectively.

The Jets, under Mangini, went 10-6 and lost to the Patriots, 37-16, in the wild-card round. The Saints, under Payton, won the NFC South, defeated the Eagles, 27-24, in the divisional round, and will meet the Bears in the conference championship game Sunday. Chicago is -2.5 on WagerWeb.com.

EXTRA POINTS: The Giants officially promoted Kevin Gilbride to the offensive coordinator position vacated by John Hufnagel this week. … Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown has been battling the flu, but has returned to practice and will play against the Colts Sunday.

Man U Arsenal

Man U-Arsenal

By Tim Robertson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

They are no longer head-to-head battles for the title, but there is still something special about meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United.

The Premiership’s relatively short history is dominated by these two clubs, and so many times in the past has this fixture determined whether the trophy went north or south.

Given Arsenal’s position, fourth in the table 15 points adrift of United, that will not be the case on Sunday, but there is no less anticipation.

This could be a decisive weekend in the Premiership. Twenty-seven hours before Arsenal and United kick off at the Emirates Stadium, Chelsea face a tough task at Liverpool .

Conceivably by Sunday evening, Chelsea could be nine points adrift of United in the title race. Just as likely, the gap could be down to three.

Like Chelsea’s opponents Liverpool, Arsenal knocked themselves out of the title race with poor results early in the season, but the points difference to the top hides the fact that they have closed the quality gap in recent weeks.

They are surely out of the title race, but Manager Arsene Wenger, never one to give up until the fat lady has sung, isn’t so sure.

“I can understand that even if we win people still think we have no chance, but we see things differently,” he said.
“I believe that for a team which is young like my team, it is important that they get the belief that they can win the big games — game after game. They win one, they win two, they win three and suddenly that can transform a team.

“Then you say: ‘nobody can stop us’ and they can strengthen that belief.

“They have done it already — but they can strengthen that belief by beating Manchester United on Sunday.

“We want to reduce the gap on Manchester United as quickly as possible and we want to continue our run because we are in good form.

“We are involved in nearly every competition, even the championship, and you never know.”

Arsenal inflicted United’s only home defeat of the season so far, winning 1-0 at Old Trafford in September through Emmanuel Adebayor’s late goal.

The Gunners remain unbeaten in the league at home in their new stadium, but have dropped too many points in drawing five of 11 at the Emirates while they settle in.

“It is a big frustration because we dropped points at the beginning of the season through lack of experience and lack of form,” Wenger added.

“When you play a young player at the start of the season you know you will pay for his education with points. That is what happened to us a little bit.”

There is every chance it will happen again this weekend. Although Thierry Henry is back, the loss of the suspended Gilberto Silva in midfield leaves Arsenal looking weak as a defensive unit, and United surely have too many weapons not to expose such a weakness.

That is despite the fact that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted they are not firing on all cylinders.

The form of Wayne Rooney is a concern, with the 20-year-old star having scored just once in the last 13 games as his teammates have run riot around him.

“Wayne just needs a break,” said Ferguson. “I am not concerned at all.

“It will come. What he needs to do is get into that one goal a game rhythm that strikers can do for you.

“If he does that it will make a big difference to our run-in.

“He is a big-game player.

“Wayne is a great example of a great player. He is prepared to work as hard as anyone.

“He is working his socks off and has a terrific attitude.”

Ferguson’s other strikers — Louis Saha, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and Henrik Larsson — have more than covered for Rooney’s shortcomings of late, and with them in form, United pose Arsenal’s toughest test at the Emirates yet.
WagerWeb.com does not split the two teams, offering both at +150 with a draw at +200.

Given Arsenal’s problems at the back, it’s tough not to see yet another United win as they attempt to wrest the Premiership crown back from Chelsea .

But United-Arsenal games are never as straightforward as that.

