The Spurs hit the wall recently by losing six straight games. In that span, the Los Angeles Lakers stayed hot and closed to within two games of the Western Conference lead. But the Spurs key players recovered from their injuries, got back in the lineup and the Spurs have now won three straight.

Even so, not many people believe the Spurs can win an NBA Championship this year. It’s not that they aren’t good enough to beat some of the weaker teams they’ll face in the first or second round of the Western Conference playoffs, it’s just that most people have little faith that they can beat the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series.

The Spurs are an elderly team, and as the season has worn on, their players have started to play their age a little bit – players such as Tim Duncan. The fact of the matter is that unless he is elite, the Spurs won’t win as a team. And while he’s been good, he hasn’t been dominant.

Coach Gregg Popovich is really monitoring Duncan’s minutes and trying to keep them to a minimum to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Duncan has averaged 28.4 minutes per game this season, which is the lowest of his career.

The Lakers are younger virtually across the board, and the tandem of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are still in their prime. Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all past it.

The Spurs have a shot, but not many people believe they will actually be crowned champions for the 2010-11 season.

Spurs Right The Ship…But For How Long? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Jayhawks are the deepest team in the country, by far, and they even reinstated starting guard Tyshawn Taylor. Not that they really needed him, because the Jayhawks have four or five players they can put in his spot and not miss a beat. They also have a powerful inside game with the Morris brothers, Marcus and Markieff, they’re active on both ends of the floor, and they’re an experienced group who have meshed well with their younger counterparts. They also have an x-factor in freshman Josh Selby who may be the most talented player on the team, and if he gets hot, the Jayhawks should roll through their bracket.

The Blue Devils are looking to defend their title by including more of an inside presence with their deadly outside shooting. Mason and Miles Plumlee are a poor man’s version of the Morris brothers, but they can bang inside. They also have a national Player of the Year candidate in guard Nolan Smith, who has taken over the reins from preseason All-American Kyle Singler, and the forward is starting to come around. It’s a shame that freshman sensation Kyrie Irving is hurt, but Seth Curry has stepped in and fill his role coming off the bench for the Blue Devils, who have the experience of last year’s championship run to fall back on. That experience makes up for any lack of talent that Duke lost from last season.

Jayhawks, Blue Devils Should Top List Of Favorites For Good Reason from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Lucky for you, this article isn’t about country music. No offense to anyone who enjoys some Garth Brooks.

The Predators acquired Fisher on Wednesday in exchange for a 2011 first-round draft pick and a 2012 third-round selection.

I’ll say this loud and clear: Mike Fisher is a well-paid NHL player. His current contract (signed in 2008) is for 5-years and worth $21,000,000.

That’s a lot of chicken.

Fisher is due $4-million this season, as well as the same amount next season. For his final season (2012-2013), Fisher will be paid approximately $3-million.

The official cap hit for each of Fisher’s contracted seasons? $4,200,000.

However, since the Predators acquired Fisher mid-season, they will only be responsible for $1,354,839.

According to the fine folks over at CapGeek.com, the Predators are projected to finish the 2010-2011 season with $51,013,844 in spending, which would be $8,386,156 under their $59.4 million cap limit. The Predators already had some wiggle room as far as finances are concerned.

On the other hand, the Ottawa Senators needed to make some salary cap room. Like the Predators, Ottawa has a $59.4 million limit. With the ousting of Mike Fisher from their books, the Sens are projected to finish the 2010-2011 season with $57,825,197 in spending, which would be $1,574,803 UNDER the limit.

Mission accomplished.

The Salary Cap Effect of The Mike Fisher Trade from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

As it stands now, the NFL and players union have not come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement and the current one is set to expire shortly. That means a lockout is potentially looming not long after Super Bowl XLV is played.

There are a lot of disagreements on both side of the coin right now, but if there is one thing that will get changed it’s the rookie pay scale.

When we get to the 2011 NFL Draft, it will the first time in a long time that the first pick overall in the draft is not signing for an astronomical figure that will make him among the highest paid players in the league. It hasn’t even been a contentious point on either side, as the owners don’t want to pay those hefty sums and veteran players don’t feel it’s fair that a rookie who has never played a down in the NFL gets paid more than four or five year veterans.

So who is left to suffer? Obviously, the players in the 2011 draft, who will take a significant pay cut. And secondly, the agents of those players will also feel the ripple effect.

Usually, agents take a commission of the deal and it’s simply natural that if the deal is smaller, so is the percentage levied to the agent for hammering it out.

The 2011 NFL Draft should be an interesting one – even more so if a new CBA isn’t in place. Even with a lockout, the 76^th annual NFL Draft will take place April 28^th-30^th at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

With New CBA Coming, Agents Will Garner Less At NFL Draft from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Fast forward to the postseason and the Super Bowl odds found at BetUs show that the Saints are once again among the favorites.

So what changed?

Well, the Saints may have suffered from a Super Bowl hangover, which is normal, but they have sobered up. After only four wins in their first seven games, they won seven of their remaining nine with one of those losses coming to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a meaningless Week 17 game.

