As superstar singer Rihanna says, "Cheers to the freakin' weekend."
Saturdays and Sundays are usually the best days to catch some sports and this weekend is no different. There are no less than six matchups in the NFL with playoff implications, including the New York Giants vs. the Atlanta Falcons, as well as 17 college basketball games involving the Top 25 teams in the nation.
That's not all either. The NBA has prime matchups on Saturday night, with the Boston Celtics taking on the San Antonio Spurs, while the Utah Jazz will take on the surprising Memphis Grizzlies. Sports fans should buckle into their couches this weekend, because they are going to be taken for a ride.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Saturday, December 15, 2012
New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque: Nevada vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise: Toledo vs. Utah State, 4:30 p.m.
The college football postseason gets off to a raucous start as Bowl Week begins on ESPN. The first game of the weekend is the Arizona Wildcats vs. Nevada Wolfpack in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, which will air on ESPN at 1:00 PM.
Both teams are 7-5 and are looking to erase the bad taste of losses in their final regular season games. The Arizona offense looks poised to breakout against a defense that is ranked 96th in the nation in scoring. Wildcats senior quarterback Matt Scott should have a big game in his final college football contest.
The following bowl game is Toledo vs. No. 22 Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, airing on ESPN at 4:30 PM. Utah State will try to avoid the upset to a Toledo team that scored 32 points per game this season and averaged nearly 500 yards in total offense.
TOP 25 NCAA Men's BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 15, 2012
No. 1 Indiana vs. Butler at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 2 p.m., CBS
The No. 1-ranked Hoosiers take on everyone's favorite mid-major darling in the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday. Butler is 4-0 at home this season, but the game will be played in Indianapolis and Indiana has yet to drop a game. Cody Zeller is playing like a player of the year candidate.
No. 3 Michigan vs. West Virginia at the Barclays Center, 8 p.m., ESPN
Michigan has been one of the most impressive teams in the nation and will play West Virginia in the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival. Sophomore guard Trey Burke has been stellar for the Wolverines, leading the team with 17.1 points per game.
No. 5 Florida at No. 8 Arizona, 10 p.m. ESPN
The fifth-ranked Gators travel to Arizona to take on the Wildcats, who have been perfect in five games at home this season. Both teams are 7-0, so one will likely drop a little in the rankings after losing this game. Florida will rely on senior guard Kenny Boynton, who leads the team with 14 points per game and scored 24 in the win over UCF last Friday.
The Best of the Rest:
No. 4 Syracuse vs. Canisius, 7 p.m., ESPN3
No. 6 Louisville at Memphis, 2:30 p.m., FSN
No. 7 Ohio State vs. UNC Asheville, Noon, BTN
No. 9 Kansas vs. Belmont, 7 p.m., ESPNU
No. 11 Cincinnati at Marshall, 2 p.m., CCS,
No. 14 Gonzaga vs. Kansas State at KeyArena, Seattle, 9 p.m., ESPN2
No. 15 Georgetown vs. Western Carolina, Noon, ESPN3
No. 16 Creighton at California, 11 p.m., PACN
No. 17 New Mexico vs. New Mexico State, 6 p.m., CCS
No. 18 San Diego State vs. San Diego, 10 p.m.
No. 19 Michigan State vs. Tuskegee, 9 p.m., ESPNU
No. 21 North Carolina vs. East Carolina, Noon, ESPNU
No. 22 Notre Dame vs. Purdue at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 25 N.C. State vs. Norfolk State, 7 p.m., ESPN 3
Sunday, December 16, 2012
No. 10 Illinois vs. Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPNU
No. 24 Oklahoma State vs. Central Arkansas, 4 p.m.
NBA BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Boston at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. NBATV
In one of the best matchups of the weekend, the Celtics travel down to Texas to take on the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics are only 4-5 on the road and will face a Spurs team that has been dominant, going 7-2 at home and 18-6 on the season. Paul Pierce will be the key factor for the Celtics, as will be their ability to shut down Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. The Spurs are ranked first in the league in assists and are averaging 104 points per game. The team is coming off of a loss to the Trail Blazers and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder next. They will not overlook the Celtics on Saturday.
Cleveland at New York, 7:30 p.m., MSG
The New York Knicks have been one of the most surprising and impressive teams in the NBA. New York defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night in former coach Mike D'Antoni's first game back at Madison Square Garden and will look to continue the streak against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks are 9-0 at home this season and are averaging 103 points per game, the fourth most in the league. The team has played stellar defense and is allowing just 95 points per game while grabbing 39 rebounds. The Cavaliers are just 2-12 on the road this season and are allowing over 100 points per game. Carmela Anthony may not play due an ankle injury sustained against the Lakers, but the Knicks should coast through this one anyway.
