5-at-10: Fab 4 picks getting closer, Curry's star power fueling NBA TV rise, everyone loves Lane Kiffin

AP photo by Eric Gay / Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry wears a face mask to protect against the spread of COVID-19 during the second half of a game against the host San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 9.
AP photo by Eric Gay / Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry wears a face mask to protect against the spread of COVID-19 during the second half of a game against the host San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 9.

Fab 4 Picks

We were close last week to breaking through.

While we all know the 'close only counts' cliché, is there anything that close counts less in than sports gambling? Think about how many half-point losses loom around each corner. Picture the pickers counting in their heads the scenarios that must unfold - and inexplicably do - to pull a loser from a perceived lock.

So forget close. Yep, close the case on close. Heck, don't even mention Glenn Close. Or Dreyfuss in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

For me. Consider these my closing arguments.

Like the Smails kid outside the snack bar in "Caddyshack," let's do some picking.

UCLA minus-3 over USC. This is a sneaky excellent rivalry that may look the best in terms of uniform combos as each wears its color shirts. And the first quarter could be quite a street fight between the two L.A. schools. But the Bruins will survive the early haymakers and they are better across the lines of scrimmage. Plus, they have more on the line. That means a great deal against a team with an unknown future considering the coaching change. (Side note: This feels like a second-half, wear-them-down kind of win for UCLA. I may check the live betting on this one around halftime.)

Notre Dame minus-17 over Georgia Tech. Don't think any team in the country has a tougher final two weeks than the Jackets with a trip to South Bend on Saturday and a visit from top-ranked Georgia next week. With the lone exception of its 23-point win over inexplicably erratic UNC in late September, this has been a nightmare year 3 for Tech coach Geoff Collins.

Cal minus-1 over Stanford. The Cardinal has lost five consecutive games - straight-up and against the spread - and is reeling. Like really reeling. Like Stanford has allowed more than 900 rushing yards in its last three games. Before the COVID-connected stumble against Arizona, the Bears were getting better.

Purdue minus-11 over Northwestern. This is the Northwestern I remember from my younger days. The Wildcats have three wins - Indiana State, Ohio and Rutgers - and Purdue is coming in super ticked after spitting up all over itself last week in THE spotlight at THE Horseshoe against THE Ohio State.

Pitt minus-13.5 over Virginia. Yes, it feels like a lot of points. But know the following: Pitt needs style points. Pitt is at home. Pitt is 7-2 against the number this season. And Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong is questionable with a rib injury. ("How much for one rib?") Side question: Is the Peach Pit from 90210 one of the great TV teenager hangouts? Arnold's is far left, right? Discuss.

Michigan minus-14 over Maryland. Yes, I'm a touch concerned about the lookahead possibility for Coach Khaki, but I am not concerned about fearing the turtles of Maryland. The Terms have lost five of their last six, with each setback being by at least 17 points. Feels like they have checked out, and are a shell of their previous version. (Thank you very much. And be kind to the wait staff.)

Last week: 3-3 against the spread (50%).

This season: 36-40 against the spread (47.4%).



NBA TV numbers

So, we make a big deal about the TV numbers across sports.

In fact, TV numbers across almost all genres are dropping. That there are an infinite number of viewing options available these days is a big part of it.

Really only the NFL has seen slight TV increases compared to numbers from five years ago, and it has consistently maintained its audiences.

Well, it turns out that likable superstars doing super things can redirect that declining narrative.

We mentioned this fella Wednesday, but Steph Curry and the resurgent Warriors are giving regular-season NBA games better numbers than they have seen in quite a while.

Curry and the Warriors hammered the Nets on Tuesday in what turned out to be the second-most watched NBA game of the season with 2.29 million viewers. Only the Lakers-Warriors season opener (3.39 million viewers) drew more this season.

In fact, Curry and Co. are in three of the top-five most-watched games, and his exploits have helped lift TNT's numbers to a 54% increase from comparable windows at this point in the 2019 season (The 2020 comps are cashed because of the COVID impact).


Shhhhhh, Shapiro - and everyone wants that guy

There are a lot of things wrong with college football.

Yeah, we still love it.

And yeah, we turn a blind eye to a lot of the seedy underbelly stories that circulate. We wave them off with "Everyone does it" or some other rationalization.

But is there anything or any person worse across all of college sports than Nevin Shapiro, the self-described super booster of the University of Miami who made national headlines with his sordid details about Da U?

Well Dan Wetzel talked to Shaprio, who says the Hurricanes will move on from Manny Diaz. Miami has already parted ways with its AD, and Diaz's mediocrity is wearing thin at Miami, even with his extended ties to the city.

And of course, Shapiro's name at the top of Miami's search?

Lane Kiffin.

The shadiness of Shapiro aside, is there a more intriguing name across what could be a wide-open coaching carousel cavalcade than Kiffin's?

I don't think so.



This and that

- You know the rules. Here's Paschall's picks and a look at Joe Milton's success last Saturday against Georgia.

- So in Monday night's awful Rams loss at San Francisco, Kelly Stafford - wife of L.A. QB Matthew Stafford - got mad at a fan who was heckling her husband and threw a pretzel at the fan. The way things went for the Staffords on Monday, Kelly's kind of lucky the pretzel was not intercepted and returned for a TD.

- Make sure you have your headset on at the office or the kids are not around for this one, but the halftime paint-peeler Kirby Smart unloaded on his players after a laissez faire first 27 minutes against Florida was something else. Again, Kirby's language is so far on the side of salty, you may need a second cup of coffee.

- Keep voting for your favorite Braves player. You know the drill. And it's getting down to the nitty-gritty.

- Dang it, now the monkeypox virus is here. And no, I do not know what the monkeypox virus is, but it sounds dreadful.

- Prayers up for Dickie V, gang. And oh yeah, Bleep off cancer.

Today's questions

Is Lane the swing piece in the coaching carousel, and if you're Ole Miss do you make him the second-highest paid coach in the SEC?

"90210's" Peach Pit > The Max from "Saved by the Bell" fame?

Remember the mailbag gang.

As for today, let's review.

The Egg McMuffin is 50 today. Rushmore of fast food breakfast options. Go.

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