NCAA basketball odds: No. 21 Michigan at No. 3 Michigan State

Michigan State looks like the class of the Big Ten and a Final Four-caliber team, but injuries are crushing the Spartans right now and they will be without their two best big men on Saturday night for their rivalry game with Michigan. Bet on it at WagerWeb.
First off, center Adriean Payne has missed the last four games with a sprained right foot. Tuesday, following the Spartans’ 71-66 win over Indiana, head coach Tom Izzo said that he did not know whether or not his senior forward would be ready to play against the Wolverines (14-4, 6-0). But he’s almost assuredly out with a foot injury.
The news gets worse. Forward Branden Dawson broke a bone in his right hand and will miss 4-5 weeks. Dawson said it happened Thursday when he “slammed” his hand on a table “out of frustration” while watching film. Dawson has played in 18 games this season, starting 14 of them. He is Michigan State’s leading rebounder, averaging 8.7 boards per game. He averages 10.2 points per game, fourth-highest on the team.
The Spartans beat Indiana 71-66 on Tuesday to remain unbeaten in the Big Ten. Gary Harris scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half. Michigan State (18-1, 7-0) has won 11 straight games, extending their best one-loss start in a season in school history.
Michigan somehow still hasn’t lost since star big man Mitch McGary was likely lost for the season. The Wolverines beat No. 10 Iowa 75-67 on Wednesday. Nik Stauskas scored 26 points, and No. 21 Michigan remained unbeaten in the Big Ten. Robinson added 14 points for the Wolverines, and Albrecht shined in his first career start, finishing with seven points, seven assists, four steals and no turnovers. The Wolverines (14-4, 6-0) have won eight straight to set up a showdown in East Lansing.
Michigan not only scored 75 points on Wednesday, but did so efficiently. The Wolverines’ 1.14 points per possession is the second-highest total posted against Iowa this season. Only Notre Dame (1.29) did better in a 98-93 loss on Dec. 3.
Michigan is 14-13 in true road games over the past three seasons, including a 12-10 record in the Big Ten and an 0-2 mark at the Breslin Center. The Wolverines are 40-3 at home over the same stretch. Michigan State is 43-3 at Breslin Center over the last year years, including a 19-2 mark in the Big Ten. The Spartans are 18-9 on the road over the same stretch.
Five of the last eight meetings between Michigan and Michigan State have been decided by seven or less points, including three one-point games. U-M has earned four wins over the last six meetings by an average of 3.3 points per game. MSU won the other two dates by a combined 33.
WagerWeb trends: Wolverines are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. win. Wolverines are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Wolverines are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 Saturday games. Spartans are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games. Spartans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. win. Spartans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Michigan St. Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
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Michigan State looks like the class of the Big Ten and a Final Four-caliber team, but injuries are crushing the Spartans right now and they will be without their two best big men on Saturday night for their rivalry game with Michigan. Bet on it at WagerWeb.

 

First off, center Adriean Payne has missed the last four games with a sprained right foot. Tuesday, following the Spartans’ 71-66 win over Indiana, head coach Tom Izzo said that he did not know whether or not his senior forward would be ready to play against the Wolverines (14-4, 6-0). But he’s almost assuredly out with a foot injury.

 

The news gets worse. Forward Branden Dawson broke a bone in his right hand and will miss 4-5 weeks. Dawson said it happened Thursday when he “slammed” his hand on a table “out of frustration” while watching film. Dawson has played in 18 games this season, starting 14 of them. He is Michigan State’s leading rebounder, averaging 8.7 boards per game. He averages 10.2 points per game, fourth-highest on the team.

 

The Spartans beat Indiana 71-66 on Tuesday to remain unbeaten in the Big Ten. Gary Harris scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half. Michigan State (18-1, 7-0) has won 11 straight games, extending their best one-loss start in a season in school history.

