The AT&T Center could get some long distance competition on Jan 13th as the Trailblazers head over to San Antonio to battle against the San Antonio Spurs. Portland is a young team trying to build up as the quick but electric Brandon Roy era formally came to a close with his retirement in December. Former #1 pick Greg Oden has furthermore had frequent problems with his knees as Portland seemingly can’t shake the specter of Sam Bowie. The San Antonio Spurs want to defend their court with amazing plays from their regular constant lineup. The San Antonio Spurs are favored by 8 points and this seeks to be an excellent bet.

On January 12th, things heat up when the Cleveland Cavaliers enter into Phoenix to face the Phoenix Suns. A few seasons ago, this might have been an amazing matchup with LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire going head to head in a collision course. In the age of free agency nevertheless, times surely have transformed as this matchup seems dramatically different. Phoenix is favored by 6 points over the Cleveland Cavaliers and this appears to be a safe wager.

Saturday evening on January 14th, the New York Knicks come into Oklahoma City to battle against the Thunder in this huge match between these two squads. It’s a tale of two squads as the Thunder come up with a steady team of young guns versus the Knicks who it appears from year to year often enters into play with a lot of modifications going on. The Knicks are liked by 4 points and this may hold unless Durant has one of his typical killer contests.

The United Center in Chicago will be on edge as the Washington Wizards come into town to battle against the Chicago Bulls. In years past, this matchup would have been the toughest ticket to get as the 2nd comeback by Michael Jordan turned the Wizards into press darlings all through the nba. Jordan is currently long retired nevertheless and the Wizards have become a great young team with vast volumes of prospective waiting to be utilized. The sports book has the Chicago Bulls liked by 8 points which appears correct and appears like a solid wager with Chicago being rooted on at home.

The Staples Center is going to come alive on Jan 11th when the Heat competes with the Clippers. The Heat comes in with one of the better records in the NBA helped by an excellent lineup of stars. The Heat lead the NBA as a squad in points landed and assists. The sports book has the Heat favored by 8 points and with the backcourt they possess, it is apparently a sure bet. Let’s take a closer look at the Heat this year and the things they offer.

These two squads have been doing comparatively well this season. This should not be a surprise to anybody as both of these colleges are well noted for their share of triumphs in basketball for plenty of years. When Western Virginia visits Connecticut these two squads will be at it out on the court on January 9.

Whilst this specific game may not have the same intensity that its football version does, the Jan 9 – Oklahoma at Oklahoma State game still has its own type of anticipation. With the conference basketball season just under way, both the Oklahoma Sooners and Cowboys will try to set the tone for the rest of their season with this game. In Oklahoma’s case, they’ll be trying to continue what has been a solid start as they finished the non-conference slate with a 10-2 record.

On January 8th, postseason college football comes to Mobile, AL when the Red Wolves battle against the Huskies at the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Both squads come up with rookie head coaches with the Northern Illinois Huskies helmed by first-year head coach Dave Doeren. Temporary head coach David Gunn who has been the running backs coach all season heads the Red Wolves. Arkansas State has opted for Gus Malzahn who will take the reins after the season ends. The take from the sports book is Arkansas State (-1 ½) with an over-under established at 63 points.

It’s not simply the Division I-A colleges gaining face time on ESPN, on January seventh the NCAA Division I-AA Championship game is competed at Pizza Hut Park in Fricso, TX. In a struggle of the 2 best small colleges in the country, the Bison battle against the Sam Houston Bearkats. Both the Bearkats and the Bison have steamrolled their rivals all year long and both are furthermore coming into play with comparable styles on offense. Anticipate plenty of running and plenty of first downs by each squad as the defenses are going to get a workout. The sports book is having a difficult time with this one as the line now is currently at North Dakota State (-1) with the over-under established at 46.

Birmingham, AL plays host to the Compass Bowl on January 7th with the Pittsburgh Panthers competing with the Mustangs. The Panthers come in after the one-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. After taking the head coaching job at Arizona State, Graham resigned his post on December 14th. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will put on the headset for the Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU comes into play with the specter of the “Death Penalty” passed down in the 1980′s still being discussed today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is already in his fourth year on the side lines of Southern Methodist University. The gambling line has this established at Pittsburgh (-3) with the over-under of 47 points.