NFL Football And Soccer Betting

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2007-10-22T18:58:00.000-06:00

NFL Football And Soccer Betting: JustBet's Oktoberfest 25% CASH BONUS

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2007-10-22T18:49:00.000-06:00

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Poker

2007-06-04T19:53:00.000-06:00

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Most online internet poker gambling sites will allow the gambler to practice with free money until they feel comfortable with paying real money to play at the virtual online poker table. Understanding poker odds and how to play the different games will help you before your next online poker gambling session. Discover how easy it is to get in on the action of playing the game and visit http://www.englishharbour.com/index.php?c=26036&s=195 today. If you’re into poker gambling and gaming, the chances are you want to increase your chances of winning in whatever way you can at http://www.caribbeangold.com/index.php/?c=26036&s=194. The most popular form of poker gambling because of its very large television success and popularity is Texas Holdem poker but Video Poker is a whole other bag of chips when it comes to online internet poker gambling. Advanced Video Poker is the cutting edge gambling machine simulator that features 3 standard versions of this ever popular video game plus 4 additional modes new to poker gambling, introducing a whole new dimension to video Bombs Away. Online internet poker gambling is seeing tremendous growth online and poker gambling besides at casinos and poker rooms is one of the fastest growing forms of wagering on the Internet. You can find poker gambling in a casino but it is much more enjoyable to play online poker gambling on the internet because of the choices available.

Horse Betting

2007-06-04T19:51:00.000-06:00

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Horse betting is the major part in the sport of hose racing and it is what makes the sport of horse racing work. Horse betting is what keeps the sport of Kings and Queens alive because it provides the funds to keep this noble sport running. Horse betting is even better when you use the Internet and the computer. Don't let the ease of use for internet horse betting trap you into making uninformed decisions. Horse betting is a complex game of observation of understanding, calculation and to a great extent, the luck factor. Horse betting is a big business and horse racing fans can bet online on the internet, view live horse racing online, view horse race results from major horse races and maintain an online horse racing betting account. Horse betting is a legal activity and catches the attention of millions of people from different professions disregarding financial status or ethnic background.
All are fascinated and excited by the money, adventure and excitement offered by online internet horse betting. Horse betting is an ancient tradition that's open for the enjoyment of people from all socio-economic classes. Horse betting is a great pastime that's been enjoyed the world over for hundreds and hundreds of years and the most exciting thing about online horse betting is that you can move at your own speed to choose to wager at the time and location that is most convenient for you. Horse betting is a very lucrative opportunity, but only if you know how to chose a bet. Live online internet horse betting is one of the most sought after tracks for millions of gamblers and online horse betting is a great way to enjoy the sport of horse racing even if you live a long way away from the race you chose. The main attraction of online horse betting is that you can bet on your favorite horse races in the comfort of your own home while watching it live on your computer. Internet horse betting is an outgrowth of the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 that allowed interstate simulcast wagering. Winning at the track to earn profits through horse betting is not simple, but with the necessary information it is very doable. The superfecta in horse betting is the equivalent of a parlay with a whole handful of plays in football betting. Online horse betting is great for weekdays when you are in the office and can't go to the track or the OTB, nothing beats being at the track, and all horse bettors know that. Horse betting, as a pastime goes back hundreds of years in human history and apart from betting on football, basketball or baseball, horse betting is also made available on the internet.

Horse Racing Terms

2007-06-04T19:47:00.000-06:00

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Accross The Board is a bet on a horse to win, place and show.

Added Money is money added to the purse of a race by the racing
association or by a breeding or other fund.

All Out is when a horse extends himself to the utmost.

Allowance Race is a race other than claiming for which the racing
secretary drafts certain conditions to determine weights.

Allowances is weight permitted to be reduced because of the
conditions of the race or because an apprentice is on a horse.
Also, a weight females are entitled to when racing against males.

Also Eligable is a horse officially entered, but not permitted to
start unless the field is reduced by scratches below a specified
number.

Also Ran is a horse who finishes out of the money.

Apprentice is rider who has not ridden a certain number of winners
within a specified period of time. Also known as a bug boy.

Apprentice Allowance is weight concession to an apprentice rider:
usually 10 pounds until the fifth winner, seven pounds until the
35th winner and five pounds for one calendar year from the 35th
winner.

Baby Race is a race for 2-year-olds.

Backstretch is straight of far side of track between the turns.

Backside is stable area. (not the horses ass)

Bearing in or out is deviating from a straight course.

Blanket finish is horses finishing so closely together they could
be covered by a blanket.

Blinkers is device to limit a horse’s vision.

Blowout is a short, final workout, usually a day or two before a
race.

Board is board on which odds, betting pools and other
information are displayed.

Bobble is a bad step.

Bolt is sudden veering from a straight course.

Breakage is a pari-mutuel payoff which is rounded out to a
nickel or dime, those pennies that are left over. Breakage is
generally split between the track and state and in some cases,
breeding or other funds, in varying proportions.

Breakdown is when a horse suffers an injury.

Breeder is the owner of dam at time foal is dropped.

Bloodmare is a female Thoroughbred used for breeding.

Bull Ring is a small racetrack usually less than one mile.

Checked a horse pulled up by his jockey.

Chute is an extension of the backstretch or homestretch.

Claiming is buying a horse out of a race for the entered price.

Claiming race is a race in which horses are entered subject to claim
for a specified price.

Classic is race of traditional importance.

Closer a horse who runs best in the latter part of the race.

Colt is male horse under 5 years of age.

Condittion race is an event with conditions limiting it to a
certain class of horse.

Coupled is two or more horses running as an entry in a single
betting unit.

Dayly Double is a type of wager calling for the selection of winners
of two consecutive races, usually the first and second.

Dead Heat is two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the
wire.

Disqualification is a change of order of finish by officials for an
infraction of the rules.

Driving is a strong urging by rider.

Dropdown is a horse facing a lower class of rivals than he had
been running against.

Eighth is a furlong; 220 yards; 660 feet, 1/8 of a mile.

Eligable is a horse qualified to start in a race, according to conditions.

Entry is two or more horses owned by the same stable or trained by the same trainer and thus running as a single
betting unit.

Equivilent odds is mutual price horses pay for each $1 bet.

Evenly is neither gaining nor losing position or distance during a
race.

Exacta is a wager in which the first two finishers
in a race, in exact order of finish, must be picked.

Faltered is a term used for a horse that was in contention early
and drops back in the late stages. It is more drastic than
weakened but less drastic than stopped.

Filly is a female horse up to and including the age of 4.

Foal is a newly born Thoroughbred, or until weaned. Male or female.

Four furlongs is half a mile; 880 yards; 2,640 feet.

Front runner is a horse who usually leads (or tries to lead) the
field.

Furlong is one-eighth of a mile; 220 yards; 660 feet.

Gait is the way in which a horse moves - walk, trot, canter,
gallop, run, etc.

Gallop is a type of gait, a fast canter. Also, to ride a horse at
that gait.

Gelding is an incomplete male horse.

Half is half a mile, four furlongs; 880 yards; 2,640 feet.

Handicap is a race a handicapper assigns weights to be carried.
Also, to handicap a race, to make selections on the basis of the
past performances.

Handicapper is one who assigns weights. Also one who makes
selections on past performances.

Handle is the amount of money wagered in the pari-mutuel pool on a
race, a program, a meeting or a year.

Hand Ride is a jockey urging a horse with the hands and not using
the whip.

In The Money is finishing first, second or third.

Late double is a second daily double offered on the latter part of
the program.

Lead Pony is a horse or pony who heads parade of field from paddock
to starting gate.LEG UP - to help a jockey mount his horse.

Lock is slang for a sure thing winner.

Middle distance is from one mile to less than a mile and
an eighth.

Minus pool is a mutual pool caused when one horse is so heavily
wagered on, that after deductions of state tax and commission,
there is not enough money left to pay the legally prescribed
minimum on each winning bet.

Morning line is approximate odds quoted before wagering determines
exact odds.

Objection is a claim of foul lodged by a rider.

Odds on is odds of less than even money.

On The Board is finishing among the first four.

On the nose is betting a horse to win only.

Overlay is a horse going off at a higher price than he appears to
warrant based on his past performances.

Overnite line is prices quoted the night before the race.

Parimutuel is a form of wagering that originated in France in
which all money bet is divided up among those who have winning
tickets, after taxes, takeout and other deductions are made
.
Past Performances is a compilation in the Daily Racing Form of a
horse’s record, including all pertinent data, used as a basis for
handicapping.

Place is the second position at finish of a race.

Place bet is a wager on a horse to finish first or second.

.
Pocket is being boxed in, shut off. Running in a position with horses in
front and alongside.

Post is the starting point or position in the starting gate.

Pool is the total sum wagered on a race.

Post posittion is the position of stall in starting gate from which a
horse starts.

Post time is the time a race is scheduled to start.

Purse is the prize money.

Quarter is one-quarter of a mile; 440 yards; 1,320 feet.

Quinella is a wager in which the first two finishers must be
picked in either order.

Rabbit is a horse that is considered to have little chance of
winning a race but is entered purely to ensure a fast pace,
softening up the competition for the benefit of the entry mate.

Rail runner is a horse who prefers to run next to inside rail.

Router is a horse who perfoms well at distance races.

Scratch is a horse taken out of a race.

Seven furlongs is seven-eighths of a mile; 1,540 yards; 4,620
feet.

Show is third position at the finish of a race.

Show bet is a wager on a horse to finish in the money, third or
better.

Stakes placed is finishing first, second or third in a stakes
race.

Stake is a race for which the owner must pay a fee to run his
horse. Some stakes races are by invitation and require no payment
or fee.

Stretch is the final straight portion of the racetrack to the finish.

Stretch call is the position of horses at the eighth pole, usually
about halfway down the stretch.

Stretch Runner is a horse who finishes fast.

Take is a commission deducted from pari-mutuel pools.

Taken up is a horse pulled up sharply by his jockey.

Trifecta is a wager picking the first three finishers
in exact order.

Triple Crown is the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont
Stakes.

Horse Racig

2007-04-21T19:51:00.000-06:00

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NBA Sunday Gameday

2007-02-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

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NBA Sunday Gameday

The NBA’s Central Division grabs the hoops spotlight on Sunday afternoon, with its top teams looking to end the week with a win. Here is your NBA Gameday.

Chicago Bulls at Detroit Pistons, 1:00pm ET

The Bulls have won three games in a row, but they’ve still lost quite a bit of ground to the Pistons in the Central Division over the past couple of weeks. The Bulls currently find themselves 4.5 games back of Detroit for first place despite consecutive wins over Atlanta, Cleveland, and Washington. That mini-streak, however, came on the heels of five losses in six games at the beginning of the month. Chicago forward Andres Nocioni is now out indefinitely with a foot injury.

The Pistons have won nine of their past 10 contests to move into first place in both the Central Division and the Eastern Conference standings. Detroit’s only loss over that span came on February 14, when they scored just 81 points in a 90-81 defeat versus San Antonio. Detroit has the definite advantage in the splits on Sunday afternoon as well – they’re 18-10 at home this season, while the Bulls are just 10-18 on the road. The Bulls, though, are 8-2 versus Central opponents.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat, 3:30pm ET

The Cavaliers sit right between the Pistons and the Bulls in the Central Division right now, 3.5 games back of Detroit and a game up on Chicago. This will be the third time that the Cavs will take on the Heat in the month of February – they lost to Miami 92-89 back on February 1, but picked up a 103-79 victory at home on February 9. LeBron James led the way for Cleveland in that win, scoring a game-high 29 points. Larry Hughes had 16 points, while Drew Gooden had 13 boards.

Dwyane Wade poured in 27 points for Miami in their loss on February 9, but the star guard’s dislocated shoulder will keep him out of today’s game – and many more games to come. In fact, if Wade decides to have shoulder surgery he could be out of action until next season. That would be bad news for the Heat, who have won seven of their past 10 games but are still just barely in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference (and, shockingly, are two games below .500).

Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 6:00pm ET

The Lakers have little chance of catching the Suns in the Pacific Division this season, but they’re still comfortably in the Top 8 of the Western Conference despite having lost seven of their past 10 contests. In fact, Los Angeles’ win over the Celtics on Friday night put an end to an ugly six-game losing streak, in which they fell short versus Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, New York, Cleveland again, and Portland. Lakers forward Vladimir Radmanovic is out with a shoulder injury.

The Warriors are hoping they have better luck against the Lakers than they did versus the other Los Angeles team on Saturday afternoon. Al Harrington scored 24 points against the Clippers on Saturday, but Golden State was still defeated 103-90 on the road. Jason Richardson had 18 points in that game, while Monta Ellis picked up 17 points and 13 assists. The Warriors are still in the hunt for a postseason berth in the West, but they’re also a sub-.500 team right now as well.

http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net

NBA First-Half Roundup

2007-02-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

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NBA First-Half Roundup

The Western Conference routed its Eastern counterpart 153-132 in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, but they start playing for real again on Tuesday. Here's a look back at how each of the 30 teams fared over the season's first half:

ATLANTIC DIVISION

TEAM --- SU --- ATS --- OVER/UNDER
Toronto --- 29-24 --- 33-19-1 --- 21-32
New Jersey --- 25-29 --- 28-24-2 --- 27-25-2
New York --- 23-30 --- 28-25 --- 28-25
Philadelphia --- 17-36 --- 24-26-3 --- 25-26-2
Boston --- 13-38 --- 22-27-2 --- 23-28

CENTRAL DIVISION

TEAM --- SU --- ATS --- OVER/UNDER
Detroit --- 32-19 --- 25-26 --- 21-28-2
Cleveland --- 31-22 --- 25-27-1 --- 25-28
Indiana --- 28-24 --- 29-22-1 --- 28-24
Chicago --- 29-25 --- 23-31 --- 26-27-1
Milwaukee --- 19-34 --- 26-27 --- 31-21-1

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

TEAM --- SU --- ATS --- OVER/UNDER
Washington --- 29-21 --- 23-25-2 --- 28-22
Orlando --- 27-26 --- 25-28 --- 21-31-1
Miami --- 26-26 --- 28-22-2 --- 26-26
Atlanta --- 21-31 --- 24-28 --- 26-26
Charlotte --- 19-33 --- 23-29 --- 24-28

NORTHWEST DIVISION

TEAM --- SU --- ATS --- OVER/UNDER
Utah --- 35-17 --- 26-24-2 --- 29-22-1
Denver --- 26-25 --- 26-24-1 --- 26-22-3
Minnesota --- 25-27 --- 27-25 --- 30-21-1
Portland --- 22-32 --- 26-28 --- 27-27
Seattle --- 20-32 --- 25-24-3 --- 27-24-1

PACIFIC DIVISION

TEAM --- SU --- ATS --- OVER/UNDER
Phoenix --- 39-13 --- 28-22-2 --- 26-26
LA Lakers --- 30-24 --- 27-25-2 --- 29-24-1
LA Clippers --- 25-28 --- 19-33-1 --- 25-28
Golden State --- 25-29 --- 27-27 --- 33-21
Sacramento --- 22-29 --- 21-29-1 --- 27-24

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

TEAM --- SU --- ATS --- OVER/UNDER
Dallas --- 44-9 --- 28-21-4 --- 22-31
San Antonio --- 35-18 --- 27-26 --- 23-30
Houston --- 33-19 --- 25-25-2 --- 25-27
New Orleans --- 25-28 --- 31-22 --- 26-27
Memphis --- 14-40 --- 23-31 --- 31-21-2

The current playoff teams in the Eastern Conference are the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat. The New Jersey Nets are two games back of the Heat for the conference's eighth postseason berth at this time.

Over in the Western Conference the current playoff teams are the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Los Angeles Clippers and the New Orleans Hornets are both a half-game back of the T-Wolves for eighth place, while the Golden State Warriors are a full game back.

OVER bettors have been making money on the Golden State Warriors so far this season - they lead the league with 33 OVER results to date. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies have each put up 31 OVER results so far, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have 30. At the other end, the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, and Orlando Magic have all put up just 21 OVER results

Here's how the league's 30 teams are currently ranking on the points-scored-per-game and the points-allowed-per-game charts through the All-Star Break . . .

Ranking: Points-Scored-Per-Game

Phoenix --- 110.7
Golden State --- 105.9
Washington --- 105.8
Denver --- 105.6
LA Lakers --- 103.1
Utah --- 102.3
Memphis --- 100.7
Seattle --- 100.4
Sacramento --- 100.2
New York --- 100.1
Dallas --- 99.9
Milwaukee --- 99.5
Toronto --- 99.1
Chicago --- 99.1
San Antonio --- 98.3
New Jersey --- 97.2
Indiana --- 96.8
Detroit --- 96.6
Boston --- 96.6
Minnesota --- 96.5
Miami --- 96.5
Cleveland --- 96.4
Houston --- 95.9
LA Clippers --- 95.7
Charlotte --- 94.8
Philadelphia --- 94.8
Orlando --- 94.3
Portland --- 93.6
New Orleans --- 92.6
Atlanta --- 92.5

Ranking: Points-Allowed-Per-Game

Houston --- 90.3
San Antonio --- 91.0
Dallas --- 92.5
Detroit --- 92.8
Orlando --- 93.4
Cleveland --- 93.9
New Orleans --- 94.4
Chicago --- 95.4
Atlanta --- 96.8
Indiana --- 96.8
Minnesota --- 97.2
LA Clippers --- 97.3
Portland --- 97.8
Miami --- 98.0
New Jersey --- 98.4
Toronto --- 98.7
Philadelphia --- 99.0
Utah --- 99.4
Charlotte --- 99.8
Boston --- 99.8
Sacramento --- 100.8
LA Lakers --- 102.2
New York --- 102.3
Seattle --- 102.9
Phoenix --- 103.4
Denver --- 103.9
Milwaukee --- 104.0
Washington --- 105.7
Memphis --- 105.7
Golden State --- 107.5

The NBA returns with a 10-game schedule on Tuesday night, including the Denver Nuggets at the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns at the Los Angeles Clippers. Also on tap for Tuesday are New Orleans at Charlotte, Minnesota at Washington, Orlando at New York, Detroit at Milwaukee, Atlanta at Chicago, Utah at Portland, Boston at Sacramento, and then Memphis at Seattle.

College Basketball Gameday

2007-02-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

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College Basketball Gameday

How much stock do you put in the polls?

If you’re a casual college basketball fan, it might be difficult for you to get interested in teams who lie outside the Top 25. That’s too bad. What if we told you that’s where the money is? Six of the 10 most profitable teams against the spread are unranked. As long as they stay out of the limelight, their chances of staying profitable will be enhanced. But let’s risk shining a little light on some of these teams and their Saturday matchups.

Mississippi at Arkansas

The Mississippi Rebels are one of the big surprise stories of the 2006-07 season. Picked by many to finish at the bottom of the SEC West, the Rebels have instead stormed out to a 17-8 record straight up, including 6-5 in a tough conference. That turnaround translates to 16-6 against the spread.

Ole Miss remains under the radar, though, with an RPI rating of 54. The non-conference portion of the schedule was softer than ice cream on a summer day in the Magnolia State – then the Rebels opened up SEC play at 1-4 before putting together their current four-game winning streak. One of the key changes for Ole Miss is the decision to convert senior guard Clarence Sanders from a starter to a sixth man. The last time the Rebels faced the Razorbacks, Sanders was still in the rotation and shot just 5-for-13 (38.5 percent); however, in five games coming off the bench, the Alabama native is shooting 36-for-73 (49.3 percent). Arkansas will have its hands full Saturday.

Davidson at Western Carolina

Welcome to the Southern Conference. Davidson is sitting pretty on top of the South Division at 13-1 SU (22-4 overall) and third in the ATS standings at 16-6-1. That seems like reason enough to get to know the Wildcats.

The big story on this team is freshman guard Stephen Curry. He’s mowing down opponents with 20.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two steals per game, nailing 40 percent of his 3-point attempts along the way. And he just keeps getting better. Curry has more than just filled the void that opened up after the Wildcats lost so many talented seniors from last year’s squad, including the school’s top scorer of all-time, Brendan Winters.

Beating the Catamounts for the second time this season shouldn’t be a problem. The ‘Cats won the last matchup (also at Western Carolina) 79-59 to cover the 16-point spread. Davidson is 4-0 ATS this year when favored by more than 12 points.

Towson at Bucknell

The Colonial Athletic Association gave us some great stories last year, none greater than the George Mason Patriots. But this year’s unlikely candidates for your attention are the Towson Tigers, a perennial doormat in the CAA. No longer; Towson is 14-13 overall, 8-8 in conference action, and a very healthy 16-8 against the spread.

This is all a little less surprising when you look at the recent history of the program. The Tigers hired Pat Kennedy to take over the coaching reins in 2004. Kennedy was an assistant under the legendary Jim Valvano at Iona; as a head coach, Kennedy twice took the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament, then returned to the big dance with both FSU and DePaul. His work turning the flagging Blue Demons program around earned him the job at Towson, and Kennedy is once again working his magic.

The Tigers won’t be making the Tournament this year, barring a fluke, but they are well on their way to respectability. They’re also playing very good basketball right now. Towson covered 10 of its past 12 games, including a pair of close losses to Virginia Commonwealth and another pair to Hofstra, two of the top teams in the CAA. Now they get to travel outside of the conference for what should be another tight matchup versus Bucknell of the Patriot League. The Bison generally don’t see any betting lines in their own conference, but this is a BracketBuster contest, and Bucknell has been in the Tournament each of the last two seasons. Towson will have a lot of trouble getting to the basket in this one. The total will be the lowest the Tigers have seen in at least 12 games – the OVER has a slim 7-5 advantage during that span.

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NBA Infirmary Report

2007-02-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

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NBA Infirmary Report

With Steve Nash out of the lineup the Phoenix Suns are finding out how the other half lives. The Suns dropped their second straight game on Sunday night, and are hoping the two-time NBA MVP returns quickly from his shoulder injury. In the meantime, here's another edition of the NBA Infirmary Report . . .

Steve Nash - G - Phoenix Suns
Nash isn't expected to be back on the floor for the Suns again until next week, and he's also reportedly going to sit out this weekend's All-Star festivities in Las Vegas (the guard's sore shoulder didn't feel any better as of Monday). The Suns' first game after the break is on February 20 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Boris Diaw - F - Phoenix Suns
Kurt Thomas - F - Phoenix Suns
Suns forward Diaw is listed as questionable for Wednesday night's game against the Seattle SuperSonics, as he's suffering from back spasms (he also missed the game against the Bulls on Sunday). As for Thomas, he has been cleared to practice and could return from his elbow injury shortly after the All-Star break.

Paul Pierce - G - Boston Celtics
The return of Pierce from the injured list hasn't been enough for the Celtics to put an end to their losing streak (as of Monday), but he's at least giving Boston fans someone to watch. However, Pierce hurt his hip against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night and is listed as day-to-day right now.

Rashard Lewis - F - Seattle SuperSonics
Lewis has returned from his hand injury, and he scored 23 points for the Sonics against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Seattle, though, is still mired in the basement of the Northwest Division.

Michael Redd - G - Milwaukee Bucks
There has been some speculation that Redd might be able to return from his knee injury for the Bucks' two games this week (on Tuesday and Wednesday), but the team hasn't officially announced his status for those contests. Redd has missed the Bucks' last 18 games with the ailment, and he would be a big help against the powerful Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Carlos Boozer - F - Utah Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko played through a sore back for the Jazz on Saturday night, but Boozer has yet to return from his leg injury. There had been some talk last week that Boozer would be able to play in this weekend's All-Star Game, but the league has since announced that Carmelo Anthony and Josh Howard have been selected as replacements for Boozer and Yao Ming.

Grant Hill - G - Orlando Magic
The Magic are falling down the Eastern Conference standings, and could use the boost that Hill's return to the lineup would give them. The guard isn't expected to suit up for the team this week, but could be back just after the All-Star break.

Antawn Jamison - F - Washington Wizards
Jamison has been out of the Wizards' lineup with a sprained knee since the beginning of February, and is expected to be out of action until at least the end of the month. The official diagnosis of the injury was three-to-six weeks, which would mean a return date of no later than mid-March.

Yao Ming - C - Houston Rockets
The Rockets are playing pretty well with Ming on the sidelines, but they'd still like to have their big man back on the court before the end of the regular season. Ming actually led all Western Conference players in All-Star votes this year, but obviously won't be able to participate in the game.

Richard Jefferson - F - New Jersey Nets
Jefferson's return from ankle surgery is currently on schedule, and he could be back on the floor at the end of February or at the beginning of March. The Nets are riding a three-game winning streak right now as they try to chase down the Toronto Raptors for first place in the Atlantic Division.

http://www.betjm.com/default.aspx?ZID=N992

Horses to Watch

2007-01-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

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Horses To Watch

Horses worth watching compiled by handicapper/racing writer Greg Melikov won five races and finished second four times since Dec. 30.

AQUEDUCT

Nedjma: Bumped after start, dropped to last more than 14 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, advanced along rail to fifth in stretch, made up more than 6 ½ lengths and lost by 2 ½ lengths at six furlongs.

FAIR GROUNDS

Bureauractic: Poor start, trailed by more than 10 ½ lengths after a half-mile, swung out widest for drive, rallied from fourth to make up nearly four lengths in stretch and lost by a neck at a mile and 40 yards on a sealed sloppy surface Jan. 19.

GULFSTREAM PARK

Dream Rush: Raced third early, steadied behind leader on backstretch, boxed in around turn into stretch, angled out and lost by three-quarters of a length on Jan. 20; ran final quarter in 24 3/5.

OAKLAWN PARK

Brighton Bull: Raced sixth early, dropped to seventh six lengths behind after advancing six wide into stretch, rallied late and lost by a neck at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 19.

PHILADELPHIA PARK

Call You Raise You: Broke in air, raced fifth 10 lengths behind after a half-mile, closed gamely from outside in fourth heading home, made up nearly three lengths and was nosed out at a mile and 70 yards on Jan. 20.

TURFWAY PARK

Classy Brute: Broke last, trailed by more than 9 ½ lengths after a half-mile, angled out in seventh for drive, closed fast to make up 4 ½ lengths and lost by a neck at six furlongs on Jan. 20; ran final quarter in 24

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NFL Football And Soccer Betting

2007-01-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

NFL Football And Soccer Betting

2007-01-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

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By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Big East's two winningest programs over the last six years lock horns on Tuesday night - one sitting on top of the league standings and another hungry to rediscover its mojo.

Reeling Connecticut (13-3, 2-2 Big East) is out of the national polls for the first time since 2003 as it heads to Western Pennsylvania to take on sixth-ranked Pittsburgh (16-2, 4-0), which has re-established itself as a Final Four contender with a quick start in league play.

The Huskies and Panthers square off at 7 tonight on ESPN2.

UConn has lost three of the last five games, although the Huskies righted the ship Saturday night by edging St. John's 68-59 at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies' defense still ranks among the Big East's upper echelon, leading the league in field-goal defense (35.2 percent) and blocked shots (9.5 per game) and ranking sixth with 8.9 steals a contest.

Freshman guard Doug Wiggins has emerged as one of the top sixth men in the Big East, notching double-figure scoring totals six times this season, including games of 19 vs. Marquette and 20 against West Virginia.

Wiggins helped Connecticut shoot 50 percent from the floor against St. John's, anchored by a 6-for-11 team performance from 3-point territory. Freshmen Stanley Robinson and Hasheem Thabeet came up big against the Red Storm - Robinson with 13 points and 12 rebounds and Thabeet with 12 points, 10 boards and 7 blocks.

Pittsburgh has lost three of the last four meetings with UConn, including a rare home loss at the Peterson Center against the Huskies in 2005.

But the Panthers are flying high after a methodical and thorough 74-69 triumph against Georgetown on Saturday. In that win, Pitt weathered the Hoyas' 60.9 percent shooting performance by hitting 56.9 percent themselves and winning the battle on the glass, 23-18. The Panthers' rebound total was a season-low, but so were their 7 turnovers.

Pitt junior Mike Cook recorded a season-high 18 points against GU and has quietly put together a solid season with 11.9 points and 3.2 rebounds a game, 55 assists and 54.2 percent shooting (77-of-142) from the floor. In the Panthers' four Big East wins, Cook is producing 11.3 points a contest, which is big because foes are focused on slowing down 7-footer Aaron Gray.

UConn is averaging 69.3 points a game in Big East play and will likely need to come near that total to have a shot at upsetting Pitt, which is limiting league foes to only 58 a game. The Panthers are -7.5

ST. JOHN'S at DePAUL (8:30 p.m. EST Tuesday): These two teams meet for the second time in 13 days with the Red Storm looking for the season sweep after claiming a 64-53 triumph in New York on Jan. 3. The Blue Demons notched one of the more dominant defensive efforts in their recent history - a 60-37 victory against Rutgers on Saturday. DePaul (11-7, 2-2) held the Scarlet Knights to the second-lowest point total by a Big East team in the league's 26-year history. The Demons have been very solid defensively over the last 12 games, holding foes to 37 percent shooting (251-of-678) and 60.2 points a game. DePaul is 9-3 over the stretch. Karron Clark was the offensive sparkplug in the Demons' effort against Rutgers with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field (4-of-6 3-point range). St. John's (10-7, 1-3) has lost all three games since defeating DePaul and is averaging only 56 points in those setbacks. In a 68-59 loss to Connecticut, the Red Storm won the battle of boards (39-36) and turned the ball over fewer times than the Huskies, but couldn't overcome 33.3 percent shooting. Lamont Hamilton scored only 9 points vs. UConn but still leads St. John's with 13.4 points a game. DePaul is -12 for tonight's game.

