The AT&T Center could get some long-distance action on Jan 13th as the Portland Trailblazers head to San Antonio to face the Spurs. Portland is a young squad looking to reconstruct as the quick but electric Brandon Roy era officially ended with his retirement in December. Ex – #1 pick Greg Oden has also had continued problems with his knees as Portland seemingly cannot shake the ghost of Sam Bowie. The Spurs look to defend their court with impressive plays from their normal steady lineup. The Spurs are preferred by 8 points and this wants to be an amazing wager.

On Jan 12th, things get hot when the Cleveland Cavaliers come into Phoenix to take on the Suns. Two seasons ago, this could have been an outstanding game with LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire going head up in a collision course. In the age of free agency however, times surely have transformed as this game looks considerably different. Phoenix is preferred by 6 points over the Cleveland Cavaliers and this appears to be a safe wager.

Saturday evening on January 14th, the New York Knicks come into Oklahoma City to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in this major matchup between these 2 teams. It’s a tale of 2 teams as the Oklahoma City Thunder come into play with a stable squad of young guns versus the Knicks who it appears from year upon year often enters into play with a lot of modifications going on. The Knicks are preferred by 4 points and this may hold unless Durant has one of his standard killer games.

The United Center in Chicago will be on edge as the Washington Wizards arrive in town to take on the Bulls. In past years, this game would’ve been the most challenging ticket to get as the 2nd comeback by Michael Jordan turned the Wizards into media darlings all through the league. Jordan is currently long retired however and the Wizards have turned into an excellent young squad with vast quantities of prospective waiting to be utilized. The sportsbook has the Bulls preferred by 8 points which sounds correct and sounds like a great wager with Chicago being rooted on at home.

The Staples Center is going to come alive on January 11th when the Miami Heat takes on the Clippers. The Heat comes in with one of the better records in the NBA bolstered by a great roster of stars. The Heat lead the league as a team in points landed and assists. The sportsbook has the Heat favored by 8 points and with the backcourt they possess, it appears to be a sure wager. Let’s have a closer look at the Heat this year and what they offer.

These two squads have been doing relatively well this year. This should not be a surprise to anyone as these two colleges are well known for their share of wins in basketball for a lot of years. These two squads will be at it out on the court on January 9, when Western Virginia visits Connecticut.

While this specific competition might not have the same energy that its football version does, the Jan 9 – Oklahoma at Oklahoma State game still has its own brand of excitement. With the conference basketball season just under way, both the Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys will attempt to set the tone for the remainder of their season with this game. In Oklahoma’s case, they’ll be seeking to continue what has been a quality start as they ended the non-conference slate with a 10-2 record.

On Jan 8th, postseason ncaa football comes to Mobile, AL when the Arkansas State Red Wolves face the Huskies at the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Both teams arrive in the game with rookie head coaches with the Huskies headed by first-year head coach Dave Doeren. Interim head coach David Gunn who has been the running backs coach all season heads the Red Wolves. Arkansas State has chose Gus Malzahn who will take control after the season ends. The take from the sports book is now Arkansas State (-1 ½) with an over-under set at 63 points.

It is not merely the Division I-A universities receiving face time on ESPN, on January seventh the NCAA Division I-AA Championship game is performed at Pizza Hut Park in Fricso, TX. The North Dakota State Bison face the Sam Houston Bearkats in a fight of the 2 best small colleges in the nation. Both the Bearkats and the Bison have steamrolled their opposition all season long and both are also coming into play with comparable styles on offense. As the defenses are going to get a workout, expect lots of running and lots of 1st downs by each squad. The sports book is having a difficult time with this one as the line presently stands at North Dakota State (-1) with the over-under scheduled at 46.

Birmingham, AL plays host to the Compass Bowl on January 7th with the Pittsburgh Panthers taking on the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The Pitt Panthers come in after the 1-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. After taking the head coaching job at Arizona State, Graham resigned his post on December 14th. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will put on the headset for the Pitt Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU enters into competition with the specter of the “Death Penalty” passed down in the 1980’s still being talked about today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is already in his 4th year on the side lines of SMU. The wagering line has this established at Pittsburgh (-3) with an over-under of 47 points.