As it stands now, the only team that is higher than them on the totem pole in the NFC – according to the odds makers – is the Atlanta Falcons, who have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. It just so happens that the Saints were the only team to defeat the Falcons at the Georgia Dome this season.

But before you go betting the Saints to repeat as champions, keep in mind that this team comes into the playoffs limping. Running backs Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas are injured, safety Malcolm Jenkins hurt his knee in Week 17 and his status is unknown, wide receiver Marques Colston had arthroscopic knee surgery last week and may or may not play, and tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy Graham are both banged up and may not play.

The Saints still have Drew Brees and that might be all they need in the Wild Card weekend against the Seattle Seahawks, but with a slew of injuries, they may not last long. This isn’t the same Saints team that won it all last season.

Are Saints Too Banged Up To Repeat? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Washington Huskies were 3-6 a few weeks ago and headed toward an early conclusion to their season. Frankly, UW has not played all that well in its last two games against UCLA and California, but its opponents played even worse. The Huskies prevailed against the Bruins and the Golden Bears and are now 5-6, meaning that a win would make them eligible for a bowl game and give a needed boost to the program that hasn’t been to a bowl since the 2002 season. That’s a remarkably long drought for the same school that made three straight Rose Bowls in the 1990s and split the 1991 national championship in the polls with Miami (Florida).

What Washington Has To Do To Win

The Huskies need to block people. Washington quarterback Jake Locker has been injured this season, and he hasn’t performed all that well, either. However, with those two things having been said, UW’s gifted (albeit erratic) athlete under center has not enjoyed good blocking from his offensive line. Against a Washington State defense that will be fired up and has had not one, not two, but three weeks to prepare for this game, Washington needs to muscle up in the trenches and play a very physical game. This contest is not a slam dunk for the Huskies – not just because it’s a rivalry game, but because UW is playing a motivated and rested opponent that has gotten better in 2010. Coach Steve Sarkisian’s club must execute crisply on offense and not give a woeful Washington State offense any added advantages in this contest; in order to perform those tasks, Washington’s offensive front has to excel.

What Washington State Has To Do To Win

Though the Cougars have won only one Pac-10 game this season, they’ve gotten a lot better under third-year coach Paul Wulff. Washington State pushed UCLA, Cal, Arizona, and – for two quarters – Oregon, the league champion. The Cougars’ last game was on Nov. 13, a 17-point win at Oregon State. With three weeks to get ready for this game, film study needs to pay off for Wazzu.

When the Cougars look at film, they’ll notice the many ways in which they can attack Washington’s offensive line. Wulff and his staff need to win this game on defense. They need to find ways to blitz Jake Locker without giving up running lanes to a man who can burn them as a scrambler. Washington State wants to keep Locker in the pocket and force him to throw the ball. If Washington can establish success on the ground, WSU is in big trouble. Making the Huskies a pass-only team has to be the Cougars’ foremost priority in this contest.

Huskies, Cougars Vie For Apple Cup Victory from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

1. Oregon 8-0

The Ducks cruised in its 53-32 rout of USC on Saturday, but more importantly, have gone 2-0 ATS over the last two weeks while playing Over the O/U total each time out.

2. Auburn 9-0

The Tigers (6-3 ATS) looked fantastic in their 51-31 rout of Mississippi State on Saturday – and college football betting enthusiasts should know Auburn is 3-0 ATS over the last three weeks and 5-1 ATS over the last six overall.

3. TCU 9-0

Despite its ninth-ranked offense (40.9 ppg) and its, 48-6 rout over UNLV on Saturday, TCU (5-4 ATS) has played Under the O/U total in five straight games, while going 2-0 ATS over its last two games.

4. Boise State 7-0

The broncos had their three-game ATS winning streak snapped in Saturday’s 49-20 win over Louisiana Tech and has alternated Over and Under outcomes over the last five weeks.

5. Utah 8-0

The Utes (6-1-1 ATS) are undefeated this season but had their fine six-game ATS winning streak snapped in Saturday’s narrow road win over Air Force.

6. Alabama 7-1

The Tide (5-3 ATS) won its second straight game on Saturday – and even snapped its two-game ATS losing streak in its 41-17 Week 9 rout of Tennessee.

7. Nebraska 7-1

The Cornhuskers (4-3-1 ATS) have won two straight while covering the college football sports betting line with ease each of the last two times out. Nebraska has also alternated over and Under Totals outcomes over the last six weeks.

8. Oklahoma 7-1

The Sooners (4-4 ATS) got back in the win column and covered the college football betting line last week after absorbing their first loss in Week 8 to move to 3-1 ATS over the last four weeks while alternating Over and Under outcomes over the span.

9. Wisconsin 7-1

The Badgers (3-5 ATS) cashed in against the NCAAF sports betting line for the second consecutive week on Saturday while playing Over the O/U total to move to a blistering 4-0-1 O/U over the last five weeks.

10. LSU 7-1

The Tigers (3-5 ATS) were handed their first loss of the season in losing to Auburn on Saturday but have failed to cash in against the college football sports betting odds in two straight games while playing Under the O/U total in each contest.

