Tuesday’s 6-pack:
NBA players playing the most minutes……..
40.7 mpg— Tyrese Maxey
37.3— Luka Doncic
36.8— Austin Reaves
36.7— Cade Cunningham
36.4— VJ Edgecombe
36.2— Amen Thompson
Quote of the Day
”Only Lane Kiffin would burn a bridge while still trying to stand on it.”
Unnamed person, summing up the weekend in Mississippi
Tuesday’s quiz
Who was the coach of the New England Patriots, just before Bill Belichick?
Monday’s quiz
Lane Kiffin was once the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, in 2007-08
Sunday’s quiz
Mike Shula was the football coach at Alabama, just before Nick Saban.
*******************************************
Patriots in first half: 35 plays, 259 yards, 23 points.
New England also ran a punt back 94 yards for a TD; they led 30-7 at the half.
Patriots won their last ten games (8-2 ATS).
Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.
Giants in first half: 25 plays, 89 yards, 7 points.
Giants have lost their last seven games (3-3 ATS)
Down 17-7, Giants’ kicker fell down when he was trying a FG. Just fell down, never actually kicked the ball.
Giants also fumbled a kickoff in first half; rough night for their special teams.
— New York Mets signed reliever Devin Williams for three years, $51M. Williams had a career-worst 4.79 ERA over 67 appearances for Bronx last year; he is insurance for the Mets if they do not bring Edwin Diaz back in 2026.
— Kentucky fired football coach Mark Stoops, paid him $37.7M to take a hike, after he went 82-80 in 13 years coaching the Wildcats (4-4 in bowls). They replaced him with Will Stein, the offensive coordinator at Oregon, who grew up in Kentucky.
— NC State-Virginia will play a football game in Brazil next August, the first college football game in South America. The game will be played in a 44,661-seat stadium that helped host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
— Missouri recently became the 40th state to have legalized sports betting.
— Denver Broncos are 10-2, but they’ve been behind in every game; they’re the only team ever to win that many games when they trailed in all of them. Next-best record was the 1978 Houston Oilers, who were 8-4 thru 12 games.
— Famous birthdays, December 2nd:
Steven Bauer, 69
OJ McDuffie, 56
Mark Kotsay, 50
Britney Spears, 44
Aaron Rodgers, 42
Daniela Ruah, 42
Matt McGloin, 36
Brandon Knight, 34
Ashton Jeanty, 22
— NFL divisional trends
AFC East
Underdogs 5-3 ATS divisional games
12-6 ATS non-divisional underdogs
AFC North
Home teams 5-1 ATS divisional games
18-24 ATS non-divisional games
AFC South
Home teams, favorites 5-2 ATS divisional games.
12-8 ATS non-divisional underdogs
AFC West
Home teams 4-1 ATS divisional games
4-10 ATS non-divisional road team
8-15 non-divisional favorite.
NFC East
Home teams 5-2 ATS divisional games
6-11 ATS non-divisional underdogs
NFC North
Favorites 4-2 ATS divisional games
11-9 ATS non-divisional favorite
NFC South
Underdogs 3-1 ATS divisional games
16-20 ATS non-divisional games
NFC West
Home teams 1-5 ATS divisional games
16-7 non-divisional favorites
— Middle Tennessee 76, UAB 61
UAB led by a point at halftime.
Blue Raiders are 3-0 vs teams ranked outside top 100
UAB is shooting 26% on the arc this year. (#345)
— Colorado 78, Cal Baptist 70
8-0 Buffs trailed 23-9 midway thru the first half.
Colorado already has three top 100 wins.
Frosh guard Johnson scored 17 points in 27:00 off the bench.
— Bowling Green 82, Kansas State 66
Underdog Falcons never trailed, shot 12-26 on the arc.
Ugly loss for K-State, which shot 12-22 on foul line, 6-23 on arc.
Wildcats have lost three in a row, giving up 86-86-82 points.
— Villanova 74, Temple 56
Villanova led 29-28 at halftime, in this inner-city rivalry.
Wildcats out-rebounded Temple 43-24.
Villanova is 6-1, but lost their only top 100 game (BYU)
NBA players playing the most minutes……..
40.7 mpg— Tyrese Maxey
37.3— Luka Doncic
36.8— Austin Reaves
36.7— Cade Cunningham
36.4— VJ Edgecombe
36.2— Amen Thompson
Quote of the Day
”Only Lane Kiffin would burn a bridge while still trying to stand on it.”
Unnamed person, summing up the weekend in Mississippi
Tuesday’s quiz
Who was the coach of the New England Patriots, just before Bill Belichick?
Monday’s quiz
Lane Kiffin was once the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, in 2007-08
Sunday’s quiz
Mike Shula was the football coach at Alabama, just before Nick Saban.
*******************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Random stuff on a snowy day……..
— Patriots 33, Giants 15Patriots in first half: 35 plays, 259 yards, 23 points.
New England also ran a punt back 94 yards for a TD; they led 30-7 at the half.
Patriots won their last ten games (8-2 ATS).
Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.
Giants in first half: 25 plays, 89 yards, 7 points.
Giants have lost their last seven games (3-3 ATS)
Down 17-7, Giants’ kicker fell down when he was trying a FG. Just fell down, never actually kicked the ball.
Giants also fumbled a kickoff in first half; rough night for their special teams.
— New York Mets signed reliever Devin Williams for three years, $51M. Williams had a career-worst 4.79 ERA over 67 appearances for Bronx last year; he is insurance for the Mets if they do not bring Edwin Diaz back in 2026.