Monday News and Notes

Monday, January 22,
2006

 

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St. Mary’s-San Diego

Press Notes

The Gaels entered week 11 of the season with a 10-9
overall record following wins over Portland
(73-57) and Gonzaga (80-75) last week. Saint Mary’s opened this week with a
71-64 overtime win over San Francisco to move to 11-9 overall and 3-1 in West
Coast Conference play. The win over the Dons marked the first road win of the
season for SMC and moved the Gaels into a four-way tie for first place in the WCC standings with Santa Clara,
Gonzaga and San Francisco. San
Diego enters Monday’s game with a 12-7 overall record following a 61-67 loss to
Santa Clara on Saturday night The loss to the Broncos dropped the Toreros to
2-2 in West Coast Conference play USD is currently
tied for fifth place in the WCC standings. As a team,
the Toreros 72.7 points per game while allowing their opponents 69.5 points per
contest. USD is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor,
32.9 percent from 3-point land, and 69.0 percent from the free throw line. San
Diego
opponents are shooting 44.0 percent from the
floor, 33.4 percent from three and 78.8 percent from the foul line.

Gonzaga-Portland

Press Notes

Gonzaga University,
coming off its first West Coast Conference loss in nearly two years, will try
to get back on the winning track Monday. The Bulldogs find themselves at 3-1 in
the WCC trailing undefeated University
of San Francisco
, which entered the
weekend with a 3-0 WCC slate. The Pilots dropped both
games last weekend in the Bay Area to even their WCC
record to 2-2. Seven teams on the Bulldogs schedule were ranked heading into
the weekend in one of the two major polls (new rankings are due out Monday).
The University of North
Carolina
was ranked fourth in both polls after
dropping from the top rung. Other ranked teams were Duke
University
, University
of Nevada
, University
of Memphis
, Butler
University
, Washington
State
University and the University of Texas.
The seven teams had a combined record of 106-18 through games of Jan. 18. In
addition, Stanford University
and the University of Washington
were also receiving votes in at least one of the two major polls.

Spokesman Review

Darren Cooper, a sixth-year senior guard and UP’s leading
returning scorer, has missed nine games with an assortment of injuries ranging
from knee problems to a strained hamstring, and is listed as questionable for
tonight’s WCC game against Gonzaga (12-7, 3-1) in the
Chiles Center because of turf toe. In addition, freshman point guard Taishi Ito has missed seven games while dealing with family
health problems; two promising sophomores, point guard Brian McTear and forward Alex Tiefenthaler,
have left the team because of academic and disciplinary issues, and freshman
forward Robin Smeulders has been ruled ineligible for
the 2006-07 season because of his previous association with a German club team
that reportedly compensated some of its players with money. All of which leaves
the Pilots dreadfully short of able bodies heading into tonight’s nationally
televised matchup (on ESPN) against a Gonzaga team that is still looking to
establish an identity, particularly on the road, where the Bulldogs are 1-3.
Still, GU coach Mark Few is well aware of the dangers that await
in another sold-out, hostile arena where Portland
has posted all six of its wins. Few also suggested the Pilots’ record is a bit
deceiving, considering the prolonged absences of Cooper, a returning WCC honorable mention selection, who is averaging a
team-high 12.2 points per game since overcoming his early season health
problems, and Ito, a bug-quick perimeter sniper, who is averaging 5.2 points
and 3.2 assists despite making only five starts.

Connecticut-Louisville

Associated Press

Injuries to guards Brandon Jenkins and Andre McGee and
forward Juan Palacios have prevented the Cardinals (13-6, 3-2 Big East) from
developing any real sense of rhythm. Throw in the ongoing saga of freshman
center Derrick Caracter – who will sit out a second
straight game for undisclosed violation of team rules – and chemistry has been
an issue too. “I think it’s probably been the most difficult year that I’ve had
as a coach,” Pitino admitted. Yet the Cardinals enter Monday’s game against Connecticut
(13-5, 2-3) the healthiest they’ve been all season. Palacios, who was limited
the last three weeks with a neck and shoulder injury, poured in a season-high
21 points against DePaul and McGee came off the bench in the final minutes to
provide a steadying influence when the Cardinals needed it most. McGee knocked
down four free throws in the last five minutes and helped Louisville
withstand constant pressure by the Blue Demons as the Cardinals finished the
game with a season-low tying eight turnovers. The Cardinals have never beaten
the Huskies, and Connecticut
swept the season series last year on the strength of their inside play. But
like the Cardinals, the Huskies are young. And like the Cardinals, they’ve been
plagued by inconsistent play. Connecticut
won its first 11 games to start the season, but have dropped five of seven and are just 1-3 on the road.