NOTRE DAME at VILLANOVA (7 p.m. EST Wednesday): The Fighting Irish (15-2, 3-1) are off to their best start under Coach Mike Brey after their third Big East home win, 88-79 over Seton Hall on Sunday. Notre Dame leads the Big East with 84.1 points a game, led by Russell Carter's 18.8 points a game and 14.4 from Rob Kurz. Carter and Irish backup Zach Hillesland each logged double-doubles against the Pirates - Carter with 24 points and 10 rebounds, Hillesland with 12, 10 and 8 assists. Notre Dame and Villanova meet Wednesday night and again Jan. 27. The Wildcats (11-5, 1-3) need to get in a groove after losing three of their last four Big East games - including a 75-64 setback at Syracuse on Saturday. Curtis Sumpter came up big against the Orange with 24 points and 12 boards and was 9-of-17 from the floor. 'Nova guards Mike Nardi and Scottie Reynolds added 14 and 13 points, respectively, but each was just 2-for-10 from 3-point range against SU. The Wildcats are 10-2 against Notre Dame since the Irish joined the Big East and need a win this week to get back on track.

Randy Rosetta
Author Bio: Randy Rosetta is a veteran sportswriter who has made stops in four major-college towns. He is currently the LSU men's basketball beat writer for the Baton Rouge Advocate, and was previously the beat writer for the Texas Tech men's program for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. A University of Kansas graduate, Rosetta was appropriately born on Oct. 14 -- the first day of college basketball practice every year -- and attended the same high school as Dean Smith in Topeka, Kan. He counts Allen Fieldhouse, Gallagher-Iba Arena, Walton Arena and the O'Connell Center as his four favorite venues for hoops.

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Patriots-Chargers Preview

2007-01-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

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Patriots-Chargers Preview

By Chris Cluff

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Patriots (13-4) at Chargers (14-2), 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday (CBS)

line: Chargers -4.5 (46.5)

Perhaps the best matchup of the divisional playoffs pits league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers against Tom Brady and the New England

Tomlinson put together one of the best seasons in history, leading the league with 1,815 rushing yards and scoring an NFL-record 31 touchdowns as the Chargers secured the AFC’s top seed.

Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback, has led the Patriots to seven wins in the past eight games, including an easy 37-16 blowout of the New York Jets in the wild-card round last weekend.

That made Brady 11-1 as a starter in the playoffs, and Coach Bill Belichick 12-2.

“You definitely respect them for the things they’ve done in the past and the things they’ve done throughout the season,” Chargers tight end Antonio Gates told reporters. “You just want to go out and play with respect. But at the same time, you fear no one. That’s our mindset.”

Tomlinson certainly does not fear the Patriots. In 2002, he rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers’ 21-14 home win. And last season, he rushed for 134 yards and two scores as the Chargers won 41-17 to end the Patriots’ 21-game home winning streak.

“He’s the MVP. I don’t know how you could be any more complete than that,” Belichick told reporters. “He’s looked pretty good to me, unfortunately, every time we’ve seen him. We’re usually looking at the back of his jersey. We haven’t done very well against him. He’s killed a lot of people besides us, and he’s killed us.”

But this is the playoffs, where the Chargers have not had nearly as much success as the Patriots. San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer has lost his last five playoff games, including a 20-17 overtime loss to the Jets two seasons ago, and is 5-12 in the postseason.

The Chargers won all eight games at home this season, but the Patriots went 7-1 on the road and are facing Philip Rivers, San Diego’s inconsistent first-year quarterback who will be making his first postseason start.

“I’m not sure what to expect from him,” Tomlinson admitted. “He is excited about being in the playoffs. Part of being a quarterback, you keep that even keel of not getting too excited.”

Best bet: In the past two seasons, teams with quarterbacks making their first playoff starts are 0-6. New England, 27-20.

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bet365poker

2007-01-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

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Como habrá visto en las secciones ‘Gestionar Enlaces’ y ‘Galería Creativa’ de su cuenta de afiliados, hemos cambiado el objetivo url para bet365poker. Esto se ha hecho por razones de seguridad y le pedimos que reemplace todos los textos en los enlaces de póquer y los banners con el nuevo código, lo antes posible.

Note que estamos simplemente utilizando un nombre de dominio diferente para asegurar que todos los nuevos clientes de póquer son registrados correctamente en el sistema de afiliados y que continuará dirigiendo a los clientes a la misma página web de bet365poker que antes.

2007-01-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

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GET IN THE GAME WITH BET365

2007-01-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

NFL WEEK 4 - GET IN THE GAME WITH BET365’S NIGEL RIDGWAY

It was another wacky week in the world of NFL with plenty of close finishes, record breaking performances and come-from-behind wins but, at the end of it all, the Colts continued their inevitable march towards the Playoffs with a 14-7 win over the Jags – 5/1 with bet365 for the Super Bowl. And, providing you were on at the early line of 6.5, they also improved to 3-0 ATS for their legions of backers, but can they go 4-0 this week?

Well, bet365 bettors have already fired away pushing the Colts to -9.0 against the New York Jets and, as hard as the Jets play, it’s not hard to see them covering this line. The Bengals (9/1 outright) have also been attracting plenty of support this week, and they have been bet up to -6.0 against New England. That seems like a lot of points to give the Patriots but, remember, you can buy and sell points at bet365, which takes a lot of the heartbreak out of Sunday, and can turn a losing week into a winning one.

Baltimore are one of the most improved teams this year, and it’s a little surprising to see them as 2.5-point underdogs against San Diego. Sure, the Chargers are rested after their bye week, but this is Philip Rivers going into Ravens territory (allowing just 1.8 yards rushing!), and the value lies with the home side. The 6/5 straight-up with bet365 is also pretty tempting too!

Carolina finally got off the mark for the season, albeit narrowly against a banged-up Tampa Bay, and they should have too much firepower for the Saints, who might be slightly less motivated this week. Other picks include, Dallas (-9.5), Cleveland (-3.0) and Jacksonville (-2.5) – a parlay on all four pays out a healthy $2922.33 for a $200 stake, which is inflated by a bet365 Parlay Bonus of $265.67 (10%). Each week, bet365 pays up to 50% more every week on winning parlays!

Chicago have been chalked up as 3.5 point favourites (from 3.0) to beat Seattle on Sunday night - live betting available via the bet365 In-Play Console. However, the best play could be to go under the current total of 34.0. The total has gone under in seven of Chicago’s last eight home games, while Seattle’s Shaun Alexander is out with a broken foot. The Monday night game (Philly v Green Bay) should be an old fashioned shootout with a few scores along the way, so the over (currently 48.0) looks the safest bet with bet365.

Enjoy the games with bet365!

Shaq Is Close

2007-01-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

Shaq Is Close

By Marty Gitlin
Contributing Writer

A comforting sight at practice Thursday in the massive form of Shaquille O’Neal has bolstered the hopes of the Miami .

O’Neal won’t play Friday night at Golden State or the following night in Utah. He said he would need at least four or five practices to return, which could also count him out against his former Los Angeles Lakers team Monday night.

The Heat should benefit against the Warriors from the return of forward Antoine Walker and James Posey, who had been placed on the inactive list Jan. 3 for failing to meet team conditioning standards. Neither will start, however.

WagerWeb.com lists Miami as a 5-point underdog at Golden State.

WORSE THAN EXPECTED: Among the lone bright spots for Boston this season has been the continued development of guard Tony Allen.

Not anymore.

Allen, who had been averaging 20 points a game over the last two weeks, will miss the rest of the season with two torn ligaments in his left knee. His injury occurred when he landed awkwardly following a meaningless dunk late in a 97-84 defeat to Indiana on Wednesday.

The battered Celtics, who have lost eight of their last 10 games, are already missing leading scorer Paul Pierce with a stress fracture in his left foot. Forward Wally Szczerbiak will miss a week due to ankle injuries and starting guard Delonte West is out with a sore back.

The Toronto Raptors aren’t complaining. They are a 5.5-point favorites Friday night in Boston, according to WagerWeb.com.

BOYKINS BACKCOURT BOOST FOR BUCKS: The Denver Nuggets claimed they wanted to see diminutive guards Earl Boykins and Allen Iverson on the court at the same time.

They apparently didn’t like what they saw. Though the pair scored plenty of points, they presented matchup disadvantages. And with Carmelo Anthony returning after serving four more games of his suspension, they believed Boykins was expendable.

That’s why they traded the explosive 5-foot-5 bundle of energy to the decimated Milwaukee Bucks, along with guard Julius Hodge and cash for reserve guard Steve Blake.

Boykins, who has scored 20 or more points in eight of 10 games since the arrival of Iverson, should provide much-needed punch. The Bucks will be without starting point guard Mo Williams (shoulder) for 2-3 weeks, as well as backcourt mate and NBA fifth-leading scorer Michael Redd (knee) for at least a month. Starting forward Charlie Villanueva (shoulder) is also out indefinitely.

Boykins will help Milwaukee fans forget fellow waterbug point guard T.J. Ford, who was traded to Toronto during the offseason.

WagerWeb.com lists Milwaukee as a 6.5-point underdog Friday night in Philadelphia and Denver as a 2.5-point underdog against visiting Houston.

DRIBBLES: The Detroit Pistons had to be happy Thursday night. Only two games were played, but both of their top Central Division rivals lost. Chicago dropped its fifth in six, 86-83, to visiting New Jersey. It marked the second time in a week the Nets erased an 18-point deficit to defeat the Bulls, who fell behind Indiana into fourth place in the Central. Meanwhile, surging Cleveland was stopped dead in its tracks in a 109-90 loss at sizzling Phoenix. Suns point guard Steve Nash tied a personal best with 14 first-half assists and finished with 21 in just 31 minutes. The Pistons, who remain a half-game behind Cleveland, are 7.5-point favorites Friday night in Atlanta. … A home win against weak Charlotte on Friday night would vault New York to within a half-game of first place in the Atlantic Division. The Knicks are 6-point favorites, according to WagerWeb.com.

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Pat's Daunting Challenge

2007-01-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Pats' Daunting Challenge

By Tim Sullivan
contributing writer

This is where the ride came to an end last season. The unstoppable Patriots, winners of three out of four Super Bowl championships, took their act on the road in the divisional round and were sent packing by the Broncos.

Fast forward a year later. The Patriots are again in the divisional round, they are again on the road, and they are again facing an AFC West team, this time the Chargers (San Diego is -5 Sunday on WagerWeb.com).

But for a change, the focus is off the Patriots. They are the underdog this time. They are the less explosive team. They are the less likely to move on.

"They're the best team. They've been the best team. Pretty much from the start of the season until the present day, so I'm sure they're going to play the type of game that they've played all year, which is pretty good," Patriots defensive back Artrell Hawkins said of the Chargers. "They've played well from ahead, they've played well from behind. They have a bunch of guys who play good on an individual level, which makes them good collectively while executing."

Look no further than running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Quarterback Philip Rivers? He may be staring at his first playoff test, but for Tomlinson, this is Test No. 2. He and the Bolts lost to the Jets in the wild-card round two years ago and have been hungry to redeem themselves ever since.

"I think he does a great job of running the ball, not just him but the offensive line, the tight ends, the fullbacks, they do a good job blocking for him," Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said. "Obviously everything he's done this year has been tremendous. It's going to be up to us to limit that come Sunday."

Good luck. After all, the Patriots may have a tremendous defense, but let's face it, they beat the Jets, 37-16, last week at Gillette Stadium.

These aren't the Jets. And this isn't Foxborough.

"Their team is built real well. They've got a great defense, great special teams. Their offense can move the ball, especially in the running game," Colvin said of the Chargers. "Possession of the football is definitely going to be a must in this game, in any game it is. But definitely when you come down to crunch time in a playoff game, you definitely want to have possession of the ball."

The Patriots will try to accomplish that with their young-old duo in the backfield, rookie Laurence Maroney and veteran Corey Dillon. Of course, if all else fails, there's can't-miss quarterback Tom Brady.

"We have to work together. If we make a mistake it can cost our offense," Patriots tight end Daniel Graham said. "We have to work together and be on the same page."

They've done a good job of doing that in the Bill Belichick Era. Only time will tell if the Chargers can change that.

FLYING DOLPHIN: The winter weather hasn't been bad in the North, and that's a good thing for Miami owner Wayne Huizenga, who flew all over the region on Wednesday looking for a new coach. He first landed in Newark, N.J., and interviewed Giants outgoing defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. He then flew to Long Island to interview Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

From there, he flew to Michigan to interview Lions offensive coordinator and former Rams head coach Mike Martz.

Lots of miles, lots of interviews. Huizenga can thank Nick Saban for that.

EXTRA POINTS: Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman (back) has been practicing and should play against the Eagles on Sunday. He is listed as questionable. The Bears are -8.5 on WagerWeb.com. ... Colts rookie running back Joseph Addai (chest) has also been practicing and will start against the Ravens on Saturday. Baltimore is -4 on http://www.wagerweb.com/affiliatesred/AF3487/23//www.wagerweb.com

New Life For Biffle

2007-01-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

New Life For Biffle

By Brit Fryer
Contributing Writer

It looks the “The Biff” is doing just fine.

Greg Biffle took part in the Nextel Cup Series’ preseason test session this week at Daytona International Speedway — just one month after the Roush driver injured his shoulder during a tire test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“I was a little nervous coming down here about how it was going to be inside the car,” Biffle said. “Not driving the car but reaching everything … reaching over and getting the helmet hook and trying to hook up the things behind your head that are hard to get to and getting to the seatbelts that are behind you. It seems to be the reach is the biggest thing that hurts your shoulder is the range of motion.

“Actually, I’ve been fairly well, doing really well. I’m pretty happy about that.”

The 2006 season was disappointing for Biffle. He missed the Chase a year after finishing second in points.

But Biffle has new life, a new crew chief (Pat Tryson) and a new sponsor (Ameriquest).

“I hate to talk about our crash in Las Vegas, but that was a big event. It was a really big crash, and it was our first test together,” Biffle said of Tryson. “It was our first time together as a team. It was our first time together as a group.

“We are definitely coming back from that incident, but we’re really working well together. I like Pat and the way that he executes things.”

TESTING MAKES PERFECT: Preseason testing cranked up Monday at Daytona, with half the Nextel Cup Series hitting the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Jeff Green posted the fastest lap through the first three days. On Wednesday afternoon, his No. 66 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet was clocked at 186.722 miles per hour. Second fastest was Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose No. 8 DEI Chevrolet turned a lap at 186.606 mph on Day Two’s second session.

The surprise of testing was Tony Raines. He has been guaranteed a full schedule with Hall of Fame Racing, and he’s making the most of the opportunity early on. Raines was at the top of the charts all week.

“The Daytona 500 is obviously the biggest race of the year,” Raines said. “I was down here last year every day in the trailer and at the track with the team and the crew. I’m looking forward to actually being able to drive. It’s a big race, and I’m pumped up about getting to it.”

Last season, two-time Cup champion Terry Labonte ran the first five races for the first-year team, while Raines — the eventual full-time driver — stayed on the sidelines.

Testing continues next week.

GOOD-BYE, BOBBY: Veteran driver Bobby Hamilton died Sunday night after a year-long battle with neck cancer. He was 49.

“A lot of people didn’t know him real good, but he kind of came up when I did, and he didn’t have nothing,” said Sterling Marlin, a fellow driver and Tennessee native. “He was driving a wrecker in 1990. He was a nice guy ... a
good driver who never had the best equipment.”

Hamilton was a winner in all three of NASCAR’s top series, claiming four Nextel Cup victories in a career that spanned 371 starts. Hamilton won a single Busch Series race and was a 10-time winner in Craftsman Truck, taking
the championship in 2004 in a truck he owned.

PERSONNEL CHANGES: Ricky Rudd returned to Nextel Cup and Robert Yates Racing. He’ll drive a Ford alongside teammate David Gilliland. … Roush Racing hired veteran crew chief Larry Carter to work with Jamie McMurray on the No. 26 Ford. … Derrick Finley has been named crew chief for the No. 36 Bill Davis Racing Toyota driven by Jeremy Mayfield. … Mike Bliss is back to drive for BAM Racing.

Big12 Basketball Notebook

2007-01-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Big 12 Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
Contributing Writer

It’s a little early to call the Kansas http://www.wagerweb.com/affiliatesred/AF3487/23//www.wagerweb.com game tonight the most important of the Big 12 season, but it’s hard not to place a lot of weight on the early-season showdown at 9 p.m. EST Wednesday night in Lawrence, Kan.

The Cowboys come in ranked ninth nationally, while the Jayhawks are No. 6. KU has ticked off seven wins in a row and is expected to be the team to beat in the Big 12. OSU was somewhat of a mystery before the season began but has re-emerged on the national scene.

The heart of this battle seems to come down to how the Cowboys’ high-octane attack will stack up against the Jayhawks' stifling defense.

OSU comes in averaging 84.9 points a game (second in the league), with the Big 12’s best 1-2 punch in senior Mario Boggan and junior JamesOn Curry. Boggan stands second in the league with 21.9 points a game, while Curry is fifth at 18.9. Those two have scored 20 points or more each in a game six times this year, including Saturday when Boggan logged 26 and Curry 20 as Oklahoma State began league play by holding off Baylor 81-77.

Kansas, meanwhile, is using defense and balance to plow past opponents. The Jayhawks have held 21 consecutive opponents below 50 percent shooting, and nine foes have failed to crack 40 percent this season. KU is the Big 12’s top shot-blocking unit with 108 and ranks second with 9.2 steals per game. The Jayhawks have also forced 20 turnovers or more five times this season.

Defending Kansas is a challenge for opponents because the Jayhawks have a bevy of different weapons. In fact, five different players lead KU in a statistical category this season – Brandon Rush is the leading scorer (13.3 ppg), Julian Wright is the top rebounder (8 rpg), Russell Robinson is the Jayhawks’ assists leader (71), Mario Chalmers’ 43 steals top the team, and Darrell Arthur paces the club with 32 blocked shots.

Chalmers has been an offensive spark lately, averaging 18.7 points over his last four games.

KU is an 8.5-point favorite on http://www.wagerweb.com/affiliatesred/AF3487/23//www.wagerweb.com .

MISSOURI at TEXAS (8 p.m. EST Wednesday): Though a little less out of the spotlight than Oklahoma State-Kansas, this game looms large in the first wave of league play because Missouri’s frenetic style could pose problems for the youthful Longhorns. The Tigers have lost eight games in a row to Texas and are 8.5-point underdogs on WagerWeb.com. Don’t bet against Mizzou giving the ’Horns trouble, though. Missouri leads the Big 12 and ranks second nationally with 12.1 steals a game and can match up with UT at most spots on the floor. Two players who might actually give the Tigers an edge are 3-point marksman Matt Lawrence and unheralded forward Marshall Brown. Lawrence is one of the country’s top perimeter shooters, hitting 54.5 percent (61 of 112) from beyond the arc this season. He has been particularly damaging over the last three games when he has knocked down 13-of-20 3s and scored 51 points. Brown, an Austin native, is coming off a season-high 19-point, 6-rebound performance in a 66-65 loss to Iowa State. Freshmen and a sophomore continue to lead the Longhorns, who blazed past Colorado 102-78 in their Big 12 opener. Kevin Durant is the Big 12’s top scorer and rebounder (22.6 points, 10 boards per game), while first-year teammate D.J. Augustin leads the league with 6.6 assists per contest. UT sophomore A.J. Abrams could go toe-to-toe with Lawrence from 3-point range. Abrams is 54-of-126 from long distance – the most makes and attempts in the Big 12.

NEBRASKA at IOWA STATE (8 p.m. EST Wednesday): The Cyclones came back to stun Missouri 66-65 Saturday in the Big 12 opener. Iowa State overcame a 16-point second-half deficit as freshman Wesley Johnson tipped in a missed 3-pointer with 1.4 second left. Johnson scored the Cyclones' last four points in the closing 11 seconds and finished with 14 – 12 in the second half to fuel ISU’s rally. He also grabbed 13 rebounds and has corralled 37 caroms the last three games. Nebraska is the last team to open Big 12 play and comes in loaded with confidence after going 11-3 in non-conference play, the Cornhuskers' best start since 1994-95. Nebraska has hung up 80 points or more in its last seven games with Australian big man Aleks Maric leading the way with 18.1 points a game. Maric is the league’s top shooter (90-of-141, 63.8 percent) and also ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 7.5 rebounds per game. The Cyclones are 1-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.

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Unlikely Laker Hero

2007-01-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Unlikely Laker Hero

By Marty Gitlin Contributing Writer

One would expect Kobe Bryant to play a lead role in a spotlight game. And he did Sunday night, scoring 26 points as his Los Angeles Lakers halted Dallas’ 13-game winning streak, 101-98.

But Sasha Vujacic? Now that’s a shocker.

The little-used guard emerged from the bench to hit 6 of 7 shots and score 16 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28.5 seconds remaining as the Lakers continued their improbable run despite injuries that have sidelined frontcourt starters Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown.

Though coaches haven’t always shown confidence in the Slovenian, who entered averaging just over 11 minutes a game, he certainly expresses it in himself.

“Always, always,” Vujacic replied to the Associated Press when asked about his confidence level. “My teammates found me for open shots. I just wanted to take the responsibility. It feels great.”

It didn’t feel so great for the 22-year-old third-year pro when he missed all five attempts from the field Friday night against Denver to lower his shooting percentage this season to 37.4 overall and 31 percent from 3-point range. But Vujacic nailed 4 of 5 from beyond the arc to help defeat the torrid Mavericks.

NO REDD: The Milwaukee Bucks have slid under .500 again after a hot stretch and are now without leading scorer Michael Redd.

The fifth-leading scorer in the NBA at 27.7 points a game will miss Monday night’s showdown against fellow offensive machine Allen Iverson in Denver with a strained knee. He is listed day-to-day.

The Bucks must also play without forward Charlie Villanueva, who is still sidelined with tendinitis in his right shoulder. He is averaging 12.7 points a game.

WagerWeb.com lists the Nuggets as 2.5-point favorites. Denver is 2-6 since trading for Iverson, greatly because of suspensions to leading scorer Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

DRIBBLES: Dwyane Wade returned Sunday to rescue the drowning defending NBA champions. He scored 33 points to lead Miami to a 93-90 comeback victory in Portland. The Heat, who are expecting Shaquille O’Neal to return by the end of their West Coast trip, outscored the Blazers 33-21 in the fourth quarter. … How deep is Phoenix? Leandro Barbosa and James Jones combined for 51 points off the bench Sunday in a 128-105 trouncing of Golden State. The Suns have won 22 of their last 24 games. … Boston guard Tony Allen ran his 20-plus scoring streak to six games Sunday, but his collapsing team still lost to Orlando, 87-79. … A right hip strain has sidelined San Antonio point guard Tony Parker, but backcourt mate Manu Ginobili erupted for a season-high 34 points in a 110-96 victory Sunday over Memphis. Parker is listed as day-to-day.

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Peeved Pacer

2007-01-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Peeved Pacer

By Marty Gitlin Contributing Writer

It worked for Allen Iverson. It appears Jermaine O’Neal hopes it will work for him as well.

That is, asking to be traded.

The talented Indiana power forward is disgruntled over his team’s mediocrity. The Pacers have been hanging around .500 for a while. They finished 44-38 two years ago, 41-41 in 2005-06, and own an 18-16 record this season.

It’s not O’Neal’s fault. Playing with an average team in a small market has resulted in a lack of recognition for his talent, but he remains one of the premier players in the . He is averaging 19.3 points a game and is among the NBA leaders at 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots a game.

And as an 11-year veteran, O’Neal fears a championship will elude him if he remains with the Pacers. So for the first time, he’s hinting he wants out.

“We’re a very average team right now,” O’Neal told the Indianapolis Star. “We’re going to be average until we decide as players that we want to win and do the right things we’re supposed to do to win. If we don’t do it, we’re going to mingle around .500, get in the playoffs, and then be out.

“If I can’t take this team to another level, I truthfully believe we should go our separate ways at the end of the season. I’m saying in general, the bottom line is you play to win. If we don’t have a system set to win a championship, if we don’t have the crew to win a championship, then what are we doing? … I don’t want to play 82 games and then exit to watch somebody else pop champagne. I’m tired of that.”

Team CEO Donnie Walsh didn’t criticize O’Neal for the public airing of his frustrations.

“I think he’s played really well, and if the time comes for (talking about O’Neal’s future), then that will be the time,” Walsh told the Star. “We’ll see. We’re going through a difficult part of the season. I’m frustrated, the coaches are frustrated on occasion, and the team is frustrated.”

O’Neal might have been frustrated Saturday night, but he focused enough to score 22 points in a 100-93 defeat of New Orleans. Despite the mediocre play, Indiana remains just 3.5-games out of first place in the balanced Central Division.

ROLLING WOLVES: Among the surprises of the NBA this season has been Minnesota. After winning just 33 games a year ago, the Timberwolves have played consistently well and have now inched over .500.

A three-game winning streak has pushed Minnesota to 16-15 and just a half-game behind second-place Denver in the Northwest Division.

The Wolves are receiving plenty of points and rebounds from Kevin Garnett, as usual, but the guard tandem of Mike James and Ricky Davis has also proven productive.

The most notable difference, however, has been center Mark Blount, who is having a career year at 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. He’s shooting 55 percent from the field.

The Wolves can forge a tie with the Nuggets with a home victory against streaking Houston on Sunday afternoon. lists Minnesota as a 2.5-point favorite.

INJURY TO INSULT: Ben Wallace not only bolted Detroit to sign a free agent contract with Chicago during the offseason, but now he’s tormenting the Pistons on the court.

Wallace scored an unusually high 12 points and added 14 rebounds, six blocked shots, and three steals in the Bulls’ 106-89 victory Saturday night that knocked Detroit out of first place in the Central Division.

With Chauncey Billups still sidelined, the Pistons need replacement Ronald (Flip) Murray to produce. But Murray made just 1 of 9 shots against the Bulls and combined with Tayshaun Prince to hit 3 of 21 from the field.

DRIBBLES: Diminutive guards Earl Boykins and Iverson started in the same backcourt for the first time Saturday night, but the result was still Denver’s sixth loss in the last eight games. Utah guard Deron Williams took advantage of the height disparity to score 28 points in a 96-84 victory. … Power forward Drew Gooden’s third consecutive double-double helped Cleveland win its fourth game in five days, 96-91, over New Jersey Saturday night. The Cavaliers now boast the best record in the Eastern Conference. … The Game of the Night Sunday will be Dallas at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks are 2.5-point favorites to win their 14th straight game, according to WagerWeb.com.

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2007-01-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

NFL Crystal Ball
By Chris Goudey
Contributing Writer

This year’s playoffs look to be as unpredictable as the entire year has been itself. No one could’ve guessed that teams like San Diego, Baltimore and New Orleans have played as well as they have and teams like Pittsburgh, Carolina, Cincinnati, Denver and Washington would be sitting at home. There are the usual suspects in this year’s playoffs, like Chicago, Seattle, Indianapolis and New England, but as to who’s going to win it all, well that’s anyone’s guess.

