NFL Betting Preview 
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) at Tennessee Titans (12-2) 
Sunday, 1:00PM Eastern 
 
Bookmaker.com betting line – Pittsburgh Steelers (-2), 34.5 O/U 
 
The two best teams in the AFC square off this weekend in a huge battle for late season supremacy. The Steelers and the Titans will be battling for the right to earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Tennessee started the year 10-0 and has been considered the best team in the AFC all season. However, in the past few weeks the Steelers have come up with some impressive victories over Dallas and Baltimore. Pittsburgh late season surge has many of the experts thinking they could be the best in the AFC and they will get a chance to prove it this Sunday. 
 
Tennessee suffered their 2^nd loss of the season last week 13-12 from the Houston Texans. The Titans have not been playing as well in recent weeks as they did early in the year despite still having the best record in the NFL. Last week veteran QB Kerry Collins struggled going 15 for 33 with 181 yards, and 1 interception. Collins has done a good job all season and the Titans need him to bounce back or they could be in for another disappointing performance. Tennessee running back Chris Johnson has been the big success for the offense this season. Johnson has rushed for 1,159 yards and 8 touchdowns. When Tennessee establishes the running game, they are very tough to beat. 
 
Pittsburgh has come on very strong in the final month of the season winning their last 5 games and now they have a chance to earn home field advantage. QB Ben Roethlisberger was plagued by interceptions earlier in the year, but has been stellar down the stretch. Big Ben has led the Steelers to two 4^th quarter game winning drives in their last two games. However, the real success has been the play of the Pittsburgh defense. The Steelers defense ranks 1^st in nearly every defensive category and they can wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Pittsburgh hopes their defense can control a Tennessee offense which struggled last week and earn a chance to wrap up the home field throughout the playoffs.  
 
What to watch for… 
 
The Titans running game will play a big role in their success in the match-up. If running back Chris Johnson can move the ball against the very tough Pittsburgh defense then Tennessee will have the opportunity to score just enough points. The Titans do not want the game to rest in the hands of Kerry Collins. Pittsburgh simply needs to hold onto the football and not allow any turnovers. The Steelers defense should allow the offense to score some points considering they will win the field position as they have all season, but if they can not hold onto the football they will have a tough time. 
 
Betting Trends and Stats… 
 
Pittsburgh has gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games on the road. The Steelers have found the under total in 5 of their last 8 games due to the performance of the defense. Tennessee is 11-2-1 this season against the spread and 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games. The Titans have split the over/under total this season going 7/7. Pittsburgh won the last meeting between these two teams 30-13 back in 2003. 
 
Pick – Pittsburgh gets the job done again. Take Pittsburgh -2 3 out of 5 units

NFL Betting Preview
Baltimore Ravens (9-5) at Dallas Cowboys (9-5)
Saturday, 8:15 pm Eastern – NFL Network

SBG Global Opening Line: Cowboys   -  5 ,  Total  39

The Dallas Cowboys will look to close out Texas Stadium with a win on Saturday night as they host the Baltimore Ravens in a game televised on the NFL Network.  The Cowboys have been in Texas Stadium for 38 years but this will be their last home game unless somehow the #6 seed in the playoffs would make it to the NFC Championship game and play Dallas. Next season the Cowboys are moving into a new stadium in Arlington.  Saturday night’s game is critical to both teams Wild Card chances. SBG Global reports that early NFL betting has the public taking Cowboys at Home.

The Cowboys played well last week defeating the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants by a score of 20-8 as quarterback Tony Romo threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns.  Romo will need to play well again since Dallas really can’t afford a loss. Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Atlanta are also in the mix for a Wild Card and the Cowboys must play at Philadelphia next week to end the season.

Dallas will be facing the league’s second ranked defense on Saturday as the Ravens are giving up only 257.5 yards per game.  Baltimore shut down Pittsburgh for 55 minutes but the Steelers drove down and scored with 43 second left to win 13-9. “All game they didn’t make plays,” linebacker Ray Lewis said. “One drive they did.”  The offense didn’t help the Ravens either as quarterback Joe Flacco had his worst game of the season. “We’ll be fine,” Flacco said. “We’ve got two games left to get some wins and prove that we’re a playoff team, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

The Ravens have defeated the Cowboys in both of their previous meetings, the last of which was in 2004.  Here are the NFL betting stats for Saturday’s game. The Ravens are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Ravens are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.

The Cowboys are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite. The Cowboys are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games in December.

