6North Carolina Tarheels (19-3, 6-1 ACC)

At

Maryland Terrapins (13-8, 3-4 Acc)

Saturday, Feb. 4th at 4pm– Comcast Center: College Park, MD

Last game: UNC: def Wake 68-53 MD: lost to Miami 90-86, 2 OT

Leading Scorers: UNC- Harrison Barnes– 17.3 ppg MD- Terrell Stoglin– 21.8ppg

Outlook:

After watching SportsCenter all week . . . → Read More: Maryland Prevew: No Breaks for Terps Against Carolina’s Fast Break]]> #

6North Carolina Tarheels (19-3, 6-1 ACC)

At

Maryland Terrapins (13-8, 3-4 Acc)

Saturday, Feb. 4th at 4pm– Comcast Center: College Park, MD

Last game: UNC: def Wake 68-53 MD: lost to Miami 90-86, 2 OT

Leading Scorers: UNC- Harrison Barnes– 17.3 ppg MD- Terrell Stoglin– 21.8ppg

Outlook:

After watching SportsCenter all week and hearing the name Rob Gronkowski mentioned over and again, I invented a little drinking game whose rules are simple: every time he is mentioned or shown on television you drink. How does this parlay into the Maryland/UNC game? It’s simple: for every North Carolina fast break that is started from a Terps missed shot you drink. That game is sure to get you intoxicated and is the main reason why North Carolina is one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Not only do they have size and maybe the best player in basketball in Harrison Barnes, they also run up and down the floor on the offensive end putting pressure on their opponents to make shots and match them score for score. Where the Tarheels do struggle, however is against physical teams that can score inside, get the Tarheels in foul trouble, and also can rebound. Florida State was also able to that as well as knock down shots in their rout of the Tarheels earlier this season. While Mark Turgeon and his staff are sure to be watching film of that Florida State game, they will surely realize they don’t have that kind of personnel and will have to take a different approach. The Tarheels looking ahead to the Duke game in a few days might be the only shot, albeit slim, that the Terps have.

Maryland for years has always risen to the occasion and played well against top teams at home; that was their mantra under Gary Williams and one they look to continue. I have been hearing all week from other Terps fans that are saying, “We played Duke tough so that means we should play Carolina tough.” However, that is the furthest thing from the truth. Basketball is about match-ups, and Maryland’s erratic style plays right into the hands of the Tarheels. I love Terrell Stoglin but he is no Greivis Vasquez, and this Terps team is not like one of the teams from the Williams era that were proverbial giant killers. The only way to win this game is to be efficient in the half court offense, working the ball inside ad nauseam and get a lot of second chance opportunities to limit the offensive possessions for the Tarheels. James Padgett, Alex Len and Ashton Pankey will be key inside, and Nick Faust and Sean Mosley will need to knock down outside shots if the Terps want to compete at all in this game. I just think the odds of this happening are about as good as someone on the Wizards not tweeting something ridiculous. Of course, as Terrell Stokes once proclaimed after his Terps knocked off the Tarheels, they could “shock the world”.

Prediction:

I am by no means a hater: I am a loyal Terps fan and would love to see a win, but I tell it like it is. This game will not be close. Tyler Zeller will destroy the Terps on the inside and Carolina’s fast break will be too much to handle. They will run the Terps right out of their own arena.

UNC 89 MD 71.

I was surprised to see just how big of a role he played this season on . . . → Read More: Ayanbadejo Says He Won’t Give Ravens A Discount]]> Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.  He played in more games in 2011 than he did in the previous two years combined and posted a career high 31 tackles.

I was surprised to see just how big of a role he played this season on defense because I’ve always thought of Ayanbadejo as only a special teams player.

Ayanbadejo enters this offseason as a free agent and he tweeted on Wednesday that the Ravens should expect “no discounts.”  He added that it wouldn’t take much to keep him in Baltimore and said that he just wants to “be treated fairly.”

When asked directly if he would take less money to stay with the Ravens, Ayanbadejo responded “Nah.”

You’d think a guy  that close to going to a Super Bowl would want to stay or at least tell the fans he’d try to remain a Raven.

Both Matt Lund and Dave Gilmore write that the Ravens should hold on to Ayanbadejo in their Keep Or Dump column.  I’m not saying I disagree, I’m just surprised by his comments.