I’ve studied this week’s matchups and possible future matchups and because I feel I know the league and its tendencies about as well as anyone, I’ll take a stab at predicting what’s going to happen. Here’s what I see happening the next few weeks:Wild Card round (this weekend) Dallas at Seattle – I really think that last week’s horrible performance by the Cowboys in losing to the Lions is going to give them the kick-in-the-pants they needed coming into the postseason. I’m sure Bill Parcells has made this a real fun week of practice for the ‘Boys, so I anticipate them coming out fired up and ready to kill. Seattle’s defense has simply been atrocious this year, and the Seahawks will be missing both of their starting cornerbacks, and against the talented WR duo of Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, that is going to be their downfall. Look for Dallas to win a close one in the Northwest. N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia – No team was more fortunate to make the playoffs than the Giants. They lost 6 out of their last 8 games and if not for the fantastic performance by Tiki Barber last Saturday night, they probably wouldn’t have made it at all. The Eagles are playing extremely well, and I just can’t see the Giants keeping up with them in the un-friendly environs of Philly. The Eagles win by 7-10 points here. Kansas City at Indianapolis – This game smells like an upset, as Indianapolis could have the worst run defense in the league and the Chiefs are about the worst possible team for them to play with all-world RB Larry Johnson on their side. That being said, however, K.C. has been a horrible road team all season, and I think the Colts can score enough points to keep them at bay, but it should be a close one. N.Y. Jets at New England We all know that playoff time is Tom Brady’s time to shine, and even with all the injuries his team has suffered, the Pats still have him to count on when it matters. The Jets have been a fantastic story this year, as they have achieved far more than anyone thought they would under rookie head coach (and Bill Belichick apprentice) Eric Mangini. This is where the road ends for them, though, as Brady’s will and the rabid home crowd in Foxborough takes care of things. Divisional Playoffs NFC Dallas at Chicago – After taking care of business on the road against the Seahawks, confidence has been restored in the Dallas offense, and the Cowboys are ready to take on a Bears defense that has been very shaky recently. When you combine that and the inconsistent play of Bears’ QB Rex Grossman, I think this one is definitely in Dallas’ favor and shouldn’t really be considered that much of an upset. Philadelphia at New Orleans – Jeff Garcia has been a great story for the Eagles the past 6-8 weeks, but I think is where the wheels come off his train. The Saints, now playing a home playoff game in the Superdome after all that city has been through? Give me a break! The crowd will give them a huge advantage, not to mention the fact that they have the best offense in the league and have had two weeks to prepare. The Saints win this one easily in my opinion and make their first NFC Championship Game appearance. Indianapolis at Baltimore – The classic great offense against a great defense matchup will take place, and once again Peyton Manning will fall to a team that understands that you have to be strong defensively to have any chance to win a title. Manning is a fantastic player, no question, but he simply can’t deliver a ring to Indy unless he gets help on the other side of the ball. Baltimore has the best defense in the league, and with the pounding running game of Jamal Lewis and accurate passing of Steve McNair, should be able to score at least 24 points on the Colts. I just can’t see the Colts being able to score that much against the Ravens, especially in a cold and hostile environment. New England at San Diego – This is where all the injuries on the Patriots will take their toll. If this game was in New England, I’d pick the Pats, simply because they have the experience and coaching to come through, but I just think that the homefield advantage, which is usually worth about 3 points, is going to allow the Chargers to win a nail-biter. I have no confidence in Marty Schottenheimer as a coach, and I think Belichick can come up with a plan to slow down LaDainian Tomlinson, but with all the injuries in the Patriots secondary, QB Philip Rivers will somehow get enough points on the board to win it. This is the pick I am least confident about, though, just because the Chargers can be beaten through the air and the Pats have the best playoff QB around. AFC/NFC Championship GamesNFC Dallas at New Orleans – These are the two best teams in the NFC in my opinion and only because this game is in New Orleans am I going to go with the Saints. Yes, the Saints whipped the Cowboys in Dallas earlier this year, but no one important on New Orleans has been in a game this big. Dallas has the coaches and many players who have played in conference championship games, so this one should be a high-scoring, very close game. I just see something magical happening for the Saints late in the 4th quarter, and I see them dancing on Bourbon Street as they make their first Super Bowl appearance. A Cowboys road sweep to the Super Bowl wouldn’t surprise me, however. Baltimore at San Diego – We could have two teams that have never won a title playing against each other if San Diego wins, but I just can’t see it happening. Defense wins championships, and the Ravens have almost exactly the same type of formula going that they did when they won their first title a few years ago. Run the ball, get solid QB play and ride the defense to the victory. McNair has been around forever and was within one play of winning a Super Bowl in Tennessee, while Rivers is just getting started. I’m going with the experience and the defense here, as Marty-ball doesn’t get it done yet again. Super Bowl New Orleans vs Baltimore – Well, here we go. We have the best offense in the league against the best defense. I just said it in the last paragraph – DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS! You can’t find a team that’s won the Super Bowl that didn’t have at least a very good defense. The Saints simply don’t have it. They have been opportunistic and had timely turnovers, but overall they are simply average, and when you get this far down the road, that doesn’t cut it. The Ravens’ offense is not a top one, to be sure, but it can control the clock and keep that high-powered attack of the Saints off the field, and when the Saints do take the field, they’re going to face pressure like they never have. Final score: Baltimore 24, New Orleans 17 http://www.wagerweb.com/affiliatesred/AF3487/23//www.wagerweb.com

Class Of NBA?

2007-01-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Class Of NBA?

By Marty Gitlin
Contributing Writer

Has the best of the best of the West separated itself from the best of the West?

Let’s break down that rather complicated question. The premier teams in the Western Conference remain clearly the class of the NBA.

San Antonio and Utah have no peer in the East. Even the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets arguably fall into that group.

But have the Mavericks, winners of 12 in a row, risen above all of them? An answer will be provided Friday night when they play at San Antonio in a game nationally televised by ESPN. WagerWeb.com lists the Spurs as a 5-point favorite.

The Mavericks have certainly proven superior to one and all since the first week of the season. They are a downright absurd 26-3 since opening the year with four consecutive defeats and have held 11 consecutive opponents under 100 points.

The continued development of forward Josh Howard and guard Devin Harris to complement Most Valuable Player candidate Dirk Nowitzki and speedy backcourt standout Jason Terry could elevate Dallas from NBA finalist to NBA champion.

The Mavericks don’t sit atop the league in any major statistical category, but are strong in all areas. They are third defensively behind Houston and San Antonio at 91.9 points surrendered a game and among the leaders in rebounding differential, 3-point shooting differential, free-throw percentage, and blocked shots per game.

Dallas showed its strength in a 100-91 victory Thursday night over visiting Indiana. The Mavericks won despite receiving no points from their three centers. Harris scored a career-high 24.

TIME TO CATCH THEIR BREATH? The depleted Lakers won’t exactly be well-rested for visiting Denver Friday night.

But they’ll come in smiling, courtesy of a 132-128 overtime victory at Sacramento Thursday night. The Lakers have continued to play well despite injuries to frontcourt starters Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown and a recent scheduled dominated by road games.

In fact, their replacements proved critical in defeating the Kings. Power forward Brian Cook scored 26 points while 19-year-old center Andrew Bynum added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Of course, Kobe Bryant remained the dominant contributor with 42 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

According to Wager.Web.com, the Lakers are a 5-point favorite against a Nuggets team still missing suspended Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

DRIBBLES: At least one of the four key injured players has returned to the New Orleans Hornets. Bobby Jackson scored seven points off the bench Thursday night, but his team still fell at home to Detroit, 92-68. … Orlando and sizzling Washington, who are tied atop the Southeast Division, both play home games against under-.500 teams Friday night. WagerWeb.com lists the Magic as a 9-point favorite against Charlotte and the Wizards as a 5 ½-point favorite against the Los Angeles Clippers. ... Dwyane Wade (right wrist) has accompanied his Miami teammates to Phoenix, but won't play Friday night against the Suns.

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Horses To Watch

2007-01-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

Horses To Watch

Horses worth watching compiled by handicapper/racing writer Greg Melikov won six races and finished second four times since Dec. 3.

AQUEDUCT

Lord Snowdon: Trailed by more than 4 ½ lengths after a half-mile, rallied four wide to sixth in stretch, made up two lengths and lost by a half-length on Dec. 30; ran final quarter in 24.

Mariano: Raced seventh more than 6 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, moved up on the turn, rallied outside from fifth to make up four lengths in stretch and finished third, a length behind at six furlongs on Dec. 16.

FAIR GROUNDS

M Ray J: Broke last, trailed early, inched up to sixth more than 3 ½ lengths after a half-mile, advanced around rivals on far turn, rallied from fourth in stretch, closed late to make up nearly four lengths and lost by a neck at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Dec. 31.

Randall’s Cool: Raced fourth early, lost ground to fifth more than eight lengths behind after a half-mile, eased out to split foes midway on turn, advanced to third in stretch, made up nearly 5 ½ lengths and lost by a neck at six furlongs on Dec. 14.

LAUREL

Icy Lady: Trailed early, advanced to eighth 19 lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied in four path between rivals from fifth in stretch, closed fast to make up nearly 4 ½ lengths and lost by a nose at a mile on Dec. 29.

Slew City Light: Broke from outside post, raced 12th more than 25 lengths behind after a half-mile, swung six wide entering stretch, rallied from sixth to make up eight lengths and lost by 1 ½ lengths at seven furlongs on Dec. 15.

PHILADELPHIA PARK

Lucky Memento: Raced fifth early just off rail, lost ground to sixth more than 5 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, closed strongly from fourth in stretch to make up 3 ½ lengths in stretch and lost by a half-length at a mile on Dec. 17; ran final quarter in 24 2/5.

SANTA ANITA

Hendrix: Raced three lengths behind in fourth after a half-mile, lost ground to fifth after six furlongs, boxed in along rail from mid-stretch to sixteenth pole, came out late closing gamely, made up more than two lengths and finished third, beaten 1 ½ lengths at 1 1/8 miles on the turf Dec. 31.

Big Jon: Raced eighth more than four lengths behind after a half-mile, came out entering stretch, rallied from fifth to make up nearly four lengths and lost by a head and a half-length at a mile on the turf Dec. 30.

TURFWAY PARK

Matty Junior: Trailed early, moved up to 11th more than 8 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, angled out for drive, rallied to seventh in upper stretch, steadied in deep stretch to avoid fallen horse, made up more than 2 ¼ lengths and lost by a length at 6 ½ furlongs on Dec. 30; ran final 2 ½ furlongs in 19 3/5

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Riley Takes Leave

2007-01-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Riley Takes Leave

By Marty Gitlin Contributing Writer

If the season ended today, the defending champions wouldn’t even qualify for the playoffs.

And matters are worsening daily for the Miami Heat.

Not only are superstars Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal sidelined with injuries, but key pieces Antoine Walker and James Posey were both deactivated Wednesday for body fat readings that exceed team parameters.

Team president and coach Pat Riley won’t even be around for a while to right the ship. He’s taking an indefinite leave of absence due to chronic knee and hip problems and has handed the reins to assistant Ron Rothstein. Riley will undergo surgery on the knee Friday.

“We have a championship team that is sideways right now, so this is going to be a great challenge,” Riley told the Associated Press. “Keep your notebooks open. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Rothstein coached the expansion Heat from 1988 to 1991 before taking over the Detroit Pistons, but he hasn’t worked as an NBA head coach for 14 years.

The depleted Heat fell to 13-18 with a lopsided 110-95 home loss Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Clippers. With Wade, O’Neal, Walker and Posey out, the Heat's most potent offensive player is Jason Kapono, who led the team with 19 points.

Wade should return shortly from a sprained wrist and O’Neal is expected back by the end of the upcoming six-game road trip.

144 POINTS! THE GRIZZLIES? Many critics believed the philosophy of recently fired Memphis coach Mike Fratello simply didn’t fit his talent.

They believed the Grizzlies boasted too much athleticism for Fratello’s grind-it-out style. Early indications are that they were right.

The Grizzlies have won two of three since the firing, including a stunningly explosive 144-135 defeat of visiting Golden State on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies were averaging 94.5 points a game with Fratello as coach and are averaging 121 points a game since.

The most notable beneficiary has been forward Mike Miller, who is averaging 30.7 points a game since Fratello was fired. He has been scorching hot, hitting 32 of 47 (68 percent) from the field in those three games.

DRIBBLES: Seldom-used guards were swapped Wednesday when New Jersey sent Jeff McInnis to Charlotte for Bernard Robinson. McInnis should receive significant playing time with starting point guard Brevin Knight sidelined. … The Pistons will be without high-scoring guard Chauncey Billups tonight in Oklahoma City, but they will be playing a far more decimated team in the Hornets. The Hornets' injuries are one reason lists them as 7-point home underdogs against Detroit. … The defensive presence of Dikembe Mutombo in the middle is helping Houston overcome the loss of all-star center Yao Ming. Mutombo took just four shots, but scored eight points and added 12 rebounds in a 103-96 defeat of Seattle on Wednesday night. The Rockets are 4-1 since Yao was lost with a broken bone in his right leg.

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PGA Tour Tees Off

2007-01-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

PGA Tour Tees Off

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The 2007 PGA Tour season tees off today in Kapalua, Hawaii, at the Mercedes Championship, albeit minus the tour's two biggest stars.

Tiger Woods, the world's top player who won this event in 1997 and 2000, and Phil Mickelson, the world No. 3 and 1998 champion of the Mercedes, aren't playing in this week's opener, which is comprised of 2006 winners on the tour.

Today begins a year of change on the PGA'>">PGA Tour, which is trying to bring a playoff-type finish to the sport. It introduces the FedEx Cup, which is modeled after NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. In the FedEx Cup, players compete in a seasonlong points competition that runs from today's opener through the Tour Championship on Sept. 16. Like NASCAR's Chase, this format is geared toward holding the interest of the fans once football begins in the fall -- and keep TV ratings high -- in a build-up to crowning a champion, who wins $10 million.

In a nutshell, the 33 regular-season events decide the seeding for the three weeks of playoffs that begin Aug. 23 Barclays Westchester, N.Y., event. The top 144 seeded players compete there, with the top 120 advancing to the Deutsche Bank in Boston the following week. It will then be pared down to 70 for the BMW Championship in Chicago, with the top 30 advancing to the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

The goal is also to keep players like Woods and Mickelson interested in lower-tier events late in the summer, a time those two and other top players often skip events that aren't top tier. In fact, as the playoffs draw near, many golfers will be asked to play six times in seven weeks, which is unheard of for Woods and Mickelson.

"These second-tier events have been watered down to the point where the sports fan needs to have a reason to watch, has to have a reason that all this leads to something in the end," said Jim Nantz, CBS' lead golf announcer. "For me, I love all the events. But the reality is that the PGA Tour wasn't building up to anything. It didn't have the big bang."

In addition, Woods is expecting his first child this summer, so it will be interesting to see if Tiger is a part of this new points race (incidentally, Tiger won't begin his season for three weeks -- at the Buick Invitational).

"It's an exciting time for golf," Woods said. "It's certainly going to be more exciting for everyone, not just us as competitors who will be bucking heads against the best more often, but also for the fans. The fans are really going to enjoy it, whether they are there in person or watching on TV. And all the sponsors are certainly going to enjoy the event more with a deeper and better field week to week. Its a no-brainer. We're doing the right thing."

Meanwhile, at the Mercedes Championship, WagerWeb.com lists Jim Furyk, the world's No. 2 as the favorite at +$450, but it's hard to bet against Stuart Appleby. Appleby, who is listed on WagerWeb.com at +$900, has won this event three consecutive years, joining Gene Littler (1955-57) as the only players to win the season opener three years in a row. Last year, Appleby beat Vijay Singh with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff. Singh has played well here often and is the second betting favorite on WagerWeb.com at +$800.

TEST

2007-01-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

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TEST

2007-01-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

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The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble

2007-01-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble
Measuring the Accuracy of Pinnacle's Sharp Plays
Since the first issue of the Pinnacle Pulse, we've focused a lot of attention on the methods and selections of 'sharp' players. Each week we highlight the markets where they are most active. At Pinnacle Sportsbook we consider a 'sharp player' to be a client that is consistently on the right side of a game, gets the best of the number and consequently wins over the long-term.
Therefore it is reasonable for bettors to ask how accurate these 'sharp plays' have been, but before going back and checking, bear in mind two bits of advice we have repeatedly stressed: 1) always play at the best price and 2) pass on a game if sharps have conflicting opinions at the same price. With these two rules in mind, you would have gone a whopping 47-31-2 following sharp plays since we began listing them last year.
Handicapping sports is a search for the truth. That truth is the chance of a given team winning on a given day. Professional players typically set their own line before looking at the market prices, and know what edge they expect at any given price. They view investing in a game as a simple commodity - they will buy either team if the price is right. In many instances, bettors will play both sides of the same game due to line moves or new information.
Many handicappers set their original line, and use an ROR (return on risk) hurdle to determine plays. For example, if a model predicts that Team A will beat Team B 75% of the time in a match-up, that player might look for a bet priced for Team A to win just 70% of the time, or Team B to win 20% of the time. Once that piece of truth is found - Team A's win percentage for that match-up - the sharp player bets it only if 'the price is right'. This might be by playing Team A at -233 on the moneyline, or making an 'equivalent' play identified with conversions, such as Team A -5.5. That same player would just as happily play Team B at +400 or +8 points.
In most games the market price will be close enough to the handicapper's fair price to suggest that the game is a 'pass'. Due to the commission a bettor must pay on each wager (traditionally 10% at most sports books), there's a dead zone where neither side can be played profitably. For example, a sportsbook might offer both sides of an NFL game at Pick'em -110. In that instance, no play could be profitably made unless a team was expected to win more than (110/210) = 52.4%. With traditional 20 cent lines, there is a fairly wide dead zone at most other bookmakers.
There are two obvious ways to reduce the impact of the dead zone. The simplest is to open an account with a reduced-juice sportsbook like Pinnacle Sports Betting. With Pinnacle's -104 style pricing on NFL sides, the dead zone is much smaller and a team expected to win just 51% could be profitable. Pinnacle Sports' reduced juice not only provides more favorable prices, with 8 cent lines on NFL sides, but gives bettors more possible plays as well.
The second way to reduce the dead zone further is to use multiple sportsbooks and shop lines. If you have an array of five plus sportsbooks, which includes a reduced juice sports book like Pinnacle Sports, you can frequently reduce the dead zone further - in some instances eliminating it entirely (e.g. if you can play either side at +100). When professional players count their profits in terms of 2-4% of their total betting volume, shopping to get the best number will frequently make the difference between a winning or losing season.
Modern Caveman recently contacted AskTheBook and asked: Should a bettor really be taking advice from a bookie? In chess, I used to say 'never listen to your opponent.'
My advice would be, 'Trust, but verify'. In sports betting, like stock investing, you should never put money at risk on the strength of anything ANYONE says until you've researched the subject to the best of your abilities. This is especially true if your source has a vested interest.
The aim of The Pinnacle Pulse is to help educate players about the benefits of low juice by providing accurate information that helps improve the handicapping skills of prospective and existing Pinnacle Sports players. This is thanks in no small part to contributors such as Daringly and the Pinnacle Sports oddsmakers and line managers. It is our belief that if we can improve the sophistication of players and raise the awareness of Pinnacle Sports, more bettors will chose Pinnacle and benefit from our pricing that offers up to 60% better value on NFL sides than other bookmakers.
What are our players betting?
Dallas +3 -112 v. Seattle
Both teams finished the regular seasons below expectations - Seattle as reigning NFC champion and Dallas as an early Super Bowl favorite. Both lost three out of their final four games, landing Seattle and Dallas the #4 and #5 seeds, respectively.
The Cowboys opened at +3 (-114). The public leaned on Seattle by a ratio of 3-to-2, due at least in part to Dallas's recent humiliation at the hands of the hapless Lions. Meanwhile, the sharps clearly favor Dallas and have been taking the points.
New York Giants +7 -103 v. Philadelphia
The Eagles have finished the season playing inspired football winning their last five games. Jeff Garcia led the Eagles offense after stepping in for injured Donovan McNabb, throwing 10 TDs to just 2 INTs. His 95.8 passer rating would make him the #4 QB in the league. The Giants started at 6-2, but then dropped six of their last eight games to limp into the playoffs.
When you have two teams moving in opposing directions, statistical handicappers will often disagree on a game. One approach is to weight all games of the season evenly. Another approach is to weight recent games more heavily than ones earlier in the season. Each of these styles will strongly favor opposite teams in this match-up.
In our most heavily traded game of the week, we opened the Giants at +6 (-106). The line crept up as bettors took the Eagles by a 3-to-2 ratio. Our professional players are split on this match-up, possibly due to their statistical methodology. We are also seeing one-sided sharp action teasing the Eagles down.
Florida +7 -105 v. Ohio State
Florida will try to maintain a trend seen in the last four National Championships: the underdog winning outright. Another trend that has extended even further is based on defense. In National Championship games, the team whose defense allows fewer yards per game has won the last five. In this match-up, this also favors Florida, which allows 269 yards per game versus 273 yards per game for Ohio State.
We opened the Buckeyes at -7 (-105) and the public has favored Ohio State, backing them over Florida by a margin of 3-to-2. Our sharps have been split fairly evenly on this game, though we have seen some unusual point-buying activity with some of our more successful players buying Florida up to +7.5.
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With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internet betting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book betting requirements and game wagering needs.
The Pinnacle Sports Book also offers reduced juice betting so sign-up now with Pinnacle Sportsbook Betting and get wagering today!

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ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLI FROM PINNACLESPORTS.COM

2007-01-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLI FROM PINNACLESPORTS.COM
Leading Online Sportsbook Lists Chargers, Ravens and Bears As Favorites
WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO (January 3, 2007)-After a memorable regular season that came down to the last day to determine the final playoff teams, another exciting NFL post season is on tap as 12 teams remain in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy. With the NFL playoffs beginning this weekend, leading online sportsbook PinnacleSports.com today announced updated odds to win the Super Bowl as well as the AFC and NFC Championships.
The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com currently lists the San Diego Chargers as favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Miami at 5/2 odds (i.e., win $5 for every $2 bet). Second seed in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens are currently listed with the second-best odds to win Super Bowl XLI at 9/2, while the NFC's top seed, the Chicago Bears, are listed at 5/1. PinnacleSports.com has installed the New England Patriots at 9/1 to win their fourth title in six years, while this year's Cinderella story, the New Orleans Saints, are 10/1 to win their first NFL Championship. Despite being Super Bowl favorites for much of the year, Indianapolis' poor defense has caught up with them in recent weeks and the Colts are now just 10/1 to emerge as world champions.
The Philadelphia Eagles overcame a season-ending injury to quarterback Donovan McNabb to win the NFC East and the oddsmakers now list them at 11/1 to win Super Bowl XLI. Reigning NFC champion Seattle are long shots to avenge last year's Super Bowl loss at 28/1, while the Dallas Cowboys are 34/1 to become the first franchise to capture a sixth NFL title. PinnacleSports.com currently lists the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and New York Jets all with the worst Super Bowl odds at 50/1.
In the race to win the AFC Championship, PinnacleSports.com lists the Chargers as 5/4 favorites followed closely by the Ravens at 5/2. Division champions New England and Indianapolis are both listed at 6/1 to win the conference title, while the Jets and Chiefs are AFC long shots at 28/1 and 30/1, respectively. The Bears are slight favorites to emerge as NFC champs at 7/4, followed by the New Orleans Saints at 5/2 and Philadelphia Eagles at 11/2. The Seahawks are 11/1 underdogs to repeat as NFC champs, while the Cowboys (12/1) and Giants (20/1) are long shots to represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
Current Odds: *All Odds Subject To Change*
Odds To Win Super Bowl XLISan Diego Chargers 5/2Baltimore Ravens 9/2Chicago Bears 5/1New England Patriots 9/1New Orleans Saints 10/1Indianapolis Colts 10/1Philadelphia Eagles 11/1Seattle Seahawks 28/1Dallas Cowboys 34/1Kansas City Chiefs 50/1New York Giants 50/1New York Jets 50/1
Odds To Win AFC ChampionshipSan Diego Chargers 5/4Baltimore Ravens 5/2New England Patriots 6/1Indianapolis Colts 6/1New York Jets 28/1Kansas City Chiefs 30/1
Odds To Win NFC ChampionshipChicago Bears 7/4New Orleans Saints 5/2Philadelphia Eagles 11/2Seattle Seahawks 11/1Dallas Cowboys 12/1New York Giants 20/1
For a more information and a complete list of odds, please visit www.pinnaclesports.com.
About PinnacleSports.com
PinnacleSports.com is the Internet's largest sports betting site serving customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. Founded in 1998, PinnacleSports.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering, using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Curacao, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, racing and casino gaming.

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SEC Basketball Notebook

2007-01-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

SEC Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Mississippi State didnâ€™t get a three-game road trip off to a good start Saturday and heads into tonightâ€™s game at Missouri in need of momentum with SEC play looming in a few days.

The Bulldogs lost at George Mason 63-59 on Saturday to snap a seven-game winning streak, the last six by double digits.

Now MSU switches its attention to a difficult stretch of 11 days when the Bulldogs will play on the road at Mizzou, Tennessee (Sunday) and Kentucky (Jan. 13).

State is 9-3 and getting major contributions from its underclass core. The Bulldogsâ€™ five sophomores and four freshmen account for 85 percent of minutes played, 84 percent of the teamâ€™s scoring, 81 percent of rebounding and 92 percent of the assists.

The ringleader is sophomore swing man Jamont Gordon, who ranks among the SECâ€™s top-10 individuals in scoring (15.3 points per game), rebounding (7.8 per game) and assists (4.8 per game).

The MSU youngsters havenâ€™t struggled to figure out defense at the Division I level. The Bulldogs lead the league in field-goal defense (35.7 percent), 3-point field-goal defense (22.7 percent) and blocked shots (7.5 per game). Freshman forward Jarvis Varnado is producing 2.9 rejections a game, third in the SEC.

Mississippi State and Missouri have met just once â€“ a 102-78 Tiger victory in 1974. Despite road losses this season at Clemson and George Mason, the Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 18 non-conference road games. But Missouri counters with a similar streak, with 16 home wins in a row against non-league opponents, 10 straight this year. Included in the Tigersâ€™ run this season is an impressive 86-64 triumph over Arkansas.

Mizzou is a 2.5-point favorite on http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net

What's Old Is New

2007-01-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ravens Look To Rebound

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Coach Brian Billick confronted unfamiliar territory this week at Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills, Md.

For first time in six weeks, he had to greet a team that was coming off a loss.

"It was going to happen," Billick said. "But this is a good group of guys. I am excited about what I hope will be a very physically and mentally fresh group of guys that is going to come back. I am confident."

He needs to be. The Ravens (9-3), even with their two-game lead in the AFC North on the Bengals, face a tough trek these final four weeks.

And it starts Sunday with a difficult road test at Kansas City (7-5), a team that just got a little more desperate and may be just a little more hungry than Baltimore.

"Kansas City has great fans. I don't know whether it's the configuration of the building or what, but it is as loud an outdoor venue as there is in the National Football League," Billick said. "You have to understand, you're constantly telling the players, 'Boy, this is going to be loud; this is going to be hard' any time you go on the road. This time, it's as real as it gets."

The good news is that the Ravens have had two extra days to prepare for the uncomfortable Kansas City surroundings. Baltimore's 13-7 loss at Cincinnati was all the way back on Nov. 30.

So the Ravens could be ready. Or rusty.

"The players, you want to be very careful. We've talked about it many times before. You can spend too much time on an opponent," Billick said. "If you install that game plan too early, it can become stale. We'll get ourselves prepared and not put ourselves at risk of it becoming too long."

The extra time could prove to be a benefit, though, when preparing for Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. The potential MVP has 1,312 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns.

"I'm very [impressed]. He's matured as a back," Billick said. "[He] is very, very physical. That's the best offensive line in football, clearly. I don't think I am alone in that assessment. That's a tough combination, and at home. They are impressive to watch, and their commitment to the run is substantially different than it has been."

Either way, it'll be a good test for the Ravens, who still have Super Bowl aspirations. The Chiefs are -3 on http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net

Gulfstream Better Than Ever

2007-01-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Gulfstream Better Than Ever

By Greg Melikov
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

If Tony the Tiger were a betting animal, he undoubtedly would be willing to wager that Gulfstream Parkâ€™s 2007 meeting, which opens Wednesday, will be GRREEEAAAAT!!!!!

One significant development that benefits racing: Purse money, thanks to newly installed Las Vegas-type video slots on Nov. 15, will be hiked during the 88-day stand.

Overnight purses go up about 18 percent across the board from last year, announced Kent Stirling, executive director of the Florida Horsemenâ€™s Benevolent and Protective Association, and remain uniform throughout the meeting that ends April 23.

For example, he said, maiden special weight races will be worth about $44,000 -- $12,000 more than last year.

â€œWeâ€™re doing better than weâ€™d have expected right off the bat,â€� Stirling said, referring to 516 slots in play of the planned 1,500 allowed at each of four pari-mutuel facilities in Broward County. Remaining slots are due later this year.

The South Florida trackâ€™s casino netted $3.43 million in slots revenue, according to SlotsMagazine.com, with half of the money going to Floridaâ€™s education system. More than $35.56 million was wagered Nov. 15-30, according to figures submitted to the state Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

Broward voters passed a November 2004 referendum that allowed slots at Gulfstream, Mardi Gras Racetrack and Gaming Center (formerly Hollywood Greyhound Track), Pompano Park Harness Track and Dania Jai-Alai.

There are a wide variety of slots at Gulfstream, all in the Class 3 category, also known as Las Vegas-style machines. They work on a random number generator-based mechanism compared to Class 2 machines, which work on a bingo-based mechanism.

There are 207 five-cent slots, 217 quarter machines, 62 $1 slots, 19 $5 machines, 5 $10 slots, 4 $20 slots and 2 $100 machines.

Meanwhile, the â€™07 stakes program features 45 events, one less than in â€™06, but purses exceed more than $1 million over last year. Total value: $9.25 million.

Thirty-one stakes are graded, including the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on the grass Jan. 28, elevated to Grade 2, and the $100,000 Canadian Turf Handicap Feb. 3, raised to Grade 3. Both are for 3-year-olds and up.

The 55th running of the $1 million Florida Derby for 3-year-olds is scheduled for March 31, once again five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which was won by Barbaro last year after he captured Gulfstreamâ€™s premier race following victory in the $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes.

The $150,000 Swale, shortened from seven furlongs to 6 Â½, was moved up to Feb. 3, joining the Holy Bull, cut back to a mile from 1 1/8 miles, and the $500,000 Donn Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, plus three other stakes on Spectacular Saturday I.

Replacing the Swale on the Florida Derby card is the $125,000 Aventura Stakes, shortened to seven furlongs from a mile.