Oklahoma-Oklahoma State

Press Notes

The Cowboys are 16-3 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 Conference
action after falling at Texas A&M 67-49 on
Saturday night. Okahoma is 11-6 overall and 3-2 in
league play following a 91-51 win over Baylor Saturday in Norman.

Tulsa World

Oklahoma State
is on a continuing mission to re-establish Gallagher-Iba
Arena as a place where opponents leave without smiles on their faces. OSU lost five home games last season. The last time the
Cowboys lost more home games was during the 1972-73 season, when they were
dealt seven home defeats. OSU was 4-4 in Big 12 games
at Gallagher-Iba last season. It marked the first
time since the 1987-88 season that the Cowboys failed
to muster a winning record in league home games. Players apparently got tired
of watching opponents celebrate at Gallagher-Iba
Arena and decided to do something about it. OSU, 11-0
at home this season, has won 14 consecutive home games dating to last year.
Eaton also said OU players were “talking noise” when
they won at Gallagher-Iba last season. “So when they
come in here Monday, it’s like, man, it’s revenge and
it’s like the battle of Oklahoma.
It’s like a whole bunch of things together that we’ve got to do just to win.” OU beat OSU 73-65 in Gallagher-Iba Arena last season, winning in Stillwater
for the first time since 2000. Afterward, Sutton accused the Cowboys of being
soft.

 




Avanced News and Notes For Saturday

Saturday, January 20,
2007

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Miami-Florida State

Press Notes

Florida State has won 10 of its first 11 home games of the
2006-07 season and has won 18 of its last 22 (.818 winning percentage) since
defeating Virginia Tech at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Jan. 7, 2006. The
Seminoles won seven of their last eight homes games of the 05-06 season with their only loss coming to South
Carolina
in the second round of the NIT.

Bowling Green-Kent State

Press Notes

The Falcons are in a stretch where they will have played
eight of their last 11 away from home since December 16. The Falcons fell at Miami,
66-60, on Wednesday night. Kent State
is coming off a 78-68 loss at Akron.
BGSU has won three of the last four meetings in Kent
capturing a 79-74 contest a year ago. BGSU also won
at KSU, 77-73, in 2005 and 78-74, in 2003. The Golden
Flashes are 5-1 at home this season.

Rice-Central Florida

Press Notes

The UCF men’s basketball team
will be seeking its 11th-straight win at home. The Golden Knights
have won two-straight contests and are 13-4 overall. The squad is off to a 2-1
start in league play. Rice is 3-0 in C-USA action and 9-7 on the year. UCF and Rice will be meeting for the third time overall and
for the first time in Orlando. The
all-time series is tied, 1-1. Last year, the teams played once as Conference USA
rivals and the Golden Knights claimed a 77-64 victory in Houston
on Feb. 25, 2006. UCF has won 10-straight contests at home and is 9-0 at the UCF Arena this season. In their nine games in Orlando,
the Golden Knights are averaging 81.2 points and have a +22.2 scoring margin
and a +12.7 rebound margin. UCF has outrebounded all nine of its
opponents at the UCF Arena. Last season, UCF scored more than 70 points in a contest only five
times. In 2006-07, the Golden Knights have already eclipsed the 70-point mark
12 times in 17 games. After averaging just 63.3 points per game last season,
the Golden Knights are scoring 76.4 points per contest this year. The squad
eclipsed the 80-point mark only once a year ago, but has already scored more
than 80 points in a game on seven occasions this season. UCF
owns a +11.2 scoring margin.

UW Green Bay-Butler

Press Notes

Butler, ranked
in the “Top 25” for eight consecutive weeks and looking to reclaim a share of
first place in the Horizon League, will wrap up a three-game homestand against one of the league’s hottest teams when it
hosts UW-Green Bay.
The Bulldogs (16-2, 4-1 Horizon League), successful in the first two games of
the current homestand including a 67-39 decison over Youngstown State on Wednesday (Jan. 17), trail
Wright State by one-half game in the league standings. The Raiders (12-7, 5-1
HL), who won at Cleveland State
on Thursday (Jan. 18), play at UW-Milwaukee on Sunday (Jan. 21). UW-Green
Bay
(10-8, 2-3 HL), boasting wins
in eight of its last 11 outings, is ending a seven-day layoff when it visits
Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler
has won 18 consecutive games in Hinkle Fieldhouse,
including eight wins this season. The Bulldogs have won 89 of the past 100
games played in the Fieldhouse, and Butler’s
home record over the past decade (1996-present) is 128-17. The Bulldogs’
homecourt winning streak is the ninth-longest active homecourt streak in the
NCAA Division I. The Bulldogs have held eight opponents to an average of just
51.9 points in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler
limited its last three home foes – Youngstown
State
(39), South
Dakota
State
(47)
and Wright State
(42) to season-low scoring totals and kept both Cleveland
State
and Ball
State
below 50 points at home. Butler’s
foes are shooting just .386 from the field and .323 from the three-point arc in
the Fieldhouse.

