Courtesy of OddsShark.com: Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Celtics look to beat the Raptors, while the Ravens take on the Patriots, and the Packers try for a playoff win in Arizona.
Colliding on the gridiron . . .
It’s Baltimore (9-7 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) at New England (10-6 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) in the first of the NFL’s two Wild Card matchups on Sunday afternoon. The Ravens got into the playoffs with a 21-13 win in Oakland last week, but they were beaten 27-21 by the Patriots when those teams met in New England back in Week 4 of the season. The Patriots fell 34-27 in Houston in their regular-season finale, and they lost WR Wes Welker for the season with a knee injury. The oddsmakers have set New England as a 3-point favorite for Sunday, with the contest’s total at 43 points.
The late game then has Green Bay (11-5 SU, 11-4-1 ATS) at Arizona (10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS), with the Packers looking to duplicate their 33-7 Week 7 road win against the Cardinals. Aaron Rodgers went 21-of-26 for 235 yards with a TD for Green Bay in that contest, while Kurt Warner threw just six passes for 31 yards before giving the bulk of the work to backup Matt Leinart. Many oddsmakers have listed this game as a pick’em, with the total for the matchup set high at 47 at BetUs.
The best handicapper in the world is the hottest bettor on earth, Joe Duffy’s GodsTips. Missouri, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, UAB, Bulls over makes the Center of the Handicapping Universe 15-2 with Wise Guys. The first of the NFL postseason on Ravens vs. Patriots, plus a Major on the Packers-Cardinals. Now up are two NBA Wise Guys, three in college basketball among 10 winners. Click now to purchase
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
The NBA’s six-game slate for Sunday has New Orleans at Washington, Miami at the Clippers, New Jersey at San Antonio, Cleveland at Portland, Milwaukee at the Lakers, and Boston at Toronto. The Celtics and Raptors just met in Boston back on January 2, with the home team pulling out a 103-96 win. Ray Allen led the way with 23 points for Boston, which was missing each of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo. Chris Bosh had 25 points for Toronto in that loss.
As well, top-ranked Kansas (14-0 SU, 6-5 ATS) gets a test on Sunday when they play on the road against No. 16 Tennessee (11-2 SU, 5-4-1 ATS). The Jayhawks got a scare from Cornell in their last game on Wednesday, as they trailed by three points at halftime before rallying for a 71-66 victory. Other games involving ranked teams on Sunday: No. 21 Temple at Rhode Island, South Florida at No. 7 Syracuse, No. 18 Florida State at Maryland, No. 24 Washington at Arizona, and Virginia Tech at No. 9 North Carolina. The Tar Heels are at 11-4 SU and 4-8 ATS.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, there are just three games on the National Hockey League’s schedule for Sunday, with Ottawa at Carolina, Dallas at Columbus, and Anaheim at Chicago. The Ducks and Blackhawks also met last Sunday in Chicago, with Anaheim falling 5-2. Marian Hossa scored twice for the Blackhawks in that victory, while Patrick Kane picked up a pair of assists and Antti Niemi made 22 saves. Petteri Nokelainen had both goals for the Ducks, who were playing without Ryan Getzlaf.
