A complete preview from the standpoint of bettors is up for both the day card and the night betting card. All the big games in the Big East Tournament, ACC Tournament previews, SEC, Big 12, Conference USA and more are up as are college basketball odds for all the contests.
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The limping Celtics get a visit from the Grizzlies, while the big guns of the ACC begin their quest for a conference crown.
The march toward Madness . . .
Some of the country’s top teams will finally hit the hardwood in college hoops’ conference tournaments on Friday night, including the big guns in the ACC. No. 1 North Carolina, No. 8 Wake Forest, No. 9 Duke, and No. 22 Florida State will also see their first postseason action at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, with matchups finalized late on Thursday evening and games tipping off all throughout Friday.
No. 7 Michigan State will also get back on the floor on Friday afternoon as they begin their Big Ten tournament, as will No. 24 Purdue. As well, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn begin their trek through the SEC tournament at Tampa’s St. Pete Times Forum. Meanwhile, the Big 12, Big East, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pacific-10, and Atlantic-10 conferences will all stage their semi-finals on Friday, with each of those tournaments finishing off on Saturday.
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Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
The Celtics will play host to the Grizzlies in one of 11 games on the NBA’s schedule for Friday night. Boston guard Rajon Rondo (ankle) and forward Glen Davis (ankle) have already been ruled out for that matchup, as the team looks to shake off their 107-99 loss to Miami on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies are coming off a loss as well – they were pounded 104-79 by Minnesota Wednesday.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers will be looking to pick up an easy win in Sacramento on Friday night, while Dwight Howard and the Magic will be in Washington to take on the lowly Wizards. Rounding out the schedule: Houston at Charlotte, Detroit at Toronto, Chicago at Philadelphia, Indiana at Atlanta, New York at Minnesota, Dallas at Golden State, New Jersey at Portland, and New Orleans at Milwaukee. The Hornets beat Washington 109-98 Wednesday night.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
The National Hockey League offers up just a pair of contests on a Friday night dominated by pro and college hoops. The first game features a couple of Central Division rivals, as the Blue Jackets travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. Those teams have met just twice so far this season, with Chicago coming out on top both times – a 3-1 home win in December, and a 4-3 road win in November.
The late game is then a west-coast matchup between the Kings and Canucks in Vancouver. Those two clubs just met on the ice on Monday night, with Los Angeles pulling out a 3-2 victory at home. Jarret Stoll scored twice for the Kings in that game, while Jon Quick stopped 20 of 22 Vancouver shots. Alex Burrows and Taylor Pyatt provided markers for Vancouver in the losing cause on Monday.
Rounding out the Roundup . . .
The World Baseball Classic doesn’t begin its second-round games until Saturday afternoon, which means Friday’s diamond action is limited to the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues. The Yankees will take on the rival Red Sox in the top matchup on that slate, with New York still reeling from the news that third baseman Alex Rodriguez will be out until May after undergoing hip surgery. The Vegas oddsmakers still have New York at 11/4 to win the World Series this year, although that could drop if they struggle early. The BoSox are sitting at 15/2 odds.