“That’s great,” Nash said on Friday. “You love it when your best player has that confidence and that challenge. In a way, he’s put it out for us to go get now.”

Bryant said in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he is certain the struggling Lakers will make the playoffs. The 15-time All-Star also claimed he has “no fear” of any potential postseason opponent in the competitive Western Conference.

“It’s not a question of if we make the playoffs. We will,” Bryant told Sports Illustrated. “And when we get there, I have no fear of anyone — Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver … whoever. I have zero nervousness about that.”

When Nash was asked if he would like to offer a similar guarantee, he laughed.

“Yeah, I guarantee it, too,” Nash said with smile. “What does it mean? Everyone guarantees something at some stage and everyone forgets. I feel the whole guarantee thing is … I don’t know. If I went and guaranteed it would you guys care?”

D’Antoni said he wasn’t big on guarantees but didn’t mind Bryant making one, given the role he will play in making it a reality.

“He has a lot to say about it, so that’s good,” D’Antoni said. “I don’t mind as long as we back it up. I don’t mind at all. I think you have to have that mindset and I think everybody does. I’m not a guarantee kind of guy but I’ll let him do the talking since he’s got to do the walking. Kobe’s good enough. I’m with him all the way.”

Howard echoed Bryant’s sentiments in believing the Lakers will be able to turn around their season and make the playoffs.

“I’m not going to sit up here and say, ‘No, we’re not going to make it,’ ” Howard said. “We got to have faith and if we don’t, we’re not going to make it but I believe that we’re going to turn this around and we’re going to be great.”

The Lakers (26-29) have won six of their last nine games, including Wednesday’s 113-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. Despite the recent hot streak, Los Angeles trails the Houston Rockets by 3½ games for the eighth spot in the conference standings.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak thought Bryant’s confidence was “great,” but recognized it would be an uphill climb.

“We dug a hole for ourselves. And we’re going to need some help from teams that are in front of us. And we’re going to have to play really good basketball ourselves,” Kupchak said in an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “But if we do get into the playoffs, that does mean that we’re playing good basketball. And at that point, I’m very comfortable in a seven-game series with anybody, even if we get in at number eight. I love Kobe’s confidence and his vision for this team for the next three or four months.

“And that’s what you need from one of your star players and one of your leaders, you’ve got to have someone that believes and I think that’s great.”

Bryant, the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer at 26.6 points per game, cited a loss earlier this month to the Miami Heat as one of the sources of his confidence.

The Lakers dropped a 107-97 decision in Miami on Feb. 10 to conclude a seven-game road trip.

Despite the loss, Bryant told Sports Illustrated the Lakers showed positive signs in the contest.

“We will make the playoffs,” he said. “And we will compete. And part of the reason I have that confidence is the Miami game. We had control of the game. That was no fluke. We were playing very, very well. We were reading the defense, making the extra pass.

“OK, they have two great players [LeBron James and Dwyane Wade] who scored eight straight buckets and took control of the game. But we were right there. We can do it.”

At Thursday’s memorial service for Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who died on Monday, Bryant also encouraged his teammates to look at the players and coaches in the room and make the most of this season in the memory of Buss.

“It would be great if we could use that as motivation,” Nash said. “I’d like to think that regardless of Dr. Buss passing that we’d have the toughness to find it in ourselves to rally. It’s been a tough year obviously, and trying, but we’ve made some progress and we have to continue to make progress the rest of the way. It would be a beautiful thing to do it for Dr. Buss.”

Howard, who had visited Buss in the hospital after being traded to the Lakers, said he and most of his teammates already had that in mind before Bryant’s speech.

“I think a lot of guys already felt that way anyway,” Howard said. “So it wasn’t nothing new. We’ve all been talking about doing something special and changing what’s been going on here.”

The post Lakers stand behind Kobe’s promise appeared first on IdealCapper.

Lewandowski, 24, was given his marching orders for a foul on Per Skjelbred, with Rafael van der Vaart claiming he convinced the referee to show red by “kicking up a fuss”.

But during a 90 minute hearing in Frankfurt the sports court of the German Football Association confirmed that the three game ban would be upheld.

“It was a hefty challenge, in which Robert Lewandowski was lucky that neither he nor his opponent were hurt. With a suspension of three games, he is well served,” the presiding judge Hans E. Lorenz said.