— Kentucky fired football coach Mark Stoops, paid him $37.7M to take a hike, after he went 82-80 in 13 years coaching the Wildcats (4-4 in bowls). They replaced him with Will Stein, the offensive coordinator at Oregon, who grew up in Kentucky.
— NC State-Virginia will play a football game in Brazil next August, the first college football game in South America. The game will be played in a 44,661-seat stadium that helped host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
— Missouri recently became the 40th state to have legalized sports betting.
— Denver Broncos are 10-2, but they’ve been behind in every game; they’re the only team ever to win that many games when they trailed in all of them. Next-best record was the 1978 Houston Oilers, who were 8-4 thru 12 games.
— Famous birthdays, December 2nd:
Steven Bauer, 69
OJ McDuffie, 56
Mark Kotsay, 50
Britney Spears, 44
Aaron Rodgers, 42
Daniela Ruah, 42
Matt McGloin, 36
Brandon Knight, 34
Ashton Jeanty, 22
— NFL divisional trends
AFC East
Underdogs 5-3 ATS divisional games
12-6 ATS non-divisional underdogs
AFC North
Home teams 5-1 ATS divisional games
18-24 ATS non-divisional games
AFC South
Home teams, favorites 5-2 ATS divisional games.
12-8 ATS non-divisional underdogs
AFC West
Home teams 4-1 ATS divisional games
4-10 ATS non-divisional road team
8-15 non-divisional favorite.
NFC East
Home teams 5-2 ATS divisional games
6-11 ATS non-divisional underdogs
NFC North
Favorites 4-2 ATS divisional games
11-9 ATS non-divisional favorite
NFC South
Underdogs 3-1 ATS divisional games
16-20 ATS non-divisional games
NFC West
Home teams 1-5 ATS divisional games
16-7 non-divisional favorites
— Middle Tennessee 76, UAB 61
UAB led by a point at halftime.
Blue Raiders are 3-0 vs teams ranked outside top 100
UAB is shooting 26% on the arc this year. (#345)
— Colorado 78, Cal Baptist 70
8-0 Buffs trailed 23-9 midway thru the first half.
Colorado already has three top 100 wins.
Frosh guard Johnson scored 17 points in 27:00 off the bench.
— Bowling Green 82, Kansas State 66
Underdog Falcons never trailed, shot 12-26 on the arc.
Ugly loss for K-State, which shot 12-22 on foul line, 6-23 on arc.
Wildcats have lost three in a row, giving up 86-86-82 points.
— Villanova 74, Temple 56
Villanova led 29-28 at halftime, in this inner-city rivalry.
Wildcats out-rebounded Temple 43-24.
Villanova is 6-1, but lost their only top 100 game (BYU)
NFL
Week 14
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Trend Report
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Dallas VS Detroit
Dallas is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas' last 9 games.
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
Dallas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games against Detroit.
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games.
Detroit is 13-7 SU in its last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Detroit's last 12 games against Dallas.
Washington VS Minnesota
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games.
Washington is 0-7 SU in its last 7 games.
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games.
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games against Washington.
Seattle VS Atlanta
Seattle is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games.
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
Seattle is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games against Atlanta.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games.
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Atlanta's last 12 games against Seattle.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games at home.
Pittsburgh VS Baltimore
Pittsburgh is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games.
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
Pittsburgh is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games against Baltimore.
Baltimore is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games.
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Baltimore's last 10 games against Pittsburgh.
Tennessee VS Cleveland
Tennessee is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games.
Tennessee is 0-7 SU in its last 7 games.
Tennessee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games against Cleveland.
Cleveland is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games.
Cleveland is 3-15 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games against Tennessee.
Indianapolis VS Jacksonville
Indianapolis is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games.
Indianapolis is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games against Jacksonville.
Indianapolis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games against Jacksonville.
Indianapolis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road.
Jacksonville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Jacksonville's last 5 games against Indianapolis.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Jacksonville's last 7 games at home.
Jacksonville is 9-0 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Indianapolis.
Miami VS New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games.
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Miami is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games against NY Jets.
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games against NY Jets.
NY Jets is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of NY Jets' last 19 games.
NY Jets is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Jets' last 5 games against Miami.
New Orleans VS Tampa Bay
New Orleans is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Orleans' last 8 games.
New Orleans is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games.
New Orleans is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games against Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games.
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games against New Orleans.
Cincinnati VS Buffalo
Cincinnati is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games.
Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games against Buffalo.
Cincinnati is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games against Buffalo.
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road.
Buffalo is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games.
Buffalo is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games against Cincinnati.
Denver VS Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Denver's last 14 games.
Denver is 9-0 SU in its last 9 games.
Denver is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games against Las Vegas.
Denver is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games against Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Las Vegas' last 18 games.
Las Vegas is 0-6 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Las Vegas' last 18 games against Denver.
Chicago VS Green Bay
Chicago is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games.
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Chicago is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games against Green Bay.
Chicago is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games against Green Bay.
Green Bay is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Green Bay's last 9 games.
Green Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Green Bay's last 6 games at home.
Los Angeles VS Arizona
LA Rams is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Rams' last 7 games.
LA Rams is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
LA Rams is 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games against Arizona.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games.
Arizona is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games.
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Arizona is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against LA Rams.
Houston VS Kansas City
Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games.
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games against Kansas City.
Kansas City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games against Houston.
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Philadelphia VS Los Angeles
Philadelphia is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games.
Philadelphia is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games.
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against LA Chargers.
LA Chargers is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Chargers' last 7 games.
