Yesterday there were no 81-point individual efforts (Kobe) or 301-point games (Seattle/Phoenix) like last Sunday in the NBA. However, LeBron (Cavs) had 44 and Mike Bibby (Kings) 42, as the players have already put up 55 40-point games in the current NBA season. By comparison, last year there were a total of just 67 40-point games all year. Tonight’s NBA features an eight-game schedule, highlighted by the Clippers at the Heat and the Celtics at the Timberwolves.

My free game for Monday is varsity hoops. Take Villanova over Louisville at 7:00 ET. Tonight in college basketball, I will throw my THIRD 22* play of the season. My 22* plays are my highest star-rated picks and represent my 22nd year in the industry. I don’t usually assign 22* ratings as I’ve only submitted SIX all season on CFB (4-2) and as mentioned above, this is only my THIRD this year on CBB (2-0 start!). In the NBA, I’m following up on my comeback win over the Cavs yesterday, with one of my coveted 15* plays in the NBA tonight!

The Clippers have won five straight (also 5-0 ATS) and will try to get their first six-game winning streak since March 1992, when Larry Brown was the team’s head coach. The Heat have lost big games at home to San Antonio and Phoenix in the last 10 days and could sure use a win over one of the best teams in the West. Wade is still bothered by ankle problems, but he scored 32 points in yesterday’s 101-95 win over Houston. The Heat are favored by 4 1/2 points with a total of 192.

The Celtics and T-wolves completed a seven-player trade last week and will meet tonight in Minnesota. Both teams are 1-1 since the trade, in which Szczerbiak and Olowokandi went to Boston with Davis and Blount to Minnesota. Boston has won FIVE straight at the Target Center, but this year is just 4-17 SU and 8-12-1 ATS on the road. The T-wolves are favored by 6 1/2 points with a total of 184.

Sunday’s college basketball highlights saw Washington lose its 13th straight game at Maples Pavilion, 76-67 in overtime, to Stanford. Chris Hernandez hit three FTs with two-tenths of a second remaining in regulation for the Cardinal and then they outscored the Huskies 13-4 in OT.

Minnesota earned its first Big-10 victory of the season after opening 0-6, crushing No. 13 Indiana. The Gophers, who had shot less than 40% in their six conference losses, made 26 of 51 shots. Indiana, the best 3-point shooting team of the Big 10 (46%), made just 5 of 23 3-pointers!

No. 9 West Va remained the only Big East undefeated in conference play, holding on to beat St John’s, 66-61. The Mountaineers made just ONE FG in the final 11 minutes of the game and nearly blew a 13-point lead in the final three minutes of the game.

While there are no longer any undefeated teams left in college basketball, there is only one team with NO WIN. Morgan State of the MEAC is 0-18 heading into tonight’s game. Coached by former Louisville star Butch Beard, the Golden Bears have followed up last year’s 14-16 season with this year’s DISASTER! However, this could be the ‘night’. Howard (tonight’s opponent), is just 2-14 on the season and enters the contest riding an eight-game losing streak, playing his fourth straight away from home!

Tonight’s college basketball schedule features a 23-game card, but 13 of the games are of the “added” variety. ESPN kicks off the night with No. 22 Louisville at No. 6 Villanova (7:00 ET). The Cardinals are just 2-5 in conference play (averaging just 61.9 PPG), after going 12-1 in non-conference play. Villanova is 7-1 at home this year, losing only to West Va. The Wildcats are favored by 10 1/2 points with a total of 139 1/2. ESPN2 airs the final two games of tonight’s televised tripleheader, featuring Texas Tech at Kansas (9:00 ET) and Hawaii at Utah State (midnight ET).

Texas Tech is just 11-9 this year (averaging 22.5 wins per season in Knight’s first four years at Lubbock) and is just 1-7 SU and ATS on the road this season. Kansas, a very young team, is starting to come together. The Jayhawks have won 10 of their last 12, going 8-3 ATS. Kansas is favored by 13 1/2 points with a total of 140. Hawaii beat Utah State on December 17, 69-59. However, this game is in Logan, where the Aggies are 10-0, winning by an average score of 79-59. The Rainbows are 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS on the road. Utah State, in its first year of WAC play, is a 10-point favorite with a total of 129.

In my countdown to Super Bowl XL, the Steelers are up to four point favorites (still have a few 3 1/2 left) and the total is basically 47 (about 47 1/2). It hardly seems like 39 years ago, when Lombardi’s Packers beat Stram’s Chiefs in Game 1. Back then it wasn’t called the Super Bowl, but the NFL-AFL World Championship Game. It was played at the LA Coliseum, with CBS bringing the game to its NFL audience and NBC to its AFL audience (the first and the last!).

Tickets were only $12 face value and it is unlikely the scalpers were very ‘lucky’ as only 61,946 attended, some 30,000 short of capacity. More to come tomorrow.

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