NBA returns from break; NASCAR hits track

The NBA's regular season was put on hold for the last four days for the league’s annual All-Star Break, but the action picks back up on Tuesday with nine games on the schedule followed by 11 more games on Wednesday.

The Indiana Pacers went into the break with the best straight-up record in the Eastern Conference (40-12) and a 2.5-game lead over Miami for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They will be back in action Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, who have fallen to fifth place in the East with a five-game losing streak that has dropped them below .500 on the year to 25-26.

Over in the Western Conference, the big showdown on Tuesday’s slate has San Antonio on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Spurs wrapped up their sixth of an extended nine-game road trip with a 104-92 romp over Boston last Wednesday as 3.5-point favorites on the 5Dimes closing NBA betting lines for the game. The Clippers bring a three-game SU winning streak into this showdown with home victories over Toronto, Philadelphia, and Portland by a combined 63 points.

The top team in the NBA will not be back on the court until this Thursday when the Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Heat. The Thunder went into the All-Star Break with an overall record of 43-12 after going 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are now four games ahead of San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference standings. Miami is also 8-2 SU in their last 10 games after beating Golden State 111-110 last Wednesday as a 1.5-point road underdog on the 5Dimes closing betting line.

The start of March Madness is still a few weeks away, but there are a couple huge showdowns on this week’s college basketball slate. This Tuesday in a battle of ranked teams in the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns will be on the road against the Iowa State Cyclones. Texas won the first meeting this season 86-76 as a 2-point home underdog on January18.

Last Wednesday’s Duke vs. North Carolina showdown was snowed out, so the two bitter ACC rivals will lock horns for the first time this season this Thursday night. The Blue Devils are 20-5 SU with a 9-3 record in conference play and the Tar Heels are now 7-4 SU in the ACC after winning their last six conference games.

If you are a big fan of NASCAR and enjoy betting on the races, you might want to check out the 5Dimes betting odds for this Sunday’s Daytona 500, which is the Sprint Cup Series' first and biggest race of the year. The odds have yet to be posted, but look for last year’s winner and Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson to open as the favorite.