Mickelson is the favorite at Riviera

With Tiger Woods again skipping the PGA tournament in Los Angeles, the $6.2-million Northern Trust Open, which begins today at Riviera Country Club, is wide open.

Bodoglife.com lists the field as the 7-4 favorite in the tournament, which would include all golfers not listed among the 50 individuals who have posted odds.

Among the 50, the shortest price is 9-1 on Phil Mickelson, who lost in a playoff to Charles Howell III a year ago when the tournament was called the Nissan Open.

Next at 14-1 is Adam Scott, who won here in 2005, and Rory Sabbatini is 16-1.

Other contenders include Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk, who are both 20-1, Padraig Harrington, best known for his victory in the British Open last summer, at 25-1 and Sergio Garcia, who hasn’t won in about two years, at 28-1.

Singh, who was defeated by Steve Lowery in a playoff last week at Pebble Beach, has not had much luck at Riviera. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in six previous appearances in the tournament.

Howell is 40-1 while Steve Elkington, who won the PGA Championship in 1995 at Riviera, is 66-1.

College basketball

Stanford, the hottest team in the Pacific 10 Conference, will try to continue its roll tonight in Tempe against Arizona State, a team that it has owned for the last decade.

The Cardinal, which has moved into a tie with UCLA for first place in the conference thanks to its second seven-game win streak of the season, has won five in a row against the Sun Devils and 18 of the last 20 meetings.

Perfect since losing 71-66 at Oregon on Jan. 15, Stanford has covered the spread in five of its seven wins, including a 67-52 victory over visiting Arizona State on Jan. 19.

Seventh in the Associated Press poll, the Cardinal, which won 71-60 in Tempe a season ago, will be facing a team that is headed in the opposite direction. The Sun Devils have lost five of their last six.

NBA

In the last game before the NBA begins its All-Star break, Shaquille O’Neal could make his debut as a member of the Phoenix Suns when they play host to Dallas tonight.

Traded eight days ago by Miami to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, O’Neal began practicing with the Suns earlier this week and, according to Coach Mike D’Antoni, could play tonight.

In the only other meeting between the two Western Conference contenders this season, Phoenix won, 108-105, at Dallas on Dec. 19.

The Suns have won six of the last 11 regular-season contests, but the Mavericks got the best of Phoenix in the playoffs in the 2005-06 campaign.

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bob.mieszerki@latimes.com