LA Chargers is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Chargers' last 6 games against Philadelphia.
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Week 14
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Trend Report
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Dallas VS Detroit
Dallas is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas' last 9 games.
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
Dallas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games against Detroit.
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games.
Detroit is 13-7 SU in its last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Detroit's last 12 games against Dallas.
Washington VS Minnesota
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games.
Washington is 0-7 SU in its last 7 games.
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games.
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games against Washington.
Seattle VS Atlanta
Seattle is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games.
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
Seattle is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games against Atlanta.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games.
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Atlanta's last 12 games against Seattle.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games at home.
Pittsburgh VS Baltimore
Pittsburgh is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games.
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
Pittsburgh is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games against Baltimore.
Baltimore is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games.
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Baltimore's last 10 games against Pittsburgh.
Tennessee VS Cleveland
Tennessee is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games.
Tennessee is 0-7 SU in its last 7 games.
Tennessee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games against Cleveland.
Cleveland is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games.
Cleveland is 3-15 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games against Tennessee.
Indianapolis VS Jacksonville
Indianapolis is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games.
Indianapolis is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games against Jacksonville.
Indianapolis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games against Jacksonville.
Indianapolis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road.
Jacksonville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Jacksonville's last 5 games against Indianapolis.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Jacksonville's last 7 games at home.
Jacksonville is 9-0 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Indianapolis.
Miami VS New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games.
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Miami is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games against NY Jets.
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games against NY Jets.
NY Jets is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of NY Jets' last 19 games.
NY Jets is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Jets' last 5 games against Miami.
New Orleans VS Tampa Bay
New Orleans is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Orleans' last 8 games.
New Orleans is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games.
New Orleans is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games against Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games.
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games against New Orleans.
Cincinnati VS Buffalo
Cincinnati is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games.
Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games against Buffalo.
Cincinnati is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games against Buffalo.
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road.
Buffalo is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games.
Buffalo is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games against Cincinnati.
Denver VS Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Denver's last 14 games.
Denver is 9-0 SU in its last 9 games.
Denver is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games against Las Vegas.
Denver is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games against Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Las Vegas' last 18 games.
Las Vegas is 0-6 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Las Vegas' last 18 games against Denver.
Chicago VS Green Bay
Chicago is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games.
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Chicago is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games against Green Bay.
Chicago is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games against Green Bay.
Green Bay is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Green Bay's last 9 games.
Green Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Green Bay's last 6 games at home.
Los Angeles VS Arizona
LA Rams is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Rams' last 7 games.
LA Rams is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
LA Rams is 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games against Arizona.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games.
Arizona is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games.
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Arizona is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against LA Rams.
Houston VS Kansas City
Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games.
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games against Kansas City.
Kansas City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games against Houston.
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Philadelphia VS Los Angeles
Philadelphia is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games.
Philadelphia is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games.
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against LA Chargers.
LA Chargers is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Chargers' last 7 games.
LA Chargers is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Chargers' last 6 games against Philadelphia.
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Wednesday’s 6-pack:
If the NFL Draft was held today…….
1) Tennessee
2) NJ Giants
3) New Orleans
4) Las Vegas
5) Cleveland
6) Washington
Quote of the Day
”What this means to everyone who wears a Mets uniform, is that one of our most popular players, a guy that delivers each and every season, if he’s not safe, then no one’s safe..”
Mets TV announcer/former pitcher Ron Darling, talking about the Brandon Nimmo trade
Wednesday’s quiz
Since 1999, Cleveland Browns have started 42 different QB’s; which one of those 42 QB’s started the most games for Cleveland?
Tuesday’s quiz
Pete Carroll was the coach of the New England Patriots, just before Bill Belichick.
Monday’s quiz
Lane Kiffin was once the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, in 2007-08
***********************************************
— USC 82, Oregon 77
Ducks led by 10 late in the first half.
4-4 Oregon lost its last four games, all vs top 100 teams.
8-0 Trojans shot 58.8% inside the arc.
USC is 4-0 in games decided by 5 or fewer points.
— Purdue 81, Rutgers 65
Rutgers is 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 25-5-16 points.
Rutgers is shooting 46.1% inside arc (#307 in country)
Purdue is 8-0, and they’ve played schedule #57 so far.
— Michigan State 71, Iowa 52
8-0 Spartans shot 58.8% inside arc, out-rebounded Iowa 37-18.
Michigan State led 35-21 at halftime.
Spartans have four top 100 wins; they’ve got #26 eFG% defense in country.
— Famous birthdays, December 3rd:
Tom Woodeshick, 84
Wayne Garrett, 78
Julianne Moore, 65
Daryl Hannah, 65
Gene Nelson, 65
Paul Byrd, 55
Lindsey Hunter, 55
James Laurinaitis, 39
Troy Melton, 25
— UConn 61, Kansas 56
Kansas led 33-29 at halftime.
UConn is 7-1, with three top 100 wins (schedule #56)
Jayhawks star freshman (hamstring) missed his 7th straight game.
— Marquette 75, Valparaiso 72 OT
Valparaiso led by 8 with 7:02 left to play.
Marquette was 27-32 on foul line, Valpo 8-12.
Marquette is 5-4 vs schedule #231 (0-4 vs top 100 teams); junior PG Jones missed his sixth game in a row.
ACC-SEC challenge started Tuesday night…….
— Duke 67, Florida 66
Duke hit a 3-pointer with 0:19 left for the win.
Blue Devils led by 15 late in the first half.
Gators out-rebounded Duke, 44-33.
