| In Monday's NBA, the 76ers went over 15 | | | | doubleheader features Duke at North Carolina. |
| minutes without a FG (0-for-19) in the second | | | | Carolina is back in the top-25 after a |
| half and lost to Houston, 87-81. The Rockets | | | | two-week absence but has already lost three |
| are now 13-6 when both Ming and McGrady are | | | | times at home this year to Illinois, |
| in the lineup and could make a late-season | | | | Miami-Fla and Boston College. Duke is off two |
| run at the playoffs. New Jersey won its 11th | | | | "close calls", edging BC 83-81 on the road |
| straight home game (8-3 ATS) by beating the | | | | and Florida State 97-96 in OT at home.Duke is |
| Hornets 99-91 and the Bobcats made it two | | | | led by all-Americans JJ Redick (28.2 PPG) and |
| straight wins (following 13 straight | | | | Shelden Williams (18.4-9.9), while Carolina, |
| losses!), in a 119-106 win over the Sonics. | | | | after losing four players from last year's |
| Golden State beat Denver 122-114, giving the | | | | national championship team to the NBA draft |
| Warriors their sixth straight pointspread win | | | | lottery (and incredible 81.4 PPG!), is led by |
| and handing the Nuggets their eighth straight | | | | four freshman. The 6-9 Tyler Hansbrough |
| ATS loss!My free play is in college hoops, | | | | (17.8-7.6) is the best of the group. Duke is |
| Virginia over Maryland at 7:00 ET. In | | | | favored by five points with a total of |
| Tuesday's NBA, I look to follow my Eastern | | | | 155.Super Bowl recap Part 1 (the |
| Conference GOW winner last night on | | | | teams)Pittsburgh finally won its "one for the |
| Washington (94-82), with my Western | | | | thumb." The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1) joined |
| Conference GOW winner. In college hoops, it's | | | | the San Francisco 49ers (5-0) and the Dallas |
| one of my exclusive Las Vegas Insider Plays, | | | | Cowboys (5-3) as the only five-time winners |
| already off to a 2-0 start in February. Get | | | | in Super Bowl history, with their win over |
| them BOTH, right now!Tuesday's action is | | | | the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Pittsburgh had |
| highlighted by Detroit going for its 40th win | | | | won FOUR Super Bowl rings in a six-year span |
| of the season in a game at Atlanta (7:05 ET). | | | | (from Super Bowls IX through XIV) and the |
| The Pistons lost their last game and have yet | | | | 26-year gap between Super Bowls wins is the |
| to lose back-to-back games this season. | | | | second-longest behind Green Bay's 29-year |
| Atlanta is just 14-32 this year but the team | | | | span between wins is Super II and Super Bowl |
| won just 13 games all of last year. Detroit | | | | XXXI.Of course everyone knows that the |
| is favored by 10 points with a total of | | | | Steelers became the fifth wild card team to |
| 191.The Clippers will try to move 12 games | | | | win (including the 1969 KC Chiefs as a wild |
| over .500 for the first time since the club | | | | card team) and the first-ever No. 6 seed to |
| has been in California, when they visit the | | | | win (NFL began its 12-team playoff format in |
| New York Knicks (7:35 ET). The Clipps have | | | | 1990). However, what I find even more |
| won eight of nine while outscoring opponents | | | | impressive, is that Pittsburgh won a Super |
| by 11.9 PPG, while the Knicks have dropped | | | | Bowl title the year AFTER it finished with |
| five straight and 11 of 12. LA is favored by | | | | the league's best record!The Steelers were an |
| seven points with a total of 197 1/2.Dallas | | | | NFL-best 15-1 in 2004 but lost to New England |
| tries for its 12th straight win tonight | | | | in last year's AFC Championship Game. Knowing |
| versus the Lakers (8:35 ET), which would be | | | | that teams which lose in the Super Bowl have |
| an NBA season-high (Detroit has also won 11 | | | | struggled the next season as of late (more on |
| straight this season). The team has held all | | | | that later), I went back to 1990 and checked |
| 11 of its opponents to less than 100 points | | | | on how teams which finished with the best |
| in the winning streak (allowing an average of | | | | regular season record but failed win the |
| just 87.5 PPG), a franchise record.After | | | | Super Bowl that same year, did in the |
| going 9-6 in January with Kobe averaging 43.4 | | | | following season?The results show that the |
| PPG, LA is 0-2 in February and has opened its | | | | 2005 Steelers join only the 1997 Denvner |
| seven-game road trip 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS (0-3 | | | | Broncos, as teams to have won the Super Bowl, |
| SU and ATS the last three). Odom and Mihm | | | | the year AFTER finishing with the league's |
| will most likely miss again tonight, leaving | | | | best record (or tied for the best) and NOT |
| the already thin Lakers, even more so. | | | | winning the title. The Broncos finished the |
| However, the Lakers have beaten the Mavericks | | | | 1996 season at 13-3, tied with Green Bay for |