â€œAfter listening to the horsemen, Frank Stronach (chairman of Gulfstream Park parent company Magna Entertainment Corp.) said some changes were in order,â€� explained Bill Murphy, Gulfstream vice president of racing. â€œWe believe adjustments to the timing and distances of these races will provide a smoother progression to the Florida Derby, and beyond to the Kentucky Derby.â€�

Breedersâ€™ Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense, trained by Carl Nafzger, is among 149 nominees to the Florida Derby. Nafzger won the race with Unbridled in â€™90 and Vicar in â€™99.

Michael Matz, who trained Barbaro, has two colts on the list: Diamond Fever and Vine Hill. Among early bird nominees are 18 representatives of trainer Todd Pletcher and 16 from Scott Blasi, assistant to suspended conditioner Steve Asmussen.

Eoin Harty and Ken McPeek nominated six each, while Kiaran McLaughlin, winner of last yearâ€™s Belmont Stakes with Jazil and trainer of Breedersâ€™ Cup Classic winner and likely Horse of the Year Invasor, has five on the list.

Circular Quay and Scat Daddy, second and fourth in the BC Juvenile, are nominated along with Nobiz Like Shobiz, winner of Aqueductâ€™s Remsen Stakes in his last start.

http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net

Pats' Time Of Year

2007-01-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Pats' Time Of Year

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer

Over the next six days, you're going to see and hear more about Eric Mangini and Bill Belichick than you probably care to see and hear.

After all, the pupil and teacher are no longer on speaking terms -- surely you knew that by now -- and as fate would have it, they'll meet each other in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday in Foxboro. Belichick's Patriots are 8.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com over Mangini's Jets.

So rather than dive into a feud that's already been over-reported, let's take a different route and focus on, I don't know, the players.

Particularly, the Patriots. You know, the team that simply doesn't lose home playoff games. The team that cruised to another division title. The team that may just find itself in another Super Bowl next month.

"It doesnâ€™t matter who we are playing," New England safety Artrell Hawkins said. "If you have gotten to this point and you are playing, then you have the capability of winning and winning with some regularity."

And surely it doesn't hurt that the Cinderella Jets will be in town. Look, Mangini's rookie season of success is a great story. But surely, the Patriots think they have what it takes to end it.

"We are 12-4 and moving into the postseason," New England defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. "It is obviously good to have momentum going into the playoffs. This is when the season really starts. It is an important time of year. The next game is our most important game."

At least until they make the divisional round.

But first things first. The Jets' balanced defense could present some problems for Tom Brady and Co. And then there's the Mangini factor, being that he was New England's defensive coordinator just a year ago. Surely, he'll know what to expect.

"We just have to keep it moving," New England cornerback Asante Samuel said. "The postseason is a different season. We have to play better in the playoffs."

Bad news, perhaps, for the Jets.

NO MORA: The Falcons had to do what they did, right? If it wasn't the late-season collapse, it was the radio show in which he all but begged to be a candidate for a University of Washington job that wasn't even open.

Either way, it was time for Jim Mora -- released from his duties on Monday -- to find a new place to coach. And who knows, perhaps it'll be at the University of Alabama if Nick Saban turns it down. But surely most Falcons fans are just glad it's going to be anywhere other than Atlanta.

"We came up short in our goal to bring a world championship to this city and to the franchise," Mora said. "If anything, I think this experience has made me a better coach. I don't think circumstances always allow that to be seen. This is a tough business. It demands tough people. If you can't take it then you need to get out of it. I don't plan on getting out of it. I have been a coach in the NFL for 23 years, and I hope to be a coach for another 20 years. That is my goal. I don't know what the future holds, but I am sure it will be positive."

Especially considering he won't work alongside quarterback Michael Vick anymore. Despite what Mora says, the two just didn't seem to coexist, and it showed on Sundays.

"My relationship with Mike is excellent. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him," a politically correct Mora said. "I see great things in the future for him."

EXTRA POINTS: Seattle WR Darrell Jackson could be a no-go against Dallas on Saturday as he is still battling turf toe. The Seahawks are -3 on WagerWeb.com. ... Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter (calf) should practice this week and play against the Giants on Sunday. Philadelphia is -6.5 on WagerWeb.com.

http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net

Sunday's NHL Spotlight Game

2006-12-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday's NHL Spotlight Game

By Rich Carlson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Anaheim Ducks (28-6-6) at Minnesota Wild (19-17-2), 6 p.m. ET

Current odds: Anaheim +115, Minnesota +150, Draw +320

The Anaheim Ducks will travel to the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday evening to battle the Minnesota Wild. The Ducks are the top team in the NHL with a blistering 28-6-6 record and are comfortably in first place in the Pacific Division. The Wild are in first place in the Northwest Division with a 19-17-2 record.

Anaheim boasts the leagueâ€™s second-ranked offense (3.45 goals per game), and it has 6 players who have scored 11 or more goals this season. RW Teemu Selanne leads the team with 21 goals, including a phenomenal 12 power-play goals, while C Ryan Getzlaf and LW Dustin Penner have each tallied 15 goals. G Jean-Sebastien Giguere is the early favorite for MVP of the league with his stellar 23-4 record, 2.17 goals against average and .924 save percentage. Giguere strained his groin in his last outing and is listed as day-to-day.

The Wild are virtually unbeatable at the Xcel Energy Center, where they have won 15 games this season. RW Brian Rolston leads the Wild with 19 goals, while RW Pavol Demitra and RW Mark Parrish are the only other double-digit goals scorers for the Wild (10 goals apiece). G Manny Fernandez (15-13, 2.81 goals against average, .906 save percentage) is in danger of losing his starting job to the up-and-coming Nicklas Backstrom (4-4, 2.12 goals against average, .929 save percentage).

Anaheim leads the season series 2-1 (Oct. 20: Anaheim 2-1, Oct. 27: Minnesota 3-2, Nov. 12: Anaheim 3-2)

Injury report
Anaheim: D Francois Beauchemin (spleen) is on injured reserve and will be out indefinitely; G Ilya Bryzgalov (groin) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; G Giguere (groin) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; C Todd Marchant (abdominal) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game.

Minnesota: RW Marian Gaborik (groin) is on injured reserve and will be out until at least late December; D Petteri Nummelin (upper body) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; C Jason Morgan (thigh) is on injured reserve and will be out indefinitely.

Key betting information
*-Anaheim is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games and has a 13-4-2 road record.
*-Minnesota is 4-6-0 in its last 10 games and has a 15-3-1 home record.
*-Anaheimâ€™s No. 2-ranked offense (3.45 goals per game) vs. Minnesotaâ€™s No. 10-ranked defense (2.71 goals allowed average).
*-Minnesotaâ€™s No. 23-ranked offense (2.61 goals per game) vs. Anaheimâ€™s No. 4-ranked defense (2.28 goals allowed average).
*-Anaheimâ€™s No. 3-ranked power play (22.1% scored) vs. Minnesotaâ€™s No. 4-ranked penalty-killing unit (87.3% success).
*-Minnesotaâ€™s No. 10-ranked power play (18.2% scored) vs. Anaheimâ€™s No. 6-ranked penalty-killing unit (85.6% success).

News & notes
New Jersey Devils G Martin Brodeur recorded his NHL-leading sixth shutout of the season and the 86th of his career in the Devilsâ€™ 2-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

Bet on NHL hockey now at

Big East Basketball Notebook

2006-12-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Big East Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Villanova stays in Big Five play on Saturday night when it entertains Temple at the Pavillion.

The Wildcats won their second game in a row and improved to 2-0 against Big Five foes this season last Saturday when they leaned on a suffocating defensive performance to down LaSalle 64-51.

The Explorers couldnâ€™t get their shooting touch warmed up and shot just 35.7 percent against â€™Nova, including a season-low 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from 3-point territory.

That shutdown defense came in handy as the Wildcats missed all nine 3-point tries they took in the second half. Taking care of the ball also helped as Villanova committed only nine turnovers vs. LaSalle. After coughing the ball up 139 times in the first nine games, â€™Nova has reduced its turnovers to 17 in the last two.

Senior Curtis Sumpter paced the Wildcats with 13 points against the Explorers, the third straight game he has led â€™Nova in scoring and ninth time in 11 games. Heâ€™s averaging 19.5 points a game (second in the Big East), while fellow guard Mike Nardi is supplying 14.5 a game. Sumpter and Nardi have combined for 49 3-pointers in 115 attempts. The rest of the Villanova roster is 46-of-130.

Sumpter and Nardi are two of seven Wildcats shooting 82.4 percent or better from the foul stripe. Nardi ranks third in the league at 92 percent (23-of-25), with freshman Scottie Reynolds 10th (84.6 percent) and Sumpter 13th (81.7). Only two players have made or attempted more foul shots than Sumpter (58-of-71). Villanova is the Big Eastâ€™s beat team from the line at 78.3 percent.

The â€™Cats brings a nine-game Big Five winning streak into tonight, the longest in program history. Temple was the last Philly team to beat Villanova, 53-52 in 2004. The series with the Owls is deadlocked 39-39. Villanova is a 12.5-point favorite tonight on

Game: Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears on Dec 31, 2006 8:15PM

2006-12-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

Game: Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears on Dec 31, 2006 8:15PM Prediction: Green Bay Packers Reason: I haven't written one positive word about the Green Bay Packers all season long. I haven't bet on the Packers once in the first sixteen weeks of the regular season. But this spot screams Green Bay as Brett Favre has somehow guided the Packers into playoff contention, needing a win here at Soldier Field to stay alive in the playoff race. The Packers have won their last two in particularly unimpressive fashion, barely scraping past the Lions and Vikings, two dead teams just playing out the string. Even against that quality of opposition, the Packers lost the turnover battle both times, needing late fourth quarter scores to secure the two victories. But, with extra time to prepare off their Thursday Night affair, there's little reason to think that we won't see the Packers game at Soldier Field on Sunday. Let's not forget that Green Bay has been a good road team all season, with a better record on the highway than they've had at Lambeau Field. Brett Favre has owned Soldier Field throughout his tenure in Green Bay. The Packers loss there last year was their first loss at Chicago in more than a decade. And the Bears have absolutely nothing to play for here, having already secured home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. A lethargic Bears squad just scraped past the Lions in Detroit this past Sunday. We can expect Lovie Smith to rest key players here, particularly in the second half, when the pointspread outcome is likely to be determined. Look for the Packers to keep their playoff hopes alive, with a solid shot at the road win in Chicago. Take the Packers.Ted Sevransky Guaranteed Picks
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New Forum For Sports Bettors

2006-12-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net/forum/index.php

Hi Sports bettors!

We would like to invite anyone involved in sports betting to join our new forum and place your comments for others to see.

It is only days old, so don't expect much. But in time and with some valuable members, it will be useful and interesting in time.

Please join here http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net/forum/index.php

Finding an Edge in Minor Sports

2006-12-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Pinnacle Pulse: Issue 64
The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble
Finding an Edge in Minor Sports
To the uninitiated the mechanics of the stock market can seem somewhat of a mystery. The rise and fall of share prices can be difficult to pre-empt as market reaction normally occurs a full week before good or bad news is released, yet once the information hits the headlines, it creates barely a ripple. For an average investor waiting to act until after good news is released is a quick route to the poor house. Many times, Iâ€™ve sat on my hands and watched a stock rise or fall during the day, and later thought "if only I bought it before the price shot up, or shorted before it tanked!"
While this can seem difficult to achieve without a crystal ball or privileged information, you can get a jump on sports or financial markets and turn that edge into profit. Instead of waiting for public reports (from SEC filings to midweek injury reports), you can often gain information just by closely monitoring price movements.
For a good recent stock illustration of this principle, look no further than the recent crash of Northfield Laboratories. The company was testing a human-blood substitute, with a critical progress report expected on December 19 after the close of markets. That afternoon the "line" on the stock dropped from over 14 to 11. Nearly 30% of its shares had been "sold short" â€“ an investorâ€™s way of betting the stock will crash. With those two signs, most people correctly assumed the report would be bad. The "betting pattern" on this stock revealed the failure long before the public announcement. The stock dropped over 50% the day after its failed test results were disclosed, rewarding those who understood the move and bet against Northfield.
To apply this theory to sports, consider this scenario: Payton Manning (listed as questionable) is sitting in the locker room on Sunday morning with worried head-coach, Tony Dungy. "How does your tweaked thumb feel?" Dungy asks. His star quarterback frowns, and replies, "Not good. I have no touch on the ball, so Iâ€™ll probably give it one more week to heal." The scene changes to you sitting at home in front of your computer, scratching your head and wondering why line on the Colts moved from -3 -104 to -3 +111 at Pinnacle Sportsbook?
A few of the other larger-limit sportsbooks have already reacted by moving their lines significantly, but not everyone. Regardless of whether you know Manningâ€™s injury status, the line moves at the big books tell all you need to know. Manningsâ€™ participation was questionable, the line is moving swiftly against Indy, so the market thinks the Colts are less likely to win QED â€“ the negative prognosis on Manningâ€™s injury is spreading to Sportsbooks. Anytime you see a 10+ cent move, you can get the best of it by "chasing the steam" â€“ in this case, fading the Colts at slower-moving small sportsbooks. These books obviously hate it when players beat them to the punch, and may even throw you out, but not before nicely padding your bankroll.
In stocks and sports, information is money. While you can gain indirect information from watching price moves, nothing in sports betting is as profitable as gaining first-hand injury information. Without hiding in the locker room or knowing the personal trainers, you arenâ€™t going to outguess NFL injury announcements. Set you sights a little lower and change the focus to smaller sports. Start reading University and regional newspapers covering smaller schools that have Div I-A and I-AA programs, covered by sportsbooks.
Many times, key player or coaching information - dynamite for smart players - goes unnoticed past kickoff. These smaller events do not attract syndicate action, leaving them ripe for more casual players. If it sounds like weâ€™re repeating ourselves, itâ€™s because the point is crucial for smaller players. If you bet $1000 or less per game, you will profit handsomely by focusing outside of professional sports. The lines for these events do not react quickly, if at all, to player injuries, weather or coaching announcements.
If you are a smaller player looking to move up, pick a single minor sport and hone in on it. Try Ivy League football, Albanian Soccer, Greek basketball, or any event that is not covered on the front page of ESPN or USA Todayâ€™s sports section that has valuable information available with a bit of digging. For two weeks, try to spend 15 minutes a day researching that one area. With this little time spent, youâ€™ll likely find some nice opportunities. If you try this, we at Pinnacle Sports Betting would like to know how it goes. Send your findings to: askthebook@pinnaclesports.com.
Arizona +13.5 -107 v. San Diego
The Chargers already have a first-round bye in the playoffs, and are looking to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC. They can do that with a win or a Baltimore loss against Buffalo. The difference between the #1 and #2 seed only matters if both of those seeds win their first playoff game. This is nowhere near as critical as the dropdown to #3, where a team no longer receives a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Despite this being our most heavily traded game of the week, the opener of +13.5 (-104) has barely moved. The public has favors the Cardinals slightly by a 3-to-2 ratio, while our early sharp players donâ€™t have a consensus on this game. End of the year games are often difficult to handicap because itâ€™s difficult to know how motivated a team will be if it is already eliminated from the post season. Additionally, coaches have to balance starter playing time and minimizing injuries before the playoff run. The market line of +13.5 suggests that the Chargers will bring their "A" game and try to extend their nine game win streak.
Jacksonville +1 +117 versus Kansas City
The winner of this match-up has the possibility of advancing to the playoffs. Both teams are eliminated by losing this game, or if either Cincinnati or Tennessee wins. The Jaguars also need the New York Jests to lose, while Kansas City needs Denver to lose. If Jacksonville wins this early game, Denver secures a Wild Card before its late match-up against San Francisco. One way to exploit this is to parlay Jacksonville on the moneyline with San Francisco (who will be playing an unmotivated and resting Broncos team if the Jags win).
We opened Jacksonville at +3 (-113) and had somewhat more volume on the Jags, pushing the game off the "3". Rather than trading this game in the "teaser zone" of +1.5 to +2.5, we moved to +1 (+117).
Michigan +1 -102 v. USC
Although the Wolverines were nearly playing for the National Championship, they now find themselves playing the underdog role in the Rose Bowl. Michigan opened as a 2-point favorite and betting to this point favors them by a 5-to-2 margin. Many of the larger players favor USC, forcing the line to continue downward.
Boise St. +7 -103 v. Oklahoma
This is the weekâ€™s "sharps versus public" match-up. We opened the Broncos as 8-point dogs. While there are twice as many players backing Oklahoma, some of the sharps have played Boise St. with most taking +8 and +7.5.
At 12-0, Boise Stateâ€™s Bowl appearance was limited by its easy schedule (ranked #100 for strength of schedule). Its two most significant wins were against Hawaii (41-34) and Oregon State (42-14). The public is quick to back a traditional powerhouse against a WAC team regardless of the line. Anytime there are such knee-jerk reactions, sharp play will keep the line honest.
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Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

2006-12-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Everybody has UCLA, Washington and Arizona pegged as the teams to beat in the Pac-10 this season, with Washington State holding onto to the spot as the leagueâ€™s most surprising team so far in 2006-07.

But Southern Cal would like to claim its place among the Pac-10 elite in the early going, and the Trojans get the perfect chance to do so when league play tips off today.

USC will host No. 14 Washington on Thursday night in Los Angeles and then square off with Washington State Saturday.

Troy enters Pac-10 action with a 10-3 record after knocking off sixth-ranked Wichita State on Saturday in Las Vegas, USCâ€™s fifth win in six games since a close-call 10-point loss at Kansas on Dec. 4. The Trojans limited the Shockers to 38 percent shooting from the floor, the 12th foe in 13 games who has failed to shoot 40 percent.

Southern Calâ€™s defense has been a major key this season. The Trojans lead the nation in field-goal defense at 33.4 percent and are limiting foes to 26.1 percent accuracy (73-of-280) from 3-point territory.

USC junior guard Nick Young notched a season-high 26 points vs. Wichita State, his 10th straight game in double digits.

The Trojans have rattled off eight straight home wins, but have lost their last three Pac-10 openers. Washington (11-1) swept USC a year ago and owns five wins in a row over Troy to draw even in the all-time series, 62-62.

Rebounding will be a focal point tonight. With scrappy 6-foot-7 sophomore Jon Brockman (10.1 rebounds a game) and 7-footer Spencer Hawes (5.9) leading the way, Washington is dominating the glass this year, beating opponents by an average of 43.8-30.3.

The Huskies lead the Pac-10 in scoring (88 points a game) and will probably be favored on WagerWeb.com, but look for Southern Cal to take UW down to the wire.

WASHINGTON STATE: The Cougars are on a roll entering Pac-10 play, with four wins in a row against 18th-ranked Gonzaga, Idaho, Cal State Northridge and San Diego State. WSU encounters its nemesis in the league opener, top-ranked UCLA. The Bruins owns an 89-13 series lead against the Cougars, although four of the last UCLA victories have been by three points or less. Washington State is 0-16 when playing the Bruins when they are No. 1. Guards Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver lead the way for the Cougars. Weaver recorded his first career double-double against San Diego State with a season-best 16 points (all in the second half) and 11 rebounds. Low is WSUâ€™s leading scorer with 15.5 points a game and ranks ninth in the league in 3-point shooting (27-of-61, 44.3 percent). The Cougar defense has been salty this season, allowing a league-low 57.7 points a game.

OREGON STATE: The Beavers can spoil Oregonâ€™s best start in 60 years when the rivals lift the crank up the Pac-10 season Saturday in Corvallis. OSU follows that with two more home games, against No. 1 UCLA and up-and-coming Southern Cal next week. Freshman forward Roland Schaftenaar was perfect from the floor last week, hitting all three shots against Howard and then going 6-for-6 vs. Mercer. The Beavers have one player each in the Pac-10Â¢s top 12 in scoring (Marcel Jones, 9th with 15.8 points a game), rebounding (Kyle Jeffers, 12th with 6.6 per game) and assists (Josh Tarver, 10th with 3.5 per game).

STANFORD: The Cardinal logged a 69-67 victory against Fresno State on Dec. 19, with twin freshmen Brook and Robin Lopez returning to their hometown and scoring 10 points apiece. Sophomore guard Mitch Johnson was also big against the Bulldogs with a career-high 10 assists. Stanford opens Pac-10 play with the Arizona swing, starting off in Tempe on Thursday. In seven victories this season, sophomore forward Lawrence Hill is averaging 17 points and shooting 61.5 percent (48 of 72) from the floor. Stanford ranks second in the Pac-10 in field-goal defense (40.8 percent) and third in blocked shots (4.3 per game).

ARIZONA STATE: In their last game, the Sun Devils limited Colgate to 36 points, the fewest by an ASU opponent since 1949. The Devils may need similar defensive efforts as they get into Pac-10 play. They rank last in the league in scoring offense with 65.3 points a game and are also hovering near the bottom of the league stats in free-throw shooting (10th), field-goal defense (10th) and field-goal shooting (9th). On the bright side, big men Jeff Pendergraph and Serge Angounou have provided a nice tandem for Arizona State. Over the last seven games, Angounou is producing 13.6 points and 9.6 rebounds a game, while Pendergraph is hanging up 11.2 points and 10.8 boards in his last five outings, buoyed by a career-best 19 rebounds against Colgate.

Bad Turn For Hornets

2006-12-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

Bad Turn For Hornets

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

As if the New Orleans Hornets didnâ€™t have enough problems.

The most battered team in the league lost its premier player Tuesday night when point guard Chris Paul suffered a sprained right ankle.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year turned the ankle on a fast-break late in the first quarter of a 102-94 loss in Seattle. The severity of the injury has yet to be determined, but Paul will certainly miss his next two games and probably more.

Thatâ€™s not exactly thrilling news for a team already missing key players Peja Stojakovic (back surgery), Bobby Jackson (cracked rib) and David West (right elbow). All three will remain out for at least a month, with Stojakovic not scheduled to return until March.

Paul is leading the team at 18.9 points and nine assists a game. Injuries have played a huge role in the Hornets losing eight of their last 10.

The Hornets will be without Paul on Wednesday night in Portland. They have been listed as 7.5-point underdogs by

Wednesday's NHL Spotlight Game

2006-12-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday's NHL Spotlight Game

By Rich Carlson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Game of the Day: Dallas Stars (23-14-0) at Colorado Avalanche (18-15-2), 9 p.m. ET

Current WagerWeb.com Odds: Spread Money Line Total Goals
Dallas +1 1/2 -240 +120 Over 5 1/2 +110
Colorado -1 1/2 +200 -140 Under 5 1/2 -130

The Dallas Stars will travel to the Pepsi Center in Denver on Wednesday evening to face the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars have solid 23-14-0 record but are in third place in the Pacific Division behind the red-hot Anaheim Ducks. The Avalanche have posted a 18-15-2 record and are in first place in the Northwest Division, where the first-place team and last-place team are only separated by a point.

The Stars possess the leagueâ€™s third-ranked defensive unit (2.22 goals allowed per game), which is anchored by G Marty Turco. Turco ranks among the league leaders with 18 victories (3rd in NHL), a 2.12 goals against average (3rd in NHL) and four shutouts (3rd in NHL). With an offense that only averages 2.54 goals per game, the Stars want to jump out early on their opponents and let their defense carry them home. This season the Stars are 15-4 when scoring first, 13-1 when leading after one period and 16-2 when leading after two periods.

Led by C Joe Sakic (15 goals, 24 assists) and LW Andrew Brunette (11 goals, 19 assists) the Avalanche have won four straight home games and are 6-2 in their last 8 games. The Avalanche have utilized a goaltending tandem of Jose Theodore (9-9, 2.96 goals against average, .903 save percentage) and Peter Budaj (9-6, 2.53 goals against average, .908 save percentage). If the Avalanche are to make a run into the playoffs, they need to settle on a No. 1 goaltender and give him the majority of the playing time.

Dallas and Colorado have played twice this season (Oct. 4: Dallas 3-2, Nov. 20: Dallas 5-4).

Injury report
Dallas: C Mike Modano (hip flexor) is listed as doubtful for tonightâ€™s game; LW Steve Ott (ankle) is on injured reserve and will be out until late December.

Colorado: C Steve Moore (concussion) is on injured reserve and will be out indefinitely; D Jordan Leopold (groin) is on injured reserve and will be out until at least late January; RW Marek Svatos (groin) will be out until at least late December; LW Brad May (shoulder) is on injured reserve and will be out until at least late January.

Key betting information
*- Dallas is 5-5-0 in its last 10 games and has an 11-9-0 road record
*-Colorado is 6-4-0 in its last 10 games and has a 10-7-1 home record
*-Dallasâ€™ No. 23-ranked offense (2.54 goals per game) vs. Coloradoâ€™s No. 14-ranked defense (2.83 goals allowed average)
*-Coloradoâ€™s No. 5-ranked offense (3.20 goals per game) vs. Dallasâ€™ No. 3-ranked defense (2.22 goals allowed average)
*-Dallasâ€™ No. 23-ranked power play (15.5% scored) vs. Coloradoâ€™s No. 17-ranked penalty-killing unit (82.3% success)
*-Coloradoâ€™s No. 8-ranked power play (18.6% scored) vs. Dallasâ€™ No. 7-ranked penalty-killing unit (86.2% success)

News & notes
New York Islanders G Rick DiPietro recorded his third straight home shutout in the Islanders' 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Bet on NHL hockey now at

Holiday Awards

2006-12-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Holiday Awards

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The holiday season is over and so is one-third of the NBA season. Most in the media hand out midseason awards, but what the heck? Early returns are in.

Here are a few honors earned as 2007 approaches:

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Cleveland forward LeBron James deserved it last season, but Phoenix point guard Steve Nash won it for the second year in a row. Nash, however, has indeed been the NBA Most Valuable Player so far.

The Suns catalyst is blowing away the field at 11.6 assists a game and is among the leaders in 3-point shooting (49 percent) and free-throw percentage (89 percent). He is also averaging 20.3 points a game and hitting 52 percent from the field, both exceptional for a point guard.

Runner up: Tim Duncan, San Antonio

COACH OF THE YEAR: No contest. Utah's Jerry Sloan has raised his team to the level of the NBA elite, which is another term for the best of the Western Conference.

The Jazz feature no superstars, though resurgent Carlos Boozer has established himself as one of the league's premier players. Sloan has his team playing efficient team basketball offensively and defensively with far inferior talent to that of Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio.

Runner-up: Nate McMillan, Portland

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Adam Morrison is the top rookie scorer, but not the top rookie performer. That distinction belongs to Toronto forward Jorge Garbajosa, who has proven the most consistent. He is averaging 9.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game and has improved in both those departments as the season has progressed.

Garbajosa is also contributing more to his team. The Raptors rest atop the Atlantic Division despite playing 18 of their first 28 games on the road. He and top all-around pick Andrea Bargnani have played integral roles in their recent surge.

Runner-up: Morrison

Live Soccer Scores

2006-12-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

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Todays NFL Stats

2006-12-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

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Todays NFL Stats

2006-12-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

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2006-12-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

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Football, Basketball, Soccer

2006-12-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Football, Basketball, Soccer

2006-12-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Link

2006-12-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

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Top Sportsbooks

2006-12-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

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Football, Basketball, Soccer: Dragging Cavs

2006-12-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Football, Basketball, Soccer: Dragging Cavs

2006-12-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Football, Basketball, Soccer: Dragging Cavs

New Forum For Sports Bettors

2006-12-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

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Dragging Cavs

2006-12-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Dragging Cavs

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

There should be a sense of urgency in http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net
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Chiefs Struggling

2006-12-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Chiefs Struggling

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Kansas City Chiefs have the national stage, an easy opponent and every chance to snap their three-game losing streak. But at 7-7, they'll clearly need more than a win over Oakland (2-12) to improve their AFC playoff chances. They, of course, need to win out and get a lot of help.

It starts, one or way or the other though, against the miserable Raiders on Saturday night. The Chiefs are -6.5 on http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
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Balanced Mavericks

2006-12-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Balanced Mavericks

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

A glance at the team and individual statistics compiled by the Dallas Mavericks this season would hardly raise an eyebrow.

Yeah, they're performing well defensively, but that has been status quo since Avery Johnson took over as coach.

They're second in the NBA in free-throw percentage.

Yawn.

Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 23.4 points and 9.5 rebounds a game.

Real surprise there, huh?

So why are the Mavericks 19-7? How have they won 19 of their last 22 games?

Simple. They know how to win. They're no longer a team that hopes to outgun opponents in shootouts, so they are playing lower-scoring games and emerging with victories in nearly all of them.

They stumbled to an 0-4 start without Josh Howard and have remained on fire since. Howard is averaging 18.3 points and nearly six rebounds a game.

But perhaps the critical move by Johnson was the insertion of Erick Dampier into the starting lineup. He is averaging close to a double-double since replacing DeSagana Diop in the middle and leading the league in shooting from the field at 67 percent.

The Mavericks hope to win their sixth consecutive game Friday night at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. WagerWeb.com lists them as a 9.5-point favorites despite the uncertain status of Nowitzki, who is questionable with an ankle injury.

NOWHERE TO GO: Only the weather can cool off the sizzling Suns.

Phoenix can't win its 16th in a row if it can't get out of the Denver airport.

The Suns' clash against the Nuggets on Wednesday was canceled due to the blizzard, but they are scheduled to return home Friday night against Washington. That is, if their plane ever takes off.

