Let’s take a look at Thursday night’s college and NBA card, where the pro games are fewer, but more interesting, than the power conference college contests.

1. As you might expect, offshore and Vegas sportsbooks do big volume on the Thursday night TNT games.  There’s usually, at most, one other game going on in the Association, and sometimes, like tonight, no other offerings.  If there are spotlight games in college, they tend to be out west, with lesser TV visibility and a time slot unfriendly to those east of the Rockies.   People love to bet TV games, so the TNT games get hit pretty hard by the public.

2. Mavs visiting New Orleans is a solid matchup.  In the late game, Portland travels to altitude without rest, and takes on a Nugget team that has a fresh superstar, as Carmelo Anthony is off his one game suspension.  It looks like all parties have put Anthony’s refusal to be subbed for in Indy behind them and there doesn’t appear to be lingering animosity between Anthony and George Karl.  Denver got off to a fast start in Detroit before wearing down late, and their offensive flow suffered without ‘Melo, as the Nuggets had only 18 assists on their 37 hoops.

3.  We’ve seen some interesting slates of games in the Pac Ten lately, but tonight is not one of them, as there isn’t a single matchup between teams that both have winning records in league play.  Conference leader Washington, criminally underrated nationally, is off before taking on cross-state rival Wazzou this weekend.  The ESPN talking heads blather on about the likes of Notre Dame, Maryland, and Texas yet rarely touch on the team with the game-and-a-half lead in the Pac 10.

4. “Arch Madness” gets going tonight with the donkey games in the the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.  The MVC, which brought little experience into the season, is down a good bit this year.  Sagarin has Creighton at #52, Pomeroy has them #50. then there’s nobody else until Illinois State at #75/#74 and Northern Iowa at #81/#86 respectively.   Nobody else is in either top 100. Back in 2007 Sagarin had 6 MVC teams in the top 74 and Pomeroy had the same 6 teams ranked 77 or higher.  In 2006 both had 6 Valley entrants inside of their top 60.   This looks like a one-big league, so if they’re going to prove anything it will be in the NIT and CBI.

5. One non-power conference that has a couple of interesting games tonight is the Atlantic 10, where a pair of heated rivalries take place.  Xavier hosts Dayton and the X men remember that the Flyers nailed them 71-58 as home underdogs.  St. Joseph’s and Temple face off in a game that is critically important in the land of cheesesteaks and soft pretzels.  Temple won the first go-around 61-59 at the Palestra.  This one is at the Licouras Center on Temple’s campus.

Enjoy the Thursday card. In our next edition we’ll isolate some well-regarded coaches whose teams are costing bettors big-time this season.