We all should have known that Jack Del Rio wouldn’t reunite with the Ravens.  I . . . → Read More: Martindale Is Latest Ravens Coach With Harbaugh Family Ties]]> Well the Ravens have their man.  The team announced on Thursday afternoon that Don Martindale will be Baltimore’s new linebackers coach.  Martindale replaces Dean Pees who was promoted to defensive coordinator after Chuck Pagano left to coach the Colts.

We all should have known that Jack Del Rio wouldn’t reunite with the Ravens.  I cited “different eras” as my reasoning when first discussing candidates to replace Pagano.  Del Rio came from the Brian Billick era Ravens, a team and method that the front office and ownership have decided to put behind them.

Martindale comes to Baltimore with 18 years of coaching experience in both the NFL and at the college level.  Not surprisingly, he was on Jack Harbaugh’s coaching staff at Western Kentucky.

It seems that the Harbaugh family tree is becoming the Ravens index for coaching vacancies.

Here’s a fun little game.  Next time the Ravens need to replace a coach, just start looking at people near Jack, Jim or John.

Have these personal relationships held the Ravens back?  Look at Baltimore’s most controversial non-fire, Cam Cameron.  Despite Joe Flacco’s numbers declining in 2011, Cameron still hangs on as the Ravens offensive coordinator.  Did you know that Cameron was hired by John Harbaugh as an assistant 1997  at Indiana University?  Did you know that Cameron was the Jim Harbaugh’s quarterbacks coach at the University of Michigan?

Steve Bisciotti and Ozzie Newsome have put all their eggs in the Harbaugh basket.  Four straight trips to the postseason and two to the AFC championship are hard to argue against.    I just hope that when the Ravens have to make coaching changes, the decision is affected by these long relationships that have been established.

Zach Wilt is the Founding Editor of BaltimoreSportsReport.com and Host of the BSR Podcast.  You can follow him on Twitter @zamwi or send him an email: zach@baltimoresportsreport.com.

Greek’s 2011/2012 . . . → Read More: The Greek: Super Bowl XLVI]]> In the spirit of Jimmy the Greek, we’re going to offer you some stone cold Superbowl XLVI locks, or, just some spurious guesses based on cursory analysis and casual observation. Either way, this being Baltimore, we thought we’d hear from our favorite wholesale narcotics importer: the man known simply as “The Greek.”

Greek’s 2011/2012 Record ATS: 37-39-2

Greetings Readers. Are you ready for the Big Game? I assume that it’s being met with disdain by most who grace these pages given the geographical skew. Anyhow, 2-2 for Championship Sunday, nailing the game lines, but coming up short on the over/unders. Despite the push I’m still sitting at a 67% clip over the last 5 weeks (15-7-1) and have a chance to bring the season over .500. I’ll be giving you my thoughts on the game line, the over/under and some of my favorite prop bets.

New York Giants +3 over New England Patriots

Is this a homer pick? Yes and no. If you’ve read my column you know I am a Giants season

ticket holder (thanks for nothing SB XLVI ticket lottery) and therefore my natural bias in this game will go in the direction of Big Blue. However, I have picked against the Giants before (not often). The Ravens showed what a great defense can do against New England. The Giants defense, while not Baltimore, has been playing extremely well and hasn’t allowed more than 20 points in the playoffs. This includes a game against Green Bay and the Discount Double Check at Lambeau. The front 4 can get to Brady, Gronkowski is hobbled and the Giants just seem to have the Pats number. In the Week 9 win at New England the Giants offense was also without Nicks, Bradshaw and center Davis Baas. Indy is a fast field and that should be a benefit to the Giants with guys like Cruz, Bradshaw, Nicks and the Giants front 4. I think the Patriots are favored because of Belichick and Brady. It’s tough to pick against them in the Superbowl, but the Giants are the better team right now. If the Pats are to win it’ll come down to their signature field goal way of getting it done. You’ve got the insurance in that case with the Gmen getting 3.

New York Giants/New England Patriots under 54 total points

Everything in this game seems to be screaming OVER. The teams combine to go 22-15 on the over if you include the playoff numbers. Manning is playing on another level. The Patriots drop 30 on the scoreboard with regularity. The turf at Indy is conducive to a lot of quick strikes and points. Why am I going under? Quietly (much more so in New

England than in New York) the defenses have been stepping up. The Giants defense has given up 2 (really zero), 20 and 17 in their three playoff games. New England has given up 10 and 20 in their two contests. Everyone is talking about Brady vs. Manning. Time for the defense to show up just a little.