College Football Top 10 Betting Breakdown – Take These Tips All the Way ‘To the House’ from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

TV: SNY, Big East Network

Radio: Sirius 122

NCAAF Odds

Vanderbilt Commodores +7½ -110

Connecticut Huskies -7½ -110

Over 48 -110

Under 48 -110

Vanderbilt (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS, 1-2 O/U)

• Commodores are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 road games.
• Commodores are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS win.

Hopefully, college football bettors played Vanderbilt as one of their free college football picks last week, as the Commodores pounded Mississippi in its 28-14 road win the last time out.

Vanderbilt forced two turnovers and did not commit any themselves, to cover the NFL point spread as an 11.5-point road underdog.

UConn (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 2-2 O/U)

• Huskies are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
• Huskies are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
• Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in October.

NCAAF gamblers didn’t need any free college football picks on UConn’s last game, as the Huskies ran away from Buffalo 45-21 last week to cash in as a whopping 20.5-point home favorite.

Quarterback Cody Endres threw two TD passes in the win, while Robbie Frey added 112 rushing yards and one score.

Analysis: Vanderbilt may have the bigger ‘name’ program in this matchup, but I really like the UConn Huskies to hand the Commodores a loss in this contest, as they are averaging 33.2 points per game compared to Vandy’s 17.3 points per contest average.

The Huskies have also been better on the defensive side of the football, allowing just 21.0 points per contest, which is just a shade under Vanderbilt’s 21.3 points per game allowed average.

The Huskies have compiled a spotless 6-0 ATS mark in its last six games against a team with a losing record, while also going 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games against a team with a losing road record.

While the Commodores have been busy going 0-8 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win, the Huskies have put up a fine 5-1 ATS record in their last six games in the month of October.

This free college football pick says UConn will halt their inconsistent ways with an absolutely huge home win over the Vanderbilt Commodores to cover the NCAAF moneyline as a -300 home favorite.

Cashing in as whopping 7.5-point home favorite looks like it will be a bit tougher, so I say play Vanderbilt to cover the spread in a narrow loss.

Vanderbilt Commodores vs Connecticut Huskies Preview from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

1: Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) – Killing Joe Pa and the Nittany Lions made for easy college football expert picks.

2: Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) – Might have blown away the Hurricanes, but Terrelle Pryor certainly didn’t help his Heisman case any.

3: Boise State Broncos (1-0) – The Smurf Turf men were dealt a huge blow with V-Tech’s loss to James Madison.

4: TCU Horned Frogs (2-0) – Going to need a lot more wins like last week’s against Tennessee Tech.

5: Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) – Proved that the Utah State game was an aberration after blowing out FSU.

6: Iowa Hawkeyes (1-1) – Crushed Iowa State, now faces tough task in the desert.

7: Oregon Ducks (2-0) – Ducks are moving on up after going into Rocky Top and making mincemeat of Volunteers.

8: Texas Longhorns (2-0) – A 34-7 win against Wyoming was better than it looks, but won’t help them with the pollsters any.

9: South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0) - We’re believers in the Gamecocks after destroying Georgia for genius college football expert picks.

10: Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0) – Huskers “only” beat Idaho by 21, could face test at U-Dub this week.

11: Michigan Wolverines (2-0) – Big Blue is certainly in the real Top 25 with the win in South Bend.

12: Florida Gators (2-0) – Gators might’ve won and might’ve covered, but it wasn’t a thing of beauty against lowly USF.

13: Utah Utes (2-0) – Crushed UNLV, but Jordan Wynn hurt his thumb in what could be a costly ‘W’. Fortunately, terrible Lobos are on deck.

14: Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0) - Arkansas ‘D’ has only allowed ten points in two games, but Hogs are 0-2 ATS to show for it.

15: Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) – Alabama beat SJSU down. Wisky only beat the Spartans by 13. There could be real cause for concern in Camp Randall.

16: LSU Tigers (2-0) – After two games away from the Bayou, the next three are at home, but are all difficult.

17: Miami Hurricanes (1-1) – Canes were really dominated against Buckeyes, but don’t deserve to be dropped out of the Top 25.

18: Auburn Tigers (2-0) – We’re believers in the Tigers now after Cameron Newton knocked off tough Bulldogs in Starkville.

19: Penn State Nittany Lions (1-1) - True frosh just faced too much in Tuscaloosa.

20: Stanford Cardinal (2-0) – Blanking UCLA in Rose Bowl was a huge game for Andrew Luck and the Cardinal.

21: Houston Cougars (2-0) – The Cougs crushed UTEP, look prepped for C-USA dominance.

22: Arizona Wildcats (2-0) – Wildcats face first test this week at home against Hawkeyes.

23: Air Force Falcons (2-0) – Could be the forgotten MWC team. Air Force killed BYU in last fight against Cougs in conference.

24: USC Trojans (2-0) – Only beating UVA at home by three tells us that Trojans won’t be in Top 25 for long.

25: West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0) – OT win against Marshall certainly not impressive, but just enough to keep Mountaineers in Top 25.

College Football Rankings Week 3 from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

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NYC Sports Business Networking Event from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules