[LLXC]

RECOMMENDED
*MARYLAND over FLORIDA ATLANTIC by 29
You might find some Dominican Little Leaguers older than many on FAU’s roster. The Owls start four freshmen so it’s no surprise that they give up close to 80 ppg. Bad timing for a trip to College Park, ’cause Terp guard Vasquez is finding his game and stabilizing forward Dino Gregory is back. MARYLAND, 93-64.

[LLXC]

RECOMMENDED
*TORONTO over DETROIT by 13
They aren’t exactly setting the world on fire, but Toronto has at least managed to cobble together a .500 mark in December after an underwhelming November. While these two teams tangoed in Detroit on Wednesday, the Raptors have the advantage because of our favorite scheduling quirk – the Sunday noon game in Toronto. TORONTO 104-91

[LLXC]

BEST BET
*CINCINNATI over KANSAS CITY by 25
Last week was an emotional one for the Bengals, as Chris Henry’s sudden death imbued their game against San Diego with an emotional element that could not have been fore- seen prior to the week’s events. Ultimately, the emotion didn’t translate into a win, but the Bengals put forth a valiant effort against the NFL’s hottest team. Now Cincinnati sits at 9- 5, one game ahead of the surging Ravens, and the public screams are all about how the Bengals are in danger of missing the playoffs. Really? Cincinnati finishes the season against Kansas City and the Jets, while the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh and Oakland. And there’s also the matter of that 6-0 AFC North record that’s going to come in handy in case of any ties. Truth be told, there’s very little chance that the Bengals don’t make the playoffs – will they get past the first round? That’s a question for another issue, but look for the play- off-bound Bungles to eliminate all doubt by taking out their frustrations against the Chiefs this weekend, who fold like a cheap paper suit against any team resembling a playoff con- tender. CINCINNATI, 42-17.

BEST BET
BUFFALO over *ATLANTA by 3
Neither side has much to play for and of the two coaching staffs, Atlanta’s is the group assured of sticking around for next season. With the Falcons off a win as an underdog, and the Bills off a 13th straight loss to the Patriots, Buffalo might come in with a better mind- set, and they most certainly will avoid falling into the trap of playing “not to lose,” which was the reason for predicting the very predictable loss by the NY Jets to these Falcons last Sunday. A stranger with a point-spread cushion and some big-play ability with Owens and Evans – in a dome, not outdoors near a Great Lake, (which proves that ownership and man- agement have no idea how to build a team) -- should probably be respected against an Atlanta secondary playing some back-ups who enjoyed being on the field against a Jets offense that was afraid to lose last Sunday with a rookie running the show. The Bills are not afraid to lose, so they will play to win. The defense’s Tampa-2 style limits deep completions by Matt Ryan – not 100% healthy – and is also facing a banged-up Falcons’ running back posse. Buffalo has already beaten the other two NFC South also-rans by 13 and 11 points. BUFFALO, 26-23.

RECOMMENDED
DENVER over *PHILADELPHIA by 2
Last week’s victory over the 49ers essentially clinched the NFC East for the Eagles, and with little hope of moving into the top two stops held by New Orleans and Minnesota, it’s likely that Philadelphia doesn’t expend too much energy over the last two weeks of the sea- son. Denver is still fighting for their playoff lives, currently sitting in the sixth seed of the AFC but with extremely little margin for error. There are six teams chasing Denver, and the best way to ensure success is to control your own destiny and win out. Look for the Broncos coaching staff to attack the Eagles through the air, as Philly’s secondary has been incon- sistent for most of the year. Brandon Marshall poses match-up nightmares for any corner- back, and his battle against Asante Samuel in this game will be one of the more intriguing match-ups. Denver’s biggest weakness on defense is their run defense, but Philly’s reluc- tance to run the ball plays right into Denver’s strengths in pass defense. Denver will live to fight another week, thanks to circumstances and the right match-ups. DENVER, 19-17.

RECOMMENDED
NY JETS over *INDIANAPOLIS by 1
When Rex Ryan was defensive coordinator at Baltimore, the Ravens were 0-5 SU and ATS against the Colts. Guys you’ve never heard of – like Atlanta defensive backs Brent Grimes, Thomas DeCoud – are now picking off Jets’ rookie quarterback Mark Interception Sanchez. The Burger King is way overdue to streak down the sidelines and take a Pick Six to the house against him. The Jets are just about hopeless for the post-season. At 7-7 SU, they need a Christmas miracle. But because the pressure if off New York, and the Colts have no real urgency to win despite their unbeaten status and chasing the dopey, cliched “magical” season that straight-up softies love to talk about, the Jets should be in this ballgame from start to almost finish. The “almost finish” is typically the point where those Jetsies leave their fans needing something they can’t give them for full game satisfaction. This Jets team can rush for 300 yards, “win” time of possession in the 38-22 minute range against Indy’s relaxed defense and still find a way to keep the SU outcome in doubt. It doesn’t have to happen via Sanchez interceptions. In fact, the kid faced plenty of NFL-like Cover-2 – the Colts’ pet coverage package -- in the Pac 10 against Cal, Arizona and UCLA, with a decent 5-2 TD-INT ratio in those games last season. NT JETS, 15-14.

[goldengreek]

CLEMSON over KENTUCKY by 10
In this cat fight, both teams will look to run the football against defenses that were just soso
defending the rush. Of the two teams, Clemson’s D is certainly the stronger against the
ground attack – plus – the Tiger offense is better equipped to go to the air when needed.
They’ll be aided by the fact that the Wildcats’ best defensive player, LB Maxwell (80 tackles,
6 picks) is out with a shoulder injury. That will open up the middle a bit for All-ACC tight end
Palmer, one of QB Parker’s favorite targets. Although he won’t start, Kentucky will play QB
Hartline – the season’s starter who is certainly the best passer on the roster. Trouble with
Hartline is that he’s a statue back there and the nation’s #13 ranked team in sacks will pin
their collective ears back when he’s in the game. The theme of this game is that Clemson
simply has better players. Look at the stat sheet in Kentucky’s last two games – a comeback
win over UGA and an OT loss to Tennessee. That’s respectable vs. those two teams. But they
were dominated on paper with the opponent making a few critical errors that kept the ’Cats
in the game. After losing to Kentucky by 8 as 10-point favorites in 2006, don’t expect
Clemson to be so generous. “Things should be very different”, said Tiger C.J. Spiller when
asked about the 2006 contest. We think so, too. CLEMSON, 30-20.