While it could hardly be considered SUPER, another Super Bowl is in the books, as the Steelers beat the Seahawks on Sunday, 21-10. For the 26th time in 40 all-time Super Bowls, the game was decided by 10 points or more and the Steelers’ ‘cover’ as a four-point favorite ended a four-game losing streak on points! of the Super Bowl!

What an ending we could have had if Seattle, which was trailing by 11 points as the game ended, had been able to score a TD in the dying seconds of the game. The Seahawks, trailing 21-16, would almost certainly have gone by two points on the conversion (regardless of how little time was left), meaning ALL bets would have been settled on that ONE play, perhaps even with no time remaining on the conversion. clock!

The game would have ‘dropped’ FIVE on a failed two point conversion attempt, or THREE on a successful one! That finish would have made Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over Dallas in SB XIII (Pitt was favored by 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 points) look like a day at Disneyland. I have a lot more to say about the game, but yesterday was a LONG day, so I’ll do it over the next few days.

My free play is the GS Warriors over the Den Nuggets (10:35 ET). After my 22* win with Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl, I’m back to working both in the NBA and in college. I open the week with my 10* CBB TV Game of the Month and my 10* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week. Pay only AFTER you win!

College basketball on Sunday featured two BIG comebacks. No. 17 Georgetown trailed No. 9 Pitt by 15 points on the first-half goal to win again, 61-58. Kansas trailed No. 19 Oklahoma 50-34 in the second half in Lawrence, but rallied to beat the Sooners, 59-58. No. 10 George Washington, one of SEVEN schools still undefeated in conference play, had little trouble moving to 18-1 (8-0 in A-10), as it beat Richmond 80-55.

It’s a light card in college hoops tonight (12 games), but it’s Big Monday. ESPN2 gets all three games, starting with Louisville at Cincinnati at 7:00 ET. Both teams are struggling in the Big East this year, with the Cardinals going 3-6 in the league after opening 12-1 on their non-conference schedule and the Bearcats going 4-5. Cincy lost forward Kirkland in the U Conn game (Jan. 9) and including that game, is 2-6 SU and 1-7 ATS without him. The Cardinals beat Cincy in Louisville on Jan. 25 (67-50), however the Bearcats are 2 1/2 point favorites on 137 1/2 total.

No. 7 Texas is in Lubbock at 9:00 ET to take on Bob Knight and the Red Raiders. Knight has averaged 22.5 wins per season in his first four years at Texas Tech, but this year’s team is just 12-10, though the Red Raiders are 11-1 at home. However, Texas is 19-3 on the year (the best start since the 1977-78 team) and is 62-5 against other Texas schools under Rick Barnes, including 13-2 against to the Red Raiders. Texas is favored by 10 1/2 points with a total of 134 1/2.

No. 5 Gonzaga hosts St Mary’s in the nightcap at 12:00 PM ET. The Bulldogs own the nation’s longest current home winning streak at 34 straight wins and have won 19 straight games (including tournaments) over WCC opponents (38-2 against conference foes in the last three years!). While St Mary’s are just 3-5 in the league this year, all five of their defeats have come by EIGHT points or less. Gonzaga, who won at St Mary’s on January 7, 68-60, is favored by 12 1/2 points out of 150 points.

Sunday’s NBA saw the Rockets move to 12-6 with Ming and McGrady in the lineup, beating the struggling Knicks, 93-89. However, when one or both are out, the Rockets are just 6-23, leaving the team eight games out of last playoff spot in the West. The Clippers won 115-113 in overtime in Toronto and have moved 11 games over .500 (28-17) for the first time since the franchise moved to Los Angeles!

In Sacramento, the Kings were 11 of 19 shots in the fourth quarter of their game with the Jazz, outscoring them 31-20 in the period, in a 96-78 victory. That comes just two days after the Kings went 0-for-20 in FG shooting during Friday night’s 89-79 loss in Salt Lake City.

There are nine NBA games on Monday, though none are on TV. The Nets will put their 10-game winning streak at home (7-3 ATS) on the line against the New Orleans Hornets at 7:35 ET. The Displaced Hornets are quite the story this year, going 15-8 in “home” games in Oklahoma City and Baton Rogue while posting an overall record of 24-22.

The Hornets went 18-64 last season, tied for the second-worst record in the league. The Nets are favored by 6 1/2 points with a total of 182 1/2. The Nuggets, losers of seven straight ATS games, visit the Warriors, winners of five straight ATS. Something has to give at 10:35 ET in Oakland, where Golden State is favored by 3 1/2 points (total is 199 1/2).

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