Duke doesn’t play many non-conference road games:
This year: W114-59 @ Army
Dec 6th @ Michigan State
2024-25: W69-55 @ Arizona
2023-24: L75-80 @ Arkansas
2022-23: none
2021-22: L66-71 @ Ohio State
2020-21: none
2019-20: W87-75 @ Michigan State
— North Carolina 67, Kentucky 64
Kentucky led by six with 5:50 left in the game.
Wildcats were 17-22 on foul line, Tar Heels 9-15.
North Carolina had a 41-30 edge on the boards.
— Texas A&M 81, Pittsburgh 73
Pitt led by 4 with 6:23 left in the game.
Aggies are 7-2, forcing turnovers 22.7% of time (#14)
A&M has #43 eFG% in country under new coach McMillan, who went 93-39 the last four years at Samford in the Southern Conference.
— Virginia Tech 86, South Carolina 83 OT
Hokies shot 58.7% inside arc; they had 37-28 edge on boards.
6-8 junior Hansberry had 22 points, 14 rebounds for Tech.
Tech is 7-2, 3-2 vs top 100 teams (schedule #96).
— Syracuse 62, Tennessee 60
4th straight top 20 game for Syracuse, which lost previous three.
Tennessee shot 4-13 on arc, 8-15 on foul line.
6-8 junior Carey scored 22 points in 23:00 off the bench for the Vols.
— Miami 75, Ole Miss 66
Miami had 45-29 edge on boards; they led 42-26 at halftime.
Ole Miss was only 12-40 (30%) inside the arc.
Miami is 7-2; they’ve got #37 eFG% defense.
— Georgia 107, Florida State 73
Dawgs shot 72.5% inside the arc.
8-1 Georgia led 49-30 at halftime.
5-3 Seminoles lost last two games, by 36-34 points.
— Notre Dame 76, Missouri 71
Missouri led by 12 points late in first half.
First loss for 8-1 Mizzou, which had played schedule #364 before this game.
First top 100 win in four tries for Notre Dame.
— Oklahoma 86, Wake Forest 68
Sooners outscored Wake Forest 49-33 in second half.
Oklahoma out-rebounded the Deacons, 42-24.
Oklahoma is off to a 6-2 start, 2-2 vs top 100 teams.
If the NFL Draft was held today…….
1) Tennessee
2) NJ Giants
3) New Orleans
4) Las Vegas
5) Cleveland
6) Washington
Quote of the Day
”What this means to everyone who wears a Mets uniform, is that one of our most popular players, a guy that delivers each and every season, if he’s not safe, then no one’s safe..”
Mets TV announcer/former pitcher Ron Darling, talking about the Brandon Nimmo trade
Wednesday’s quiz
Since 1999, Cleveland Browns have started 42 different QB’s; which one of those 42 QB’s started the most games for Cleveland?
Tuesday’s quiz
Pete Carroll was the coach of the New England Patriots, just before Bill Belichick.
Monday’s quiz
Lane Kiffin was once the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, in 2007-08
***********************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings…….
Conference play started in the Big 18 Tuesday night…….— USC 82, Oregon 77
Ducks led by 10 late in the first half.
4-4 Oregon lost its last four games, all vs top 100 teams.
8-0 Trojans shot 58.8% inside the arc.
USC is 4-0 in games decided by 5 or fewer points.
— Purdue 81, Rutgers 65
Rutgers is 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 25-5-16 points.
Rutgers is shooting 46.1% inside arc (#307 in country)
Purdue is 8-0, and they’ve played schedule #57 so far.
— Michigan State 71, Iowa 52
8-0 Spartans shot 58.8% inside arc, out-rebounded Iowa 37-18.
Michigan State led 35-21 at halftime.
Spartans have four top 100 wins; they’ve got #26 eFG% defense in country.
— Famous birthdays, December 3rd:
Tom Woodeshick, 84
Wayne Garrett, 78
Julianne Moore, 65
Daryl Hannah, 65
Gene Nelson, 65
Paul Byrd, 55
Lindsey Hunter, 55
James Laurinaitis, 39
Troy Melton, 25
— UConn 61, Kansas 56
Kansas led 33-29 at halftime.
UConn is 7-1, with three top 100 wins (schedule #56)
Jayhawks star freshman (hamstring) missed his 7th straight game.
— Marquette 75, Valparaiso 72 OT
Valparaiso led by 8 with 7:02 left to play.
Marquette was 27-32 on foul line, Valpo 8-12.
Marquette is 5-4 vs schedule #231 (0-4 vs top 100 teams); junior PG Jones missed his sixth game in a row.
ACC-SEC challenge started Tuesday night…….
— Duke 67, Florida 66
Duke hit a 3-pointer with 0:19 left for the win.
Blue Devils led by 15 late in the first half.
Gators out-rebounded Duke, 44-33.
Duke doesn’t play many non-conference road games:
This year: W114-59 @ Army
Dec 6th @ Michigan State
2024-25: W69-55 @ Arizona
2023-24: L75-80 @ Arkansas
2022-23: none
2021-22: L66-71 @ Ohio State
2020-21: none
2019-20: W87-75 @ Michigan State
— North Carolina 67, Kentucky 64
Kentucky led by six with 5:50 left in the game.
Wildcats were 17-22 on foul line, Tar Heels 9-15.
North Carolina had a 41-30 edge on the boards.
— Texas A&M 81, Pittsburgh 73
Pitt led by 4 with 6:23 left in the game.
Aggies are 7-2, forcing turnovers 22.7% of time (#14)
A&M has #43 eFG% in country under new coach McMillan, who went 93-39 the last four years at Samford in the Southern Conference.