Washington at Miami, 7:30 p.m., SUN
Normally this matchup would be no big deal, but the last time these two played, the NBA champion Miami Heat lost to the Wizards to give Washington only its second win of the season. The team has since lost three of the past four games, but defeated the New Orleans Hornets 77-70 in a battle of the two worst teams in the NBA. Miami will play aggressive in this game, as they were embarrassed last time the two played, losing 105-101. This time the game is in South Florida and will give LeBron James another chance to shine. He is averaging 25.5 points per game, with 8.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists, all the best numbers on the team. The Heat are coming off of a close 97-95 loss against the Golden State Warriors and will be looking to get back in the win column against the bottom-dwellers in the East.
The Best of the Rest:
Golden State at Atlanta, 7 p.m., CBHD
Indiana at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Washington at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Orlando at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Brooklyn at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m.
Memphis at Utah, 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Houston at Toronto, 1 p.m.
Denver at Sacramento, 6 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.
New Orleans at Portland, 9 p.m.
NFL Football WEEK 15
Green Bay at Chicago, 1 p.m. FOX
This division matchup will help settle the fate of the NFC North. If the Packers win, they will take the inside track to the division, while the Bears are fighting to just remain in the playoffs as a Wild Card. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler injured his neck last week against the Vikings, but is expected to play. Linebacker Brian Urlacher will be missing from the defense, while Matt Forte will need to post good numbers to take down the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is playing well since being beaten by the Giants three weeks ago and will benefit from a rejuvenated running game behind Alex Green.
N.Y. Giants at Atlanta, 1 p.m., FOX
This game has huge playoff implications. The Falcons are playing to hold onto home field advatanage after already clinching the NFC South, while the Giants need to win to stay ahead of the Cowboys and the Redskins in the NFC East. New York holds a one game lead in the division and will make the playoffs if they win their final three games. Sunday's matchup will be a bit harder for the Giants, as running back Ahmad Bradshaw will be out for the game, leaving David Wilson as the primary runner. Wilson had an exceptional game last weekend against the Saints, gaining 327 all-purpose yards, but the Falcons have a much better defense.
These two teams met in the playoffs last year, with the Giants demolishing the Falcons at home 24-2 en route to winning their second Super Bowl in five seasons. New York will need to do the same again to stay in the NFC East division race.
San Francisco at New England, 8:20 p.m, NBC
In what could be a possible Super Bowl preview, the 49ers travel East to take on the Patriots on Sunday night. New England is coming off of an emphatic 42-14 win over the Texans last Monday night and are 5-1 at home this season. The Patriots haven't lost a game in December in two years and will face quarterback Colin Kaepernick for the first time. The 49ers have the second-ranked defense in the NFL and will try to take advantage of a weak New England secondary. The Patriots are the highest-scoring team in the NFL and have won seven games in a row since losing 24-23 to the Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco is 9-3-1 on the season, but are trying to hold off the 8-5 Seahawks, who are right behind them and host the 49ers next weekend on Sunday night in a game that could decide to the NFC West.
The Best of the Rest:
Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at St. Louis, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Houston, 1 p.m.
Washington at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at Miami, 1 p.m.
Denver at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Carolina at San Diego, 4:05 p.m.
Detroit at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.
Seattle vs. Buffalo at Toronto, 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Oakland, 4:25 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Dallas, 4:25 p.m.
GOLF
Sunday, December 16, 2012
PGA Tour, Father-Son Challenge, Orlando, Fla.
PGA Tour of Australasia/OneAsia Tour, Australian PGA Championship, Coolum, Australia
European Tour/Sunshine Tour, Alfred Dunhill Championship, Malelane, South Africa
NCAA Women's Basketball
Saturday, December 15, 2012
No. 1 Stanford vs. Pacific, 10 p.m.
No. 14 UCLA vs. Saint Mary's at Carnesecca Arena, New York, 2:30 p.m.
No. 20 Ohio State at Washington State, 3 p.m.
No. 23 Texas A&M at Southern Cal, 3 p.m.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
No. 6 Georgia vs. Lipscomb, 2 p.m.
No. 11 Penn State vs. South Dakota State, 2 p.m.
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. Vanderbilt, 3 p.m.
No. 13 Tennessee at No. 18 Texas, 2 p.m.
No. 14 UCLA vs. Tennessee Tech or St. John's, Noon or 2:30 p.m.
No. 15 Purdue at Oakland, 3 p.m.
No. 16 Oklahoma State vs. Vermont, 1:30 p.m.
No. 19 North Carolina at Coastal Carolina, 2 p.m.
No. 21 Miami at Rutgers, 5:30 p.m.
No. 22 Kansas vs. Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m.
No. 25 West Virginia vs. Youngstown State, 2 p.m.
HERE is a full list of every event around the sporting world for this weekend and where you can tune in for the games.