Charlotte-George Washington

Press Notes

Charlotte
dropped both meetings last year as GW went 16-0 in
A-10 play. At GW in the regular-seaon
finale, Mar. 4, Charlotte led in OT
in the closing seconds, but GW’s Carl Elliott
followed up a miss with a put back at the buzzer to snag the win. The Charlotte
49ers (8-8; 2-2) head to George Washington (12-4; 3-1) in search of their third
straight win, after posting back-to-back A-10 victories over Richmond
and Dayton. In four A-10 games, Charlotte
is shoting 46% from the floor and 42% from
three-point land. Charlotte’s improving defense has held opponents to less than
70 points in six of the last eight games, with Richmond (51) and Dayton (59)
being held to the fewest points allowed by the 49ers this year. Only one
opponent was held to less than 70 in the first eight games.

Marshall-Tulane

Press Notes

Marshall
(6-11, 1-2) and Tulane (8-7, 1-2) will meet for the third time Saturday
evening. The Green Wave lead the all-time series, 2-0,
after claiming both games in 2006-07. Tulane enters the game with an 8-7
record, 1-2 in league play. Like the Herd, the Green Wave claimed its first
conference win of the season Wednesday when it defeated East
Carolina
. Marshall won its first Conference USA game of the
2006-07 season with a 65-53 win over Tulsa in its last time out Wednesday night
at Henderson Center and ended a three-game losing skid in the process.

Arizona State-USC

Press Notes

A young Arizona State University basketball team (6-12;
0-7 in Pac-10) under first-year coach Herb Sendek has
a 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MST tip-off at USC ASU is giving
up just 63.7 points per game, currently the fourth-best mark in ASU history and the lowest since the 1949-50 squad gave up
59.8, but is trying to replace the points of late summer departures Kevin
Kruger (transferred to UNLV in July) and Bryson
Krueger (dismissed from team in August). Kevin Kruger took advantage of a NCAA
rule that lasted six months which allowed him to transfer to UNLV to play for his father since he had finished his
degree work. With all the changes, four true freshmen are combining to average
87.5 minutes, including three at or above the 26-minute mark.

USC leads the ASU series 43-29
but ASU has won two of the past three in Los
Angeles
ASU has posted two
100-point outings in its past 134 games, both against USC.

Baylor-Oklahoma

Press Notes

Baylor is 2-31 in its last 33 true road games (dating to ‘02-03)
and has lost 19 straight since a 73-72 win at Purdue 12-30-04.
BU has lost 19 straight Big 12 road games dating to a 67-61 win over TAMU 2-25-04.
Baylor is 4-36 in its last 40 away games (dating to ‘02-03). Baylor has lost 24
straight games to Oklahoma
(dating back to a 75-67 win Dec. 6,
1977
), including all 20 since the inception of the Big 12
Conference. BU is 2-14 all-time vs. Oklahoma
in Norman. Baylor is scoring 77.3
ppg, 14.1 ppg more than last season (4th in 12 rankings), the school’s
highest scoring average since the ‘94-95 squad averaged 81.2 ppg. Oklahoma is
10-6, 2-2 under first-year head coach Jeff Capel The
Sooners returned two starters from last season’s 20-9 squad. OU is 8-1 this season at home in the Lloyd
Noble Center

Richmond-Dayton

Press Notes

The youthful Spiders continue to struggle with maintaining
consistency. Over its last five games, the Spiders have played well for the
first 30 minutes of the game, but in their last four losses the Spiders have
faltered a bit in the game’s final 10 minutes. In three of Richmond’s
last four losses the Spiders have trailed by two with less than three minutes
to play. That comes with having a young team, and while that reason may be
getting old, the Spiders do rely on five freshmen who play at least 13.5
minutes per game. Richmond has
started four freshmen in six games and at least three freshmen in 15 of 17
games.

