Will Hillman Be Able to Be Contained? Preview of R+L Carriers Bowl
The Louisiana Superdome will come to life on December 17th when the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl kicks off. The San Diego State Aztecs face the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in a battle for the championship. The Aztecs come into the game with an 8-4 record and a 4-3 record in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs average 29.8 points per game on offense while allowing 24.4 points per game on defense.
The Aztecs are led by senior QB Ryan Lindley (2,740 yards – 52.5 completion pct – 20 td's / 8 int – 122.9 rating). The running game is in great hands with phenom sophomore RB Ronnie Hillman (287 carries – 1,656 yards – 19 td's). Hillman had a 99-yard touchdown run in a losing effort against Wyoming on October 29th. Hillman reminds some watchers of former Aztecs star and newest NFL Hall Of Famer Marshall Faulk who also ran up and down opposing teams in the early 1990's.
The Ragin' Cajuns defense will have their hands full in trying to stifle Ronnie Hillman on the ground. Both defenses will surely get a workout in this shootout of two impressive teams. The two-way threat of Gautier versus the running game of Hillman will be a spectacle. Both teams will work to put a lot of points on the board in this game.
Heat, Grizzlies Come Out Winners in Second Round Game One
The second round of the NBA Playoffs kicked off this weekend with the Grizzlies taking on the Thunder in the Western Conference, and the Celtics taking on the Heat in the East.
Both games were dramatic, and show how peaking at the right time can mean the difference between a lackluster regular season (or one that is just not as spectacular as promised) and an amazing postseason run.
The Grizzlies and Heat both won their games on Sunday afternoon.
Grizzlies Drop Wednesday Night Game to the Spurs
Manu Ginobili scored 17 points on the Memphis Grizzlies to help the San Antonio Spurs even the playoff series out at one game apiece.
It was a close 93-87 victory, and the Spurs were not in control of the lead throughout the entire game, but they came through at the end when it counted the most.
In Game One, the Grizzlies achieved their first ever playoff win by defeating the top seed Spurs, while the third game will be played on Saturday.
March Madness Preview – Butler vs. Old Dominion
With their propensity for killing giants of March Madness, the Butler Bulldogs and the Old Dominion Monarchs game on Thursday afternoon will be one to watch.
No one really expects Butler to repeat their road to the NCAA Championship game this year.
But No. 1 seed Pittsburgh should also be worried about having to face Old Dominion.
How Quickly Can the Bears Destroy Chicago Fans’ Super Bowl Hopes?
As we head into Wildcard Weekend, and the first week of the NFL post season let's take a look at one of the strongest, most consistent teams in the NFC, the leader in fact, in the NFC North, the Chicago Bears. Da Bears! They are coming into the playoffs with a solid 11-5 record from the regular season, although they did finish out Week 17 with a loss at Green Bay, final score 3-10 Packers. Super Bowl odds makers are confident about this year's Bears squad, and if the preseason is any indicator the team will be undervalued in the odds going into post. They were ranked below both the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason, but those who bet on the NFL hopefully didn't stick too closely to those odds as the Bears won the NFC North and the number 2 seed in the NFC playoffs with a first round bye week.
The team right now much resembles the 2006 Super Bowl Bears, with a 21st ranked record in scoring and a second ranked defense for rushed yards with 90.1. Their defense tied for fifth in interceptions with 21 and fumble recoveries at 14. Chicago went 7-2 over its last nine games and the key was their commitment to the running game. QB Jay Cutler threw for 3,274 yards with 23 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He has been outstanding over the last 9 games, and has even taken down the man himself, Michael Vick going 66.7 percent of passes completed with 247 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Cutler has missed the last four playoffs, and claims they were too painful to watch, but this time he is prepping hard for their big home game against the reigning Super Bowl champs the New Orleans Saints on January 16th. When betting on the Super Bowl it may be interesting to know that Jay Cutler actually has less interceptions than Drew Brees who has 22 total. Maybe he is a bit undervalued but there is no doubt that he will be a hard man to predict as he has no experience dealing with the playoff pressure.
This Christmas, the 49ers Take on the Rams
In a struggle of the National Football Conference West, we have the third place 49ers, who have a record of 5-9-0 going into the Holiday weekend, traveling to St. Louis this Sunday, the day after Christmas to face their division rivals, and the squad to beat in the National Football Conference West, the Rams.
Presently holding court at the top of the division, the St Louis Rams go into the Holiday weekend with a 6-8-0 record. The 49ers are in somewhat of a panic as they're coming into that point of the year where it is make it or break it. If Seattle and St. Louis both win this weekend, the 49ers' slim playoff hopes are officially gone. This year has been a mess for the 49ers versus the nfl odds but there's a real chance they're going to win the National Football Conference West. They have to win at St. Louis and beat Arizona next week and then just need Seattle to lose one of their remaining two games. The Seahawks are awful so they most likely will lose at least one game if not both in Football Gambling Lines It's profitable their own games that are the problem for the 49ers. They are not even sure about this week's starting quarterback. That's due to the fact the Seahawks and St Louis Rams encounter off in the final game of the year in Seattle - which means one of them would wind up with 8 victories and the division title in the awful National Football Conference West. Even if San Francisco (5-9) victories at St. Louis next Sunday and home versus the Cardinals on Jan. 2, it may well not be enough. The 49ers need support. There has been lots of supposition that 49ers owner John York and his squad president son, Jed, will be hunting for a new head coach come January. Coach Mike Singletary still has two years left on his deal.
The St Louis Rams are having trouble preparing for this weekend's game however, as the are unsure which Qb to prep for. The 49ers have not indicated which quarterback they're going to start on Sunday. Whilst head coach Mike Singletary said in a press conference that he was unsure of who he was going with, it is possible to be sure that this is entirely untrue. The 49ers have a long week to prepare for the St Louis Rams, as they competed a Thursday game. This means that the coaching staff has had since Friday to prepare. The tape has been evaluated and the 49ers most likely know sometime on Saturday who they were going with. The problem is that Troy Smith and Alex Smith are two pretty different athletes. Both QB's are fantastic with the throw on the run, but their two different styles make it hard for the St Louis Rams to be prepared this coming weekend until the announcement is made.