The airport is expected to open, which means the Suns should arrive back in Phoenix in time to host the Wizards.

And speaking of the Wizards, they finally climbed over .500 with a 126-119 victory in Sacramento Thursday night. The usual talented trio of Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas wreaked havoc on the Kings, combining for 86 points. Brendan Haywood, who returned to the starting center spot after Etan Thomas sprained his ankle, added 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Washington is an 11-point underdog in Phoenix, according to WagerWeb.com.

DRIBBLES: Boston high-scoring forward Paul Pierce will miss at least a week with a foot injury, which could give Philadelphia a shot at breaking its 12-game winning streak Friday night against the host Celtics. WagerWeb.com lists Boston as a 2.5-point favorite. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, newly acquired point guard Andre Miller was unable to fly out of Denver at noon Friday, when the airport reopened. ... Forward Ron Artest missed his team's loss to the Wizards with sore knees. He is questionable for Friday night's game in Denver in which Allen Iverson is expected to make his debut for the Nuggets. Denver is a 4 1/2-point favorite, according to WagerWeb.com. ... After missing nine games with a bone bruise on his right ankle, Seattle guard Ray Allen might return in time for Saturday night's game against Toronto. The word on backcourt mate Rashard Lewis, who received an MRI on a tendon in his right hand, will come down today.

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New Orleans Bowl Preview

2006-12-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Bowl Preview

Who: Rice (7-5) vs. Troy (7-5)
Where: New Orleans
When: 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
WagerWeb.com line: Rice -4.5

Matchup: Which bad defense will rise to the occasion? Troy ranks 70th in the nation against the pass, and Rice ranks 113th in total defense, giving up 417.7 yards per game.

Why Rice Wins: Being in their first bowl game since 1961, the Owls will be pumped. Rice will exploit Troyâ€™s bad pass defense with WR Jarett Dillard, who caught 82 balls for 1,176 yards and 20 TDs this season. The Owls have a pretty good combination on the ground with mobile quarterback Chase Clement and speedy back Quinton Smith. Also, Rice has also been red hot lately. The Owls have been underdogs in each of the last six games, and they have won them all SU.

Why Troy State Wins: Troy will be able to establish a run game and control the clock, something it hasn't done too much this season. Troy ended the season with a 26-13 victory over Florida International, in which it racked up 245 yards rushing. Troy played a tight game against Florida State, losing 24-17, while Rice was beaten 55-7 by the Seminoles. The Trojan defense is tough against the run, so the key to the game will be stopping the Clement-to-Dillard combination.

Prediction: Rice, 28-17

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DENVER NUGGETS NOW 18/1 TO WIN NBA TITLE AFTER IVERSON TRADE

2006-12-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kyle Fratini212-979-6010kyle@kfratini.com
DENVER NUGGETS NOW 18/1 TO WIN NBA TITLE AFTER IVERSON TRADE'The Answer' Makes Denver A Contender According To PinnacleSports.com
WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO (December 20, 2006)'The Denver Nuggets pulled off a blockbuster yesterday by acquiring four-time NBA scoring leader and 2001 MVP, Allen Iverson from the Philadelphia 76ers. After finalizing the deal, the odds on the Denver Nuggets winning the NBA Championship shifted dramatically. Leading online sportsbook PinnacleSports.com had the Nuggets listed at 50/1 to capture the NBA title before the deal, but after adding Iverson, the odds on Denver becoming world champs dropped to 18/1.
The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com listed the Nuggets in the middle of the pack odds-wise to win the NBA Championship prior to the trade because of the highly competitive Western Conference and lack of a solid second scoring option to go with Carmelo Anthony. Now boasting the league's two leading scorers on their roster, the Nuggets have become a formidable team in the West and PinnacleSports.com now lists Denver at 18/1 to win the title. The San Antonio Spurs remain favorites to emerge as NBA champs at 9/2, followed closely by the Phoenix Suns at 5/1 and Dallas Mavericks at 11/2.
'By adding Iverson, Denver may have found 'The Answer' to their scoring woes during Carmelo Anthony's suspension, as well as a key to advance through the Western Conference playoffs,' said Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com. 'Whenever a player of Iverson's caliber is traded to a contender, the odds accurately reflect the impact on the team's chances to win a championship. In this case, Denver closed the gap on the top teams in the West and went from being a lower seed with a scarce shot at the title to a potential division and conference champion.'
Current Odds: All Odds Subject To Change
Odds To Win 2007 NBA Championship (Favorites)San Antonio Spurs 9/2Phoenix Suns 5/1Dallas Mavericks 11/2Cleveland Cavaliers 11/1Miami Heat 12/1Detroit Pistons 14/1Houston Rockets 17/1Utah Jazz 17/1Los Angeles Lakers 17/1Denver Nuggets 18/1Chicago Bulls 20/1New Jersey Nets 25/1
For a complete list of odds, please visit www.pinnaclesports.com.
About PinnacleSports.comPinnacleSports.com (www.pinnaclesports.com) is the Internet's largest sports betting site serving customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. Founded in 1998, PinnacleSports.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering, using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Curacao, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, racing and casino gaming.

Las Vegas Bowl Preview

2006-12-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

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Las Vegas Bowl Preview

By Jeff Zell
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Who: No. 19 BYU (10-2) vs. Oregon (7-5)
Where: Las Vegas
When: Thursday, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
WagerWeb.com line: BYU -3

Matchup: With BYU ranked No. 5 in total offense and Oregon ranked as No. 8 in the same category, which defense will step to the occasion? Or better yet, who will get the ball last? In the past 12 years, neither team has had unprecedented success at bowls. Oregon is 4-7 SU in bowls, while BYU is 2-6. Another interesting subplot is Oregon offensive coordinator Gary Crowton facing the team he once led as head coach and against BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall, who was Crowton's defensive coordinator.

Why BYU Wins: After their 1-2 start, the Cougars are red hot, winning nine in a row. Senior QB John Beck is the key to victory. Beckâ€™s 3,510 yards and 30 TDs rank him No. 2 in passer efficiency in the country, behind only Hawaii's Colt Brennan. The defense has to find a way to stop the Ducks' running attack of Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson, who are averaging nearly 190 yards a game combined. Against the No. 3 rushing team in the country, Air Force, BYU held the Falcons to 30 yards below their average in a 33-14 victory.

Why Oregon Wins: The three-game slide at the end of the season was the result of â€œthe snowball effect.â€� Coach Mike Bellotti will have his team back on track. Belloti is not naming a starting QB, Dennis Dixon or Brady Leaf, and will make the Cougars prepare for both (although Leaf is expected to start). Stewart and Johnson are a pair of workhorse RBs who wonâ€™t be stopped by a Mountain West Conference defense. The BYU pass attack will be countered with the No. 10 pass defense in the nation, which has been tested throughout the season by aerial attacks from USC, Cal and Arizona State.

Prediction: BYU 31-27

The Answer Is: Denver

2006-12-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

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The Answer Is: Denver

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Denver Nuggets have â€œThe Answerâ€� but not to these two questions:

Are they now strong enough to contend in the powerful Western Conference? Did they mortgage their future for a current team that still lacks the talent to win a title?

They swapped one of the steadiest and most talented point guards in the league (Andre Miller) for arguably the NBA's premier backcourt player in Allen Iverson. They also surrendered both first-round picks in 2007 and veteran forward Joe Smith.

More questions: Though the Nuggets now boast the NBAâ€™s two leading scorers in Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, have they reached the upper echelon along with San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas? And when will their window of opportunity close? After all, Iverson is an 11-year veteran who will likely not perform at peak level for many more seasons.

Another factor in Denverâ€™s future success lies in the ability of Iverson and Anthony to mesh on the court. Basketball is a team game in which chemistry is more important than individual talent.

Nuggets coach George Karl understands that. But he believes the addition of Iverson will promote team chemistry rather than destroy it.

â€œOne thing I hear on a consistent basis, his teammates love him,â€� Karl said. â€œI think we need better chemistry on my basketball team. I think we need more leadership. I think we need more emotional maturity, I think we need some mental toughness, some intensity, an every game, every possession mentality. I think everything I said there, Allen Iverson has.â€�

Denver could certainly use Iverson on Wednesday night against visiting Phoenix, which will be seeking its franchise-record 16th consecutive victory. WagerWeb.com lists the Suns as a 8.5-point favorites against the Nuggets, who will also play without the suspended Anthony and J.R. Smith.

The Sixers, meanwhile, will attempt to break an 11-game losing streak, at home against Indiana. They are 5.5-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com.

BLAZINâ€™ BLAZERS: It appeared the Portland Trail Blazers were about to be hit with some bad news just as they were reaching respectability.

But a mild sprain in forward Zach Randolphâ€™s right foot healed quickly, and he is expected to play Wednesday night against visiting Houston. Randolph leads the team at 25.4 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.

In addition, the Blazers should benefit from the return of rookie off-guard Brandon Roy, who had missed 20 games with a left heel injury. He averaged 11.7 points a game before being sidelined.

The Blazers are 5-point underdogs to the Rockets, according to WagerWeb.com.

DRIBBLES: A strained groin will sideline Charlotte point guard Brevin Knight at New York on Wednesday night. WagerWeb.com lists the Knicks as 4-point favorites. â€¦ Cleveland is the second-leading rebounding team in the NBA, but none of its players are among the Top 20 individually. WagerWeb.com lists the Cavaliers as 1-point underdogs in New Jersey on Wednesday night. The Cavs are tied for the best home record in the league at 11-2, but are just 3-7 on the road. â€¦ Phoenix starters outscored their Toronto counterparts, 80-39, Tuesday night. All five Suns starters tallied in double figures. T.J. Ford (19 points) was the lone Raptor to do the same. Still, Toronto has won three of four without star forward Chris Bosh. WagerWeb.com lists the Raptors as 8-point underdogs against the host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

2006-12-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

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Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Washington takes a second crack at landing a major non-conference victory when the 17th-ranked Huskies entertain No. 12 LSU on Wednesday night in Seattle.

UWâ€™s only other game against a ranked foe this season didnâ€™t turn out well: A 97-77 loss at Gonzaga on Dec. 9.

But this time the Huskies are at home at Bank of America Arena, where they have won 14 games in a row overall and 25 straight in non-conference play.

This game looks to be a contrast in several different ways. UW will look to push the ball behind guards Adrian Oliver and Justin Dentmon and forward Qunicy Pondexter. LSUâ€™s forte is built around a powerful inside game anchored by junior Glen Davis, who ranks second in the SEC in scoring (20.1 points per game) and rebounds (10.3 per game).

Washington comes in averaging a Pac-10 best 88.9 points a game, led by Pondexter (16 per game) and freshman center Spencer Hawes (13.8). The Huskies also top the conference in assists (18.3) per game and blocked shots (4.8 per game).

Hawes has started to blossom offensively, averaging 19 points over the last three games. The 7-foot Seattle native is shooting 64.9 percent from the floor (24 of 37) in that span and hasnâ€™t allowed his defense to dip. He leads the Pac-10 with 24 blocks.

LSUâ€™s defense could pose problems for Washington. The Tigers are surrendering only 57.6 points a game and are limiting foes to 35.9 percent shooting from the field.

UW is a 1-point favorite on WagerWeb.com, and this game should come down to the wire.

ARIZONA: The No. 9-ranked Wildcats square off with 18th-ranked Memphis tonight in the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson in Arizonaâ€™s biggest test to date this season (Arizona is -7.5 on WagerWeb.com). This is the latest UA has faced a ranked foe for the first time in a season since 1992-93. The Â¢Cats are 41-1 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl event, but the Tigers are a major threat to stick Arizona with a second loss. The Wildcats come in hot after roasting Houston 87-62 on Sunday. All five UA starters scored in double digits in that game, with Ivan Radenovic and Marcus Williams each notching 16 points and a double-double. The â€˜Cats shot 54.1 percent from the floor (33 of 61) vs. Houston, anchored by 19 makes on either slam dunks or layups. Arizona is the Pac-10Â¢s best shooting team (50.7 percent) and ranks second in the league with 86.7 points a game.

OREGON: The Ducks can match their best start (11-0) since 1946-47 by beating Mercer in Eugene on Saturday. Oregon junior guard Bryce Taylor has asserted himself lately with 58 points and 21 rebounds in three games last week, which earned him Pac-10 Player of the Week honors. Taylor connected on 19-of-28 field goals (67.9 percent), 9-of-14 from 3-point range (64.3 percent) and 12-of-15 from the foul stripe (80 percent). He has scored in double figures in every game this season, and his recent surge upped his production to 17 points a game, second on the team to Tajuan Porter, who leads the league with 18.2 points a game. Porter is also the Pac-10Â¢s most prolific 3-point marksman with 36 makes and tops the league in foul shooting at 92.9 percent (26-of-28).

UCLA: The Bruins bounced back from a close call against Texas A&M to notch their seventh victory by 13 points or more this season when they sacked Oakland 74-53 on Saturday. Sophomore point guard Darren Collison has booked 15 points in each of the last three games, shooting 60.9 percent (14 of 23) from the floor in the process. He leads the Pac-10 with 27 steals and stands second in assists with 5.7 a game. Free-throw shooting continues to dog the Bruins. They rank last in the Pac-10 at 59.8 percent and have shot over 60 percent in only three games.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: The Trojans get a chance to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume this weekend at the Las Vegas Classic. USC will take on Kansas State on Friday and then take on either New Mexico or eighth-ranked Wichita State on Saturday. USC is getting solid play from Lodrick Stewart (15.9 ppg) and Taj Gibson (13.1 ppg, Pac-10 best 10.1 rpg). Both came up big in a 70-58 triumph against Charleston Southern on Sunday, Stewart with his first career double-double (13/10) and Gibson with his league-leading fifth double-double of the season (18/10).

The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble

2006-12-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

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The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble
Taking Advantage of Late Season Motivational Factors in the NFL
As the NFL regular season winds down, teams have different motivations based on their standings. If you disregard this situational factor, you risk betting on a 'trap' game. Which teams are the most likely to underachieve? The obvious answer is the team that has already qualified for the playoffs and benefits little from a win.
One clear example of this is the Chicago Bears. At 12-2, they've not only won their division, but have also secured home field advantage for the duration of the playoffs. A coach's main goal is to enter the playoffs in the strongest condition possible. This often means that 'banged up' players will rest and key starters may play only two quarters or less.
However, remember that the line already reflects this factor - the Bears (12-2) are only 4.5 point favorites over the Lions (2-12) at Pinnacle Sportsbook. Estimating the line using traditional power rankings (like Sagarin ratings), you would expect the Bears to be favored by about 20 points. The difference - in this case, about 16 points - is how much worse Chicago will play by bringing its 'B-game' to Ford Field.
While the Bears situation is an obvious time to deflate a line, there are less obvious instances, especially in the last week of the season. While there's a strong incentive to finish in the top two of a conference (to earn a first round bye in the playoffs), there is almost no difference between the #3 and #4 seeds, and between the #5 and #6 seeds. Each pair of seeds must play the same number of games to advance to the Super Bowl, and will almost certainly play the same amount of home games to get there. If a team's winning or losing will not move them out of such a pairing, (e.g. the team will finish at #3 or #4 regardless of how it finishes), this is also a good time to deflate the line.
The last week of the season often has unique opportunities. When analyzing the various playoff scenarios, look for situations where a team playing late has its game become meaningless IF a certain result occurs in the early games. This provides a rare opportunity to bet on 'The Holy Grail' of sports betting - the correlated parlay.
For example: Team A plays late, team B plays early. Team A advances as a wild card if B loses, or if A wins. If both occur, Team A still gets a wild card. In this example, team A's late game becomes meaningless if B loses. When a game becomes meaningless, the game line for the team that advanced will often crash at Pinnacle Sportsbetting. Some sports books will take these games off the board during the first game because the spread on the late game can change dramatically based on what happens early.
To best exploit this, make the correlated parlay: Team B to lose (moneyline), parlayed with Team A to lose (spread or ML). Be sure to do this before game day though, in case some of these correlated games are taken off the board.
What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports Book?
Kansa City -6.5 -108 v. Oakland
We initially opened the Raiders at +1 (-104) on Sunday. After getting blanked by St. Louis 20-0 in Oakland, the spread quickly climbed to +6.5 as Chiefs backers outnumbered Raiders backers by a 3-to-1 margin. Although no coach ever tries to lose, the 2-12 Raiders may be better off losing out - they are currently tied with Detroit for the #1 draft pick next year. As always, the sharps got the early number, taking the Chiefs -1 and now the sharper players are passing on both sides at +6.5.
At 7-7, Kansas City is a long shot to even get a wild card. There are three teams in the AFC wild card chase at 8-6, and another three tied with Kansas City at 7-7. That makes this match-up and next week's against Jacksonville 'must-win' games for the Chiefs. Must-win match-ups are overrated in the minds of bettors - teams that must win to advance to the playoffs still win about 50% of the time.
Chicago -4.5 -105 v. Detroit
The Lions opened at +7 (-104) at Pinnacle Sportsbetting, but it drifted down across the market due to the Bears playing a meaningless game. The Chicago Bears 'Chalk Talk' discussed the likelihood of resting players with minor injuries. Despite the downward line movement, we received five times as many bets on the Bears as the Lions.
An old handicapping adage thought that the home field advantage increased in the final two weeks of the season. At one point, it was profitable to blindly bet home teams in the last two games. But in the last five years, home teams are 91-67 straight up (57.5%), but only 69-88 against the spread in the final two weeks. This is an example of the market 'overcorrecting' to a betting trend that was strong in the past. As with all technical trends, do not follow them blindly.
Philadelphia +7 -108 v. Dallas
The Eagles were all but forgotten with the loss of Donovan McNabb earlier this year. Since then, Jeff Garcia has led Philadelphia to three consecutive wins in four starts. As a result, the Eagles are a front-runner in the wild card hunt and a division title is even possible. In this NFC East battle, the Eagles opened at +7.5 (-104), but were quickly bet down. The sharps and public alike backed the Eagles by a 5-to-2 margin. The wise guys have continued to bet the Eagles, even at +7.
Arizona State +7 -110 v. Hawaii
We opened Hawaii as a 10-point favorite, relying on their large 'home field' advantage when playing in Honolulu. Although the Sun Devils finished 7-5, all of its losses were to Pac-10 opponents and four of those were ranked in the top 25. Hawaii finished 10-3, but played an easier schedule and went 0-2 against teams in the top 25. As always, the sharps took the best numbers on Arizona State, betting them as low as +7.5.
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Poinsettia Bowl Preview

2006-12-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

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Poinsettia Bowl Preview

Who: No. 25 TCU (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5)

Where: San Diego
When: 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
WagerWeb.com line: TCU -11.5

Key Matchup: The game features the nationâ€™s leading rusher, Garrett Wolfe, against the nationâ€™s fourth-ranked run defense (67.6 YPG).

Why The Huskies Win: Wolfe has been a workhorse at Northern Illinois for four years. His 5,136 career rushing yards is a NIU record and is the most among active NCAA players. Four consecutive teams held him to less than 66 yards rushing at the middle of the season. After a 10-day break, he then rushed for 209 yards and 3 TDs in a game. Wolfe will have rested for 25 days when game-time hits. NIU loves being the underdog. Since 1992, NIU is 12-4 ATS when more than a 10-point dog. NIU is also red hot. The Huskies ended their final two games of the season outscoring their opponents 58-10, including a win over MAC champion Central Michigan.

Why The Horned Frogs Win: Defense. Defense. Defense. TCU has stopped all types of offenses. It held offensive juggernaut Texas Tech to just three points and stopped Air Forceâ€™s triple-option attack except for two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Chase Ortiz and Tommy Blake, WAC first-team selections at defensive end, will plug holes and stop the run. Offensively, TCU is on a roll. QB Jeff Ballard has engineered his unit to 135 points the past 3 games, all victories. The team has won seven straight, and as a favorite ATS this season it is 8-2.
Prediction: TCU 34-28.

Karl Fuming At Isiah

2006-12-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

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Karl Fuming At Isiah

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The physical war was over, but the verbal battle had just begun Monday.

After the combatants from the brawl between Denver and New York on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden had been suspended, the accusations began to fly.

The chief accuser was Nuggets coach George Karl, who blames Knicks counterpart Isiah Thomas for precipitating the incident.

â€œHeâ€™s full of (crap),â€� Karl fumed to the Rocky Mountain News. â€œHeâ€™s a total (butt) hole and he should be held accountable for what his actions are.

â€œThereâ€™s no question in my mind it was premeditated. It was directed by Isiah.â€�

Thomas accused Karl of running up the score by keeping his starters in the game despite holding a 19-point lead with just over a minute remaining.

The incident began after a hard foul by New Yorkâ€™s Mardy Collins on Denverâ€™s J.R. Smith, who was driving to the basket.

Denver star and NBA leading scorer Carmelo Anthony received the longest suspension of 15 games for punching Collins. Anthonyâ€™s agent, Calvin Andrews, said his client told him that Thomas made threats seconds before the fight. Andrews claimed Anthony was warned by Thomas, â€œYou and your teammates better not go to the hole (because) you might get hurt.â€�

Thomas denied the accusations.

If both teams were devastated by the suspensions Monday night, they didnâ€™t play like it. When Denver needed a big performance, the smallest man in the NBA stepped up. Backup point guard Earl Boykins scored 29 points and slid his 5-foot-7 frame underneath for seven rebounds in a 117-108 defeat of Washington despite the absence of Anthony and Smith. Starting point guard Andre Miller added 27 points.

And with Collins, Nate Robinson, Jerome James and Jared Jeffries all suspended, the Knicks edged visiting Utah, 97-96, in overtime. Thomas used Channing Frye, David Lee, Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury for at least 44 minutes apiece.

The latter responded the best. After his 31-point performance Saturday night was overshadowed by the brawl, Marbury contributed 29 points and eight assists against the Jazz, while Lee added 17 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.

RISING SUNS: How torrid is Phoenix? The Suns are heavy favorites to extend their winning streak to 15 Tuesday night against invading Toronto.

The Raptors have won three consecutive games despite the absence of leading scorer and rebounder Chris Bosh, yet they are a 13.5-point underdogs, according to

Colts Look Super

2006-12-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

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Colts Look Super

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Everything is fine in Indianapolis, after all. Peyton Manning and Co. just needed another national, prime-time stage against a quality team, and the regular-season Colts everyone has come to know suddenly reappeared.

So what if homefield advantage isn't the top priority now simply because of how the Chargers are playing? The Colts had it last year, and what happened?

All Indianapolis (11-3) can do now is keep winning -- like it did in a 34-16 romp over the Bengals on Monday night -- keep ignoring the critics, and who knows, perhaps, in the end this will be the year.

"On some teams, it's almost like you have two different teams," Manning said. "We try to stick together."

That's a good thing, because no one seemed to believe in the Colts a week ago. They had lost three of four and were giving up rushing yards like they were going out of style. But the ship has been righted -- or so we think -- and the AFC South title is theirs, and the postseason awaits.

Of course, that's usually where the trouble starts. But we digress.

"Sometimes things get escalated," Manning said. "We lost two in a row, so we must have all these problems. We knew what was at stake. We're playing for a lot of momentum going into the postseason and for seeding."

On Christmas Eve, they get another chance -- or a layup if you will -- to continue that momentum as they play the Texans (4-10) in Houston. Monitor the line all week on WagerWeb.com. Then, they close the season against the Dolphins (6-8) in Indianapolis on New Year's Eve.

So, it's not a particularly tough trek down the stretch for Coach Tony Dungy's crew. The problem, however, is that neither team will present a stiff challenge in the running game, and that's surely what the Colts need as they fine-tune things for the playoffs.

Because if they run into the ground-gobbling Jaguars, or the balanced Patriots, or -- dare we say it -- LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers in January, it might be curtains for the Colts.

"We've got a record," Dungy said, "that a lot of teams would like to have."

That's true. And they should be proud of that.

But they also have a defense that a lot of teams would like to face. And, as usual, judgment on this team needs to be reserved until the postseason ends. That's simply because it's the standard that they've set and the ultimate goal that they've yet to reach.

BENGALS BACK ON THE ROAD: It doesn't get much easier for the Bengals, who have a short week to get over the loss to the Colts and get ready for the equally desperate Broncos on Christmas Eve. Monitor the line all week on WagerWeb.com.

Denver (8-6) is back in the thick of things after a convincing 37-20 victory over the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday.

"We need to win one game two more times," Denver safety John Lynch said.

And that's what we mean by desperate. The Broncos' win on Sunday snapped a four-game losing streak that shifted Denver from a contender to a hopeful.

But there is optimism, even though the Bengals (8-6) will be no pushover. Denver closes the season at home against San Francisco (6-8) on New Year's Eve.

EXTRA POINTS: Vikings RB Chester Taylor (ribs) is expected to practice all week and play on Thursday against Green Bay on the NFL Network in a battle of 6-8 teams. The Packers are -3 on WagerWeb.com. ... Giants RB Brandon Jacobs has an ankle injury that will be evaluated all week leading up to New York's date against the Saints (9-5) on Sunday. The Giants (7-7) are -3 on WagerWeb.com. Jacobs will take over for Tiki Barber, who is retiring, full-time next season.

Big Ten Basketball Notebook

2006-12-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

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Big Ten Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After falling out of the polls following back-to-back losses to Maryland and Arizona, Illinois has played with a new chip on its shoulder. That may come in handy tonight when the Illini take on next-door neighbor Missouri in St. Louis in the 26th annual Busch Bragginâ€™ Rights game.

Illinois has reeled off six consecutive victories over Mizzou, punctuated by an 82-50 walloping last season that was the most lopsided win by either team in the series history.

This year marks the first time since 1998 that Illinois isnâ€™t ranked going into the Missouri game and just the sixth time in 26 meetings that neither team is in the polls.

To continue the current winning streak, the Illini will rely on the extraordinary balance it has shown so far this season.

Four players are averaging double digits in scoring, paced by Warren Carterâ€™s 14 points a game. Four other Illini are producing between 8.7-9.7 points a contest. Six different players have led Illinois in scoring this season.

Carter has been the most consistent offensive threat for Illinois. Over the last six outings, the 6-foot-9 senior is logging 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game with three games of 20 points or more.

Coming off its first loss of the season (79-62 at Purdue on Dec. 9), Mizzou does have some history on its side. Since 1980 when the series moved to St. Louis, every first-year coach has won his debut -- Lon Kruger for Illinois in 1996, Quin Snyder for Missouri in 1999, Bill Self for Illinois in 2000 and Bruce Weber for the Illini in 2003. Mike Anderson is in his first year with the Tigers.

Weber is looking for his 100th Illinois win tonight. The Illini are 6.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.

OHIO STATE: The third-ranked Buckeyes have a huge showdown looming later this week when they travel south to face No. 4 Florida. Before then, though, OSU has a tricky home game to take care of when Iowa State visits Columbus tonight. The Buckeyes are 23.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com, but this is the same Cyclone team that threw a major scare into Ohio State last season before falling 70-67. Buckeye freshman Greg Oden is quickly warming up and enters the game after his second double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in OSUâ€™s blowout win over Cincinnati. Oden has blocked 15 shots in three games and is shooting 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the floor, anchored by a streak of 17 straight makes.

INDIANA: The Hoosiers snagged a gritty 57-47 triumph over Missouri Valley Conference up-and-comer Southern Illinois on Sunday, their first noteworthy victory this season after tough-to-swallow road losses against Duke (54-51) and Kentucky (54-49). IU is winning with defense, leading the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal defense (27.3 percent) and ranking third in overall field-goal defense (38.8 percent). Indiana has struggled to generate consistent offense, but D.J. White has begun to emerge from his missed season, leading the Hoosiers with 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. He is also the Big Tenâ€™s top shot blocker with 2.3 rejections a game. IU gets another chance to record a win against a solid mid-major program when Western Kentucky visits Bloomington on Wednesday.

MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans survived a tough tussle with Chicago State on Saturday, claiming a 69-61 decision for their fourth win in a row. Junior guard Drew Neitzel hung up a career-high 32 points, hitting six 3-pointers and going 10-for-10 from the foul stripe. Neitzel has made more 3s (39) than anyone in the Big Ten and ranks second in the league in free-throw accuracy at 90.2 percent (46-of-51).

WISCONSIN: The Badgers recorded one of the biggest non-conference wins in their history Saturday when they knocked off No. 2 Pittsburgh 89-75, and senior Alando Tucker was a major reason why. Tucker was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after torching the Panthers for a season-best 32 points. He hit 10-of-17 field goals and also yanked down 10 rebounds. Wisconsin beat its highest-ranked foe since 1997 when it edged second-ranked Minnesota 68-65. Tucker, the leagueâ€™s leading scorer at 21.2 points per game, also produced 20 points earlier last week against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has scored 20 or more in four straight games.

Liverpool Ascending

2006-12-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

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Liverpool Ascending

By Anthony Marinetti
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal on Nov. 12, Liverpool has gotten its act together in a big way.

Undefeated in its past seven Premier League matches and not conceding a goal in that span, Liverpool is suddenly holding down third position and nipping at the heels of sputtering Chelsea.

Not only is the club playing tough on defense, but it is also scoring plenty of goals, putting up 11 in its past three matches. The balance being displayed is a recipe for success and has Coach Rafael Benitez very pleased.