SBG Global Current Line: Cowboys   -  4 ,  Total  39.5

The Over is 4-0-1 in the Ravens last 5 road games. The Over is 8-2-1 in the Ravens last 11 games as a road underdog. The Over is 6-2-1 in the Ravens last 9 games overall. The Under is 4-1 in the Cowboys last 5 games overall.

Pick: Ravens 4 out of 5 units

College Basketball Preview 
Xavier Musketeers (9-0) at Duke Blue Devils (9-1) 
Saturday, 2:00PM Eastern 
 
Betting Line 
 
A pair of top ten teams meet center court in Durham, NC. The undefeated Xavier Musketeers will be trying to stay perfect in front of the Cameron Crazies at Duke. The Blue Devils were upset by Michigan two weeks ago 81-73 and they look to get back to their winning ways. The Blue Devils beat the Musketeers in their last meeting in the NCAA Tournament back in 2004. Xavier will look to make things result a little differently this time around. The winner of this game will likely make their claim as a legitimate front runner and quite possibly receive a top 5 ranking.  
 
Xavier has played very well in the early part of the season. The Musketeers have controlled the boards averaging 41 rebounds per game this season. Xavier has three players averaging double digit point totals. Junior forward Derrick Brown leads the Musketeers with 14 points per game with nearly 6 rebounds. Xavier will try and work the paint against the Blue Devils considering they will have a size advantage. If Xavier can control the boards as they have in many games this season, Duke could have their hands full. The Musketeers rank as the 40^th best defense in the country in terms of field goal percentage against. Xavier has held teams to only shoot 41% from the field this season and they will try to make that trend continue.  
 
The Blue Devils have shot well from the floor this season knocking down 47% of their attempts. Duke has also faired well on the boards this season ranking 25^th in the nation averaging 41.4 rebounds per game. Duke has 4 players that average 10 points or more led by the play of sophomore Kyle Singler. Singler is averaging 17 points per game this season along with 8 rebounds and 3 assist. The Blue Devils are averaging a fairly high 15 assist per game. The Blue Devils have averaged a 22 points margin of victory in their 8 wins this season and hope to have another big day against Xavier. Duke is in desperate need of a win after just falling to Michigan a little over a week ago and a victory could make the statement that Duke is a national power.  
 
What to watch for… 
Xavier’s inside presence should present problems for Duke. The Blue Devils are only shooting 30% from 3-pt range this season and they will take a lot of shots outside the arc. The game comes down to the Xavier game inside the paint vs. the outside shooting game of Duke 
 
Betting Trends… 
Duke has gone 5-4 ATS this season while going 4-2 ATS in their past 6 games. The Blue Devils have gone on the over total 5 out of 9 games this season as well. Xavier has gone on the over total in their past 3 games while splitting against the spread at a record of 4-4. 
 
Pick – Xavier controls this one 2 out of 5 units

NFL Betting Preview
 Indianapolis Colts (10-4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-9)
Thursday, 8:15 pm Eastern – NFL Network

SBG Global Opening Line: Colts -  6.5 ,  Total  44

The Indianapolis Colts can clinch their 7^th straight post-season berth with a win on Thursday night at Jacksonville.  The Colts have not lost a game since late October, winning seven straight. “At 3-4, we knew what the problems were,” coach Tony Dungy said, “A lot of it was ourselves and our execution. That’s what we focused on, more so than pointing the finger at someone or figuring out who was to blame. A lot of that gets back to the players really listening to the coaches. SBG Global reports that early NFL betting has the public taking Colts on the Road.

The Jaguars won the first meeting between the two teams this season 23-21 but both teams look far different than they did back in September.  The Jaguars only motivation now will be to keep the Colts from clinching a playoff berth. “I’m sure they would like to knock us out,” Dungy said. “We haven’t really been in that situation, but when you are and you can’t get in, that’s the motivation, especially if it’s a division rival. I’m sure they’d like to keep us out of the playoffs, so I’m sure we’ll get their best.”  The Colts were not at their best last week against the winless Lions but still prevailed 31-21 as Dallas Clark had 142 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Here are the NFL betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Colts are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games. The Colts are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games in December. The Colts are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite. The Colts are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the AFC South. The Colts are 2-5-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.

The Jaguars are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games as a home underdog. The Jaguars are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Jaguars are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. the AFC South. The Jaguars are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games. The underdog is 5-2-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.