 

Michigan somehow still hasn’t lost since star big man Mitch McGary was likely lost for the season. The Wolverines beat No. 10 Iowa 75-67 on Wednesday. Nik Stauskas scored 26 points, and No. 21 Michigan remained unbeaten in the Big Ten. Robinson added 14 points for the Wolverines, and Albrecht shined in his first career start, finishing with seven points, seven assists, four steals and no turnovers. The Wolverines (14-4, 6-0) have won eight straight to set up a showdown in East Lansing.

 

Michigan not only scored 75 points on Wednesday, but did so efficiently. The Wolverines’ 1.14 points per possession is the second-highest total posted against Iowa this season. Only Notre Dame (1.29) did better in a 98-93 loss on Dec. 3.

 

Michigan is 14-13 in true road games over the past three seasons, including a 12-10 record in the Big Ten and an 0-2 mark at the Breslin Center. The Wolverines are 40-3 at home over the same stretch. Michigan State is 43-3 at Breslin Center over the last year years, including a 19-2 mark in the Big Ten. The Spartans are 18-9 on the road over the same stretch.

 

Five of the last eight meetings between Michigan and Michigan State have been decided by seven or less points, including three one-point games. U-M has earned four wins over the last six meetings by an average of 3.3 points per game. MSU won the other two dates by a combined 33.

 

WagerWeb trends: Wolverines are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. win. Wolverines are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Wolverines are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 Saturday games. Spartans are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games. Spartans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. win. Spartans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Michigan St. Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

Australian Open tennis odds: Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Rafael Nadal

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal can make history on Saturday night USA time when he takes on Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka for the Australian Open title. Nadal is a huge WagerWeb favorite to become the first man in the Open Era to win each of tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments at least twice.
Nadal continued his domination of Roger Federer in the semifinals, creating more distance in their long rivalry with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3 win in the Australian Open semifinals Friday at Rod Laver Arena. Nadal, seeking his second Grand Slam title in Melbourne and his 14th overall, leads the head-to-head with Federer 23-10, including 9-2 at majors.
Despite the strong week by Federer, on Monday he will not be the highest-ranked Swiss player; that will be Wawrinka. It’s the first time Wawrinka will be ranked ahead of Federer; the duo teamed to win gold in doubles at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Nadal missed the 2013 Australian Open during a seven-month layoff for illness and a knee injury, but he returned to win the French and U.S. Opens among his 10 titles for the season and finished the year at No. 1. He won the Australian Open in 2009, beating Federer in the final, and lost in a five-set, 5-hour, 53-minute 2012 final to Novak Djokovic after ousting Federer in the semis. In other years, he’s struggled with injuries — it’s the only Grand Slam tournament he hasn’t won at least twice.
A victory for Nadal on Sunday (in Australia) will tie him with Pete Sampras at 14 Grand Slam titles and make him the first man in the Open era — and only third in history — to win each of the four major titles twice.
Wawrinka is playing his 36th Grand Slam tournament and in his first finals. Wawrinka held his nerve beautifully in a 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) victory over Tomas Berdych on Thursday night in Melbourne. There was only a single break of serve, in the first set by Wawrinka. He converted 1 of 4 break chances, while Berdych was 0-for-1. In the quarterfinals, Wawrinka took down No. 2 seed Djokovic — ending the Serb’s 28-match winning streak and, more importantly, Wawrinka’s 0-for-14 slump against him
Nadal has owned Wawrinka, going 12-0 all time. The last met in the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of last season with Nadal winning 7-6, 7-6. Amazingly, Nadal has never dropped a set to Wawrinka. The two have played in the Aussie Open once, in 2007. Nadal won 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
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World No. 1 Rafael Nadal can make history on Saturday night USA time when he takes on Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka for the Australian Open title. Nadal is a huge WagerWeb favorite to become the first man in the Open Era to win each of tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments at least twice.

Nadal continued his domination of Roger Federer in the semifinals, creating more distance in their long rivalry with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3 win in the Australian Open semifinals Friday at Rod Laver Arena. Nadal, seeking his second Grand Slam title in Melbourne and his 14th overall, leads the head-to-head with Federer 23-10, including 9-2 at majors.