"We have better balance now," said Benitez after Liverpoolâ€™s 3-0 win over Charlton on Saturday. "We have the balance between defense and attack, we are creating a lot of chances, and we don't give too many chances away."

The victory is also significant because it is Liverpoolâ€™s second straight away win, and the Reds have struggled mightily on the road thus far this season. The trend has been rather frustrating, so a decisive win at The Valley feels very good.

Steven Gerrard is obviously much more effective back in his central midfield role, scoring a brilliant goal in the 88th minute vs. Charlton. The elevated play of Dirk Kuyt has also been instrumental in the Reds' resurgence. In his first season with Liverpool, the Dutch international has taken awhile to find his form, but is now the perfect complement for the likes of fellow strikers Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy. Though Kuyt has yet to score this campaign, his partnership with Bellamy up top has proven to be very effective.

So where does Liverpool go from here? The club has a two-month respite from Champions League play as it moves to the round of 16, where it will face defending champ Barcelona in February. This is a good thing for the Reds, as they have a grueling Premier League schedule coming up, with four fixtures in a mere eight days. That stretch begins Saturday when Liverpool hosts Watford and is a big -450 favorite on WagerWeb.com.

Liverpool must pick up six points in the first two games of the run over struggling Watford and Blackburn, because it may be low on energy by the time the big match vs. Bolton rolls around.

Liverpool is certainly confident it can continue to score many goals.

"It was a good game,â€� Benitez said in reference to the Charlton match. â€œWe created a lot of opportunities and scored three goals, but we could have scored more.â€�

If Rafa continues to manage his lineup as he has in recent weeks, the odds look good for Liverpool. Being able to rotate Bellamy, Crouch and Kuyt at forwards is a luxury that should keep paying dividends, and with Gerrard poised for more production in central midfield, the Reds are a favorite to finish in the top three at seasonâ€™s end.

Eagles Soaring Behind Garcia

2006-12-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

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Eagles Soaring Behind Garcia

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

As it turns out, Jeff Garcia isn't quite finished just yet. He just needs a supporting cast around him, that's all.

He had one in San Francisco, and became a Pro Bowler. He didn't have one in Cleveland and Detroit, and became expendable.

But he has one in Philadelphia -- a running back, a tight end, a quality line and a host of young, hungry receivers. And as a result, he is 3-1 as a starter and has the Eagles (8-6) in the No. 1 wild-card slot in the NFC, should the season end today.

"It has been a lot of fun," Garcia said. "A year ago, I really was not thinking that this could happen for me."

But to steal an overused cliche, what a difference a year makes. When Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb went down last month, it appeared the season would go with him.

After all, that's what happened last season when Mike McMahon took over for McNabb.

But the thing is, Garcia isn't McMahon. He is a mobile, accurate, sturdy, ad-libbing quarterback who has made the most of his opportunity. Leading the Eagles to a 36-22 victory over the Giants on Sunday, Garcia marched the Eagles 80 yards with relative ease for the winning score in the fourth quarter.

Now, the Giants' defense completely collapsed around him. But, either way, he did make plays, he did silence the crowd, and who knows, he may have buried the Giants once and for all.

"It was about togetherness as a team. It was about having fun as a team and winning as a team," Garcia said. "That was really what it was about. There were times when the defense had to step up and come up with a big play. There were times when the offense had to do their thing. There were times when special teams had to do their thing. When you talk about an all-out effort, that was really what we got."

They'll need another one on Christmas Day. That's when they play the Cowboys (9-5) in Dallas in a game that could -- and probably will -- decide the NFC East. Monitor the line all week on WagerWeb.com. By the way, something tells us that Garcia will have a huge hand in the game, win or lose.

"He is a competitive little son of a gun. Thirty-six years old; I'm glad he has that amount of energy at thirty-six, but that can be trouble at times," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "He's bounced back and played well."

And of course, let the storylines begin as Terrell Owens and Garcia face each other as opponents this week. The former 49ers tandem had a few too many rifts during the years in the Bay Area, and this seems like a perfect week to dig them all up.

But the Eagles, quite frankly, don't care.

"Jeff has done a great job. I've said it pretty much for three weeks now that he's been in there," running back Brian Westbrook said. "He comes in, he doesn't make many mistakes, he runs this offense, he leads the team, and with him back there we have a chance of winning and that's what we need."

We'll see if he can keep it up.

BREAK UP THE BILLS: As long as we're digging up old sports cliches, how about the standard: "This is a team you do not want to play down the stretch." If you've heard this one lately, chances are it was in connection with the Bills (7-7), who have won four of five and just posted their first shutout of the season, a 21-0 whitewash of the Dolphins.

It's too bad Buffalo isn't in the NFC, or else it would be alive and well. As it is, the Bills have been reduced basically to spoilers. But, let's face it, they've been pretty good at it. And the biggest reason might just be quarterback J.P. Losman, who has thrown for seven touchdowns in the past three weeks.

"When you have your quarterback in control of everything," receiver Lee Evans said, "it helps your offense out a lot."

Buffalo plays host to Tennessee (7-7) Sunday. Monitor the line all week on WagerWeb.com.

EXTRA POINTS: Don't buy into the Jake Delhomme Era coming to an end in Charlotte, a rumor that made the rounds over the weekend. Even if John Fox drafts a quarterback, it probably won't be until late in the draft. And let's face it, Delhomme has taken an expansion franchise to two NFC title games in a three-year span. ... Backup QB Tarvaris Jackson could get the call for Minnesota on Thursday night against Green Bay, in place of Brad Johnson.

Brawl Suspensions

2006-12-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

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Brawl Suspensions

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Madison Square Garden has long been known as a fight site.

Ali-Frazier. Louis-Marciano. Hagler-Robinson.

These famed brawls were inside a ring and the combatants wore gloves.

Not so Saturday night. The Nuggets had landed a haymaker on the Knicks in a game of basketball, then a boxing match broke out. No bell sounded before New York reserve Mardy Collins grabbed a driving J.R. Smith by the neck and yanked him down to the floor.

That's when all hell broke loose. By the time order was restored, all 10 players on the court had been ejected, including Denver scoring machine Carmelo Anthony, who landed a punch on Collins, and New York guard Nate Robinson, who battled Smith in the stands.

The result, announced Monday, is that Anthony has been suspended for 15 games, while Smith and Robinson will be gone for 10 games each. The two Nuggets have combined to average nearly 50 points a game this season.

Other suspended are Collins (six games), Jeffries (four games), Denver forward Nene and New York center Jerome James (one game each for leaving the bench). All the suspensions start tonight, when Denver hosts Washington and New York hosts Utah.

In addition, both organizations have been fined $500,000.

NBA Commissioner David Stern cited several factors in determining the severity of the fines and suspensions.

â€œTeams will be held accountable for the actions of their employees â€“ management and players alike,â€� he said. â€œPlayers must take advantage of a break or pause in a heated situation to stop and restore order, instead of escalating the situation. Players must heed directions from referees and others who are trying to maintain order and not continue to put fans, referees and peacemakers in harmâ€™s way.â€�

The uncertainty surrounding both games had prevented WagerWeb.com from posting odds by early Monday afternoon, but expect the Nuggets-Wizards line to be much different than it would have been because of the suspensions and ...

ARENAS BURNING UP ARENAS: Wherever Gilbert Arenas plays these days, explosions follow.

But Sunday night was ridiculous.

The Washington guard scored a franchise- and personal-high 60 points in a 147-141 overtime victory in Los Angeles against the Lakers. It marked Washington's third road win of the season. Arenas scored 14 consecutive points during one sizzling stretch.

Arenas has pulled the Wizards out of an early-season slump. He is averaging 38.7 points in his last seven games while shooing 49 percent from the field.

The performance against the Lakers marked the highest point total by a Washington player since guard Earl (The Pearl) Monroe scored 56 in a 1968 game, coincidentally, against Los Angeles.

DRIBBLES: New Orleans is losing games on the court and players off it. Guard Peja Stojakovic has already missed nine games with what was believed to be back spasms, but has now opted for back surgery. He's averaging 17.1 points a game and shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. Forward David West will undergo surgery on his right elbow. Top reserve Bobby Jackson has also been out with a cracked rib. The decimated Hornets play at Miami on Monday night and are 7.5-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com. ... It could have been worse for Toronto point guard Jose Calderon, who was removed from Sunday's win at Golden State on a stretcher after hurting his lower back going for a rebound. His neck was immobilized, but he had movement in all his limbs and is now listed as day-to-day. The Raptors have won three straight games despite the loss of Chris Bosh (left knee injury). ... Orlando rookie guard J.J. Redick has finally received a bit of playing time due to injuries. He has played 50 total minutes in four games and is averaging 2.8 points a game. He has hit just 4 of 15 shots from the field.

Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

2006-12-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

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Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Arizona is one of the hottest teams in the country after stumbling in the season opener, but now the Wildcats get two tougher tests against Conference USA opposition.

UA has reeled off seven straight victories in impressive fashion (averaging 17.1 winning margin) since falling at Virginia on Nov. 12. During their streak, the veteran â€™Cats have dismantled several teams expected to vie for NCAA Tournament berths: New Mexico State, UNLV, Illinois, Louisville and most recently San Diego State.

The next two games should present a new challenge, though. Houston visits the McKale Center tonight, while No. 19-ranked Memphis visits Tucson on Wednesday.

The Cougars stunned Arizona last season after the Wildcats missed 16 of their first 17 field goals and tumbled into an 18-point deficit in the first half. That win snapped UAâ€™s two-game winning streak against Houston.

Arizona has been impressive offensively, producing 86.6 points a game with all five starters averaging in double digits. Freshman Chase Budinger and senior Ivan Radenovic lead the way with 17.6 points a game. But itâ€™s been sophomore Marcus Williams who has led the charge lately, with 20 points or more in three of the last four games â€“ anchored by a 21-point, 16-rebound effort against SDSU.

Houston is a 16-point underdog on WagerWeb.com, but the Cougars have enough firepower to test the Wildcats. The Cougars come in averaging 91.7 points a game and are hitting 12.1 3-point field goals a contest.

OREGON STATE: The Beavers are playing better than expected through 10 games, but now face their toughest opponent of the season when 12th-ranked LSU ventures into Gill Coliseum on Sundayy. OSU has played the Tigers only four times, just once since 1969 when Pete Maravich was setting every NCAA scoring record imaginable. LSU doesnâ€™t possess that kind of weapon, but it does have a formidable front line, led by All-American Glen Davis, who averages 19.9 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. The Beavers counter with their own battle-tested front line, buoyed by juniors Marcel Jones and Sasa Cuic. Jones is the Pac-10â€™s second-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, while Cuic is coming off a season-high 17 points vs. Western Oregon. OSU is a 12-point underdog on WagerWeb.com, but donâ€™t be surprised if LSU has all it can handle.

OREGON: At 9-0, the Ducks are off to their best start since 1996-97 after routing Eastern Washington 100-74 on Saturday. Oregon got 24 points from Bryce Taylor and 20 from Malik Hairston, both season-highs. Aaron Brooks added 16 points and became the 25th player in OU history to score 1,000 career points. Freshman dynamo Tajuan Porter â€“ all 5-foot-6 of him â€“ continues to lead the Ducks in scoring with 18.2 points a game, anchored by 49.3 percent shooting from 3-point range (36 of 73).

CALIFORNIA: The Bears are the Pac-10â€™s most enigmatic team so far, with seven impressive victories punctuated by three losses in winnable games to San Diego State, Nevada and San Diego. In the seven wins, Cal has limited foes to 36.6 percent shooting from the field and 55.7 points a game. The Bears have gotten solid play from sophomore guard Theo Robertson, who has recorded double-digit scoring totals in three consecutive games. Cal ranks third in the Pac-10 in field-goal defense (41 percent) and 3-point field-goal defense (28.3 percent).

WASHINGTON STATE: The Cougars are red-hot with a 9-1 start, with a 77-67 triumph against Gonzaga last week as the centerpiece. WSU is off to its best start since 1993-94, with the leagueâ€™s best scoring defense (58.8 points a game), along with the most 3-point success (64 of 152, 42.1 percent). The Cougars have also blocked more shots (47) than any team in the Pac-10. Sophomore forward Davin Harmeling had a season-high 20 points against Gonzaga and has produced double-figure scoring in five of the last six games. Junior guard Derrick Low has scored in double digits nine times this season and ranks 10th in the league with 16 points a contest. Strangely enough, junior Kyle Weaver, a 6-5 guard, is the leader in both assists (38) and blocked shots (14).

Week 15 Start/Sit

2006-12-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

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Week 15 Start/Sit

By Chris Goudey

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

This is the time of the fantasy season where your palms sweat and you try to see as many stats as you can, because itâ€™s PLAYOFF TIME, BABY! This is where all your hard work will pay off and you can rub it in your friends' faces. It is more important than ever to have the correct players in your lineup, so heed the Senseiâ€™s advice!

For Week 15, Iâ€™m only going to give opinions based on strong trends, so if your player isnâ€™t mentioned that means heâ€™s got no big matchup trend either way. Iâ€™m also only giving you guys you probably have a decision on. This is not the article that will tell you to start LaDainian Tomlinson or Peyton Manning. Go ahead and start the guys you normally would if they arenâ€™t mentioned here.

Quarterbacks
Start 'Em
Jon Kitna, Detroit â€“ Kitna was going to be a good play this week anyway because of his matchup against Green Bay, but now with starting RB Kevin Jones out for the year, theyâ€™re going to throw a lot more than they would have anyway.

Jeff Garcia, Philadelphia â€“ The Giants defense can be beat and they may have to throw a lot. There will be a lot of points scored in this one, so thatâ€™s always good for a passing offense.

Matt Leinart, Arizona â€“ Denverâ€™s rush defense is much stronger than its pass defense, and the Cardinals have problems running the ball anyway, so Leinart should have the ball in the air plenty of times.

Jay Cutler, Denver â€“ Cutler looked really good and I can see now why heâ€™s in the lineup. He gets to face his first really soft defense this week, so I can see him doing very well.

Sit 'Em
Chris Weinke, Carolina â€“ Yes, Weinke put up 400+ yards in his first start in 4 years, but donâ€™t be fooled â€“ heâ€™s still nothing but a backup. He might have to throw a lot against the Steelers this week, but Iâ€™d be surprised if he had more TDs than interceptions.

Brad Johnson, Minnesota â€“ The Jetsâ€™ defense is much weaker against the run than the pass, so I think the Vikes will try to run as much as possible. His coach also pulled him for bad play two weeks ago, so Johnson shouldnâ€™t be in your lineup.

J.P. Losman, Buffalo â€“ Miamiâ€™s defense just shut out Tom Brady, so it is playing very well. Thereâ€™s about 27 other QBs Iâ€™d play this week before Losman, even though he has looked good recently.

Running Back
Start 'Em
Tatum Bell, Denver â€“ Bell looks to be over the toe issues he had the last few weeks, and he should be good for at least 100+ yards against Arizona this week.

Ahman Green, Green Bay â€“ Green has an excellent matchup against Detroit this week, so he should approach 100 yards and will probably score at least one TD also.

Sammy Morris, Miami â€“ Morris was a real surprise last week, as he rushed for 120 yards and a TD against a tough Patriot defense. He has a much easier matchup this week and should come close to that again against Buffalo.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville â€“ Hopefully you listened to me last week and started Drew, but if you didnâ€™t you get a second chance this week. Drew should be solid again against Tennessee.

Sit 'Em
Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay â€“ I donâ€™t think there could be a worse situation for a starting RB â€“ on the road, against the Bears, in a game that should be a blowout, which means his team will have to pass.

Chester Taylor, Minnesota â€“ Taylor does get a nice matchup this week against the Jets, but heâ€™s going to be in a lot of pain with his rib injury. I would think with the great performance of Artose Pinner last week that heâ€™d get a lot of Taylorâ€™s carries this time around.

Warrick Dunn, Atlanta â€“ If Dunn plays, heâ€™s going to be limited and has a tough matchup against a quick Dallas front seven.

Travis Henry, Tennessee â€“ Henry is questionable right now and even if he does play, Jacksonville has a strong rush defense, so Iâ€™d sit him either way.

Wide Receivers
Start 'Em
Terry Glenn, Dallas â€“ The Falcons have one good CB (DeAngelo Hall), and Iâ€™m pretty sure heâ€™ll be on T.O. all game, so Glenn should become the primary option for Tony Romo this week.

Laveranues Coles/Jerricho Cotchery, NY Jets â€“ The Vikings have the #1 rush defense in the league, so the Jets will have to throw to get anything going. Good times for the C & C boys.

Marty Booker, Miami â€“ He has become Joey Harringtonâ€™s favorite target and even though the Dolphins will probably try to run a lot against the Billsâ€™ bad rush defense, Booker should get some nice results on play-action passes.

Mike Furrey, Detroit â€“ As I said last week, Furrey has turned into a top-shelf 2nd WR for the Lions, and they will literally throw the ball all day against Green Bay.

Sit 'Em
Keyshawn Johnson, Carolina â€“ Weinke threw for over 400 yards last week, but Keyshawn only got just over 50 of them, so Iâ€™d stay away from him, as that number is likely to go nowhere but down.

Derrick Mason, Baltimore â€“ Between the ermergence of Mark Clayton and Baltimore playing a team thatâ€™s horrible against the run (Cleveland), Mason is likely to have an off week.

Chris Chambers, Miami â€“ Chambers has fallen to the #2 WR on the Dolphins, with Marty Booker becoming Joey Harringtonâ€™s favorite target lately. Combine that with a tough matchup against the Billsâ€™ top CB Terrence McGee, and Chambers should be on your bench.

Tight Ends
Start 'Em
L.J. Smith, Philadelphia â€“ Smith finally got a chance to produce last week, with a TD against Washington, and the Giants are giving up a lot of points to TE this year.

Tony Scheffler, Denver â€“ He and Cutler have a nice rapport that was developed in the preseason, and it has carried over to the field since Cutler took over. Thereâ€™s no reason why that shouldnâ€™t continue this week against the Cardinals.

Sit 'Em
Kellen Winslow, Cleveland â€“ This is only if you have Winslow and another good TE on your team. Iâ€™d probably play the other guy in that situation, as Winslow has a bad matchup (Baltimore) to deal with. If heâ€™s your main guy, then stick with him and hope for the best.

Kickers
My thoughts on kickers are these: A. You shouldnâ€™t have more than one kicker anyway, and B. They are nearly impossible to predict. Thus Iâ€™m not going to try to. Stick with the guy you drafted and if all else fails, try to get the guy on the team that scores the most points. I wonâ€™t be giving you start and sit thoughts on kickers, so just keep those two thoughts in mind.

Defenses
The only defenses I would play every week no matter what are Chicago, Baltimoreand San Diego. Here are other defenses that might be on your team and get an upgrade this week: Green Bay, Miami, Jacksonville, New England, Oakland and St. Louis. Teams most likely drafted and should be benched this week are: Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, NY Giants, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Washington and Indianapolis.

Make sure you try and check out one of the pregame shows start to make sure all your players are in the lineup, and best of luck in Week 15!

Streaking Bulls

2006-12-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

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Streaking Bulls

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The moment Ben Wallace signed his name to a Chicago Bulls contract during the offseason, it was believed a defensive juggernaut was born.

That the Bulls have won 10 of 11 is not shocking. Nine were played at home, including the last eight. They were due to explode after opening the season 3-9.

But the method to this madness has been quite a surprise. Chicago is averaging 104.4 points during that streak. It has scored 100 points or more in eight of those victories. The expected scores such as 81-79 have not materialized.

The stunning offensive production has not been achieved through the Hurculean efforts of one or two players. Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni and Chris Duhon have all contributed greatly. Typically, six Bulls scored in double figures Friday night in a 117-111 victory over Milwaukee.

Not that Wallace isn't wreaking havoc. After a slow start, he has become a beast in the middle. He yanked down 47 rebounds in the last two games, including an NBA season-best 27 against the Bucks. Chicago has yielded 93.2 points a game during its tear.

The Bulls appear likely to remain hot. They play four of the next seven on the road, but six of those opponents are .500 or under. Included is Atlanta, which hosts Chicago and is a 3.5-point underdog, according to

Big Ten Basketball Notebook

2006-12-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

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Big Ten Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Itâ€™s been a while since Ohio State and Cincinnati got together on the basketball court, and todayâ€™s showdown ought to make the wait worthwhile.

Until todayâ€™s 3:30 p.m. ET showdown at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the John Wooden Tradition, the Buckeyes and Bearcats havenâ€™t faced off since the 1962 national championship game. UC claimed that game 71-59 to even the series 4-4. Inexplicably, this is the first regular-season meeting between Ohioâ€™s top hoops programs since 1921.

The fourth-ranked Buckeyes have bounced back from their only loss of the season (98-89 at No. 3 North Carolina) with lopsided wins against Cleveland State and Valparaiso, but Cincinnati will be a much tougher challenge.

Coming off an emotional 67-57 triumph against Xavier on Thursday, the Bearcats are 7-2. UCâ€™s two losses are by three points total and they have the talent and motivation to upset OSU.

For Ohio State, the ballyhooed freshman class has been as good as advertised. Freshman guard Daequan Cook is the BuckeyesÂ¢ second-leading scorer with 16.3 points a game and has emerged as one of the top 3-point shooting threats in the Big Ten, hitting 20-of-39 (51.3 percent).

Rookie point guard Mike Conley has logged 58 assists and 24 steals and is scoring 9.3 points a game.

But the most attention has been on 7-foot center Greg Oden, who finally made his college debut two weeks ago after sitting out with a thumb injury. Oden has produced 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots a game and has hit 11-of-12 field goals in 45 minutes.

The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring offense (85.2 points per game), field-goal shooting (52.5 percent), 3-point shooting (43.1 percent), assists (17.9 per game) and steals (8.8 per game).

Cincinnati will put up a good fight, but itâ€™s hard to bet against Ohio State claiming the victory.

PURDUE: The Boilermakers are knocking on the door of the national rankings and could find their way in by beating the Hoosier Stateâ€™s highest-ranked outfit in the less heralded game at the John Wooden Tradition. Heading into todayâ€™s battle with No. 18-ranked Butler, Purdue is off to its best start since 1998-99, thanks in large part to senior forward Carl Landry. For the third straight week, Landry was named the Big Ten player of the week after averaging 22.5 points and 10 rebounds in wins against Loyola (Ill.) and previously unbeaten Missouri. Landry ranks second in the league with 20 points a game and is the Big Tenâ€™s top rebounder with 8.1 a contest. The Boilers and Bulldogs have met often through the years, with Purdue leading the series 37-15. This marks the first time BU has been ranked when it played the Boilermakers. Purdue hasnâ€™t knocked off a ranked foe outside of West Lafayette since 2003.

MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans will likely hover under the radar until league play opens, but they have been solid so far, with seven victories by 15 points or more, including a notable 76-61 triumph against BYU last week. Michigan State junior guard Drew Neitzel is staking a strong case for all-league honors, leading the Spartans with 17.4 points and 4.7 assists per game and ranking among the Big Ten leaders in 3-point shooting (33-of-79, 41.8 percent) and foul shooting (36-of-41, 87.8 percent).

IOWA: The Hawkeyes stand only 5-5 going into todayâ€™s short road trip to Des Moines to face Drake and coach Tom Davis, who owns more wins (269) than anybody as the Iowa coach. But the Hawkeyesâ€™ record is deceiving. After lopsided losses to Alabama and Villanova, Iowa has been competitive, losing three games by a total of seven points and winning three games by an average of 16.7 points. Senior guard Adam Haluska paces the Hawkeyes with 17.5 points a game and will need to come up big against the Bulldogs, who come in 6-2 and hungry to snap a 27-game losing streak to Iowa.

WISCONSIN: The seventh-ranked Badgers host No. 2 Pittsburgh today in the first regular-season battle of top-10 teams in Wisconsin basketball history. The Panthers have won three straight games against the Badgers, including a 73-64 triumph in the Steel City last Dec. 28. UW senior Alando Tucker comes in as the Big Tenâ€™s leading scorer with 20.2 points a game. Pitt has won 21 consecutive non-conference games and is facing its highest-ranked non-league foe since the Panthers lost at fifth-ranked Massachusetts on Dec. 7, 1994.

Reality Hits 49ers

2006-12-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

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Reality Hits 49ers

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer

A wave of optimism rushed through the Bay Area about six weeks ago. The rebuilding 49ers, all of a sudden, looked revived. Refreshed even.

Coach Mike Nolan's crew was in the midst of a three-game winning streak at the time, and just like that, the Niners were at .500. And â€“ perhaps a bit of a stretch -- they may have even been looking toward the playoffs.

Then, reality hit. Hard.

They lost three in a row and now, as they sit at 5-8, they have been reduced to spoilers in the NFC. Thursday night, they get a chance to knock the Seahawks down a few pegs as the two NFC West rivals meet in Seattle on the NFL Network. The Seahawks are -9.5 on WagerWeb.com.

"I would hope that it inspires some guys. For some guys, it inspires. For some guys, it doesn't," Nolan said of playing in front of a primetime audience. "Sometimes you don't know who they are. The veteran guys who, over the years, have a track record of responding well in primetime we already know about. For some of the young guys, they didn't even have primetime in college. They had to wait for a bowl game."

Tonight is very much like a bowl game for the Niners. Quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Antonio Bryant certainly make up a solid offensive core for the future and they'd like nothing more than to show the league they're here to stay.

"We just have to stay the course, as we always say to these young guys. Keep working on them," Nolan said. "It's not going to happen overnight with the young guys. We knew that. But we've shown the ability to play consistently. We've shown the ability also to do the opposite. From my standpoint, we have to maintain focus throughout the entire game. We can't drop off. The fewer guys making mistakes, the better chance we have for success."

The Seahawks (8-5), coming off a loss, will do everything in their power to prevent that from happening. If Seattle is truly going to take a run at defending the NFC title, the Seahawks better start fine-tuning things in a hurry.

"We can win the division with a win here. They know that," Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said. "Really we have to become a more consistent football team, that's the bottom line. We have not been as consistent as I would like. But yet having said all that, and going through the ups and downs so far this year, we have what we want in front of us."

The same might be said about the 49ers ... next season.

DINGED-UP DOLPHINS: Miami coach Nick Saban has battled through an unexpected season and survived. Shouldering heavy expectations, and an even heavier set of injuries, Saban has his team refocused and ready, like the 49ers, to be spoilers.

On Sunday, Miami (6-7) meets the Bills (6-7) in Orchard Park, N.Y. Buffalo is -1 on WagerWeb.com.

The bigger news, however, is who won't be with them. Running back Ronnie Brown (hand) is out and wide receiver Chris Chambers (knee) is questionable. And earlier this week, after placing quarterback Daunte Culpepper (knee) on injured reserve, Saban pulled journeyman Shane Matthews out of retirement.

Not exactly the roster he had envisioned back in August, huh?

"It's unbelievable," Saban said.

But with the mediocre Jets (7-6) and struggling Colts (10-3) on tap to finish the season, the opportunity is there to finish strong.

"It's going to be important that our guys have the right mindset," Saban said. "It's a challenge for all of us."

EXTRA POINTS: Doug Gabriel, who fell out of favor with New England after just three games, is back with the Raiders, who are hurting at wide receiver given Randy Moss (ankle) and his shaky status. Gabriel looked as if he was developing a solid rapport with Tom Brady. He even caught five passes for 83 yards in a 31-7 win over Minnesota Oct. 30, before he clashed with Bill Belichick. That was the end of his run. The Raiders, glad to take him back, play the Rams on Sunday. Oakland is -2.5 on WagerWeb.com. ... Giants cornerback Corey Webster (turf toe) is practicing with the club this week and should play against the Eagles Sunday at the Meadowlands. The Giants are -5.5 on WagerWeb.com. ... Vikings running back Chester Taylor (ribs) is questionable for the Jets game Sunday in Minneapolis. He sat out last week. Minnesota is -3 on WagerWeb.com.

Big 12 Basketball Notebook

2006-12-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

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Big 12 Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Bob Knightâ€™s quest to pass Dean Smith is almost over, despite a few stumbles this season.

For â€œThe Generalâ€� to catch Smith at 879 victories and pass him before Texas Tech jumps into Big 12 Conference play, though, the Red Raiders will have to play well against a beefed-up part of their schedule â€“ especially on defense.

Tech ranks 11th in the Big 12 in scoring defense (69.3 points allowed per game) and field-goal defense (45 percent) and now heads into a stretch of four games against Arkansas (in North Little Rock), Bucknell, UNLV and New Mexico, the last three at home in Lubbock.

All four teams will likely vie for NCAA Tournament berths and are a marked jump up in competition from a recent schedule thatâ€™s included lopsided Raider wins over Louisiana Tech and Centenary.

Itâ€™s no surprise that Texas Tech is being led by its Louisiana connection. Senior guard Jarrius Jackson leads the team and the Big 12 with 22.2 points a game and is also the leagueâ€™s top 3-point marksman, hitting 29-of-53 (54.7 percent). Junior backcourt mate Martin Zeno has also been solid, producing 15.7 points a game and leading the Raiders with 44 assists.

