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02/23/2009 - Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top spot in the Big 12 is on the line this evening in Norman, as the Kansas Jayhawks take on the Oklahoma Sooners in the battle of top-25 rivals at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Kansas is seeking its fifth straight Big 12 regular season crown and has certainly kept itself in the hunt, winning 11 of its first 12 league tilts. The Jayhawks bring a modest three-game win streak into this contest and are coming off a 70-53 win over Nebraska this past weekend.
The Sooners have been one of the most impressive teams in the country this year, with a mere two losses on the season. However, after winning the first 11 conference games on the docket, Oklahoma suffered its first defeat this past weekend, falling in Austin, to the Texas Longhorns, 73-68. The loss halted a 13-game win streak for OU and dropped the team into a tie with Kansas atop the league standings.
Kansas holds a 133-64 edge in the all-time series and has claimed victory in four straight meetings entering this contest. Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas has won 12 of the 16 meetings with Oklahoma.
The defending national champions have seen a great deal of turnover from last year's squad, but the results have been similar, with Kansas thriving at both ends of the floor. The team certainly has enough offensive depth, rolling up 77.0 ppg this year, while also showing the ability to play tight defense, giving up a mere 64.3 ppg. Veteran guard Sherron Collins is the leader on the court and really brings this team together, both with his scoring prowess (18.0 ppg), as well as his distribution skills (135 assists). Cole Aldrich is a formidable presence down low, with his double-double average of 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per outing. Talented freshmen like Tyshawn Taylor (9.1 ppg) and Marcus Morris (7.6 ppg) have bright futures in Lawrence and will be instrumental to the team the rest of the way. It was once again the combination of Collins and Aldrich that led the charge against the Cornhuskers on Saturday, as Collins hit 8-of-12 shots from the floor to lead all scorers with 22 points. Aldrich recorded his 15th double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The most important player in the country for any team has to be national player of the year candidate Blake Griffin. So when the big man left the game against Texas on Saturday with a concussion, it was no surprise that the Longhorns were able to earn a hard-fought victory over the Sooners. Griffin played just 11 minutes in the game and finished with a mere two points. Willie Warren did his best to keep his team rolling, hitting six three-pointers and tallying a game-high 27 points. Tony Crocker added 14 points in support, but without Griffin inside, OU lost the battle on the boards (36-35). The 6-10 sophomore is questionable for this game, but just how effective he will be if he is able to suit up is anyone's guess. When at full strength, there is no player in the nation who can contain him. Griffin leads the country with 22 double-doubles on the season and is currently averaging 22.0 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. Warren (15.4 ppg) and Crocker (10.2 ppg) definitely benefit from all the attention that must be paid to Griffin in the paint. The pair has combined for 100 of the team's 190 three-pointers to date.
<< Hornets make a stop in Sacramento
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Hornets hope to salvage the finale of a
three-game road trip tonight when they face off with the woeful Sacramento
Kings at ARCO Arena.
The Hornets fell to 0-2 on their trek in Salt Lake City
<< Clippers, Warriors square off in LA
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pacific Division rivals meet in Hollywood Monday when the
Los Angeles Clippers host the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.
The Clippers, who are embarking on a quick two-game homestand, dropped their
third strai
<< Nuggets back at home to face Celtics
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets will play on their home court for the
first time in nearly three weeks this evening, when the reigning world
champion Boston Celtics pay a visit to the Pepsi Center.
Denver just completed an
<< Out of the tank: Sharks hit the road to battle Stars
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks kick off a four-game road trip tonight
with a visit to Dallas to take on the the Pacific Division-rival Stars at
American Airlines Center.
The Sharks had dropped three straight on the road (0-1-2) befor
Bruce blames scoring woes on duo's departure >>
Wigan, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wigan manager Steve Bruce believes his
team's current dearth of goals can be traced back to last month's sales of
Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios.
The Latics have managed to find the net only on
Shawky eyes Boro exit >>
Middlesbrough, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Middlesbrough midfielder Mohamed
Shawky appears to be on the move after admitting he was unhappy at the
Riverside Stadium.
The 27-year-old Egypt international has made only 16 starts
Liverpool boosted by good news on Gerrard >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool have received a boost with the
news that Steven Gerrard will travel to Spain for Tuesday's Champions League
clash with Real Madrid.
The Reds skipper has been out of action for three wee
Hart believes Pompey will avoid relegation >>
Portsmouth, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portsmouth caretaker manager Paul Hart
believes there is enough character and resilience in the squad to avoid
relegation.
Pompey grabbed a precious point against fellow strugglers Stoke C
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup
September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to name a few. Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR. They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.
The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.
Ryder Cup Odds| Europe Tie USA |
4-5 10-1 6-5 |
| Tiger Woods Jim Furyk Phil Mickelson Chris DiMarco David Toms Stewart Cink Chad Campbell Scott Verplank Zach Johnson Vaughan Taylor JJ Henry Brett Wetterich |
9-4 4-1 5-1 7-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 |
| Sergio Garcia Luke Donald Padraig Harrington Colin Montgomerie Darren Clarke David Howell Lee Westwood Paul Casey Henrik Stenson Jose Maria Olazabal Paul McGinley Robert Karlsson |
5-1 5-1 6-1 13-2 8-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 12-1 12-1 20-1 25-1 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com
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