— Virginia Tech 86, South Carolina 83 OT
Hokies shot 58.7% inside arc; they had 37-28 edge on boards.
6-8 junior Hansberry had 22 points, 14 rebounds for Tech.
Tech is 7-2, 3-2 vs top 100 teams (schedule #96).
— Syracuse 62, Tennessee 60
4th straight top 20 game for Syracuse, which lost previous three.
Tennessee shot 4-13 on arc, 8-15 on foul line.
6-8 junior Carey scored 22 points in 23:00 off the bench for the Vols.
— Miami 75, Ole Miss 66
Miami had 45-29 edge on boards; they led 42-26 at halftime.
Ole Miss was only 12-40 (30%) inside the arc.
Miami is 7-2; they’ve got #37 eFG% defense.
— Georgia 107, Florida State 73
Dawgs shot 72.5% inside the arc.
8-1 Georgia led 49-30 at halftime.
5-3 Seminoles lost last two games, by 36-34 points.
— Notre Dame 76, Missouri 71
Missouri led by 12 points late in first half.
First loss for 8-1 Mizzou, which had played schedule #364 before this game.
First top 100 win in four tries for Notre Dame.
— Oklahoma 86, Wake Forest 68
Sooners outscored Wake Forest 49-33 in second half.
Oklahoma out-rebounded the Deacons, 42-24.
Oklahoma is off to a 6-2 start, 2-2 vs top 100 teams.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Pitchers who induced the highest %age of whiffs last year…….
(Minimum 750 swings)
33.5%- Dylan Cease
32.9%- Logan Gilbert
32.5%- Tarik Skubal
31.5%- Zack Wheeler
31.4%- Hunter Greene
30.8%- Jesus Luzardo
Quote of the Day
“Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time; I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin, but maybe it’s best for him, too.Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach.
You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships, because he’s a great recruiter.”
Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, talking football on his podcast.
Thursday’s quiz
Where did Ben Roethlisberger play his college football?
Wednesday’s quiz
Since 1999, Cleveland Browns have started 42 different QB’s; during that time, Tim Couch/Baker Mayfield (59 starts each) have the most starts for Cleveland.
Tuesday’s quiz
Pete Carroll was the coach of the New England Patriots, just before Bill Belichick.
************************************************
Not all of the podcasts are great, you have to decide that for yourself, but it is good to learn from smart people and I think it helps in making this blog better. Usually if the podcast has BetMGM as a sponsor, that’s a good sign.
That said, there are some podcasts that are comically bad, like a guy sitting in his mom’s basement running his mouth about whatever. You need to avoid those.
— Arkansas 89, Louisville 80
Louisville never led, was 8-37 on the arc.
Arkansas was 27-35 on foul line, Cardinals 14-18
Arkansas is 6-2, 1-2 against top 100 teams.
Coming into this game, Louisville…….
was shooting 37.3% on the arc
was getting 41.2% of their points on 3’s
54.5% of their shots were 3’s
— Minnesota 73, Indiana 64
Gophers snap three-game skid, win Big 18 opener under coach Medved.
Minnesota used only three subs, who played total of only 21:00.
First loss for 7-1 Indiana; it was also their first true road game.
— LSU 78, Boston College 69 OT
LSU played three starters 39:00+.
Tigers are 8-0 vs schedule #294; their last 3 opponents are in top 125.
— Alabama 90, Clemson 84
Alabama led 45-30 at halftime.
Clemson led by 2 with 2:41 left in the game.
Alabama is 6-2 against the toughest schedule in the country so far.
— Furman 97, Elon 88
Elon led by 18 midway thru the first half.
Furman shot 74% inside the arc, scored 1.35 points/possession.
Furman is #24 continuity team; they’re 5-4 vs schedule #88.
— Famous birthdays, December 4th:
Jeff Bridges, 76
Bernard King, 69
Lee Smith, 68
Frank Reich, 64
Stan Gelbaugh, 63
Marisa Tomei, 61
Jeff Blake, 55
Tyra Banks, 52
Blake Snell, 33
Joe Musgrove, 33
Paul Blackburn, 32
Jackson Holliday, 22
— Something I’ve never typed before: Five-star QB Jared Curtis, the #5 recruit in this year’s class, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt. The kid lives in Nashville, but not many elite players choose the Commodores over blue-blood programs like Georgia.
— These schools have hired new football coaches in the last few days:
South Florida hired Ohio State OC Brian Hartline
Kansas State is hiring Texas A&M OC Collin Klein, a former Wildcat QB
North Texas hired Texas assistant Neal Brown; he was 35-16 coaching Troy State, 37.35 at West Virginia.
UCLA is hiring former James Madison coach Bob Chesney, who has a 131-51 career record, coming up thru the small college ranks. He was 20-5 in two years at James Madison.
— Head coaches at BYU, Texas Tech got raises/contract extensions for staying where they are.
— WR Adam Thielen got asked for/got his release from the Vikings, hooked up with the Steelers, as he tries to make the playoffs in his last NFL season. Thielen is 35; Steelers have the #24 passing game in the NFL right now, so they can use the help.
— Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has signed on with the Tampa Bay Rays as senior adviser of baseball operations. Hyde managed Baltimore for six years, going 421-497- they were 0-5 in the playoffs, in 2023/2024.
— Former Orioles’ OF Cedric Mullins signed on with Tampa Bay, for one year, $7M; Mullins was a 30-30 guy back in 2021, but hit under .240 the last three years.
