"That's why they play the games!"

The MAC 'treated' us to two blowouts last night, Bowling Green winning at Miami-Ohio 42-14 and Akron winning at home over Ohio, 27-3. Tonight's "MAC ATTACK" on ESPN2 at 7:30 ET is Northern Illinois at Toledo. Toledo owns a 17-game home winning streak, third-best behind Boise St and USC in current home winning streaks in the nation. Toledo also owns an 11-game winning streak over Northern Illinois, going 9-1-1 ATS with an average winning margin of 17 PPG. With those figures in mind, one might wonder why Toledo is JUST an 8 1/2-point favorite (total is 50 1/2)? However, as Chris Berman says so well, "That's why they play the games!"

Two weeks into the NBA season, the Pistons are the lone remaining unbeaten at 7-0. Two clubs, Atlanta and Toronto (both 0-7), remain winless. The Raptors host the 76ers tonight, a team they lost to last night in Philadelphia by the score of 104-92. The 76ers, on a five-game winning streak, are 4 1/2-point favorites. Tonight on ESPN (10:05 ET), Phil and Larry meet for the first time since the NBA Finals of two years ago. Since then, Brown has moved on to the Knicks and Phil, after a year off, is back with the Lakers. LA hosts New York tonight and is a 5 1/2-point favorite with a total of 180.In college basketball the nation's No. 1 team, the Duke Blue Devils, host Seton Hall in a second round game of the NIT Season Tipoff. Duke opened its season on Monday with a non-covering 64-47 over Boston U on Monday (Blue Devils were 31 1/2-point favorites!), while Seton Hall won on Monday also, beating Manhattan 66-52. Duke is a 21 1/2-point favorite tonight.