Super Bowl 46 Prop Bets

Lebron James Points Against Raptors +.5 over New England Patriots Total Points
James gets to his 29.7 ppg average. The Giants defense holds the Pats under 30.

Eli Manning over 310.5 Passing Yards
This is kind of a hedge against the under play above.

Rob Gronkowski under 80.5 receiving yards
The guy is a beast, but if that ankle is anything like Ben Roethlisberger’s was then I can’t see him making sharp cuts at all. He would make for a fantastic decoy, especially in the red zone.

Aaron Hernandez over 66.5 receiving yards
Brady still loves throwing to his TE and his 1A man-crush is Hernandez. He’ll pick up his usual 50 yards, but most likely add another 20+ that would have gone to a non hobbled Gronkowski

Team To Have Longest Kickoff Return-New England Patriots
I have no idea what the true stat is, but I sat through almost every Giants kickoff return this year and they all seem to end up at the 23. The Pats have to do better than that, no?

For the Roulette black/red type wagerers out there
Heads, Giants Win the Toss, Jersey Number of Player with first TD Under 86.5,

And One For Fun
New York Giants Adjusted Line -14.5 (+715)
This means on a $100 wager you’d win $715 if the Giants covered the 14.5

Jim Broderick can be harassed about his picks via Twitter @jimmyfromjc

Bruzdzinski is a finalist in the Orioles Voice competition — the organization’s search for their next Public Address Announcer.

Gary auditioned for the PA Announcer job with hundreds of other fans at Orioles FanFest on . . . → Read More: A Conversation With Gary Bruzdzinski — A Finalist In The Orioles Voice Competition]]> Gary Bruzdzinski is a lifelong Orioles fan who has been given the chance to live out every sports fan’s dream.

Bruzdzinski is a finalist in the Orioles Voice competition — the organization’s search for their next Public Address Announcer.

Gary auditioned for the PA Announcer job with hundreds of other fans at Orioles FanFest on January 21 and now he finds himself among the remaining few for the role.

I spoke with him about the process, fulfilling the dream, his PA Announcing experience and heard a sample of what Baltimore fans could expect to hear at Camden Yards this season.

But Evans dropped the ball and Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that killed the Ravens chances . . . → Read More: Steve Bisciotti Isn’t Over Ravens Heart Breaking Loss In AFC Championship]]> The Ravens were one play away from playing this Sunday in Indianapolis.  All Lee Evans has to do is fall down with the ball and it’s a Super Bowl 35 not a Super Bowl 42 rematch.

But Evans dropped the ball and Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that killed the Ravens chances of sending the AFC Championship to overtime.  It still stings just typing it.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti met with the media for his annual State of the Ravens press conference and even he acknowledged the painful loss.  ”I’m not over it,” he said.  ”Hold onto a ball. I mean that’s where it was this year.”

After reading the quotes and watching the press conference I’ve come to the conclusion that Bisciotti and the Ravens front office really believe that this is a championship caliber team.  Bisciotti is content with this coaching staff and the talent on the field.  He believes in Cam Cameron and thinks Joe Flacco will win multiple rings.

Fans may criticize the Ravens for sticking with Cameron after watching Flacco’s numbers take a dip this season, but Bisciotti has indicated that a change at offensive coordinator would be a transition that a team this close can’t afford.

We can judge that plan this time next season.  It’s often hard to replicate a season in the NFL, but that’s what Ozzie Newsome and Ravens ownership have decided to try in 2012.

Prior to the AFC championship, Joe Flacco was criticized more than any quarterback who made the postseason during his first four years in the NFL.

To be fair, Flacco did put the bullseye on his back when he told reporters that he didn’t feel he got enough credit or that Tim Tebow was . . . → Read More: Steve Bisciotti Doesn’t Understand Why No One Loves Joe Flacco]]>

Prior to the AFC championship, Joe Flacco was criticized more than any quarterback who made the postseason during his first four years in the NFL.

To be fair, Flacco did put the bullseye on his back when he told reporters that he didn’t feel he got enough credit or that Tim Tebow was receiving too much national attention.

During his annual State of the Ravens press conference, owner Steve Bisciotti acknowledged Flacco’s critics and took the side of his franchise QB.  ”I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy as maligned as him,” Bisciotti said according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.  ”We believe in him.”

Bisciotti added that he plans to sit down with Joe Flacco and “start grinding out contract terms.”