Pitchers who induced the highest %age of whiffs last year…….
(Minimum 750 swings)
33.5%- Dylan Cease
32.9%- Logan Gilbert
32.5%- Tarik Skubal
31.5%- Zack Wheeler
31.4%- Hunter Greene
30.8%- Jesus Luzardo
Quote of the Day
“Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time; I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin, but maybe it’s best for him, too.Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach.
You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships, because he’s a great recruiter.”
Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, talking football on his podcast.
Thursday’s quiz
Where did Ben Roethlisberger play his college football?
Wednesday’s quiz
Since 1999, Cleveland Browns have started 42 different QB’s; during that time, Tim Couch/Baker Mayfield (59 starts each) have the most starts for Cleveland.
Tuesday’s quiz
Pete Carroll was the coach of the New England Patriots, just before Bill Belichick.
************************************************
Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….
— One of the surprising things that has happened the last year or so is the amount of time I spend watching podcasts on YouTube, whether it is college basketball or fantasy baseball.Not all of the podcasts are great, you have to decide that for yourself, but it is good to learn from smart people and I think it helps in making this blog better. Usually if the podcast has BetMGM as a sponsor, that’s a good sign.
That said, there are some podcasts that are comically bad, like a guy sitting in his mom’s basement running his mouth about whatever. You need to avoid those.
— Arkansas 89, Louisville 80
Louisville never led, was 8-37 on the arc.
Arkansas was 27-35 on foul line, Cardinals 14-18
Arkansas is 6-2, 1-2 against top 100 teams.
Coming into this game, Louisville…….
was shooting 37.3% on the arc
was getting 41.2% of their points on 3’s
54.5% of their shots were 3’s
— Minnesota 73, Indiana 64
Gophers snap three-game skid, win Big 18 opener under coach Medved.
Minnesota used only three subs, who played total of only 21:00.
First loss for 7-1 Indiana; it was also their first true road game.
— LSU 78, Boston College 69 OT
LSU played three starters 39:00+.
Tigers are 8-0 vs schedule #294; their last 3 opponents are in top 125.
— Alabama 90, Clemson 84
Alabama led 45-30 at halftime.
Clemson led by 2 with 2:41 left in the game.
Alabama is 6-2 against the toughest schedule in the country so far.
— Furman 97, Elon 88
Elon led by 18 midway thru the first half.
Furman shot 74% inside the arc, scored 1.35 points/possession.
Furman is #24 continuity team; they’re 5-4 vs schedule #88.
— Famous birthdays, December 4th:
Jeff Bridges, 76
Bernard King, 69
Lee Smith, 68
Frank Reich, 64
Stan Gelbaugh, 63
Marisa Tomei, 61
Jeff Blake, 55
Tyra Banks, 52
Blake Snell, 33
Joe Musgrove, 33
Paul Blackburn, 32
Jackson Holliday, 22
— Something I’ve never typed before: Five-star QB Jared Curtis, the #5 recruit in this year’s class, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt. The kid lives in Nashville, but not many elite players choose the Commodores over blue-blood programs like Georgia.
— These schools have hired new football coaches in the last few days:
South Florida hired Ohio State OC Brian Hartline
Kansas State is hiring Texas A&M OC Collin Klein, a former Wildcat QB
North Texas hired Texas assistant Neal Brown; he was 35-16 coaching Troy State, 37.35 at West Virginia.
UCLA is hiring former James Madison coach Bob Chesney, who has a 131-51 career record, coming up thru the small college ranks. He was 20-5 in two years at James Madison.
— Head coaches at BYU, Texas Tech got raises/contract extensions for staying where they are.
— WR Adam Thielen got asked for/got his release from the Vikings, hooked up with the Steelers, as he tries to make the playoffs in his last NFL season. Thielen is 35; Steelers have the #24 passing game in the NFL right now, so they can use the help.
— Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has signed on with the Tampa Bay Rays as senior adviser of baseball operations. Hyde managed Baltimore for six years, going 421-497- they were 0-5 in the playoffs, in 2023/2024.
— Former Orioles’ OF Cedric Mullins signed on with Tampa Bay, for one year, $7M; Mullins was a 30-30 guy back in 2021, but hit under .240 the last three years.
NFL
Weather Report
Thursday, December 4
NFL
Armadillo's Write-up
Week 14
Thursday’s game
Cowboys @ Lions (-3)
Cowboys (6-5-1)
Dallas won its last three games, scoring 33-24-31 points.
Dallas is 5-0-1 scoring 33+ points, 1-5 otherwise.
Dallas is minus-9 in turnovers in losses, +3 in wins.
QB Prescott is 84-56-1 as an NFL starter.
Brian Schottenheimer is 6-5-1 as a head coach.
Cowboys are 6-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Cowboys are 6-4 ATS last 10 games as a road underdog.
Cowboys are 5-7 ATS last 12 games coming off a win.
Under is 3-1 in their last four games.
NFC East teams are 13-6 ATS as a non-divisional underdog.
Lions (7-5)
Detroit is 3-4 in its last seven games, after a 4-1 start.
Lions are 1-5 when they score less than 34 points.
Detroit was held to 13-17-24-9-24 points in its losses.
QB Goff is 92-62-1 as an NFL starter, 50-35-1 with Detroit.
Campbell is 54-42-1 as an NFL head coach.
.
Lions are 17-11 ATS last 28 games as a home favorite.
Lions are 10-1 ATS last 11 games coming off a loss.
Detroit has five wins this year by 13+ points.
Last 11 games, Lions are +6 in turnovers.