Despite the strong week by Federer, on Monday he will not be the highest-ranked Swiss player; that will be Wawrinka. It’s the first time Wawrinka will be ranked ahead of Federer; the duo teamed to win gold in doubles at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Nadal missed the 2013 Australian Open during a seven-month layoff for illness and a knee injury, but he returned to win the French and U.S. Opens among his 10 titles for the season and finished the year at No. 1. He won the Australian Open in 2009, beating Federer in the final, and lost in a five-set, 5-hour, 53-minute 2012 final to Novak Djokovic after ousting Federer in the semis. In other years, he’s struggled with injuries — it’s the only Grand Slam tournament he hasn’t won at least twice.

A victory for Nadal on Sunday (in Australia) will tie him with Pete Sampras at 14 Grand Slam titles and make him the first man in the Open era — and only third in history — to win each of the four major titles twice.

Wawrinka is playing his 36th Grand Slam tournament and in his first finals. Wawrinka held his nerve beautifully in a 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) victory over Tomas Berdych on Thursday night in Melbourne. There was only a single break of serve, in the first set by Wawrinka. He converted 1 of 4 break chances, while Berdych was 0-for-1. In the quarterfinals, Wawrinka took down No. 2 seed Djokovic — ending the Serb’s 28-match winning streak and, more importantly, Wawrinka’s 0-for-14 slump against him

Nadal has owned Wawrinka, going 12-0 all time. The last met in the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of last season with Nadal winning 7-6, 7-6. Amazingly, Nadal has never dropped a set to Wawrinka. The two have played in the Aussie Open once, in 2007. Nadal won 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

Houston Rockets going to Stick with Omer Asik

We haven't seen Omer Asik on the hardwood since Dec. 2 due to a mysterious thigh injury that, perhaps coincidentally, popped up around the time the Houston Rockets were fielding trade offers for the backup big man. There have been recent reports that he may be ready to return to game action soon, and it appears that the Rockets intend to keep him on their roster well beyond the trade deadline.

General manager Daryl Morey told season-ticket holders as much on Friday.

“We pushed to trade Omer in December. We felt we had to make a fair and aggressive effort to do that. Obviously, he’d prefer to be a starter," he said. "At this point, Omer is very likely going to be here until the end of his contract at the end of next season, not this season. The window to trade him was (in December), and teams weren’t aggressive enough to get him, so we’re excited about him being a part of our future.”

Of course, we all know that public words uttered by a GM less than a month prior to the NBA trade deadline are about as reliable as an Andre Drummond free-throw attempt. Time will tell whether this is a smokescreen, but if the right offer does come along, it would be a surprise if the Rockets pass on it.

NFL News Miami Dolphins front office in Offseason

The Miami Dolphins finally got their (a?) general manager in place Sunday, when they announced the hiring of Dennis Hickey. There had been plenty of rumors about how power would be handled in the front office leading up to his hire, and the Fins laid out their power-sharing plan on Sunday.

"The Dolphins made a point to mention in the release that both Hickey and Philbin will report directly to [owner Stephen] Ross, with none above the other," wrote ESPN Dolphins reporter James Walker, "Miami’s questionable structure has been a hot topic in NFL circles since the firing of former GM Jeff Ireland."

Apparently, not having final say over who the Dolphins' head coach would be was a stumbling block for New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson, each of whom turned down the job this weekend.

"A team source is telling me Caserio, who was highly impressive in his interviews on Friday and Saturday, wanted to become the Dolphins general manager and then start by cleaning house throughout the organization. He wanted to hire a new head coach," wrote Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. "Dawson was willing to keep Philbin for a time -- probably the 2014 season -- but eventually wanted the ability to keep or dismiss Philbin after the season was over. That was the problem both men had with the Dolphins structure. And it was a problem because both men were told by owner Stephen Ross he is completely committed to Philbin as the Dolphins head coach this year and beyond."

Interestingly, Salguero also reported that a "[s]ource close to TB GM Jason Licht tells me new Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey was going to be fired by Bucs -- probably after the draft."

Only time will tell how Ross' front-office approach turns out, but this has been anything but a smooth transition