SBG Global Current Line: Colts -  6 ,  Total  44

The Over is 4-0 in the Colts last 4 vs. the AFC South. The Under is 5-0 in the Jaguars last 5 games as an underdog. The Under is 6-1-1 in the Jaguars last 8 games on grass. The Under is 4-1 in the Jaguars last 5 games as a home underdog. The Under is 4-1 in the Jaguars last 5 games overall.

The Over is 9-3 in the Jaguars last 12 games in December. The Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings between the two teams in Jacksonville.

Pick: Colts 3 out of 5 units

NHL Betting Preview
Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks
Thursday, 10:35 pm Eastern

SBG Global Opening Line: Sharks  -  170  ,  Total  5.5 Under - 130

The team with the best record in the NHL will try and bounce back from a rare loss as the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.  The Sharks had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Saturday as Dwayne Roloson stopped 41 shots to give the Oilers a 3-2 overtime win.  The Sharks outshout the Oilers 43-17 but Roloson was fabulous.  The Sharks still have the NHL’s best record at 22-3-2.  ”Our two losses here at home have been almost identical, where we have enough chances to win and end up losing in overtime,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “You’d like to see us finish more around the net, but their goalie had something to do with that.”  Even though the Sharks lost the game they did pick up a point with the overtime loss and they still have not lost in regulation at home this season.

SBG Global reports that early Hockey betting has the public taking  Sharks at Home.

The Sharks will be facing a Ducks team that had to play last night against St. Louis.  Anaheim has had some success against the Sharks as they have won 6 of the last 8 meetings in San Jose.

Here are the Hockey betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Ducks are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. the Pacific. The Ducks are 7-2 in their last 9 games playing on no rest. The Ducks are 5-2 in their last 7 overall. The Ducks are 7-3 in their last 10 road games. The Ducks are 0-4 in their last 4 Thursday games.

The Sharks are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. the Pacific. The Sharks are 46-16 in their last 62 overall. The Sharks are 21-8 in their last 29 Thursday games.

The Sharks are 36-16 in their last 52 home games. The home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between the two teams.

SBG Global Current Line: Sharks  -  200  ,  Total  5.5 Under - 130

The Under is 6-0-2 in the Ducks last 8 Thursday games. The Under is 5-1 in the Ducks last 6 road games. The Under is 4-1 in the Ducks last 5 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 6-2 in the Ducks last 8 overall. The Under is 5-1 in the Sharks last 6 vs. the Western Conference. The Over is 4-1-1 in the Sharks last 6 Thursday games. The Under is 8-2-2 in the Sharks last 12 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 10-2-2 in the last 14 meetings between the two teams.

The Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings in San Jose between the two teams.

Pick: Ducks 2 out of 5 units

NBA Betting Preview
Boston Celtics (23-2) at Atlanta Hawks (15-9)
Wednesday, 4:05 pm Eastern – ESPN

The Boston Celtics 15-game winning streak will get a serious test on Wednesday night in Atlanta where the Hawks are 9-1 this season.  Boston didn’t have any success in Atlanta last season, losing all three playoff games.  The Hawks have already ended a long winning streak this season as they broke Cleveland’s 11-game winning streak on Saturday.  The Hawks had a letdown on Monday against Charlotte but still survived to win 83-79 as Joe Johnson scored 28 points. “If we continue to take care of our home court, we can put ourselves in good position to get ahead of some of the teams in our division,” said Johnson, “It’s a big advantage (playing at home), especially when the crowd is up to it.”

Check out the current line for this game at SBG Global.

The Celtics come into Wednesday’s game having won 15 straight, their longest as a franchise since the 1981-82 team won 18 in a row.  The Celtics latest win was a 100-91 win against Utah on Monday. Point guard Rajon Rondo had a career-high 25 points and almost had a triple-double as he had nine rebounds and eight assists.  Wednesday’s game could be a defensive struggle since Boston is allowing a league low 41.5 percent against them while the Hawks have allowed only one of their last eleven opponents to reach 100 points.

Here are the NBA betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 road games. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Atlanta.

The Hawks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Wednesday games. The Hawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Hawks are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games. The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.

SBG Global Current Line: Celtics  - 4 ,  Total  186.5

The Over is 4-0 in the Celtics last 4 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Over is 6-1 in the Celtics last 7 Wednesday games. The Over is 7-2 in the Celtics last 9 vs. the Southeast. The Under is 6-1 in the Hawks last 7 overall. The Over is 14-6 in the Hawks last 20 home games. The Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Atlanta between the two teams.