NFC North favorites are 11-9 ATS in non-divisional games.
Both teams played on Thursday last week, so normal rest.
Dallas won five of last six series games, but….…
…..Lions (-3) won 47-9 in Dallas last season.
This is Cowboys’ first visit to Detroit since 2019.
Over is 9-2 in last eleven meetings.
Weather Report
Thursday, December 4
NFL
Armadillo's Write-up
Week 14
Thursday’s game
Cowboys @ Lions (-3)
Cowboys (6-5-1)
Dallas won its last three games, scoring 33-24-31 points.
Dallas is 5-0-1 scoring 33+ points, 1-5 otherwise.
Dallas is minus-9 in turnovers in losses, +3 in wins.
QB Prescott is 84-56-1 as an NFL starter.
Brian Schottenheimer is 6-5-1 as a head coach.
Cowboys are 6-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Cowboys are 6-4 ATS last 10 games as a road underdog.
Cowboys are 5-7 ATS last 12 games coming off a win.
Under is 3-1 in their last four games.
NFC East teams are 13-6 ATS as a non-divisional underdog.
Lions (7-5)
Detroit is 3-4 in its last seven games, after a 4-1 start.
Lions are 1-5 when they score less than 34 points.
Detroit was held to 13-17-24-9-24 points in its losses.
QB Goff is 92-62-1 as an NFL starter, 50-35-1 with Detroit.
Campbell is 54-42-1 as an NFL head coach.
.
Lions are 17-11 ATS last 28 games as a home favorite.
Lions are 10-1 ATS last 11 games coming off a loss.
Detroit has five wins this year by 13+ points.
Last 11 games, Lions are +6 in turnovers.
NFC North favorites are 11-9 ATS in non-divisional games.
Both teams played on Thursday last week, so normal rest.
Dallas won five of last six series games, but….…
…..Lions (-3) won 47-9 in Dallas last season.
This is Cowboys’ first visit to Detroit since 2019.
Over is 9-2 in last eleven meetings.
Friday’s 6-pack:
Chris Paul’s career earnings, by team:
$122M— Clippers
$100M— Suns
$60M— Rockets
$44M— Hornets
$36M— Thunder
$31M— Warriors
$11M— Spurs
Quote of the Day
“Obviously it’s a difficult season. It’s probably one of the most difficult seasons just off of the circumstances, having a young quarterback, having a different team, having young players on the team. So it’s just one of those years. Not every year is going to be a top-tier year for me.”
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Friday’s quiz
28 major leaguers have hit 500+ career home runs; of those 28 players, who had the highest batting average?
Thursday’s quiz
Ben Roethlisberger played his college football at Miami OH
Wednesday’s quiz
Since 1999, Cleveland Browns have started 42 different QB’s; during that time, Tim Couch/Baker Mayfield (59 starts each) have the most starts for Cleveland.
****************************************************************
Lions had 11 drives: 5 TD’s, 3-4 on FG’s, 2 punts.
Goff threw for 309 yards and a TD.
Detroit is 11-1 ATS last 12 games coming off a loss.
Last 12 games, Lions are +9 in turnovers.
Lions are 18-11 ATS last 29 games as a home favorite.
Detroit has six wins this year by 13+ points.
Prescott threw for 376 yards, but threw two INTs.
Dallas is 5-0-1 scoring 33+ points, 1-6 scoring less than 33.
Big West started conference play Thursday:
— Cal-Santa Barbara 84, Long Beach State 77 OT
Gauchos were 32-38 on foul line, Long Beach 19-24.
Aidan Mahaney played 40:00, scored 26 points for UCSB.
UCSB is 8-2, but 1-2 vs teams ranked in top 150.
— Cal Poly 94, Fullerton 91
Cal Poly plays #2 tempo in country; they shot 18-37 on the arc.
Peter Bandelj scored 37 points for the Mustangs.
Fullerton’s bench outscored Cal Poly’s subs, 55-18.
— Cal-Irvine 73, Cal-Riverside 60
Both teams shot under 40% inside the arc.
Anteaters shot 10-18 on the arc; unusual for them.
Right now, Irvine has the #4 eFG% defense in the country.
— Cal-Northridge 87, Cal-Bakersfield 66
Matadors shot 65.1% inside the arc- they need to get layups.
Northridge is shooting 27.1% on arc (#335), 66.5% on line (#298)
Roadrunners are 1-5 vs teams ranked in the top 250.
— Robert Morris 80, Green Bay 78
Colonials outscored Green Bay 15-2 over the final 2:53.
Green Bay shot 63.3% inside arc, was 25-31 on foul line.
Robert Morris is off to 7-3 start; they were 26-9 last year.
— Merrimack 68, Rider 66
Merrimack shot 56% inside arc; they’re shooting 45.4% for year (#324)
6-2 frosh Kennedy played all 40:00, scored 19 points.
Merrimack is #363 team in country on defensive boards.
— Famous birthdays, December 5th:
Jeroen Krabbe, 81
Jim Plunkett, 78
Bill Simpson, 74
Babe Laufenberg, 66
Charlie Batch, 51
LeGarrette Blount, 39
— If you had Boston College +7.5 Wednesday night at home vs LSU, you had a very bad beat; game went to overtime, and LSU won by nine, 78-69. Three of BC’s top four scorers were guys who didn’t start.
— Chris Paul is in his 21st season in the NBA, but the LA Clippers sent him home this week and he is no longer on the team, a surprising event. Clippers are 5-16, have lost 14 of their last 16 games.
