Bowl Previews: Poinsettia and Beef ‘O’ Brady’s
Published on Thursday, 12/20/12, at 1:23 p.m. Eastern.
Updated on Tuesday, 12/25/12, at 5:40 p.m. Eastern
By Brian Edwards
–We have bowl games tonight and tomorrow night. Let’s start with the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, where BYU is a 3 to 3.5-point favorite versus San Diego St. The total is in the 47-48 range. Check out my in-depth preview here at VegasInsider.com. For my pick, go here.
–On Friday, Ball St. and Central Florida will collide at The Trop in St. Pete. Most spots have the Knights favored by seven with a total of 61.5 or 62. Again, you can check out my breakdown of the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl on VI.
–LSU punter Brad Wing has been suspended for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs. Clemson. Also, a report out of Baton Rouge indicated Wing may turn pro early. Normally the absence of a punter wouldn’t be breaking news, but Wing is a difference maker from the position. His booming punts are a work of art and he’ll undoubtedly be a factor in the NFL next season if reports of his leaving LSU prove to be accurate. Wing will always be remembered as the first college player to have a touchdown called back for taunting before getting into the end zone. He high-stepped his way to paydirt vs. Florida last year and became the first victim of the new rule that was instituted prior to the 2011 campaign.
–The ‘chalk’ went either 8-2 ATS or 8-1-1 last night in the NBA. The lone underdog to cover was the Kings (+3) in their home win over Golden St. The game in question for whether it was a loss or push for those backing the favorite was Orlando in its seven-point win over Washington as either a 7 or 7.5-point ‘chalk.’
–U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp heard arguments from both sides Tuesday in the lawsuit filed by the four pro leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB) and the NCAA against New Jersey and Governor Chris Christie. The NCAA in conjunction with the pro sports is trying to halt the licensing process for New Jersey to allow its 12 casinos in Atlantic City and its four horse tracks around the state to offer sports betting. Back in August, Christie announced that the state would bypass the federal law outlawing sports gambling and the leagues countered with this lawsuit. Shipp will issue a written ruling on Friday. If he sides with the state of New Jersey, then Christie plans to begin issuing licenses on Jan. 9. However, the Dept. of Justice has yet to weigh in on the issue, so don’t book your next trip to AC confidently thinking you’ll be able to make sports wagers for certain. But if Shipp does side with N.J., it might not be too long and it could open up a can of worms of many other states, most notably California. We’ll be paying close attention. UPDATE: Judge Shipp ruled in favor of the leagues that they can pursue charges against New Jersey.
–Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports reported last night that Texas guard Myck Kabongo will miss the rest of the season for lying to NCAA investigators. Kabongo 9.6 points, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals for the Longhorns last season. Correction: Kabongo’s suspension has been reduced to 23 total games.
–Another factoid from Forde in a separate article grading the coaching hires. Forde hits Tennessee football fans with this depressing nugget: Tennessee has been in the AP Top 25 for a total of two weeks in the last five years. Ouch!
–I tweeted a similar sentiment late Tuesday night when the word got out: GREAT hire by Barry Alvarez in plucking Gary Andersen from Utah St.! I’ve been a huge fan of Andersen since he nearly led the Aggies to a season-opening upset win at Auburn in 2011. At the time, the Tigers were the defending national champions. Andersen obviously made an impression on Alvarez when Utah St. lost a 16-14 decision to Wisconsin at Camp Randall in September. The Aggies missed a chip-shot field goal on the game’s final play, allowing the Badgers to capture a fortunate victory.
–Will Chuckie Keeton consider following Andersen to Utah St.? My guess is no and that’s because Andersen is a class act and I don’t believe he would want to take his former team’s QB with two years of eligibility remaining. How classy is Andersen? He spent hours Tuesday night (until 2:30 a.m.!) calling each and every player and assistant involved with the Utah St. program. The guess here is that Bobby Petrino won’t do the same when he bolts Western Ky. for another job in the next 1-2 years.