Pick: Celtics 3 out of 5 units

College Basketball Betting Preview
 Siena (5-3) at Pittsburgh (10-0)
Wednesday, 9:30 pm Eastern – ESPN 2

SBG Global Opening Line: Pittsburgh   -  17.5  ,  Total  TBA

Third ranked Pittsburgh has left little doubt so far this season that they are a team to be reckoned with.  They have won every game this season by at least 13 points and that could be the case again on Wednesday as they host Siena.  Pittsburgh has the nation’s leading offensive rebounder in DeJuan Blair and he has set up a lot of easy shots for Sam Young.  Overall, the Panthers are ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in field goal percentage.  Pittsburgh is also shooting well from three-point range which makes them even more difficult to defend.  The Panthers hit 14 three-pointers in a rout of Maryland Baltimore County on Saturday. “Usually, we kind of throw it down low, bang it out and grind it out,” said Young, “But we couldn’t really get it down low like we wanted to because they were in a zone. That kind of forced us to shoot the 3 a little bit. We got hot, so we kept it going.”

SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Siena on the Road.

Levance Fields leads the Big East with 6.7 assists per game, and overall the Panthers are 15^th in the country in assists per game. “We did a very good job of being unselfish throughout the game,” Head coach Jamie Dixon said. “I thought we attacked well and had good ball movement against their zone. We were passing well, which made me real happy.”

Siena has won their last three games, mainly with defense.  They force 19.4 turnovers per game which is 18^th in the country. Last week in the win over Marist they forced 26 turnovers. Junior forward Alex Franklin led the way with a season-high 22 points in the 77-60 win.  Siena has three players who score in double-digits per game.  Edwin Ubiles averages 14.8 points per game while Franklin averages 14.1 and guard Kenny Hasbrouck chips in

13.1.

Pittsburgh and Siena have not played since 1990. The Panthers lead the all-time series 2-1. Here are more College Basketball betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Saints are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games. The Saints are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 vs. the Big East. The Saints are 33-16 ATS in their last 49 road games.

The Panthers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games. The Panthers are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Panthers are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games.

SBG Global Current Line: Pittsburgh   -  18  ,  Total  TBA

The Under is 10-2 in the Saints last 12 overall. The Over is 5-1 in the Saints last 6 vs. Big East. The Under is 4-1 in the Saints last 5 non-conference games. The Over is 8-3 in the Panthers last 11 home games. The Over is 12-5 in the Panthers last 17 overall.

Pick: Siena 2 out of 5 units

NBA Betting Preview
New Orleans Hornets (13-7) at Memphis Grizzlies (9-15)
Tuesday, 8:05 pm Eastern

SBG Global Opening Line: Hornets  -  5   ,  Total  192

What looked like an easy win for the New Orleans Hornets earlier this season now looks like a tough game on Tuesday as they face the suddenly sizzling Memphis Grizzlies.  Memphis has won four straight and five of six overall.  They will try and keep their winning streak going against a New Orleans team that has beaten them six straight times. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Hornets on the Road.

Memphis is coming off a 102-86 win over Miami on Sunday as rookie O.J. Mayo scored 28 points. “After we’ve gotten a couple of wins and seen that playing team basketball really gets you wins, guys are really working on it,” said Mike Conley, “Making sure that they’re making the extra pass and guys are getting open looks.”  Mayo has scored in double-digits in every game this season for the Grizzlies.  “As long as we play together, open it up for each other making an extra pass, a screen to get your teammate open, then I feel it makes the game a lot easier for us,” said Mayo.

New Orleans has won four of its last five games including 99-91 in Toronto on Sunday as Chris Paul had 12 points and 12 assists. New Orleans defeated Memphis 106-87 earlier this month.  The Hornets have won the last three games against the Grizzlies by an average of 16.6 points per game. 

Here are the NBA betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Hornets are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite. The Hornets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a road favorite. The Hornets are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 Tuesday games. The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Hornets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Southwest.

The Grizzlies are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home underdog. The Grizzlies are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. the Western Conference. The Grizzlies are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Southwest. The Grizzlies are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Tuesday games. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams.

SBG Global Current Line: Hornets  -  6   ,  Total  192

The Under is 7-1 in the Hornets last 8 road games. The Under is 5-1 in the Hornets last 6 vs. the Southwest. The Under is 4-1 in the Hornets last 5 games as a road favorite. The Under is 6-1 in the Grizzlies last 7 games as a home underdog. The Over is 20-7 in the Grizzlies last 27 Tuesday games.