Texas Tech is in action Saturday against an Arkansas team that has suffered only one loss â€“ to Missouri. The Razorbacks have been solid on defense, leading the SEC in rebounding defense (27.5) and blocked shots (7.6 per game). Two newcomers pace the Hogs: Freshman Patrick Beverly (12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds per game) and JUCO transfer Sonny Weems (12.3/4.9).

The Raiders lead the series with Arkansas 39-37, but this is only the second meeting between the former Southwest Conference foes since 1991. The Razorbacks left the SWC for the SEC in 1991-92, and Tech was part of the merger with the Big Eight in 1996-97. The Hogs have won the last five meetings and 10 of the last 13.

Knight will pass Smith soon, but donâ€™t bet on Tech taking a step in that direction against a more talented and athletic Arkansas team. Check the line on WagerWeb.com on Friday.

BAYLOR: The Bears head into their last serious pre-Big 12 test this weekend with a 6-2 record. Baylor plays Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Saturday after being idle for a week following a 64-59 home loss to South Carolina. Junior guard Aaron Bruce had knocked down 16 straight free throws and has missed only two from the stripe all season. He is shooting 88.9 percent for the season.

MISSOURI: The Tigers absorbed their first loss of the season at Purdue last week, but not because Stefhon Hannah didnâ€™t come up big. Hannah logged a career-best 21 points vs. the Boilermakers, his third game of 20 or more this season. He leads Missouri with 14.5 points and 5.4 assists a game and tops the Big 12 with 40 steals. Mizzou is idle until Tuesday when it tangles with Illinois in St. Louis.

KANSAS STATE: The Wildcats are hard to read, although an 83-81 triumph at North Dakota State is more meaningful than a lot of people might realize. K-State senior Lance Harris notched a career-high 24 points against the Bison, converting 8-of-10 field goals, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 21 seconds left in the game. Starting Sunday with a home game against Kennesaw (Ga.) State, the â€™Cats play three games in five days, culminating with coach Bob Hugginsâ€™ return to Cincinnati when KSU takes on Xavier.

TEXAS: The Longhorns recorded their third straight win over a top-10 team last Sunday when they outlasted LSU 76-75 in overtime. Texas freshman point guard D.J. Augustin led the way with a career-best 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line against a team that recruited him very heavily when he was growing up in New Orleans. Sophomore A.J. Abrams also came up big for the â€™Horns, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers in OT to help erase a 72-68 deficit.

Booz-ing In Utah

2006-12-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

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Booz-ing In Utah

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The mere mention of the Utah Jazz has often been met with a yawn since Karl Malone and John Stockton hung up their sneakers.

Dull team. Average record. Boring town.

That has been the impression of many. Salt Lake City will never be equated to the Big Apple or Hollywood on the flashiness spectrum. But dull team? Average record?

Not anymore.

The Jazz boast the league's best mark at 17-5 and are 12-3 in the rugged Western Conference. Despite playing at a moderate pace, they are among the NBA leaders at 103 points a game.

They are second behind Phoenix in shooting at 48.7 percent, first in field goal shooting differential at plus-4.2 and tops in assist differential at plus-6.8. They are also dominating the boards, outrebounding opponents by an average of 44-35 a game, a differential that easily leads the league.

If Quarter-Season Most Valuable Player awards were handed out, it's likely Phoenix point guard Steve Nash would win. But Utah power forward Carlos Boozer would be considered. He has returned from two injury-plagued seasons to register career-high averages in scoring (22.6) and rebounding (12.3) while shooting 57 percent from the field. He racked up 28 points and 15 rebounds in a surprisingly easy road win Wednesday night against the Clippers.

Point guard Deron Williams has performed brilliantly, averaging 17.3 points and 9.2 assists a game while steady center Mehmet Okur has contributed 15 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. With shot-blocking and high-scoring forward Andrei Kirilenko rounding back into shape, the Jazz appear to be a strong bet to contend despite the presence of such powers as Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio in the West.

MAGIC MAGIC GONE? The early-season Beasts of the East have been tamed.

The Orlando Magic figured a four-game homestand would prove to be an ideal opportunity to improve their conference-best record. Instead, they lost three of four and have dropped four of five overall to lower their mark to 15-9. They have failed to score 90 points in any of those games.

The Magic are shooting 43 percent from the field during that stretch, which isn't horrible. But they are a disastrous 8 of 54 (15 percent) from 3-point range in those five games.

They will have a chance to emerge from their slump in Charlotte on Thursday night. According to WagerWeb.com, they are 2-point favorites against the struggling Bobcats.

DRIBBLES: Atlanta superguard Joe Johnson has missed the last three games with a strained right calf. Not-so-coincidentally, the Hawks have lost all three by an average of 17 points. ... How bad are the Heat offensively without the injured Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, who was out Wednesday night after oral surgery? Ancient center Alonzo Mourning led the team with 19 points in a 99-89 loss to the Suns. ... San Antonio's starting backcourt of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker outscored its Minnesota counterpart of Mike James and Ricky Davis, 35-10, in a 95-82 win Wednesday night. The sizzling Spurs will try to keep rolling Thursday night at New Orleans. They are 7-point favorites against the depleted Hornets, according to WagerWeb.com. ... The return of Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington certainly buoyed the Pacers on Wednesday night. The trio combined for 56 points in a 101-98 home victory against the Pistons. ... Center Ben Wallace managed his best game as a member of the Bulls on Wednesday night, registering 15 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked shots in a 99-84 thumping of Seattle. Chicago has won nine of 10. ... Cleveland energetic power forward Anderson Varejao is emerging as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. On "Anderson Varejao Wig Night" at The Q, he contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in a 104-101 win over Charlotte. ... Portland earned its sixth road win Wednesday night in Memphis, which matches its total from all of last season. The Blazers (10-14) have won three straight.

The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble

2006-12-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

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The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon NobleHandicapping College Bowl GamesWith 32 College Bowl Games spread through January 8th, many handicappersare putting in extra hours. While some suggest treating these games justlike any other, there are two good reasons to spend some extra timestudying these match-ups. First, games that are televised over theholidays have more "public" money bet on them, giving the studious playerthe opportunity to gain an extra edge. Second, there are a number offactors that cause many of these games to play out differently from theregular season, giving yet more value to professionals."Technical handicapping" is a method of looking for statistical trendswithout giving too much weight to the teams themselves. This method haspreviously proved very successful for Bowl Games. In the past four years,underdogs getting more than 7 points have gone 25-10-1, or 71.4% againstthe spread. However, be careful not to blindly bet a technical trend thathas done well in the past. More people are discovering these angles andbetting into them, so if everyone has the same idea, the line eventuallybecomes more efficient (e.g. a +12 dog in years past may now only be +8),pushing the trend towards 50% going forward.In all games, a good starting point for general handicapping is to look athow the match-up looks statistically. All the vital data is at yourfingertips by visiting http://collegefootball.pinnaclesports.com/. Inaddition to team and match-up statistics, Pinnacle Sportsbook offerssports bettors further useful information, such as ATS and totals resultsfor a variety of situations, as well as a link to Pinnacle Sportsbetting'slive lines.Once you have a feel for the basic match-up, there are two additionalfactors to consider for Bowl Games. Firstly, contemplate the motivationaledge. A solid team playing against a weak opponent may be disappointed bythe match-up. This could result in flat play, which is one explanation forthe underdog Bowl trend mentioned above.When an average or slightly above average team goes to a Bowl game, it'splaying in its "Super Bowl" and every player is motivated to play the gameof their life. This inspiration may not be felt by their superioropponents, so look for many underdogs to have an emotional edge in theBowls. Of course in the BCS Bowls, strong teams usually stay motivatedregardless of their opponent.Another major factor to consider for College Bowl Games is a team's coach.When teams have four weeks to prepare, and holidays are between a team'slast regular season game and the Bowl, coaching plays a bigger role thannormal. A well-coached team is likely to over perform, but even more so ina Bowl game when there's more time to prepare. Conversely, anundisciplined team has more time to lose focus.Here's a simple two-part test to identify a good coach: (1). Does hemanage the clock properly?; and (2). Is he aggressive with fourth downplay calling? This test may sound simple, but it's effective at quicklysorting out the coaches. Is his team down by 10 in the fourth quarter?Good coaches start using timeouts early, even with five minutes left.What's the call if it's fourth down and two from the 50? If he punts, thecall is suspect unless he has a two-score lead late in the game. If you'realready leaning on a play, a good coach is often enough to warrant"pulling the trigger".What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports this week?Washington +10 -113 vs. New OrleansWe opened the Redskins at +7 (-105) and immediately took hits from thesharps on the Saints. In addition to laying the 7, we also saw somepoint-buying down to -6.5. While we believe point-buying hurts a playerover the long-term, the price of these half-points might be under pricedif the closing line ends up very far from where the point-buying occurred.In this instance, the wise guys got the best of us.Cincinnati +3 +107 vs. IndianapolisFor most of the year, the Colts were the public's darling. The Colts' poorrun defense was overlooked, because their opponents were trailing byseveral scores and couldn't emphasize the rushing game. Last week, thestats finally caught up to the Colts when their 32nd ranked run defensewas torched for 375 yards by Jacksonville in the 44-17 blow out.When a public team falls hard, sharps often take a contrarian posture. Inthis week's most heavily traded game, the public is backing the Bengals bya 2:1 margin. The line however, has barely moved suggesting the sharpshave lined up on the Colts to counterbalance the public.Cincinnati/Indianapolis O/U 54.5The total on the Monday Night game opened at 50.5, which slowly crept up.It's not surprising that the price drifted up given memories of lastyear's match-up between these two, when they scored 62 points in the firsthalf! Compound that with the Colts' anemic run defense, sprinkle on alittle Monday Night Football bias, and there's no telling how high thiswill go.We are flat on this game, but are forced to move as the whole marketclimbs, or will get stuck with a large imbalance. Thus far, the sharpshave not expressed an opinion on the total. In games with totals this highthough, professionals will usually play the under near game time. In thelast 10 years, playing the under for high-totaled games (52 and over) hasgone 25-20-1.Las Vegas Bowl: BYU -3.5 -105 vs. OregonOf the early Bowl games, this is the highest volume match-up. We openedBYU as 7-point favorites, but the early sharps sucked out all the value,backing the Ducks until the line stabilized where it is now. Although BYUis 10-2, they're only ranked 19th due to a soft schedule. The Cougarsplayed only one ranked team this year, losing to Boston College 23-20.Oregon won its first four games and then stumbled, finishing the season at7-5 with three consecutive losses. Although the two teams are very closein the computer rankings, Oregon's season-ending slump is making a lot ofplayers think twice before backing the Ducks.Pinnacle Sports Book & Online BettingPinnacle Sportsbook is an online betting company providing the best oddson sportsbook gambling, online horseracing and online casino gaming.With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internetbetting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book bettingrequirements and game wagering needs.The Pinnacle Sports Book also offers reduced juice betting so sign-up nowwith Pinnacle Sportsbook Betting and get wagering today!

Raptors Weak Inside

2006-12-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

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Raptors Weak Inside

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The plan was simple. Insert blurry-fast T.J. Ford into the starting lineup and run opponents out of the arena.

The Toronto Raptors had it all figured out.

They apparently forgot one thing. To run, you have to rebound. And they are the worst rebounding team in the NBA.

Despite Chris Bosh.

Bosh is fourth in the league at 12.2 rebounds a game, but he is receiving virtually no help on the boards. No teammate is averaging more than 5.3. The Raptors (7-13) are yanking down an average of 39.8 rebounds a game to 45.8 for their opponents. The minus-6.0 differential is an

Week 14 NFL Previews

2006-12-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

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Week 14 NFL Previews

By Chris Cluff
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Vikings (5-7) at Lions (2-10), 1 ET
WagerWeb.com line: Lions -1.5 (39.5)
Storyline: Neither team has gotten very good performances out of its quarterback. Jon Kitna will nonetheless remain Detroitâ€™s quarterback despite 16 interceptions and six lost fumbles. Minnesota coach Brad Childress has decided but not said whether Brad Johnson will remain the starting QB. With No. 2 Brooks Bollinger hurt and the Vikings still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, Childress probably is staying with Johnson, who threw four interceptions last week and has 14 this season. The Lions will be without DT Shaun Rogers, who was placed on injured reserve.
Best Bet: The Vikings have dominated the Lions recently, winning nine straight and 13 of the past 14. Minnesota, 20-13.

Raiders (2-10) at Bengals (7-5), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Bengals -10.5 (38.5)
Storyline: The Bengals are on the prowl, with three straight wins after beating Baltimore 13-7 last week. This is their easiest game in a final four that also includes games at Indianapolis and Denver and at home vs. Pittsburgh. While the offense has finally found a rhythm, the defense has allowed just one touchdown in the past two games. The split-personality Raiders have not scored more than 14 points in any of the past five games â€“ all losses â€“ but they rank third in the league on defense.
Best Bet: Oakland has lost nine straight road games and 27 of its past 31. Cincinnati, 24-10.

Giants (6-6) at Panthers (6-6), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: No line (Panthersâ€™ QB situation)
Storyline: Quarterback Jake Delhomme is questionable with a sprained thumb, so Chris Weinke might make his first start for Carolina since 2002. Delhomme was under fire anyway because he has made too many errors as Carolina has blown five fourth-quarter leads this year. The Giants have lost four straight to fall into a tie with Carolina, Philadelphia and Atlanta in the NFC wild-card race. This effectively could be a loser-out game.
Best Bet: The Panthers shut out the Giants in the playoffs last season and will use home-field advantage in this one. Carolina, 24-20.

Eagles (6-6) at Redskins (4-8), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Eagles -1 (40.5)
Storyline: The Eagles are coming off a big win over Carolina that kept them in the playoff hunt. Jeff Garcia threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in that win and has six touchdowns and no interceptions since replacing the injured Donovan McNabb three games ago. Garcia will lead the Eagles through a season-ending gauntlet that will take them to Washington, New York and Dallas and then a finale at home against Atlanta. Washington has lost three of four, including a 24-14 home loss to Atlanta last week.
Best Bet: The Eagles have won eight of the past 10 in the series, five of six at Washington. Philadelphia, 24-13.

Falcons (6-6) at Buccaneers (3-9), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Falcons -3 (37)
Storyline: Atlanta ended a four-game losing streak with a win over Washington last week, keeping the Falcons in the hunt for a wild-card spot. The Falcons rushed for a franchise-record 306 yards against Tampa Bay in a 14-3 victory on Sept. 17, and they figure to run the ball right at the Bucs again. Michael Vick is 71 yards short of becoming the first 1,000-rushing-yard quarterback in NFL history. He needs 40 yards to surpass the record of 968 yards set by Chicagoâ€™s Bobby Douglass in 1970. The Bucs are sticking with rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski even though he has thrown eight interceptions in the last four games.
Best Bet: The Bucs are 4-1 at home against the Falcons since 1999, and Coach Jon Gruden is 7-3 vs. Atlanta. Tampa Bay, 24-17.

Ravens (9-3) at Chiefs (7-5), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Chiefs -3 (36)
Storyline: The Ravens lost a chance to clinch the AFC North title when they lost to Cincinnati last week. They can earn a playoff spot this week if they win and the Bengals, the New York Jets and Denver all lose. This game is equally important for the Chiefs, who fell into a five-way tie in the wild-card race when they lost to Cleveland in overtime last week. Trent Green showed he is completely back, throwing four TD passes against the Browns. But he and the Chiefs will go against the leagueâ€™s best defense in this one.
Best Bet: The Chiefs have won 18 straight home games in December. Kansas City, 13-10.
Patriots (9-3) at Dolphins (5-7), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Patriots -3.5 (37)
Storyline: The Patriots have been living on the edge recently, turning the ball over too often (18 over the past six games) and getting too many penalties but still coming up with victories (three straight). New England beat Miami 20-10 in October despite gaining a season-low 213 yards. The Dolphins had won four straight until losing to Jacksonville last week. Miami will be without starting RB Ronnie Brown (hand) for the second straight week.
Best Bet: The Dolphins have won six of their last eight home games against the Patriots. Miami, 20-14.

Colts (10-2) at Jaguars (7-5), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Pick â€™em (44)
Storyline: The Colts, who were beaten by Tennessee kicker Rob Bironasâ€™ 60-yard field goal last week, aim to win the AFC South by winning in Jacksonville for the third straight year and fifth time in six games. The Colts also can clinch a playoff spot if the Jets, Bengals, Broncos and Chiefs all lose. The Jags beat Miami last week to stay in the playoff race. The Colts beat the Jaguars 21-14 in Indianapolis in September.
Best Bet: The Jags have given up 47 points at home, with a 5-1 record that includes two shutouts. Jacksonville, 24-20.

Titans (5-7) at Texans (4-8), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Texans -1 (42)
Storyline: Behind rookie QB Vince Young, the Titans have won three straight and five of seven. The past two wins came after Young rallied the team in the fourth quarter against the Giants and Colts and Rob Bironas kicked the game-winners, including a 60-yarder vs. the Colts. The Texans are going for two straight wins for the first time in two seasons. They beat Oakland last week despite finishing with negative passing yards. Young led the Titans past the Texans 28-22 in October and will play in his hometown for the first time as a pro.
Best Bet: The Titans are too hot to handle and will improve to 8-2 vs. Houston. Tennessee, 31-21.

Packers (4-8) at 49ers (5-7), 4:05 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: 49ers -4.5 (43.5)
Storyline: The Packersâ€™ playoff hopes have faded with three straight losses, the most recent a humiliating 38-10 home defeat to the New York Jets. The Packers actually have been better on the road (3-3) than at home (1-5). The 49ers, meanwhile, are on life support after back-to-back losses. They have lost their past four home games in December.
Best Bet: The 49ers are 4-2 at home and have the NFCâ€™s top rusher, Frank Gore. San Francisco, 20-13.

Seahawks (8-4) at Cardinals (3-9), 4:05 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Seahawks -3 (45)
Storyline: The Seahawks are 2-0 since QB Matt Hasselbeck came back, and they hope to get their offense in gear over the final four games, even as they jockey with Dallas and New Orleans for a first-round bye. The Seahawks can win the NFC West by beating Arizona and getting a loss out of San Francisco. Arizona, led by rookie QB Matt Leinart, has won two of three since a 1-8 start and is coming off a 34-20 upset of the Rams in St. Louis. The Cardinals have not won consecutive games since 2004.
Best Bet: The Seahawks have won four straight against Arizona, including a 21-10 result in Week 2. Seattle, 24-14.

Broncos (7-5) at Chargers (10-2), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Chargers -7.5 (41)
Storyline: A seventh straight victory would give the Chargers a playoff spot, and a loss by Kansas City would also give them the AFC West title. The Chargers have been led by the MVP-caliber performance of LaDainian Tomlinson, who leads the NFL with 1,324 rushing yards and needs just three touchdowns to break the NFL record of 28 set by Shaun Alexander last season. This will be the second start for Denver rookie QB Jay Cutler, who lost to the Seahawks last week and whose Broncos have not won since they lost to San Diego three weeks ago. Cutler will have to face LB Shawne Merriman and the NFLâ€™s best pass-rushing defense.
Best Bet: The Chargers are nigh unstoppable with Tomlinson and the leagueâ€™s highest-scoring offense. San Diego, 31-13.

Bills (5-7) at Jets (7-5), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Jets -3.5 (37)
Storyline: The Jets have won five of their past seven games, the most recent a 38-10 shellacking of the Packers in Green Bay. Chad Pennington has been stellar in two straight wins, completing 74.2 percent of his passes for 549 yards and three scores. The Bills lost to San Diego last week to drop two games behind in the playoff race. They will be without LB Angelo Crowell, their second-leading tackler who is out for the season with a broken leg.
Best Bet: The Jets have won four straight home games against the Bills and won in Buffalo in September. New York, 24-17.

Saints (8-4) at Cowboys (8-4), 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC
WagerWeb.com line: Cowboys -7.5 (47.5)
Storyline: Sean Payton takes his surprising Saints to Dallas to face his mentor, Coach Bill Parcells, in a pivotal NFC game. The winner gains the edge in the three-way race with the Seahawks for the conferenceâ€™s No. 2 playoff seed. Itâ€™s also possible for the winner of this game to clinch a playoff spot. The Cowboys are going for their fifth straight win. The last was a huge NFC East victory over the Giants, which came on a 46-yard field goal with one second left by new kicker Martin Gramatica. Dallas is the leagueâ€™s No. 2 scoring team (27.7) and is even better at home, where its 28.4 points per game have led to a 4-1 record. The Saints have the leagueâ€™s top offense by yards, and Drew Brees has a league-best 3,649 passing yards. He might be without his top two receivers, however. Marques Colston has already missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, and Joe Horn is questionable because of a persistent groin injury. The defense, meanwhile, will be without DT Hollis Thomas, who was suspended (steroids) for the final four games of the season.
Best Bet: The Dallas defense is better than the Saintsâ€™, and that will be the difference. Dallas, 27-24.

Bears (10-2) at Rams (5-7), 8:30 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN
WagerWeb.com line: Bears -6 (40.5)
Storyline: The Bears, who won the NFC North last week, are still marching toward the NFCâ€™s No. 1 playoff seed. And they will do it behind Rex Grossman despite the quarterbackâ€™s ongoing struggles. He threw for just 34 yards, with three interceptions and a putrid 1.3 passer rating, in the division-clinching win over Minnesota last week. Because the Bears are winning, Coach Lovie Smith said he is sticking with Grossman and not putting in Brian Griese. The Rams have fallen apart since a 4-1 start, losing six of seven. But they have not given up because they are just one game out of the NFC wild-card race. On the contrary, after the loss to Arizona, QB Marc Bulger called out unnamed offensive teammates for not preparing well or caring enough.
Best Bet: The Rams will respond to Bulgerâ€™s bugle call, and Grossman will continue to struggle on the road, where he has six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. St. Louis, 23-13.

LAST WEEK: 8-8
SEASON: 121-71

NHL Spotlight Game

2006-12-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

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NHL Spotlight Game

By Rich Carlson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Nashville Predators (18-7-3) at San Jose Sharks (20-9-0), 10:30 p.m. ET

Current WagerWeb.com Odds: Spread Money Line Total Goals
Nashville +1 1/2 -175 +170 Over 6 +105
San Jose -1 1/2 +155 - 200 Under 6 -125

The Central Division-leading Nashville Predators will visit the HP Pavilion this evening to take on the San Jose Sharks. Despite playing an NHL-high 17 road games, the Sharks, who are second in the Pacific Division, have the third-highest point total in the NHL (40 points) and now have the luxury of playing 14 of their next 19 games at home, where they have won five straight games. Led by C Patrick Marleau (7 power-play goals) and RW Jonathan Cheechoo (5 power-play goals), the Sharks have one the leagueâ€™s best power-play units.

After starting the year with three straight losses, the Predators have only lost four times in regulation in 25 total games. The Predators will be without the services of injured G Tomas Vokoun, who will be out of action until late December with a thumb injury. Backup G Chris Mason has stepped in and gone 7-3-0 with a solid 2.73 GAA. As long as the Predators' offense continues to put up big numbers, Mason should be an adequate replacement until Vokoun returns from his injury.

In their only other matchup this season, Nashville defeated San Jose 4-3 in Nashville.

Injury report
Nashville: C Jason Arnott (knee) is out until at least early January; G Vokoun (thumb) is on the injured list and will be out until at least late December; C Steve Sullivan (groin) is listed as doubtful for tonightâ€™s game.

San Jose: D Kyle McLaren (lower body) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game.

Key betting information
*-Nashville is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games and has a 12-6-0 road record.
*-San Jose is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games and has a 9-3-0 home record.
*-Nashville leads the season series one game to none.
*-Nashvilleâ€™s No. 4-ranked offense (3.32 goals per game) vs. San Joseâ€™s No. 4-ranked defense (2.21 goals allowed average)
*-San Joseâ€™s No. 11-ranked offense (3 goals per game) vs. Nashvilleâ€™s No. 11-ranked defense (2.71 goals allowed average)
*-Nashvilleâ€™s No. 9-ranked power play (18.4% scored) vs. San Joseâ€™s No. 8-ranked penalty-killing unit (85.6% success)
*-San Joseâ€™s No. 2-ranked power play (22.6% scored) vs. Nashvilleâ€™s No. 12-ranked penalty-killing unit (84.3% success)

News & notes
New Jersey Devils G Martin Brodeur moved into second place on the NHL all-time wins list as the Devils shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 on Friday. Brodeur now has 462 career victories and is only behind Patrick Royâ€™s 551 career victories.

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Iverson On The Way Out

2006-12-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

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Iverson On The Way Out

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The question is no longer if Allen Iverson is to be traded. Now itâ€™s a matter of when. And to whom.

A divorce is imminent between the 76ers and their talented but volatile guard. Iverson has asked to be dealt, and team chairman Ed Snider said he will attempt to accommodate him. Iverson will not travel to Orlando tonight for a game against the Magic.

â€œWeâ€™re going to trade him,â€� Snider told the Philadelphia Inquirer at halftime of Friday nightâ€™s home loss to Washington. â€œI think itâ€™s time to move on, and find out where everything stands.â€�

Where the Sixers stand now is 5-13. They are in the cellar, but just two games out of first place, in the pathetic Atlantic Division. Only Charlotte and Memphis own worse records in the WagerWeb.com.http://www.wagerweb.com/">WagerWeb.com.

WOLVES DEVOURING PREY: It is no coincidence that the surge of the Minnesota Timberwolves has coincided with that of guard Mike James.

James, an off-season trade acquisition from Toronto, has averaged 18.7 points on 59 percent shooting in the last three games, all of which Minnesota won to even its record at 9-9.

The Wolves win when they receive production from players other than Kevin Garnett, who is among the steadiest scorers and rebounders in the league.

Their 110-103 win Friday night over Utah, which entered with the best record in the NBA, was a prime example. James and backcourt mate Ricky Davis combined for 49 points to supplement Garnett, who led both teams with 31 points and 14 rebounds.

There will be no rest for the Wolves, however. WagerWeb.com lists them as 8-point underdogs Saturday night in Chicago, which has won seven consecutive games to climb over .500.

DRIBBLES: Denver guard J.R. Smith is among the most improved players in the NBA. The 21-year-old who was drafted out of St. Benedictâ€™s Prep in Newark, N.J., is averaging 17.8 points a game and shooting 46 percent from the field. Last year with the Hornets, he scored 7.7 points a game and shot 39 percent. Smith, who is also shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, will try to continue his torrid pace tonight in Dallas. The Nuggets are 8-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com. â€¦ Charlotte rookie Adam Morrison is in a slump to end all slumps. In his last three games, he hit just 3 of 26 shots from the field. Meanwhile, teammate Brevin Knight will miss a few games with a strained left calf. â€¦ Cleveland guard Larry Hughes will return to the lineup tonight at home against Indiana after missing 10 games with a high ankle sprain. The Cavaliers, who were 5-5 in his absence, are 8-point favorites, according to WagerWeb.com. â€¦ Orlando starting forward Hedu Turkoglu was carried off the court in the first quarter of a home loss to Detroit on Friday night with a sprained ankle. â€¦ Kwame Brown has taken over as the starting center for the Lakers, replacing 19-year-old Andrew Bynum. Brown has played well defensively. His versatility stood out in a 106-95 home win against Atlanta on Friday night when he scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added seven rebounds and seven assists.

ACC Basketball Notebook

2006-12-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

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ACC Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Two of the challengers to the Tobacco Road throne open up the ACC season tonight in a game that will be a homecoming for one coach.

Maryland visits Boston College in an intriguing early league starter between two veteran teams that could be dark horse threats to North Carolina and Duke by the time the ACC season winds down.

The Terrapins are 9-1, their best start since 1998-99 and take a team with five players averaging double digits in scoring to Chestnut Hill. Senior guard D.J. Strawberry leads the way with 15.2 points a game, while Mike Jones is logging 12.7 a game. Senior forward Ekene Ibekwe paces the frontcourt with 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds a game and is coming off a career-best 7-blocked shot performance vs. Fordham in a 79-59 Terp win.

Maryland coach Gary Williams wonâ€™t need directions to BCâ€™s campus. He coached the Eagles from 1982-86, guiding them to 74 victories, a Big East championship and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Maryland assistant Michael Adams starred for Williams at BC and had his jersey retired after piling up 1,650 points from 1981-85 and earning All-Big East honors three times.

The Eagles have ticked off four consecutive wins since losing back-to-back against Vermont and Providence College. Senior big man Jared Dudley is making a push for All-ACC honors, leading Boston College with 19.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. He needs 17 more points to pass Adams for 11th place on the EaglesÂ¢ all-time scoring list.

Maryland and Boston College, a 2-point favorite on WagerWeb.com, have met only six times, twice as ACC foes. The teams split last season with the Terrapins prevailing 73-71 in the league opener and the Eagles claiming an 80-66 triumph at the league tournament. The teamsÂ¢ first battle came in the 1958 NCAA tourney (86-63 UM win) and three regular-season matchups ensued in 1973, 1983 and 1990.

