 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Mavs hope to rebound with Jazz in townBasketball Betting Lines01/27/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celebrations don't seem to be agreeing with the Dallas Mavericks and the reigning NBA champs are probably glad they can put the ceremonies in the rearview mirror as they get ready to host the Utah Jazz. The Mavs finally got their rings on Wednesday and followed that with a 105-90 setback to Minnesota. Dirk Nowitzki participated in the ceremony but not the loss, missing his third straight game with a sore knee. Jason Terry had a team-high 17 points and Shawn Marion chipped in 15, as the Mavericks' seven- game home win streak came to an end. Dallas also failed to extend a 15-game franchise record in which it held its opponent to under 100 points. For the Mavs, the scene was fairly reminiscent of Christmas Day, when the team unfurled its first-ever NBA championship banner to great excitement, then suffered a season-opening shellacking at the hands of the Heat. "I think we're all happy that we don't have any more ceremonies for our championship so we can just concentrate on basketball," said Mavs guard Jason Kidd. Dallas, which is 7-3 in North Texas this season, will finish up a four-game homestand against San Antonio on Sunday. When the Mavs originally sat Nowitzki his absence was pegged at four games, meaning he will sit out again tonight as he continues to rest his knee and work on his conditioning. The Jazz, meanwhile, are coming off a tough double-overtime loss to Toronto on Wednesday. Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza scored 25 points apiece in that one as the Raptors snapped a 12-game losing streak against Utah with a 111-106 win. It was Toronto's first win in the series since December 22, 2004. The back-breaker for the Jazz in the second overtime was Jose Calderon's three-pointer from 10 feet behind the arc to beat the shot clock, giving Toronto a six-point lead with 86 seconds left. The Jazz played without leading scorer Al Jefferson because of an inflamed right ankle, but still had an 18-point lead in the first quarter. "It's a tough loss for us because we know we should have won the game," said Paul Millsap, who scored 31 points. "(It fell apart) in the second quarter. Our defense was poor." Derrick Favors started for Jefferson and scored 16 with 12 rebounds. Raja Bell and C.J. Miles both had 11 points for Utah, which finished a four-game homestand at 2-2. Jefferson didn't practice Thursday and will be a game-time decision tonight. The Jazz have dropped five straight to the Mavs, including a 94-91 loss in Salt Lake City on Jan. 19. Utah has also lost two straight and 14 of its last 16 trips to Big D.
<< Nuggets aim to stay hot vs. Raptors
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The streaking Denver Nuggets aim for a sixth straight win tonight when they host a Toronto team that expects to be without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani. The Nuggets are fresh off a brilliant 5-0 road trip tha
<< Blazers welcome Suns to Rip City
<< Thunder, Warriors collide in Oakland
<< Improved Pacers try to pass another test in Boston
<< Magic try to rebound against Hornets
Cavs and Nets meet at The Q >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets have yet to win consecutive games this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have done it just once. Both teams will be trying to put together win streaks this evening at Quicken Loans Arena. The Nets have
Bogut-less Bucks visit Bulls >>
Wolves welcome Spurs to the Twin Cities >>
Sixers try to bounce back vs. bumbling Bobcats >>
Wagner will play FBS school for first time >>
Betting the NFL preseasonRule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games." When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night. The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine. “I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.” The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark. “We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.” The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long. “It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.” Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play. “You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt." So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps? “Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says. Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins. Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter. “If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says. Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider. The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason. “We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003. Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super BowlThe AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East. Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around. The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs. |
|