The Over is 12-5 in the Grizzlies last 17 overall. The Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Memphis between the two teams.

Pick: Hornets/Grizzlies ov 2 out of 5 units

College Basketball Betting Preview
Marquette (8-1) vs. Tennessee (6-2)
Tuesday, 9:30 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Tennessee  -  7   ,  Total  TBA

8^th ranked Tennessee will matchup with 24^th ranked Marquette at Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday night.  The Volunteers will try and bounce back from an 88-72 loss to Temple they suffered on Saturday.  Marquette and Tennessee have met just six times in history with the Golden Eagles holding a 4-2 series edge. SBG Global reports that early College basketball line has the public taking Marquette on the Road.

Marquette enters Tuesday’s game at 8-1. Senior guard Dominic James is leading the squad with an assist-to-turnover ratio that is 16^th best in the country. James is currently averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.  Marquette has been very balanced this season, getting production from Lazar Hayward, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal and James.

Tennessee did not play well on Saturday in the loss against Temple.  They were outrebounded for only the second time all season and scored a season-low 72 points. J.P. Prince, the second-leading scorer for the Vols did not play.  He is questionable for tonight’s game.

Tennessee is 35-41 all-time against the Big East Conference, including a 2-1 mark under head coach Bruce Pearl. The Vols under Bruce Pearl have played five games in the Sommet Center, posting a record of 4-1.  The Volunteer’s bench has outscored the opponent’s bench in all eight games this season.

Tennessee is 26-0 in non-conference home games under Bruce Pearl. Bruce Pearl is 17-9 against ranked teams while at Tennessee.  Here are more College Basketball betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Golden Eagles are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games. The Golden Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the SEC. The Golden Eagles are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Tuesday games.

The Volunteers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a loss. The Volunteers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Big East.

SBG Global Current Line: Tennessee  -  7   ,  Total  TBA

The Over is 4-0 in the Golden Eagles last 4 vs. the SEC. The Over is 41-19-2 in the Golden Eagles last 62 road games. The Under is 6-1 in the Volunteers last 7 vs. the Big East. The Under is 9-4 in the Volunteers last 13 non-conference games.

Pick:  Marquette +7 3units out of 5 units

NFL Betting Preview
Cleveland Browns (4-9) at Philadelphia Eagles (7-5-1)
Monday, 8:35 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Eagles -  14 ,  Total  38.5

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to continue their playoff push as they host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football.  The Eagles proved last week in their win against the Giants that they are still playoff contenders. “Anything can happen in the NFL, so you just have to make sure that you take care of your business and you can’t worry about really anything else,” head coach Andy Reid said.   SBG Global reports that early NFL betting has the public taking Eagles at Home.

The Eagles are not expected to be challenged by a Cleveland team that is already looking for a new coach as Romeo Crennel is expected to be let go at the end of the season. “I can’t be worried about that,” Crennel said, “Rumors and stories, they’re going to be out there. When you lose, that’s what happens. Not only for me but for other people in the league.”  The Browns have averaged only 7 points on offense the last three games and that total doesn’t look to get any better against a tough Eagles defense.  Third string quarterback Ken Dorsey gets another start this week and he can’t be much worse than he was a week ago in a 28-9 loss to Tennessee.

Philadelphia has looked like a different team since Brian Westbrook got healthy.  He had 22 carries for 110 yards two weeks ago and a career-high 33 times for 131 yards against the Giants last week. “We’re in a position now where we have to win them all,” Westbrook said. “We’re going to take them one week at a time but we have to win them all to get into the playoffs.”  The Cleveland run defense ranks 28^th in the league so Westbrook could have another huge day.

Here are the NFL betting stats for Monday’s game. The Browns are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. The Browns are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Browns are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.

The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Monday games. The Eagles are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a win.

SBG Global Current Line: Eagles -  14 ,  Total  39

The Under is 7-1 in the Browns last 8 games in December. The Under is 12-5 in the Browns last 17 games on grass. The Under is 13-6 in the Browns last 19 games overall. The Under is 4-1 in the Eagles last 5 games in December. The Under is 23-7-3 in the Eagles last 33 games as a home favorite. The Under is 13-6-2 in the Eagles last 21 Monday games.

Pick: Under 3 out of 4 units