North Carolina vs. Michigan State ACC Big 10 Challenge Odds: The No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team travels to Detroit Mich., tonight to face the No. 12 Michigan State University Spartans at Ford field in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. Oddsmakers at online sports betting giant BetUS has the Tar Heels (7-0) listed as 10-chalk ATS and -500 moneyline favorites with a 168 total. Spartan backers are getting +400 moneyline odds. Tip-off is set for 9:15 pm ET.

The Tar Heels are coming off of a 116-48 victory over UNC-Asheville and won the Maui Invitational, beating the three teams by an average of 29.7 points to set the record for the highest margin of victory in the history of the event.

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NorthCarolina leads the all-time series between the two teams with a 7-3 record. This will be the third meeting between the two teams in the last five seasons; the two previous games were in the NCAA Tournament play. Carolina is 4-0 against the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament, beating the Spartans twice in the Final Four (1957 and 2005), once in the Sweet 16 (1998) and once in the second round (2007).

The Tar Heels are 4-5 in the ACC/Big10 Challenge but 4-1 in the Roy Williams era. Michigan State is 5-3 in the event, best in the Big 10, including a 2-0 mark against the Tar Heels.

North Carolina leads the nation in scoring margin (+29.7) and ranks second in scoring offense (96.9 ppg) and assists per game (21.3 apg) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.519). Tyler Hansbrough, 2007 National Player of the Year, averages 21.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24.7 minutes, having played just three games due to a shin injury. Ty Lawson leads the Tar Heels with a 5.22-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, averaging 6.7 assists per game. In seven games, North Carolina has made 121 free throws, while opponents have attempted 114. North Carolina is averaging 107.8 points in the last four games. Five active Tar Heels average double-figures in scoring.

Michigan State is a team that relies heavily on its rebounding. The Spartans have given up double-digit second-chance points just twice this season and has ten or more second-chance points in every game. They have out-rebounded opponents by just 6.2 rebounds per game but after out-rebounding its first two opponents in Orlando by a combined five rebounds and losing one of the games, Michigan State out-rebounded Wichita State by a season-high margin of 42-24, including a season-high 19 offensive rebounds.

Injury note: Carolina power forward Tyler Hansbrough is listed as questionable for tonight's game. Hansbrough missed the teams previous game against UNC-Ashville. We have not received any report on Michigan State injuries.

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Los Angeles Lakers (14-2) vs Philadelphia 76ers (8-10) NBA Picks: Last night the (7-10) Indiana Pacers celebrated like they had just won an NBA Championship when they tarnished the Los Angeles Lakers’ perfect 5-0 road-mark. With TV commentators screaming at the top of their lungs, bench players jumping onto the court, and confetti falling, the Lakers realized, they had let one slip away.

Tonight, Kobe Bryant (24.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.1 apg) and a humbled Los Angeles Lakers team travel to the “city of brotherly love”, in what should be a terrific matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to Online Sports Betting Odds posted by NBA Picks experts at SBGglobal.com, the visiting Los Angeles Lakers [-7½] are Sports Odds favorites in their game tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers [+7½].

Last night the Lakers closed out the 3rd quarter with a 17-0 spurt, which extended their lead to 101-86 going into the final stanza. During that span, league MVP Kobe Bryant, become the second-fastest player in NBA Picks history to reach 22,000 for his career, as he finished with 28 on the night. Only “The Big Dipper”, Wilt Chamberlain, achieved this milestone at an earlier age, as he did it 1 day younger.

But the Pacers spoiled the night for Kobe and the Lakers with a furious 4th quarter comeback, which culminated on a last second tip-in by Troy Murphy. "I knew it was going in by the way it was bouncing on the rim,” Bryant said after the game. “I was just hoping that it would fall straight through so that it would leave us with at least a second or so to have the ball."  

Phil Jackson, whom I place most of the blame on for this loss, had this to say: "There was some luck involved, but that's the way basketball is if you don't take care of business. They got some energy going to the hoop and the right thing happened for them." Going into tonight’s contest, LA has won four of its last five versus the Sixers. Nevertheless, playing in Kobe’s hometown has been anything but a warm welcoming for the former Lower Merion High School star. The OVER/UNDER for this Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers NBA Picks has been set at a combined total of 200½ points.

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NFL Players Suspended for Drug Use: The NFL is putting down the hammer on violators of the league’s anti-doping policy. On Tuesday evening, the NFL announced that 6 players have been suspended (without pay) for the remainder of the NFL regular season for the use of an illegal substance. Among the suspended, the Minnesota Vikings' defense and New Orleans Saints' backfield will certainly get the worse of it. Consequently, NFL Week 14 Online Sports Betting Odds will also be affected by these suspensions handed down by the league.

All of the guilty parties have been punished for a diuretic, a substance used by athletes that serves as a masking agent for steroids.

The suspended players are: running back Deuce McAllister, defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints; defensive linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings; and snapper Bryan Pittman of the Houston Texans. In this Sunday’s game, the (5-7) Houston Texans are [+6½] Sports Odds underdogs when they travel to Wisconsin to take on the (5-7) Green Bay Packers [-6½].

If any of the aforementioned teams make the playoffs, the suspended players will be eligible to return to the active roster as of December 29th, 2008.

The suspensions of Pat Williams and Kevin Williams might turn out to be the most costly, as Minnesota’s in the midst of a heated playoff race in the NFC. Currently, Minnesota leads Chicago by 1 game in the NFC North with just 4 to play. The Vikings’ success is in large part credited to the outstanding play of the Pat and Kevin, whom are considered the best DT combination in the NFL. The (7-5) Minnesota Vikings travel to Michigan this weekend to take on the winless (0-12) Detroit Lions.

The Vikings organization released the following statement: "In response to this afternoon's ruling, the Minnesota Vikings are very disappointed in the National Football League's suspension of Kevin and Pat Williams. At the appropriate time, we will have further comment."

David Cornwell, an attorney for the suspended Saints had this to say: "Deuce, Will, and Charles did not try to enhance their performance with steroids, nor did they knowingly expose themselves to the adverse health risks of a diuretic. They took a weight loss supplement that they had every reason to believe was safe." The (6-6) New Orleans Saints are [-3] Sports Odds favorites this Sunday when they host the (8-4) Atlanta Falcons [+3].

The section of the NFL policy, which was directly violated, reads: "You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body. Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal. ... Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances ... If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take."