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