Now the Spiders will try to win for the first time at UD Arena, where Richmond
is 0-6. The Spiders do play well at UD Arena. In Richmond’s
last three trips to Dayton, the
Spiders have lost in overtime by five, by two points and by one, 63-62 in their
last visit in 2005. Richmond is
fourth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage at 46.4 percent. The Spiders
have shot over 40 percent from the floor in all but four of their 17 games this
season, including four of the last five. Richmond
has shot over 50 percent from the field in five games and over 45 percent in 10
games. The Spiders are fifth in the Atlantic 10 in 3-point percentage at 37.1
percent and fifth in 3s made at 7.18 per game. Richmond
has made at least eight 3-pointers in a game eight times this season and at
least five treys in all but three of their 17 games. Dayton
is 12-5 and 2-2 in the Atlantic 10, coming off an 80-59 loss at Charlotte
on Jan. 20. Dayont is a perfect 11-0 at home in UD Arena, where the Spiders have not one in six chances.

California-Oregon

Press Notes

Winner of four of its last five games, including three in
a row on the road, California
next visits No. 9 Oregon Saturday at 5 p.m.
Since opening Pac-10 action with a 94-85 loss at Arizona,
the Golden Bears have defeated Arizona
State
(66-62), Stanford (67-63) and
Oregon State
(77-74) in succession away from home. Going back to last season, Cal
has won six of its last eight Pac-10 road games. This year, the Bears are 6-4
in road/neutral contests, which includes a 3-0 run to win the Great Alaska
Shootout in November.

 


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Forensic ATS information on this game: Charlotte 18-3 off
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NFC Championship Preview

NFC Championship Preview

By Chris Cluff
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Saints (11-6) at Bears (14-3), 3 p.m. ET Sunday (Fox)

WagerWeb.com line: Bears -2.5 (43)

The NFC is about to have a different Super Bowl representative for the seventh straight year.

Thanks to the Bears’ overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday and the Saints’ well-grounded win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC held to regular-season form, and the top two seeds will play for the right to represent the conference in the Super Bowl in Miami on Feb. 4. The Bears will be trying to get back for the first time since winning the title in January 1986, while the Saints are seeking their first trip to the championship game.

One of those teams will become the latest champ in a revolving-door NFC that has seen six different teams go to the Super Bowl in the past six seasons: Seattle, Philadelphia, Carolina, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and the New York Giants.

This NFC title game pits two rising powers — Lovie Smith’s defense-driven Bears, who are 24-8 in Smith’s two seasons, and first-year coach Sean Payton’s upstart Saints, who have made it this far for the first time in the team’s 40 seasons of existence.

The Saints have become the feel-good fairy tale of the 2006 season, representing the rebirth of New Orleans a year after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Led by Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, Payton’s team won 10 games and then beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 last weekend, making New Orleans the first team in NFL history to reach a conference championship game after losing 13 games the previous season.

The Saints had the league’s No. 1 offense this season, and McAllister showed against the Eagles that he is completely back from a torn ACL that cost him 10 games last season. He ran all over the Eagles, gaining 143 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

“Our No. 1 concern is stopping Deuce McAllister,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “We want to stop the run every week. So he is our main concern right now, especially after what he did last week. When they throw the ball, we’ll rally to it and hopefully make the tackles. We have got to stop the run. Reggie is an explosive guy. He catches the ball well, and he’s pretty good in the open field. So we’ve just got to try and get 11 guys to the football and make some plays.

“It’s a big challenge for us, the things they do on offense,” Urlacher said. “They move the ball around a lot. They have a great quarterback, pretty good running backs, good receivers and a good offensive line. It’s a huge challenge for us.”

The Bears survived their first challenge against the Seahawks, escaping with a 27-24 win when Robbie Gould nailed a 49-yard field goal in overtime. The win was Chicago’s first in its past three home playoff games, including a 29-21 loss to Carolina last postseason.

Embattled quarterback Rex Grossman played well enough against Seattle, hitting Bernard Berrian with a 68-yard touchdown pass and throwing for 282 yards on 21-of-38 passing.