He’s made $403M in salary in his Hall of Fame career
— San Francisco Giants hired former big league manager Ron Washington as infield coach; Washington had heart bypass surgery this past summer, he is 73 years old. Giants have a new manager this coming year, former Tennessee Vols manager Tony Vitello.
— Some bowl matchups have been set:
Cure Bowl- South Florida vs Old Dominion
Xbox Bowl- Arkansas State vs Missouri State
Hawai’i Bowl- California @ Hawai’i
— James Madison hired former Florida coach Billy Napier as its new football coach; Napier was 40-12 in four years at Louisiana, 22-23 in four years with the Gators- he got fired this year when Florida started the season 3-4.
James Madison is 101-21 since 2016, as they moved up to the I-A level.
— Red Sox-Pirates made a trade Thursday:
Pirates acquired:
OF Jhostynxon Garcia
P Jesus Travieso
Red Sox acquired:
P Johan Oviedo
P Tyler Samaniego
C Adonys Guzman
Chris Paul’s career earnings, by team:
$122M— Clippers
$100M— Suns
$60M— Rockets
$44M— Hornets
$36M— Thunder
$31M— Warriors
$11M— Spurs
Quote of the Day
“Obviously it’s a difficult season. It’s probably one of the most difficult seasons just off of the circumstances, having a young quarterback, having a different team, having young players on the team. So it’s just one of those years. Not every year is going to be a top-tier year for me.”
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Friday’s quiz
28 major leaguers have hit 500+ career home runs; of those 28 players, who had the highest batting average?
Thursday’s quiz
Ben Roethlisberger played his college football at Miami OH
Wednesday’s quiz
Since 1999, Cleveland Browns have started 42 different QB’s; during that time, Tim Couch/Baker Mayfield (59 starts each) have the most starts for Cleveland.
****************************************************************
Friday’s Den: Random stuff, with the weekend here…….
— Lions 44, Cowboys 30Lions had 11 drives: 5 TD’s, 3-4 on FG’s, 2 punts.
Goff threw for 309 yards and a TD.
Detroit is 11-1 ATS last 12 games coming off a loss.
Last 12 games, Lions are +9 in turnovers.
Lions are 18-11 ATS last 29 games as a home favorite.
Detroit has six wins this year by 13+ points.
Prescott threw for 376 yards, but threw two INTs.
Dallas is 5-0-1 scoring 33+ points, 1-6 scoring less than 33.
Big West started conference play Thursday:
— Cal-Santa Barbara 84, Long Beach State 77 OT
Gauchos were 32-38 on foul line, Long Beach 19-24.
Aidan Mahaney played 40:00, scored 26 points for UCSB.
UCSB is 8-2, but 1-2 vs teams ranked in top 150.
— Cal Poly 94, Fullerton 91
Cal Poly plays #2 tempo in country; they shot 18-37 on the arc.
Peter Bandelj scored 37 points for the Mustangs.
Fullerton’s bench outscored Cal Poly’s subs, 55-18.
— Cal-Irvine 73, Cal-Riverside 60
Both teams shot under 40% inside the arc.
Anteaters shot 10-18 on the arc; unusual for them.
Right now, Irvine has the #4 eFG% defense in the country.
— Cal-Northridge 87, Cal-Bakersfield 66
Matadors shot 65.1% inside the arc- they need to get layups.
Northridge is shooting 27.1% on arc (#335), 66.5% on line (#298)
Roadrunners are 1-5 vs teams ranked in the top 250.
— Robert Morris 80, Green Bay 78
Colonials outscored Green Bay 15-2 over the final 2:53.
Green Bay shot 63.3% inside arc, was 25-31 on foul line.
Robert Morris is off to 7-3 start; they were 26-9 last year.
— Merrimack 68, Rider 66
Merrimack shot 56% inside arc; they’re shooting 45.4% for year (#324)
6-2 frosh Kennedy played all 40:00, scored 19 points.
Merrimack is #363 team in country on defensive boards.
— Famous birthdays, December 5th:
Jeroen Krabbe, 81
Jim Plunkett, 78
Bill Simpson, 74
Babe Laufenberg, 66
Charlie Batch, 51
LeGarrette Blount, 39
— If you had Boston College +7.5 Wednesday night at home vs LSU, you had a very bad beat; game went to overtime, and LSU won by nine, 78-69. Three of BC’s top four scorers were guys who didn’t start.
— Chris Paul is in his 21st season in the NBA, but the LA Clippers sent him home this week and he is no longer on the team, a surprising event. Clippers are 5-16, have lost 14 of their last 16 games.
He’s made $403M in salary in his Hall of Fame career
— San Francisco Giants hired former big league manager Ron Washington as infield coach; Washington had heart bypass surgery this past summer, he is 73 years old. Giants have a new manager this coming year, former Tennessee Vols manager Tony Vitello.
— Some bowl matchups have been set:
Cure Bowl- South Florida vs Old Dominion
Xbox Bowl- Arkansas State vs Missouri State
Hawai’i Bowl- California @ Hawai’i
— James Madison hired former Florida coach Billy Napier as its new football coach; Napier was 40-12 in four years at Louisiana, 22-23 in four years with the Gators- he got fired this year when Florida started the season 3-4.
James Madison is 101-21 since 2016, as they moved up to the I-A level.
— Red Sox-Pirates made a trade Thursday:
Pirates acquired:
OF Jhostynxon Garcia
P Jesus Travieso
Red Sox acquired:
P Johan Oviedo
P Tyler Samaniego
C Adonys Guzman
