Illini and Badgers square off in Big Ten brawl
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/09/2010 -
Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Illinois Fighting Illini carry a four-game
win streak into tonight's Big Ten Conference battle with the 11th-ranked
Wisconsin Badgers, who are tough to beat in Madison.
Illinois has quietly gotten itself into position to contend for the Big Ten
title with its recent winning streak, as the club is 8-3 in league play. The
Illini, who are 16-8 overall, knocked off Michigan State on Saturday by a
78-73 final, avenging a five-point loss to the Spartans last month. All but
one of the club's eight losses this season have come by 10 or fewer points,
proof that Illinois has been competitive even in defeat.
Like Illinois, Wisconsin is 8-3 in conference action thanks to wins in four of
its last five contests. The Badgers defeated Michigan on Saturday by a 62-44
final to move to 18-5 overall, and they carry a 13-0 home record into this
evening's affair.
Illinois owns a 107-74 series advantage over Wisconsin, but the Badgers have
won six of the last seven meetings.
The Illini have achieved strong offensive balance thanks to the contributions
of four double-digit scorers. Demetri McCamey leads the way with 15.4 ppg, and
he has dished out 153 assists against 76 turnovers. Mike Tisdale provides 11.7
ppg on 57.6 percent shooting, and D.J. Richardson provides 11.2 ppg. As for
Mike Davis, he rounds out the foursome with 10.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Illinois is
posting 74.2 ppg through 24 games, while opponents are netting 67.0 ppg
against the team. McCamey shot 6-of-9 from three-point range and finished with
22 points against Michigan State last time out, and Richardson added 14
points. The Illini shot 52.5 percent from the field and committed only 10
turnovers, eight fewer than the Spartans. Those positives enabled the Illini
to overcome a 34-24 rebounding deficit.
Trevon Hughes is netting 15.5 ppg this season for Wisconsin, which is scoring
67.8 ppg while limiting opponents to 56.2 ppg on 41.0 percent field goal
efficiency. Jason Bohannon checks in with 11.1 ppg, and Jordan Taylor adds
10.0 ppg. Against Michigan over the weekend, Wisconsin connected on 53.7
percent of its field goal attempts, including a 11-of-21 effort from three-
point range. The Badgers also earned a 29-19 rebounding advantage and played
tremendous team defense in the second half. Bohannon tallied 18 points in that
contest, and he handed out five assists. Hughes pitched in 14 points, and
Jordan Taylor finished with 13.
<< Alabama visits Kentucky in SEC action
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Alabama Crimson Tide invade Rupp Arena
this evening for an SEC clash with the third-ranked Kentucky Wildcats.
Alabama is a respectable 13-10 overall, but that record is overshadowed by a
3-6 mark versus l
<< Hoyas head north to battle Friars
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off a statement victory, the
Georgetown Hoyas are slated to collide with the Providence Friars this evening
in a Big East Conference affair.
Georgetown had lost two of its previous three games heading
<< Berdych, Dent victorious in San Jose
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych and unseeded
American Taylor Dent were first-round winners Monday at the $600,000 SAP Open.
Dent topped fellow countryman Alex Bogomolov Jr, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) on the indoor
hardco
<< Mavs send Warriors to ninth straight loss; Ellis hurts knee
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Terry made 6-of-9 three-point tries,
finishing with a season-high 36 points, along with nine assists and six
rebounds, as Dallas took control in the fourth quarter in a 127-117 victory
over Go
<< Gasol carries short-handed Lakers over Spurs
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pau Gasol had a spectacular all-around game
with 21 points, 19 rebounds, a season-high eight assists and five blocked
shots, pacing the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-89 win over the San Antonio
Spurs.
Ranked foes meet in Big Ten battle >>
East Lansing, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans
will try to keep their slim hold on the top spot in the Big Ten tonight, as
they host the sixth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena.
After opening their Big T
Vols and 'Dores duke it out in pivotal SEC clash >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers will
take on the 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores this evening with an SEC battle
and state bragging rights on the line.
Tennessee has won its last three games to move to
Pacers, Bulls clash at Conseco Fieldhouse >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A Chicago Bulls squad that's struggled on the road for much
of this season will try to turn around its historic lack of success at
Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse in tonight's Central Division clash with the
Indiana Pacers.
NBA's best meets worst as Cavs host Nets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The teams with the best and worst records in the NBA this
season will go head-to-head at Quicken Loans Arena tonight, where the
powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers put an 11-game win streak on the line against
the downtrodden New
Sixers shoot for season-high 5th straight win vs. Wolves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Minnesota and Philadelphia got together the
Sixers blew a 20-point lead en route to an overtime loss. The 76ers will try
to maintain any sort of advantage tonight, when they try to extend their
season high winni
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
New York Giants betting lines
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Dallas Cowboys betting lines
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
Oakland Raiders betting lines
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
|