Many Chicago fans had been concerned about his uneven performance during the season and were worried he might hurt the Bears in the postseason. He did turn the ball over twice against Seattle, throwing an interception and fumbling, but he made big throws when he had to, like the third-down, 31-yard strike to Rashied Davis in overtime that set up Gould’s field goal.

Smith has defended Grossman and stuck by him all season, and Urlacher did the same this week.

“Rex was 14-3 at the start of this year. I don’t know how many guys in the NFL can say that this season,” the All-Pro linebacker said. “I don’t care what his numbers are, what people write about him. He’s 14-3. That’s enough said for me. I’m just tired of people talking about him, especially our media around here. The dude has won 14 games at the start of this year. That’s pretty good if you ask me.”

So is Grossman’s supporting cast, which includes a strong running game. Thomas Jones ran for two touchdowns against the Seahawks, and he and Cedric Benson will need to play well against the Saints to take pressure off Grossman.

The Saints have played well on the road, going 6-2, but their defense has been prone to surrendering big plays; the Eagles struck with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Garcia to Donte’ Stallworth and a 62-yard scoring run by Brian Westbrook. With that in mind, this shapes up as a similarly offensive game.

“This is the matchup we wanted,” Chicago cornerback Nathan Vasher said. “It’s great for us, great for TV, everything. We wanted to see the highest-seeded team and beat the best.”

SAINTS AT A GLANCE
Offense: 391.5 yards per game (first in NFL). Passing: 281.4 (first). Rushing: 110.1 (19th).
Defense: 307.3 (11th). Passing: 178.4 (third). Rushing: 128.9 (23rd).
Individual leaders
QB Drew Brees: 64.3 percent, 4,418 yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 interceptions.
RB Deuce McAllister: 1,057 yards, 4.3 average, 10 touchdowns.
RB Reggie Bush: 565 yards, 3.6 average, six TDs; 88 receptions, 742 yards, two TDs.
WR Marques Colston: 70 receptions, 1,038 yards, eight TDs.
WR Devery Henderson: 32 receptions, 745 yards, five TDs.
K John Carney: 115 points, 23 of 25 field goals.
KR Michael Lewis: 24.7 average.
PR Reggie Bush: 7.7 average, one touchdown.
LB Scott Shanle: 98 tackles, four sacks.
LB Scott Fujita: 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, seven passes defensed.
DE Will Smith: 10.5 sacks.
DE Charles Grant: Six sacks.
CB Mike McKenzie: Two interceptions, 10 passes defensed.
Injury report: TE Mark Campbell (knee), WR Joe Horn (groin) and SS Omar Stoutmire (hip) are questionable.

BEARS AT A GLANCE
Offense: 325.0 (15th). Passing: 205.1 (14th). Rushing: 119.1 (15th).
Defense: 294.1 (fifth). Passing: 194.8 (11th). Rushing: 99.4 (sixth).
Individual leaders
QB Rex Grossman: 54.6 percent, 3,193 yards, 23 touchdowns, 20 interceptions.
RB Thomas Jones: 1,210 yards, 4.1 average, six TDs.
RB Cedric Benson: 647 yards, 4.1 average, six TDs.
WR Muhsin Muhammad: 60 receptions, 863 yards, five TDs.
WR Bernard Berrian: 51 receptions, 775 yards, six TDs.
TE Desmond Clark: 45 receptions, 626 yards, six TDs.
K Robbie Gould: 143 points, 32 of 36 field goals.
RS Devin Hester: 26.4 on kickoffs with two TDs, 12.8 on punts with three TDs.
LB Brian Urlacher: 142 tackles, three interceptions.
LB Lance Briggs: 134 tackles, four forced fumbles, two interceptions.
CB Charles Tillman: 81 tackles, five interceptions, 14 passes defensed.
CB Ricky Manning Jr.: 53 tackles, two sacks, five interceptions, 10 passes defensed.
DE Alex Brown: Seven sacks, two interceptions.
DE Mark Anderson: 12 sacks.
Injury report: WR Mark Bradley (ankle) is questionable and DE Adewale Ogunleye (quadricep) is probable.

Best bet: The Seahawks gashed the Bears on the ground, and the Saints will follow suit while also forcing Grossman into key errors. New Orleans, 31-24.

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