Syracuse vs Marquette
When: 4:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 30, 2013
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS.
PREDICTION: Syracuse 70, Marquette 65

Oddsmakers currently have the Orange listed as 3-point favorites versus the Golden Eagles, while the game’s total is sitting at 126.

The conference that is disintegrating due to the realignment chaos is assured of having a team in the Final Four. Big East mates Syracuse and Marquette square off Saturday in Washington D.C. in the East Regional final, marking the first time since 2009 that teams from the same conference will compete for a Final Four berth. The fourth-seeded Orange dominated top-seeded Indiana on Thursday while third-seeded Marquette thrashed second-seeded Miami.

Sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams had a spectacular game against Indiana with a career-best 24 points to go with six rebounds and four steals. “This was the best he’s played all year,” Boeheim said. “He was tremendous. He was the difference in the game on offense, clearly.” Williams ranks fourth on the Orange at 12.1 points per game while averaging a team-best 7.5 assists. He has 104 steals, one of three players nationally with 100 or more. Junior forward C.J. Fair averages a team-high 14.4 points and also grabs a team-leading seven rebounds per game, while senior guard Brandon Triche (13.8) and senior forward James Southerland (13.4) also score in double digits.

Syracuse won its last outing, a 61-50 result against Indiana on March 28. They covered in that game as a 5-point underdog.

Team record: 29-9 SU, 18-15-1 ATS

The Golden Eagles are led by Blue, but feature a wealth of contributors who are capable of stepping up at any time. Junior forward Jamil Wilson had 16 points and eight rebounds against Miami, while Blue and junior reserve forward Davante Gardner contributed 14 points apiece. In fact, Gardner’s 11.4 average is second on the squad behind Blue’s 14.8. Wilson averages 9.9 points, senior guard Junior Cadougan averages 8.6 and senior wing Trent Lockett contributes 7.2 points and a team-best 5.1 rebounds. A blue-collar mentality sometimes leads to Marquette being overshadowed by more talented teams. “We want to keep being the hunters,” Blue said. “We don’t want to be the hunted.”

Last time out for Marquette, they were a 71-61 winner as they battled Miami on the road. They covered in the match as a 5.5-point underdog.

Team record: 26-8 SU, 15-15 ATS

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Houston at New England
When: 4:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 13, 2013
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS.
Line: Patriots -10, O/U 47.5

Oddsmakers currently have the Patriots listed as 9½-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 48.

Arian Foster scored the game’s lone touchdown last week and compiled 174 total yards from scrimmage (140 rushing, 34 receiving). Foster’s dual threat was rendered nearly obsolete after the Patriots breezed to an early 21-0 lead. The electric runner was held to 46 yards on the ground. Houston would be wise to feed Foster the ball on Sunday; the Texans are 8-0 when he rushes for at least 100 yards.

Last time out for Houston, they were a 19-13 winner as they battled the Bengals at home. The Texans covered in the match as a 3.5-point favorite, while 32 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Houston: 12-4 SU, 9-7 ATS
When playing in January are 4-4
When playing on turf are 3-7
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing outside the division are 7-3
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston’s last 6 games
Houston is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road

Brady isn’t shy about distributing the ball as he guides the league’s highest-scoring team. Wes Welker, who had 118 catches for 1,354 yards this season, was held to just three receptions in the teams’ earlier meeting. Rob Gronkowski, who was a spectator against the Texans earlier this season, led the Patriots with 11 touchdowns. Fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez, who had two scores versus Houston, and wideout Brandon Lloyd could be the wild cards in the high-octane attack.

New England won its last outing, a 28-0 result against the Dolphins on December 30. The Patriots covered in that game as a 11.5-point favorite, while the 28 combined points took the game UNDER the total.

New England: 12-4 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
New England most recently:
When playing in January are 6-4
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 6-4
New England is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
New England is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New England’s last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of New England’s last 14 games

Prediction: Patriots 31, Texans 20

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Baltimore at Denver
When: 4:30 PM ET, Saturday, January 12, 2013
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Broncos -9.5, O/U 46

Joe Flacco’s resume hardly stacks up to Manning’s but he is the only quarterback in league history to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. He threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts while compiling his highest passer rating (125.6) since the season opener. Veteran Anquan Boldin was his favorite target with five catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. Flacco struggled against Denver in Week 15, throwing a killer interception that was returned 98 yards for a TD to break the game open. Star RB Ray Rice was a non-factor in that game with only 38 yards on 12 carries. He also lost two fumbles in last week’s win. Rookie RB Bernard Pierce has taken on a bigger role and had his second 100-yard game in three weeks against the Colts. Baltimore allowed Denver to control the clock for 38 1/2 minutes in the first matchup.

Last time out for Baltimore, they were a 24-9 winner as they battled the Colts at home. The Ravens covered in the match as a 7.5-point favorite, while 33 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Baltimore: 10-6 SU, 6-9-1 ATS
When playing in January are 7-3
When playing on grass are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 7-3

Denver has not lost since a 31-21 defeat at New England on Oct. 7. Much has been made about the lack of quality competition during the winning streak, but the Broncos limited Baltimore to 56 yards rushing and 278 total. Manning had a rather pedestrian performance, throwing for a season-low 204 yards and one touchdown. He finished the season with back-to-back three-touchdown games, giving him 37 TDs vs. only 11 interceptions. Wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker each went over 1,000 yards and combined to catch 23 scoring passes. Knowshon Moreno, who took over for an injured Willis McGahee in the final six weeks, rushed for 115 yards and a score against Baltimore. Denver’s defense, led by the pass-rushing tandem of linebacker Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil, has peaked down the stretch and surrendered only 45 points in its final four games.

In their last action, Denver was a 38-3 winner at home against the Chiefs. They covered the 17-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (41) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Denver: 13-3 SU, 11-5 ATS
When playing in January are 3-7
When playing on grass are 10-0
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing outside the division are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore’s last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Baltimore is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore’s last 6 games when playing Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Denver is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Denver’s last 23 games at home

Prediction: Broncos 27, Ravens 17

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