| in both meetings this year. The Mavs (9-2 ATS | | | | the NFL's best record that season, but while |
| during their winning streak) are favored by | | | | the Packers went on to win the Super Bowl |
| 10 1/2 points with a total of 199.Gonzaga | | | | that year, the Broncos were upset in their |
| edged St Mary's last night 62-61, giving the | | | | first playoff game of 1996 (at home by the |
| Bulldogs a school-record 35th consecutive | | | | Jaguars who were 14-point underdogs), |
| home win. It's also the longest current home | | | | 30-27.However, the Broncos came back to go |
| winning streak in the nation and the team's | | | | 12-4 in 1997 and as a wild card and the AFC's |
| 10 straight overall wins, ties them with | | | | No. 4 seed, went on to capture their |
| George Washington and Memphis for the | | | | first-ever Super Bowl, by beating the Packers |
| nation's longest current winning streak. | | | | in Super Bowl XXXII, 31-24. In all, 13 teams |
| Gonzaga's win gave them a 9-0 record in the | | | | (since 1990) have finished a season with the |
| WCC, leaving them as just one of >SEVEN | | | | league's best regular season record (or tied) |
| schools still unbeaten in conference | | | | and NOT won the Super Bowl that year. Only |
| play.Monday was a good night for 'losers', as | | | | the Denver Broncos of 1996 and the Pittsburgh |
| both James Madison (CAA) and Idaho (WAC) won | | | | Steelers of 2004, have gone on to win the |
| their first conference games of the year last | | | | Super Bowl the following seasons. Denver in |
| night. The Dukes won at home over Delaware | | | | 1997 and Pittsburgh in 2005!That leads me to |
| (74-64) and the Vandals also won on their | | | | Sunday's Super Bowl-loser, the Seattle |
| home court, 72-61 over Fresno State. That | | | | Seahawks. Of the league's 32 current |
| leaves just FIVE schools winless in | | | | franchises, 17 have won Super Bowl titles. |
| conference play, one of which (The Citadel), | | | | Four pre-1980 franchises have never even made |
| is playing tonight.Bigger games of note for | | | | the Super Bowl, the Arizona Cardinals, |
| Tuesday are the ESPN doubleheader, opening | | | | Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and the New |
| with No. 11 Tennessee at Kentucky (7:00 ET), | | | | Orleans Saints. The Jacksonville Jaguars |
| followed by No.2 Duke at No. 23 North | | | | (1995) and the Houston Texans (2002) have |
| Carolina (9:00 ET). On ESPN2 at 7:30 ET, No. | | | | also never made the "ultimate" game.Seattle, |
| 4 Villanova plays St Joseph's at The Palestra | | | | making its first Super Bowl appearance in its |
| (in a Big Five battle). No. 25 Northern Iowa | | | | 30-year history, now joins EIGHT other |
| remained ranked this week (first time in the | | | | franchises that have made the 'trip' but not |
| school's 106-year history!), despite losing | | | | won. Of course the Buffalo Bills and the |
| last week to Creighton.The Panthers host | | | | Minnesota Vikings 'head' this list with FOUR |
| Wichita State tonight (9:00 ET) and the 19-5 | | | | Super Bowl appearances each, but ZERO |
| Shockers (going for their third straight | | | | wins!Will Seattle now be tested in 2006, by |
| 20-win season!) are in a three-way | | | | the 'curse' suffered by recent Super Bowl |
| first-place tie with the Panthers and Blue | | | | losers? Tennessee lost in Super Bowl XXXIV to |
| Jays (Creighton) in the MVC at 10-3. No. Iowa | | | | St Louis but came back in the 2000 season to |
| is favored by six points with a total of 124 | | | | finish with an NFL-best 13-3 record. The |
| 1/2.Tennessee/Kentucky is the second-most | | | | Titans did lose their first playoff game that |
| played rivalry in SEC history, with the | | | | year but they are also the last Super Bowl |
| Wildcats leading the all-time series, 137-62. | | | | loser to post a winning record the following |
| However, while the Vols have lost six | | | | season!The last FIVE Super Bowl losers have |
| straight in Lexington, they are the ranked | | | | gone a combined 31-49 the following seasons, |
| team this year (16-3), while the Wildcats are | | | | for a winning percentage of .388. The teams' |
| just 15-7, having already lost FOUR games in | | | | combined ATS records have been even worse, as |
| Rupp Arena this year. Kentucky is the | | | | they stand 27-50-3, or a winning percentage |
| favorite though, by 2 1/2 points (total is | | | | of just .351!My Super Bowl recap Part 2 |
| 152). No. 4 Villanova (17-2) and 10-9 St | | | | covers coaches Cowher and Holmgren, |
| Joe's are both 3-0 this year over fellow Big | | | | tomorrow.Ness Notes is available Monday |
| Five members La Salle, Penn and Temple but | | | | through Friday by 1:00 ET and by 9:00 ET on |
| these teams are hardly equal, as the Wildcats | | | | Saturday and Sunday.Larry Ness is a |
| enter this game favored by 7 1/2 points with | | | | documented member of the Professional |
| a total of 133 1/2.The nightcap of the ESPN | | | | Handicappers League. |