The Polish international will now miss the upcoming games against Borussia Monchengladbach and Hannover, having already served the first game on Saturday when Dortmund recorded a 3-0 win against Frankfurt.

The post Lewandowski ban upheld appeared first on IdealCapper.

“It’s good,” said coach Tom Thibodeau before Wednesday’s 96-94 win over the Magic. “He’s been around the whole time. You guys don’t see him as much as everyone else does, the team does, I should say. So I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. It’s the next step in the progression for him. He’s getting up to speed with everything offensively, defensively, his teammates.

“It’s just the next step, and he’s got to continue the things that he’s been doing and the team has to continue to focus on our improvement and our opponent and then at some point he’ll be ready to go. But he still has some time to go, everyone has to be patient, but it’s good to have him around.”

Rose, who has been doing all the noncontact drills in practice for the past few weeks, is still likely a month or two away from seeing the floor. The Bulls have not wanted to place a target date on Rose’s rehab, and Thibodeau reiterated that stance on Wednesday. When asked about a possible return around the All-Star break, Thibodeau was noncommittal.

“It’s when he’s ready,” Thibodeau said. “So that’s not anything that has changed from the start of the season, it’s when he’s ready. It’s not going to be sooner, later, ‘this is the target date,’ it’s just when he’s ready. So he’s doing practice, the predictable contact in practice, the next step will be regular practice, then he has to be able to go through regular practice for a while. And then, if everything goes well, then he plays.

“But there’s no time schedule so it’s everything according to plan. It’s just the next step. There’s several steps he has to go through. There’s several more that he has to go through — so everything’s going well, nothing has changed.”

Aside from a promotional campaign by adidas, Rose has tried to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. He walked into the Amway Center wearing headphones Wednesday and said hello to reporters.

Thibodeau doesn’t believe Rose’s presence on the road will give his team, coming off a disappointing loss to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats at home on Monday, much of an emotional lift.

“The thing is he’s already been in practice and they see him doing his rehab, so that part is … it is what it is,” Thibodeau said. “He’s not out on the court and that will be eventually what we have to do. He’ll be part of the group. But right now everything’s good, our team has to keep working, just focus on the improvement. Derrick has to continue to focus on what he has to focus on, and at some point he’ll rejoin the group.”

Rose also will travel with the Bulls to Miami for their game against the Heat on Friday night.

The post Derrick Rose travels with Bulls appeared first on IdealCapper.

Seattle at Washington
When: 4:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 6, 2013
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
Oddsmakers currently have the Seahawks listed as 1-point favorites versus the Redskins, while the game’s total is sitting at 45½.
TV: 4:30 p.m.ET, FOX. LINE: Seahawks -3, O/U 46
Prediction: Redskins 23, Seahawks 20

Seattle closed the season with a 20-13 victory over St. Louis, but it was a dominating three-game stretch prior to that victory that opened eyes coast-to-coast. The Seahawks annihilated San Francisco, Buffalo and Arizona by a combined 150-30, becoming the first team in 62 years to amass that many points in a three-game stretch. Wilson threw 16 touchdown passes and only two interceptions over the final eight games and running back Marshawn Lynch churned out ten 100-yard games – including four straight to close the season – to finish third in the league with 1,590 yards. Seattle was equally impressive on the other side of the ball, surrendering a league-low 15.3 points per game. The Seahawks will get a boost in the secondary when starting CB Brandon Browner returns from a four-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy.

Seattle was a 20-13 winner in its last match at home against the Rams. They failed to cover the 11-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 33 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Team records:
Seattle: 11-5 SU, 11-5 ATS
Washington: 10-6 SU, 11-5 ATS

Seattle most recently:
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on grass are 3-7
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing outside the division are 8-2

Griffin set a rookie record with 815 rushing yards but is still dealing with a sprained knee ligament that caused him to sit out a game and limited his mobility in season-ending wins over Philadelphia and Dallas. He threw for only 100 yards against the Cowboys, although he still managed to run for 63 yards and a score. Like Wilson, Griffin has a hard-charging running back to lean on in fellow rookie Alfred Morris, a sixth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic. Morris finished second in the league with 1,613 yards and capped off the regular season by running over the Cowboys for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Washington’s defense is vulnerable against the pass (281.9 yards), ranking 30th in the league, but was fifth against the run (95.8). It has steadily improved in the second half, allowing an average of eight fewer points over the final eight games.

