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Weekend Sports Watcher: Super Bowl Hangover Edition

Evan Budrovich |
February 8, 2013 | 2:46 p.m. PST

Staff Writer

The weekend after the Super Bowl begins a stretch of weeks that is viewed as the least interesting in the sporting calender. That may acutally not be the case this season as the NBA remains exciting, NCAA basketball is heating up and the NHL has plenty of stroylines to follow in the coming weeks. Here are four interesting contests to alleviate your desire for NFL action, while supplementing your love of dramatic finishes.

SATURDAY 11 A.M. PST NCAA: NORTH CAROLINA AT MIAMI (ESPN)

Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons

ESPN will be hosting five games on Saturday, as college basketball becomes the main focal point in sports for the next two months. This weekend, two ACC powers collide as UNC travels south to face the eighth-ranked Miami Hurricanes.

Miami currently sits undefeated at the top of the ACC Standings, legitimizing itself as a contender with Duke and NC State for the top spot. After clobbering Duke by 27 and eking out a game at the buzzer against the Wolfpack, Miami is steadily making a case for a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami does not dominate the stat sheet, but its balance has allowed it to win 18 games this season. Durand Scott and Kenny Kadji are leading the Hurricanes with over 13 points per game, with both shooting over 47 percent from the field. The biggest strength of this team, however, might be its 35-percent three-point shooting

North Carolina is looking for a signature win in its less-than-impressive campaign. The Tar Heels have one ranked win on the season (against UNLV), but statistically look like they could dominate every night. UNC ranks top-10 in the nation in points, rebounds and assists bus have lost six games this season.

This matchup will ultimately be decided in the post as both teams love to feed their big men the basketball. James McAdoo is leading the Heels with 15 points per game, but has scored more than 20 in each of his last two contests. Miami is coming in to the contest with more momentum, but never count out coach Roy Williams on the big stage.

Prediction: MIAMI 75 UNC 73

SATURDAY 3 P.M. PST NCAA: PITTSBURGH AT CINCINNATI (ESPN)

As the Big East standings become more garbled, two teams square with an opportunity to separate themselves from the pack. Eight teams in the Big East currently have six wins or more, with the first-place team only holding seven. Going forward, every contest will be crucial in order to hold position.

Battling for Big East supremacy are two top-25 teams that will square off in what should be an exciting atmosphere. The road team, the Pittsburgh Panthers, have played inspired basketball for head coach Jamie Dixon this season.

The Panthers are sharing the rock and playing rugged defense night in and night out. In an impressive win against Syracuse, Pitt held the Orange to 55 points on 36-percent shooting. Tray Woodall is arguably the best option for the Panthers as the senior point guard.

The Cincinnati Bearcats started the season as one of the hottest teams in the nation, rising to as high as 10th in the AP Poll. The Bearcats are rolling once again, winners of five out of their last seven, and looking to avenge their nine-point loss against Pitt in early December. Sean Kilpatrick has the makings of an NBA First Round Draft Pick in 2014. The junior is averaging 18 points per game, while playing his best ball against ranked opponents.

This rugged matchup will be won on the defensive end of the floor, in a classic Big-East bruiser. Expect the Panthers to continue their strong play against ranked opponents, shutting down the Bearcats' attack.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 64 Cincinnati 60

SATURDAY 4 P.M. PST NHL: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AT BOSTON BRUINS

The NHL is off and running as two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference are battling for supremacy from the Garden. The second- and third-place teams in the East have quite the history, most recently a rugged, 2011 seven-game series, and cannot stand to be in each other's presence. 

The Boston Bruins have only lost one game in regulation largely due to the play of goaltender Tuukka Rask. His efforts have propelled the Bruins' seventh-ranked defense.

While the Bruins' defense is clicking on all cylinders, the offense is struggling to find the back of the net. They are averaging fewer than three goals per game and have won seven games this season by only six goals.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are playing just as you would expect, explosively on offense. Steven Stamkos is following up an impressive 2012 campaign with 17 points in only 10 games this season. Martin St. Louis has been a tremendous distributor of the puck, racking in 13 assists this year. Back-end players like Tom Pyatt and Ryan Malone are playing excellent hockey, giving this team much-needed balance. 

The extremely flashy Lightning and hard-working Bruins will play a great hockey game because of the distinct differences in playing style. Expect the game to pick up speed as the start time has been pushed back to 4 P.M. PST due to a blizzard that has been ravaging the Northeast.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 4 Boston 2 

SUNDAY 12:30 P.M. PST NBA: LOS ANGELES LAKERS AT MIAMI HEAT (ABC)

Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons

The second part of the Sunday ABC slate squares the struggling Los Angeles Lakers and the first-place Miami Heat. Both teams boast plenty of star power, but have been battling the injury bug for most of the season.

The Lakers are the biggest soap opera in the NBA, with bodies dropping like flies and plenty of drama to go around. Pau Gasol is out, Steve Nash missed a large portion of the season and Dwight Howard is a wounded man walking.

The Heat have tried to rest the Big Three to keep them healthy for the stretch run. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James continue to carry the Heat toward another trip the NBA Finals. The two have been relatively healthy, with Wade only missing four games this season.

The Heat continue to win games despite playing down to the wire with some of the worst teams in the league. That being said, the Heat always get up for big games and will make life rather difficult for the beaten-up Lakers. 

In this big-name matchup, Kobe Bryant and James will battle it out from the field in what could become a one-on-one matchup. The Heat have a strong supporting cast, but the Lakers have resorted to Kobe or bust under Mike D’Antoni.

Prediction: Heat 102 Lakers 91

Reach Staff Writer Evan Budrovich here, or follow him on Twitter.



 

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