MIAMI: The Hurricanes have heated up with three wins in their last four games and now get a good home test from Mississippi State on Monday night. Sophomore guard Jack McClinton remains hot with 20 points or more in five straight games, and he leads the ACC with 21 points a game and 29 3-pointers made and also tops the list on 3-point accuracy at 55.8 percent. He is the leagueâ€™s third-deadliest foul shooter at 90 percent (45-of-50). The ACC is 6-1 this season against the SEC.

NORTH CAROLINA: Tar Heels coach Roy Williams reached a significant milestone Saturday with his 500th victory as a college coach when UNC routed High Point 94-69. Williams became just the third Heels coach to reach 500, joining Dean Smith (879) and Frank McGuire (549). The UNC graduate was presented with jerseys from Kansas and North Carolina to honor the occasion. He won his first 418 games with the Jayhawks before taking over in Chapel Hill four seasons ago. UNC star Tyler Hansbrough led way with 24 points to inch his season scoring average to 19.4.

WAKE FOREST: The Demon Deacons get back to work after final exams and are looking to end a two-game losing skid with a road trip to Chicago to face DePaul. Wake Forest is 5-2 after stumbling to consecutive losses to Air Force and Georgia, the latter in Winston-Salem. The Blue Demons stunned Wake 84-81 on its home court last season. DePaul is coached by former Deacon assistant Jerry Wainwright and is headed the opposite direction from Wake with back-to-back wins against top-10 Kansas and then Chicago State. Wake center Kyle Visser is having a strong season, averaging 19.7 points (second in the ACC) and 8.9 rebounds (third in the league) per game. He has hit 71.2 percent of his floor shots (52 pf 73). Deacon freshman point guard Ishmael Smith is leading the ACC with 7.9 assists a game.

Vince Young or Reggie Bush? â€“ WagerWeb.com Posts Odds on Who Will Be The NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year.

2006-12-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

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Vince Young or Reggie Bush? â€“ WagerWeb.com Posts Odds on Who Will Be The NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year.

San Jose, Costa Rica, Dec. 13, 2006 -- There are several deserving candidates for 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The 2006 draft class is shaping up as one of the best in years, and the race for this award likely will come down to the season's final three weeks.
Here is a look at the favorites:
Vince Young, Titans QB: Young, the No. 3 overall pick out of Texas, has revitalized the downtrodden Tennessee franchise. Young took over the starting QB job in Week 4 and started slowly but has led the Titans to four consecutive wins with five TD passes and two rushing TDs in that stretch, not to mention immeasurable leadership skills. For the season, V.Y. is 148-for-286 passing for 1,704 yards with 10 TDs and 11 interceptions. He also has rushed 69 times for 458 yards and five TDs.
Reggie Bush, Saints RB: Bush, the No. 2 overall pick and 2005 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, also started a little slow, but he has come on in recent weeks for surprising New Orleans. Bush has five total TDs (three rushing, two receiving) in the past two weeks after having only two in the season's first 12 weeks. Bush has done more damage as a receiver this season, with 79 catches for 687 yards and two TDs compared to 125 carries for 405 and four scores.
Marques Colston, Saints WR: Colston is the surprise of the NFL's rookie class of 2006. The seventh-round pick out of Hofstra won a job in training camp and exploded onto the scene. He was the NFL's leading receiver through 10 weeks, but a sprained ankle in Week 11 has slowed him down. For the season, Colston has 59 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns.
Devin Hester, Bears KR/PR: Hester, a second-round pick out of Miami, has made his offensive mark on special teams. He has set an NFL record with six returns for touchdowns this season -- two on kickoffs, three on punts and one off a missed field goal, which was also a record-tying 108-yarder. He is a threat to score every time he touches the ball and may get a chance to play some offense in the season's final weeks.
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars RB: Drew, a second-round pick out of UCLA, has helped Jacksonville to one of the league's top rushing attacks, and he has become a versatile threat. The former Bruin leads all rookies with 12 touchdowns this season -- nine rushing, two receiving and one on a kickoff return. Jones-Drew, who is splitting time in the backfield with Fred Taylor, has rushed for 666 yards on 110 carries and has caught 33 balls for 332 yards.
â€œVince Young and Reggie Bush have both had incredible years and are very popular among our bettors,â€� said WagerWeb.com CEO Dave Johnson. â€œWe expect to take more money now on Vince as a result of his performance over the last few weeks.â€�
The betting odds for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year are:

Vince Young
+$100
Risk $100 to win $100
Reggie Bush
+$140
Risk $100 to win $140
Marques Colston
+$600
Risk $100 to win $600
Devin Hester
+$1000
Risk $100 to win $1000
Maurice Jones-Drew
+$1200
Risk $100 to win $1200
Field
+$5000
Risk $100 to win $5000
About WagerWeb WagerWeb.com, founded in 1997, is a privately held, offshore online gaming company, fully licensed and located in San Jose, Costa Rica. With nearly 10 years of experience, innovation and gaming technology, Wagerweb.com features a sportsbook, a racebook and casino including poker, and has accepted more than 59,000,000 wagers since the company's launch. Media Contact Rebeca Williams Communications Director 1-866-843-2489 pr@wagerweb.com

Where Will Allen Iverson Be Traded?-WagerWeb.com posts Odds on Which NBA Team Iverson will Play for Next

2006-12-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

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San Jose, Costa Rica, Dec. 9, 2006 -- Once 76ers star guard Allen Iverson said in statement Friday night that "a change may be the best thing for everyone," the Answer pretty much punched his ticket out of Philly.
"We're going to trade him," team chairman Ed Snider said shortly after Iverson's statement. "I think it's time for him to move on, and for us to move on and find out where everything stands."
"He's one of the greatest basketball players of all time," Snider said. "I'm not here to [disrespect] him in any way, shape or form. It's just time for him to go his way and for us to go our way."
Iverson, who is second in the NBA in scoring (31.2 ppg), has nearly been traded twice before, most recently this past offseason when Boston or Denver were his rumored destinations. He was benched for Friday night's game against the Wizards, and GM Billy King said Iverson's status with the team would be addressed after Saturday night's game in Orlando.

Iverson's stay in Philly has been filled with stellar on-court play but also several incidents, from his numerous run-ins with coaches Larry Brown and now Maurice Cheeks, to his infamous "practice. We're talking about practice" speech to reporters who questioned his well-known disdain for attending practices.
However, Iverson is unquestioned as a scorer, and he won the MVP award in the 2000-2001 season, when he led the Sixers to the finals -- where they lost to the Lakers. The No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft has a career scoring average of 28.1 points.
This season, the Sixers are 5-13 and have lost six straight entering Saturday's game.
"This season has been very frustrating for everyone," Iverson said, " ... nothing seems to be working."

If Iverson Is Traded, What Team Will It Be To?
Boston Celtics
+$200
**Risk $100 to win $200
Dallas Mavericks
+$300
**Risk $100 to win $300
Minnesota Timberwolves
+$400
**Risk $100 to win $400
Detroit Pistons
+$500
**Risk $100 to win $500
San Antonio Spurs
+$700
**Risk $100 to win $700
Los Angeles Lakers
+$800
**Risk $100 to win $800
Golden State Warriors
+$1000
**Risk $100 to win $1000
Field (Any Team Not Listed Above)
-$300
**Risk $300 to win $100

Chelsea Vs. Arsenal

2006-12-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

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Chelsea Vs. Arsenal

By Tim Robertson

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

With Arsenal already out of the title race, there was a danger that this Sunday's grudge match against Chelsea would be missing some of its usual edge.

Jens Lehmann wasnâ€™t going to allow that.

The Gunners goalkeeper has stoked up tensions between the two rivals this week by telling ex-Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole he deserves to be booed by his former fans when he turns out for Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.

Coleâ€™s summer move to West London left a bad taste in Arsenal mouths. First there were accusations of tapping-up against Chelsea, and then Cole wrote an autobiography in which he claimed the Gunners had â€œbetrayedâ€� him with their offer of a new contract worth Â£55,000 a week.

That is sure to mean Cole is singled out for special treatment by the Arsenal fans who take the short tube ride across London this weekend.

And heâ€™ll get no sympathy from his former teammate Lehmann, who is no stranger to the negative emotions of opposing fans.

"Of course Ashley should expect criticism from supporters on Sunday. He should get criticism. That is football. It makes the game exciting," he said.

"If he didn't it would have meant that he wasn't an important player, but he was. He was a vital member of our squad and we enjoyed some major successes with him.

"So obviously he should expect some negative emotions when he plays against Arsenal.â€�

Lehmann, who is never far from a clash with an opponent, insists he personally has nothing against Cole.

"You can't really blame him for the decision he made,â€� he added. â€œThat's life. He's a nice lad and a very good player."

Lehmann can expect to have a busy afternoon. The WagerWeb.com odds already favour Chelsea (-138) on their home ground â€“ where they are yet to lose this season â€“ especially as a cripping Arsenal injury list is taken into account.

The absence of talisman Thierry Henry is only the start of Arsene Wengerâ€™s problems this weekend. Also missing is Tomas Rosicky, but the real problems lie in defense where Philippe Senderos is the only fully-fit centre-half available.

Kolo Toure is suspended, William Gallas â€“ who joined Arsenal in the Cole deal â€“ is expected to miss out with a thigh problem, and youngster Johan Djourou is struggling with a hamstring problem sustained in Wednesdayâ€™s goals draw with Porto in the Champions League.

"William Gallas is a big question mark, Johan Djourou is a small question mark," Wenger said. "All that will be assessed Friday morning or Saturday morning at the latest.

"I'm reasonably optimistic for Djourou and a little bit less for Gallas.â€�

Such a depleted backline will be music to the ears of Chelseaâ€™s under-pressure striker Andriy Shevchenko.

The Ukraine international scored in Tuesdayâ€™s 2-0 win over Levski Sofia but still needs Premiership goals if he is to begin to justify his Â£30 million transfer fee from AC Milan.

The strike against Levski should have been perfect preparation, but Shevchenko has spent the latter half of the week once again deflecting speculation about his future.

The belief is that the decision to sign Shevchenko was made by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, and not manager Jose Mourinho.

Based on that theory, stories have spread that Shevchenko does not feel at home in Mourinhoâ€™s system and he was quoted this week as saying he was open to a return to the San Siro.

However, he denied that on Thursday, insisting he wanted to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.

"I give 100% all the time and I am committed and hungry for success with Chelsea," the 30-year-old said. "I have total respect for the Chelsea club and fans as well as for football in England and the culture of the country.

"There are always good and not so good moments in sport, that's normal. If that means there is opinion and criticism, I respect that."

If he can find the net on Sunday, Chelsea jibes aimed at Lehmann will drown out anything aimed at Cole.

Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

2006-12-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

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Pac-10 Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Washington Huskiesâ€™ first venture away from home this season wonâ€™t be a long trip, but it could be a major step forward.

No. 13 Washington travels across the state to take on 18th-ranked Gonzaga on Saturday in what has developed into one of the best non-conference in-state rivalries in the country.

The Huskies are off to a 7-0 start for the second consecutive year, the programâ€™s best opening since 1975-76 (11-0). But the Bulldogs pose a stiff challenge to Washingtonâ€™s 15-game regular-season winning streak and 24-game non-conference regular-season streak.

Gonzaga stumbled to Washington State earlier this week, but hasnâ€™t lost at home in 44 games, including all 32 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Zagsâ€™ last home loss to UW was in 1944.

Balance has been the Huskiesâ€™ strength this season, as five players have led the team in scoring in seven games. Freshman Quincy Pondexter leads the way with 16.4 points a game, and he has produced 21 points or more three times.

Junior Ryan Appleby and sophomores Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon have also logged 20-point outings this season. Brockman leads the Huskies with 9.9 rebounds a game to go with an 11.7 scoring average. Appleby is Washingtonâ€™s top 3-point threat with 18 in 41 tries (43.9 percent).

Besides Pondexter, two other UW freshmen are starting and contributing: 7-footer Spencer Hawes is the third-leading scorer with 12.6 points a game and has blocked 19 shots, while Adrian Oliver is adding 6.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

This game will likely be a tossup, but bet on Washington escaping with a victory.

UCLA: The Bruins get another chance to test their mettle Saturday when sixth-ranked Texas A&M comes west to face UCLA in The John Wooden Classic in Anaheim. The two teams have met just twice and not since 1971 when Woodenâ€™s dynasty was in full bloom and the Bruins crushed A&M 117-53. UCLA sophomore point guard Darren Collison nabbed 9 steals against Long Beach State, the fourth-highest single-game total in Pac-10 history. He leads the league with 3.2 steals per game. Bruin center Lorenzo Mata has also come on strong lately, connecting on 17-of-24 from the floor in the last five games.

ARIZONA: Wildcat junior playmaker Mustafa Shakur has passed out 6 assists or more in every games this season, with 8 or more four times, including a season-high 11 against UNLV. Shakur is the Pac-10â€™s active career leader with 505 assists and 118 steals and ranks third with 1,031 points. The five Wildcat starters scored all 84 points in UAâ€™s victory against Illinois, paced by freshman Chase Budingerâ€™s 22 points. Budinger is scoring 19.8 points a game â€“ second in the Pac-10 â€“ and recorded his first career double-double against UNLV with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

STANFORD: Freshman forward Brook Lopez is starting to get comfortable after an 18-point outing against Texas Tech. Cardinal Sophomore Lawrence Hill has emerged as a team leader with 17.8 points and 7.5 boards over the last four games, anchored by 60.9 percent shooting (28 of 46) from the floor. Stanfordâ€™s defense has also been stingy, limiting the last three foes to 37 percent accuracy from the field (60 of 162).

CALIFORNIA: The Golden Bears absorbed a 77-71 loss to 20th-ranked Nevada on Sunday but come back home to Haas Pavilion, which has been a tough place for opponents this season. Cal has limited Utah Valley State, Santa Clara and Kansas State to 48 points or fewer and 36.8 percent shooting from the floor. Chicago State, Eastern Michigan and San Diego make up the field for the Golden Bear Classic. Cal is a 20-point favorite on WagerWeb.com for tonightâ€™s game against Chicago State. Bears point guard Ayinde Ubaka has recorded 24 assists to only 6 turnovers in the last four games. He is also one of the top free-throw shooters (23-of-25, 92 percent) for a Cal team that has missed only 22 foul shots all year. The Bears lead the Pac-10, hitting 83.9 percent from the stripe.

NHL Spotlight Game

2006-12-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

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NHL Spotlight Game

By Rich Carlson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Edmonton Oilers (15-10-2) at Dallas Stars (19-9-0), 8:30 p.m. ET

Current WagerWeb.com Odds: Spread Money Line Total Goals
Edmonton +1 1/2 -225 +135 Over 5 -110
Dallas -1 1/2 +185 - 155 Under 5 -110

The Edmonton Oilers will travel to the American Airlines Center this evening to face the Dallas Stars. The Oilers sit atop the Northwest Division standings, while the Stars are currently in third place in the tough Pacific Division.

Dallas is riding a hot goalie right now as Marty Turco is perhaps the hottest player in the NHL. Turco registered his second straight shutout in DallasÂ¢ 1-0 victory over San Jose on Monday and has a 143-minute, 6-second scoreless streak. Turco ranks No. 2 in the NHL in goals allowed average (2.00) and is No. 4 in save percentage (.925) and No. 4 in victories (14).

The Oilers' mediocre offensive attack was dealt a severe blow when leading goal-scorer LW Ryan Smyth suffered a thumb injury. Smyth leads the Oilers with 16 goals, and his absence will drastically hurt the Oilers in the offensive zone as they only have one other double digit goal-scorer -- C Petr Sykora (12 goals). The Stars defense ranks No. 1 in the NHL in goals allowed per game, and Dallas should have no problem clamping down on the toothless Oilers.

In their only other matchup this season, Dallas beat Edmonton 3-2 on Nov. 3 in Edmonton.

Injury report
Edmonton: LW Ryan Smyth (thumb) was placed on injured reserve and is out indefinitely; RW Ales Hemsky (shoulder) is out until at least mid-December; LW Ethan Moreau (shoulder) is out until at least early April

Dallas: C Eric Lindros (foot) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; LW Antti Miettinen (lower body) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; C Mike Modano (hip) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; LW Brenden Morrow (groin) is listed as questionable for tonightâ€™s game; LW Steve Ott (ankle) will be out until late December

Key betting information
*- Edmonton is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and has a 4-6-1 road record.
*-Dallas is 6-4-0 in its last 10 games and has an 11-2-0 home record.
*-Dallas leads the season series one game to none.
*- Edmontonâ€™s No. 16-ranked offense (2.85 goals per game) vs. Dallasâ€™ No. 1-ranked defense (2.07 goals allowed average).
*-Dallasâ€™ No. 20-ranked offense (2.71 goals per game) vs. Edmontonâ€™s No. 9-ranked defense (2.59 goals allowed average).
*-Edmontonâ€™s No. 20-ranked power play (15.7% scored) vs. Dallasâ€™ No. 4-ranked penalty-killing unit (88.1% success).
*-Dallasâ€™ No. 19-ranked power play (15.6% scored) vs. Edmontonâ€™s No. 1 ranked penalty-killing unit (89.6% success).

News & Notes
San Jose Sharks F Mark Bell was formally charged with felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence on Thursday after an accident during the Labor Day weekend.

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Tired Suns?

2006-12-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

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Tired Suns?

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Can a really tired team still beat the Boston Celtics?

That question will be answered Friday night.

The pooped group in question is the Phoenix Suns, who required double overtime Thursday to win in New Jersey, 161-157. The wildest game of the NBA season wasnâ€™t decided until Steve Nash nailed two foul shots with 4.4 seconds remaining.

The fourth highest-scoring game in league history featured brilliant performances from Nash and point guard counterpart Jason Kidd. The former finished with 42 points, including nine in the decisive second overtime, and a typical 13 assists.

Kidd was even more productive with 42 points, 14 assists and 14 rebounds. He is now tied with legendary Wilt Chamberlain for third place all-time with 78 triple-doubles.

Five other players scored 20 or more points in the game, including Suns Shawn Marion (33), Raja Bell (24) and Amare Stoudemire (23), as well as Nets Vince Carter (31) and Richard Jefferson (25).

If thereâ€™s one favorable team to play these days on the second night of a back-to-back, itâ€™s likely Boston. According to WagerWeb.com, Phoenix is a 4.5-point road favorite Friday night.

RAY AWAY: Teams in the Western Conference canâ€™t afford to fail, even early in the season.

After all, seven of its teams boast records of 10-6 or better.

But the Sonics must now find a way to win without Ray Allen, who will be sidelined for seven games with a right ankle bruise. As usual, he is among the NBAâ€™s leading scorers at 25.3 points a game.

Seattle has played commendably considering the persistent and distracting rumors that the franchise will be relocated to Oklahoma City after this season. Rashard Lewis is scoring 22.9 points a game, while Chris Wilcox has scored and rebounded well. Guard Luke Ridnour is averaging 15 points a game while shooting 49 percent from the field.

The Sonics actually own a slightly better road than home record, but will host New Orleans on Friday night. WagerWeb.com lists Seattle as a 3.5-point favorite.

DRIBBLES: The baffling Detroit Pistons won in Dallas on Thursday night. They will try to knock off two NBA powers on the road in successive games Friday night when they play at Orlando. Detroit is a 5-point underdog, according to WagerWeb.com. â€¦ Philadelphia might be without both Allen Iverson (back spasms) and Chris Webber (right foot soreness) at home against Washington on Friday night. Due to the uncertain availability of both, a point spread is not listed. ... Two consecutive victories has again placed Utah above one and all at 15-4. WagerWeb.com lists the Jazz as 1-point favorites in Minnesota on Friday night.

Falcons Feeling The Heat

2006-12-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

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Falcons Feeling The Heat

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. can't escape the heat these days. The fans, the media, heck, even the team owner, Arthur Blank, issued a win-or-else salvo to the struggling club. Kind of gives a new meaning to the term, Hot-lanta.

That said, Atlanta still has a 6-6 record and realistic NFC wild-card hopes. But because of the Falcons' inconsistencies -- and perhaps his unstable job status -- Mora has been shaking things up in practice this week. So when you see the Falcons take the field in Tampa Bay on Sunday, you may see some changes.

The Falcons are -3 on WagerWeb.com. />
EXTRA POINTS: As expected, Dolphins coach Nick Saban, who has already conquered the SEC while with LSU, was not interested in the Alabama job that went to Rich Rodriguez. Saban is quite happy to remain with the improving Dolphins, and said as much. ... Tom O'Brien's departure, meanwhile, from Boston College to take the North Carolina State job means Steelers coach Bill Cowher will officially not be returning to his alma mater. But in five years, who knows? He does, after all, own a house in Raleigh, N.C. ... Rams fans can rest easy as leading receiver Torry Holt (knee) landed on the injury report as probable for Monday's game against the Bears. Chicago is -6 on WagerWeb.com

... Saints RB Reggie Bush (shoulder) is practicing regularly and should play against the Cowboys on Sunday night. He is listed as probable. Dallas is -7 on WagerWeb.com.

NFL Football And Soccer Betting: The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble

2006-12-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

NFL Football And Soccer Betting: The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble

The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by Simon Noble

2006-12-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

All you need to know about NFL Props (Part II of II)
Last week's Pinnacle Pulse, introduced some ideas about how to gain an advantage from the increasingly popular 'Which team will score first' prop. This week, we're sticking with the theme and providing further hints on how to successfully price other common props available at PinnacleSports.com.
One of my personal favorites is the proposition: 'Will the first score be a Touchdown or FG/Safety'. As a starting point for weighing this bet, you should look at how many TDs, FGs and Safeties have been scored by all teams in the season to date. Before this week's Monday night game, the frequencies of each scoring play were as follows:
Fig 1. (up to Wk 13)
Touchdowns
Field Goals
Safetys
Frequency
848
546
13
%
60.3
38.8
0.9
This provides a good 'baseline', but there are two adjustments to be made to refine the data for an accurate assessment of the proposition.
First, the last two possessions of the half are more likely to result in a field goal than at any other time in a football game (except overtime). This bias isn't simply due to time running out - in many cases, teams will use conservative play-calling to ensure a field goal attempt. As a result, 50% of the time the last score of a half is a field-goal.
Since close to 40% of all scores are FGs or Safeties (fig 1), and it's been established that the final score of each half is a FG 50% of the time, we're in a position to work out how likely the first score is to be a FG by using simple algebra and the average number of scores by game.
We can work out an 'average' score value using the %'s from fig 1.
(60% * 7 points/TD + 40% * 3 points/FG = 5.4 points/possession).
Historical data indicates that a 'typical' game averages a total of 41 points, so you would expect 7.6 scores - average total points scored/average score per scoring possession (41 / 5.4). You'd also anticipate 3.04 FGs - average number of scores * FG frequency % from fig 1 (7.6 * 0.4). From this we can work out the odds (x) of a FG being scored in any scoring possession, excluding the last score of the half.
3.04 FGs (per 7.6 scores) = 6.6 scores not at end of half * (x) + (1 end of half score) (0.5)
X = (3.04 - 0.5) / 6.6 = 0.385 (38.5%), or about +160 for a FG.
Now, you have to adjust this number for the actual match-up. For example, take a look at next week's Monday Night match-up between the Bears and Rams. You need to look at TDs and FGs for each team's offense and defense for this season.
Fig 2
Scored
Conceded

TD's
FG's
TD's
FG's
Bears
34
26
15
15
Rams
23
27
33
18
Total
57
53
48
33
Since we do not care who scores what (only which is scored first), we simply add the total TDs and FGs from Fig 2 - 105 TD's (57+48) versus 86 FG's (53+33). 45% of the scores involving these two teams were Field Goals, compared to 40% for the league average. If 45% were the result of thousands of games, you would expect that to go forward. However, each team has only played 12 games, so expect this percentage to 'revert to the mean'. One way to do this is to average the two (40 + 45) / 2) which suggests 42.5% of all scores in this match-up will result in a FG. For the first possession, start with the baseline first possession FG score frequency of 38.5%, and multiply by the mean FG expectancy for these teams calculated above (42.5/40 *0.385) = 40.9%. This is equivalent to +144, which is my price for a FG being the first score of the game.
Once you have your no-vig price (+144/-144), try to find a line that is 10 cents off. If you found 'first score TD' at -134 or better, or 'first score FG/Safety' at +154 or better, it might warrant a play in this match-up.
There are also several ways to improve this result. You can track safeties, or do statistical studies on scoring for many years to plug more accurate averages into the calculations. There are other statistical methods you can use to get even better results. However, when you're tackling props, you want to evaluate them without spending an inordinate amount of time as you'll make more money by pricing 10 different props well, than by analyzing 1 prop perfectly.
What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports this week?
Cleveland +9 -129 v. Pittsburgh
We initially offered Cleveland at +9 (-112). Using this unusual number (instead of +7.5 at a normal moneyline) helps protect us on teasers, as teasing 'large home favorites' is one of the strongest teaser plays you can make.
The opening number of Cleveland at +9 (-112) is equivalent to +8 (-105) using Pinnacle's point-selling option. While the betting public strongly favors Cleveland by a 15:1 margin, some of the early sharps are playing Pittsburgh.
Indianapolis -1 -112 v. Jacksonville
This game has remained at the current price (-1 -112) since opening. Once again, teaser protection is a concern. While small underdogs are not as dangerous as large home favorites, we would still prefer to minimize damage from these types of plays. Skewing the line this way is an easy way to achieve this. While bettors favor the Colts by a 5:2 margin, the line has not moved. The early sharps have been on both sides of the game, so it's anyone's guess where this one is headed.
USC +1 -103 v. Michigan
After UCLA stunned USC and Florida beat Arkansas, both of these former championship contenders had to settle for the Rose Bowl. Michigan's omission from the title game has caused controversy over the BCS selection process and it appears that regional politics impact who plays in the big game. Michigan was considered the #2 team in three out of four regions, but the South voted strongly in favor of Florida, pushing them up the poll.
We opened the Wolverines at -2 .5 (-105) but have taken twice as many wagers on USC as Michigan, causing the line to creep down. The sharps have mostly steered clear of this game to this point.
Florida +7 .5 -109 v. Ohio State
With a convincing win over Arkansas in the SEC title game, Florida edged out Michigan for the #2 spot in the BCS rankings by just 1/100th of a point. The computer rankings had the two teams tied, but Florida passed Michigan in the Harris Poll and USA Today poll. That was just enough for Florida to earn an invitation to the BCS National Championship Game.
We opened the Buckeyes at -7 (-105), and took a lot of early Ohio State money. The line spiked as high as -9, with twice as many bets on Ohio State as Florida, but a few sharps played the Gators at +8.5 and +9 forcing the line to drift back to +7.5.
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NHL Game Of Day

2006-12-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

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NHL Game Of Day

NHL Game Of Day

By Rich Carlson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Nashville Predators (17-6-3) at Anaheim Ducks (20-3-6), 10 p.m. ET

Current Betting Odds: Spread Money Line Goals
Nashville +1 1/2 -190 +155 Over 5 1/2 -130
Anaheim -1 1/2 +165 -175 Under 5 1/2 +110

Two first-place teams will square off tonight at the Honda Center in Anaheim as the Nashville Stars visit the Anaheim Ducks. G Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been stellar between the pipes for the Ducks and has led Anaheim to first place in the Pacific Division and the best record in the Western Conference. Giguere is leading the league with 16 victories and ranks in the top 10 in save percentage (.922) and goals against average (2.21). A resurgent Teemu Selanne is leading the Ducks with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists), while D Chris Pronger is second in the NHL with 26 assists.

The Predators will be without the services of injured G Tomas Vokoun, who is out with a thumb injury. The Predators have not missed as step as Backup G Chris Mason (6-2-0, 2.77 GAA) has filled in nicely. The Predators' offense ranks 4th in the NHL in goals scored (3.42 goals per game) and is one of the most balanced units in the league as the Predators only have one goal-scorer in double figures â€“ RW Scott Hartnell (10 goals).

Injury report
Anaheim: G Ilya Bryzgalov (undisclosed injury) will be re-evaluated today. His status for tonightâ€™s game is unknown.

Nashville: C Jason Arnott (knee) is out until at least early January.
G Tomas Vokoun (thumb) is on the injured list and will be out until at least late December.

Key betting information
*-Nashville is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games and has an 11-5-0 road record
*-Anaheim is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games and has a 12-2-4 home record
*-This will be the first game between the Predators and Ducks this season
*-Nashvilleâ€™s No. 4-ranked offense (3.42 goals per game) vs. Anaheimâ€™s No. 5-ranked defense (2.31 goals allowed average)
*-Anaheimâ€™s No. 3-ranked offense (3.45 goals per game) vs. Nashvilleâ€™s No. 13-ranked defense (2.73 goals allowed average)
*-Nashvilleâ€™s No. 11-ranked power play (18% scored) vs. Anaheimâ€™s No. 9-ranked penalty-killing unit (85.4% success)
*-Anaheimâ€™s No. 2-ranked power play (22.2% scored) vs. Nashvilleâ€™s No. 11-ranked penalty-killing unit (84.9% success)

News & notes
Dallas Stars center Mike Modano missed Tuesdayâ€™s practice with a hip flexor injury. His status for Dallasâ€™ home game against Phoenix on Wednesday is questionable (the Stars are -200 on WagerWeb.com). ... The Chicago Blackhawks extended the contract of new coach Denis Savard through the 2007-2008 season.