In their last action, Washington was a 28-18 winner at home against the Cowboys. They covered the 3.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (46) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Washington most recently:
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on grass are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 5-5
When playing outside the division are 5-5

A few trends to consider:
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle

The post Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Redskins Free NFL Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Minnesota at Green Bay
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 5, 2013
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC.
Line: Packers -9.5. O/U: 46
Oddsmakers currently have the Packers listed as 9½-point favorites versus the Vikings, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.
Prediction: Packers 28, Vikings 24

Minnesota needed to win its final four games of the regular season just to reach the playoffs and knocked off playoff contenders Chicago, Houston and Green Bay in those final weeks. Peterson carried it 34 times for 199 yards in Week 17 and averaged 159.8 yards over the final 10 games of the regular season despite being less than a year removed from major knee surgery. While Peterson’s performance has been consistent, quarterback Christian Ponder’s effort in the finale was more of a surprise. The second-year starter passed for 234 yards and a season-high three touchdowns without an interception for a career-best 120.2 rating. The Vikings have some big questions on defense, as cornerback Antoine Winfield left Sunday’s game with a hand injury and is questionable. Rodgers threw for three scores with Winfield off the field.

Minnesota won its last outing, a 37-34 result against the Packers on December 30. The Vikings covered in that game as a 3-point underdog, while the 71 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team records:
Minnesota: 10-6 SU, 8-7-1 ATS
Green Bay: 11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS

Minnesota most recently:
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on grass are 3-7
After outgaining opponent are 4-6
When playing within the division are 4-6

Green Bay did not have the same motivation as Minnesota last week, with the Packers’ postseason spot already assured. They could have earned a first-round bye with a victory, but the “win or go home” mentality that will be there this week was not on display in Minneapolis. Rodgers is working with a battered receiving corps with Randall Cobb (ankle) questionable and Jordy Nelson (hamstring) limited. Greg Jennings caught a pair of touchdown passes last week in his best game of the season and could get a lot more attention from the Minnesota secondary on Saturday. Stopping Peterson will be the No. 1 goal for the defense. The MVP candidate shredded Green Bay for 409 yards in two meetings this season.

Green Bay lost its last outing, a 37-34 result against the Vikings on December 30. The Packers failed to cover in that game as a 3-point favorite, while the 71 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Green Bay most recently:
When playing in January are 7-3
When playing on grass are 9-1
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing within the division are 9-1

A few trends to consider:
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota’s last 10 games when playing Green Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Green Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 6 games
Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Green Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Green Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Green Bay is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games

The post Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers Free NFL Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Cincinnati at Houston
When: 4:30 PM ET, Saturday, January 5, 2013
Where: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Oddsmakers currently have the Texans listed as 4½-point favorites versus the Bengals, while the game’s total is sitting at 43.
Prediction: Texans 19, Bengals 17

Cincinnati’s defense has been sensational in the second half of the season, not allowing more than 20 points and limiting six of its last eight opponents to 13 points or fewer. The only defeat in the final eight games came on a last-second field goal to Dallas. The Bengals ranked second in the league with 51 sacks and showed their defensive mettle by winning at Pittsburgh 13-10 in Week 16 to clinch a playoff slot. Cincinnati rested many of its starters in the regular-season finale, but has questions about its running game after 1,000-yard rusher BenJarvus Green-Ellis was held to 15 yards by the Steelers. He is also dealing with a sore hamstring. Second-year quarterback Andy Dalton has tossed only two TD passes in the past three games but, like Schaub, has an elite wideout in A.J. Green, who registered 97 receptions and 11 touchdowns.

The Bengals were a 23-17 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Ravens. They covered the 5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (40) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team records:
Cincinnati: 10-6 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
Houston: 12-4 SU, 9-7 ATS

Cincinnati most recently:
When playing in January are 2-8
When playing on grass are 7-3
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 7-3

Houston managed a single offensive touchdown the past two games in squandering a pair of chances to sew up a first-round bye. But while many point to the 42-14 beating at New England on Dec. 10 as the start of the Texans’ skid, they have been inconsistent for the past seven weeks, beginning with consecutive overtime wins over Jacksonville and Detroit. Quarterback Matt Schaub has thrown only one TD pass against three interceptions in the past four games. WR Andre Johnson has been the only reliable target in that span, hauling in 38 catches to finish the season with 112 receptions and 1,598 yards. Running back Arian Foster rushed for 1,424 yards and scored a league-high 17 touchdowns. Defensive end J.J. Watt had 20 1/2 sacks to anchor a defense that was the league’s best for much of the season but allowed at least 28 points in four of the last seven games.

