On Sunday, the long wait will be over as the Seahawks and Broncos face each other in Super Bowl XLVIII. But a day before that, another heavyweight battle, albeit of another sport, will take place when Duke visits the Carrier Dome to play against undefeated Syracuse.
[sc:BettingArticlesShortcoder ]Sports Betting Preview for February 1-2
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NBA – Suns Stun Pacers on the Road
The Suns became just the second team this season to beat the Pacers on the road with a 102-94 victory. Goran Dragic had another explosive game as he scored 28 points and dished out seven assists to lead Phoenix to its fourth straight win.
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The Warriors got impressive performances from Stephen Curry, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut on their way to a 111-92 rout of the visiting Clippers. Curry had 22 points while Lee and Bogut combined for 36 points and 28 boards.
NCAAB – Cincinnati Beat Louisville
The Bearcats held on to their lead late in the game with the help of Sean Kilpatrick’s six free throws to upend the defending champion Louisville, 69-66. Kilpatrick finished with a game-high 28 points.
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NCAAB
Duke Blue Devils vs. Syracuse Orange (February 1, 6:30 PM ET)
The Blue Devils are on a five-game winning streak and they are coming to the Carrier Dome intent on rattling the Orange. Mike Krzyewski’s team could see a significant climb in the AP rankings should they manage to take down Syracuse, a team that is yet to lose.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Most of the attention on Duke will be on freshman phenom Jabari Parker. Parker is Duke’s best player, averaging 18.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG.
As a team, expect the Blue Devils to utilize their perimeter shooting game to counter Syracuse’s tight 2-3 zone defense. They are hitting 10 3-pointers per game in their last five games. The Blue Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
Odds: Duke (TBA) vs. Syracuse (TBA), O/U: TBA
The Orange are staring at an opportunity to set a new program record tonight against the visiting Duke squad. A win over the No. 17 Blue Devils would give Syracuse a 21-0 SU record. That would be the best start ever in Syracuse basketball history and to think that this is their first season in the ACC after leaving the Big East conference.
Syracuse’ last game was a 67-57 win over Wake University on the road. It was the eight straight game in which Jim Boeheim’s team did not allow opponents to score more than 60 points — another testament to the effectiveness of the Orange’s stingy defense.
In the last 10 games, Syracuse is allowing only 53.4 PPG, slightly better than the team’s season average of 57.8 PPG – 5th best in the nation. The Orange are 6-0 ATS in their last six games.
NFL Super Bowl XLVIII
Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos (February 2, 6:30 PM ET)
Defense has been the main weapon for the Seahawks all season long. Seattle has repeatedly shut down opposing offenses with their suffocating pass defense, led by a terrific secondary cast. In the latest display of their paralyzing defense, the Seahawks laid the boom on the 49ers in the NFC conference championship game, where they ganged up Colin Kaepernick and his receivers.
Kaepernick only threw a meager 153 yards in that game with two interceptions, the second one being a result of Richard Sherman’s deflection in the last few seconds of the game.
With respect to offense, Russell Wilson and rushing machine Marshawn Lynch will anchor Seattle’s attack. Wilson appeared to have regained his bearings after a few uncharacteristic performances when he threw for 215 yards on 64% completion against the 49ers.
Lynch, on the other hand, is coming off his fourth career playoff 100+ rushing yard game. The Seahawks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall.
Odds: Seahawks (+2.5) vs. Broncos (-2.5), O/U: 47.5
Perhaps it’s only befitting for Seattle to have its defense put into the ultimate acid test and pass it before claiming the Vince Lombardi trophy.
For the Seahawks, that test would be Denver’s offense. It’s the kind of offense that has been at par with the best in history. Denver’s offense had amassed record-setting figures in the regular season, which includes points per game (37.9), total points (606) total yards, (7,317) and total touchdowns (76).
The maestro of this pitch-perfect offense is Peyton Manning. Manning himself had set mind-blowing records this season. Peyton collected 55 passing TDs and 5,477 passing yards.
With the performance he had during the regular season, it’s no wonder why Denver had four receivers with at least 10 touchdowns. The Broncos are 3-1 ATS in their last four games. They also went Under in all of their last five games.
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