The Staples Center is going to come alive on January 11th when the Heat takes on the Los Angeles Clippers. The Heat comes in with among the best records in the NBA boosted by an excellent roster of stars. The Heat lead the league as a team in points scored and assists. The sports book has the Heat preferred by 8 points and with the backcourt they possess, it seems to be a sure bet. Let’s take a closer look at the Heat this season and what they offer.

These two teams have been doing relatively well this year. This should not be an unanticipated to any person as these two colleges are well known for their share of wins in basketball for plenty of years. When Western Virginia visits Connecticut both these teams will be at it out on the court on January 9.

Whereas this particular matchup may not have the same depth that its football version does, the Jan 9 – Oklahoma at Oklahoma State game still has its own brand of exhilaration. With the conference basketball year just under way, both the Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys will make an effort to set the tone for the remainder of their year with this match. In Oklahoma’s case, they are going to be seeking to continue what has been a great start as they concluded the non-conference slate with a 10-2 record.

On Jan 8th, postseason college football comes to Mobile, AL when the Arkansas State Red Wolves face the Huskies at the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Both squads arrive in the game with rookie head coaches with the Huskies helmed by first-year head coach Dave Doeren. Interim head coach David Gunn who’s been the running backs coach all year heads the Red Wolves. Arkansas State has opted for Gus Malzahn who will take control after the year ends. The take from the sportsbook is now Arkansas State (-1 ½) with an over-under set at 63 points.

It’s not only the Division I-A universities receiving face time on ESPN, on January seventh the NCAA Division I-AA Championship game is competed at Pizza Hut Park in Fricso, TX. The Bison take on the Bearkats in a fight of the 2 best small colleges in the country. Both the Sam Houston Bearkats and the North Dakota State Bison have steamrolled their rivals all season long and both are furthermore coming into play with comparable styles on offense. Anticipate a lot of running and a lot of 1st downs by each squad as the defenses are going to get a work out. The sports book is having a hard time with this one as the line currently stands at North Dakota State (-1) with the over-under established at 46.

Birmingham, AL plays sponsor to the Compass Bowl on January seventh with the Pittsburgh Panthers competing with the Mustangs. The Pitt Panthers come in after the 1-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. Graham resigned his post on December 14th to take the head coaching job at Arizona State. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will put on the headset for the Pitt Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU comes into play with the specter of the “Death Penalty” passed on in the 1980′s still being referred to today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is already in his fourth year on the sidelines of Southern Methodist University. The betting line has this set at Pittsburgh (-3) with the over-under of 47 points.

The Pittsburgh steelers are matched up against the Denver broncos in the nfl post-season. The Denver broncos concluded up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming champions of the AFC West, whilst the Pittsburgh steelers concluded as a wild card with an extraordinary record of 12-4 in the AFC North division. The Pittsburgh steelers will be going to Denver to face off against them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

It all comes down to this as the #1 ranked LSU Tigers face the #2 ranked Crimson Tide in the BCS National Tournament Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January ninth. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this game, winning the national tournament in 2009 and additionally winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003. LSU head coach Les Miles is additionally no stranger at this time as he’s won the national tournament in 2007. 2 great teams and head coaches clashing on a collision course in what is certain to be a great game. The odds makers currently have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under set at 40 points.

In terms of scheduling, maybe the Detroit Lions just are unlucky. 1st, they finish their regular season against their division rival Green Bay Packers, who furthermore possess the league’s greatest record. Then they follow that up by pulling the Saints in the 1st round of the playoffs.

The Atlanta Falcons pray that slipping into the playoffs undetected in 2012 will offer them greater results, following finishing with the top record in the league last year, and getting dismissed in the 1st round by the Green Bay Packers. Atlanta ended 10-6 this season, earning them a 1st round wild-card competition with the NFC East winning New york giants (9-7).