In their last action, Houston was a 28-16 loser on the road against the Colts. They failed to cover the 6.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (44) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Houston most recently:
When playing in January are 3-4
When playing on grass are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing outside the division are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
Cincinnati is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cincinnati’s last 8 games
Cincinnati is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Houston is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games

[oddswidgets widget=9nG60tHrUY domain=widget.oddswidgets.com]

The post Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans Free NFL Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

This one should be a great game, no doubt about it. The Cowboys always show up against the Giants, and a feature matchup to kick off the season should be no different.

Will two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning get his team off to a winning start? Or will Tony Romo and America’s Team shut down the G-Men at home?

Oddsmakers currently have the Giants listed as 3-point favorites versus the Cowboys, while the game’s total is sitting at 46½.

Team records:
Dallas: 8-8 SU, 5-10-1 ATS
New York: 9-7 SU, 8-7-1 ATS

Dallas most recently:
When playing in September are 5-5
When playing on turf are 5-5
After being outgained are 5-5
When playing within the division are 5-5

New York most recently:
When playing in September are 7-3
When playing on turf are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing within the division are 5-5

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas’s last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas’s last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas’s last 6 games when playing NY Giants
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Giants
NY Giants are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Giants last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Giants last 6 games at home
NY Giants are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Dallas

Next up:
Dallas at Seattle, Sunday, September 16
NY Giants home to Tampa Bay, Sunday, September 16

The post Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

New York Giants Vs New England Patriots
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium
When: Sunday, February 5

Oddsmakers currently have the Patriots listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Giants, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.

These teams have their advantages in this Sunday game. As for the patriots, their defense makes them have an upper hand. This is an advantage that can be evaluated even though these teams were among the worst in this season’s league. The Patriots ranked position 31 in defense, while the Giants were positioned 27, according to the statistics, this is not good ranking but we need to preview and predict how the game might turn out.

New York’s defense line has players that are valued and believed to give the best in the game. Jason Pierre-Paul leads the way with 16.5 sacks in 2012; Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora also make up great defense, they are back after missing a couple of games in this season from their injuries.

The Giants have their advantage as their team is made of a special team. Some of their valued players are; Williams, and Tyler Sash. These two players were added to the team at a crucial time when the team needed support in the sixth round for upgrading a unit that had let down the team in recent years.

Team records:
New York: 10-7 SU, 9-7-1 ATS
New England: 14-3 SU, 9-7-1 ATS

New York most recently:
When playing in February are 1-0
When playing on turf are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When an underdog on the road are 6-4

New England most recently:
When playing in February are 3-1
When playing on turf are 9-1
After being outgained are 8-2
When favored at home are 9-1

A few trends to consider:
NY Giants are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Giants last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Giants last 5 games when playing New England
NY Giants are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing New England
New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New England’s last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New England’s last 5 games when playing NY Giants
New England is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Giants

The post New York Giants Vs New England Patriots Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

The Marlins will trot Chris Volstad out to the mound in this one. Righthander Volstad has a 5-9 record and a 5.60 ERA this season.

Volstad’s opponent in this one will be Wade LeBlanc. The Padres lefthander has a 4.54 ERA to go along with a 1-2 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Padres listed as 135-moneyline favorites versus the Marlins, while the game’s total is sitting at 7.

In their last action, Florida was a 3-1 loser on the road against the Padres. Bettors on San Diego at -120 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (4) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well.

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Current streak:
Florida has lost 2 straight games.

Team records:
Florida: 57-67 SU
San Diego: 56-70 SU

Florida most recently:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing San Diego are 4-6
After playing San Diego are 2-8
After a loss are 2-8

San Diego most recently:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Florida are 5-5
After playing Florida are 7-3
After a win are 4-6

A few trends to consider:
Florida is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida’s last 8 games when playing on the road against San Diego
Florida is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida’s last 6 games on the road
San Diego is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego’s last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego’s last 8 games when playing at home against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 12 of San Diego’s last 17 games at home

The post Florida Marlins vs. San Diego Padres Odds & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.