Best and worst clash as Cavs face Nets
Basketball Betting Lines
03/03/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to sweep the season series
from the New Jersey Nets for a second straight year when the two teams collide
Wednesday night at the Meadowlands.
The Cavs won all three meetings a season ago and the first three matchups in
2009-10, including a 104-97 triumph in the most recent encounter on February 9
at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland has topped the Nets seven consecutive times
and is unbeaten in its last three trips to the IZOD Center.
Cleveland has won four in a row overall and recently handed the New York Knicks a 124-93 setback at home on Monday behind 22 points, seven assists and
seven rebounds from NBA leading scorer LeBron James. Newcomer Antawn Jamison
registered 17 points and 12 rebounds, while J.J. Hickson also scored 17 points
for the Central Division-leading Cavs, who are the top team in the NBA and own
the league's best record at 47-14.
"It was a good win. I thought that after getting up big, we did a nice job of
staying focused, coming out in the third quarter and trying to close and
finish the game the right way," Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown said. "Give
everybody in that locker room credit for trying to string a game together for
48 minutes, even though we were fortunate to get off to a big lead."
The top team in the East learned earlier in the day that future Hall of Fame
center Shaquille O'Neal is expected to be sidelined for the next eight weeks
after undergoing surgery for an injured right thumb. Cleveland will have to
make due without Shaq, and has won 12 of its last 16 road games. It is 21-10
as the guest this season. Cavs guard Daniel Gibson (personal) is questionable
for Wednesday's game against New Jersey.
The Nets failed to build off a huge win at Boston by dropping an 89-85
decision to the Washington Wizards the last time out on Sunday in the opener
of a three-game homestand. Yi Jianlian had 20 points and a career-high 19
boards to pace the Nets, who posted a 104-96 victory over the Celtics to snap
a four-game slide.
Devin Harris had 18 points, 14 assists and seven boards, while Brook Lopez
added 16 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.
"At the end of the day, they hit a couple of tough shots and we missed a
couple of tough ones," Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe said after the Nets fell to
an NBA-worst 6-53 this season. "We missed a couple of free throws. But all in
all, I thought we played 40 minutes of pretty good basketball and maybe didn't
have the legs to finish it."
New Jersey will also host Orlando on the residency and is 3-26 at home. On the
injury front, guard Courtney Lee is expected to miss tonight's game because of
a sprained left ankle. The Nets are hoping to avoid breaking the NBA mark for
futility held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who went 9-73 that year.
<< Short-handed Sixers visit Hawks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks All-Star Joe Johnson is approaching a
career milestone and will most likely reach it tonight versus the Philadelphia
76ers in the opener of a brief two-game homestand at Philips Arena.
Johnson leads the Hawks
<< Magic host woeful Warriors
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic are back at home and will try to ride the
momentum from a blowout win in south Philly tonight, when they play host to
the Golden State Warriors at Amway Arena.
The Southeast Division-leading Magic crushed
<< Chiefs part ways with WR Darling
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Chiefs released wide
receiver Devard Darling and running back Dantrell Savage on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Darling, who was on injured reserve for the entire 2009
season, had
<< Safina withdraws from Indian Wells
Monte Carlo, Monaco (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dinara Safina has decided to skip the
Indian Wells event on the WTA Tour because of a nagging back injury.
The tournament starts next Wednesday in California.
"Unfortunately, I will not be able to
<< Blues pick up D'Agostini from Habs
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues have acquired forward
Matt D'Agostini from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for prospect Aaron
Palushaj.
D'Agostini appeared in 40 games for the Canadiens this season, notchin
Pistons and Knicks meet at MSG >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons are back on the road for two games and
will try to stop a four-game slide tonight against the New York Knicks at
historic Madison Square Garden.
Detroit lost the last three tests of a four-game road swi
Bucks host Wizards in opener of home-and-home set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards will try to stay unbeaten against
the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, when the two teams square off at the Bradley
Center in the opener of a home-and-home set.
Washington has won the first two matchups with
Celtics hope to get back on track vs. Bobcats >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics have lost two in a row as the host and
will try to regain homecourt supremacy tonight versus the Charlotte Bobcats at
TD Garden.
Boston is 16-11 in Beantown this season and split six games at home last
Suns pay a visit to Clippers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Phoenix Suns get back to work in Los Angeles
Wednesday against their Pacific Division rival, the Clippers.
The Suns won for the sixth time in seven tries on Monday when Amare Stoudemire
poured in 19 points
Blazers host Pacers in Rose City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers hope to build on a successful
road trip tonight when they return to the Rose Garden to face the lowly
Indiana Pacers.
The Blazers finished an impressive 4-1 trek on Monday in Memphis w
Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds
Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.
The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.
The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.
Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.
MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:
Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)
Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)
Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.
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