Bulls take playoff push to Auburn Hills; face Pistons
Basketball Betting Lines
03/28/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls shoot for their second win in as many
nights against an inferior foe as they hope to tighten the race for the
Eastern Conference's last playoff spot.
The Bulls, who topped the lowly Nets in Chicago last night, visit the hapless
Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills tonight, aiming for their first season sweep
of Detroit in 14 years.
The Bulls, who have won six straight overall vs. the Pistons, haven't swept
Detroit since the 1995-96 season.
Rookie Taj Gibson scored 14 of his career-high 22 points in the first quarter
on Saturday as the Bulls destroyed New Jersey, 106-83, at the United Center.
Gibson also tallied 13 rebounds and finished 7-of-9 shooting to pace the Bulls
to their third win in four games. The win moved Chicago 1 1/2 games behind
Toronto for the final playoff spot in the East.
Jannero Pargo had a season-high 27 points and Brad Miller added 14 and six
rebounds for the Bulls.
"We played with a little edge to us tonight," said Bulls forward Joakim Noah.
"They are not a great team but it doesn't matter. We've lost to this team
before, so it was important for us to come with the right mentality and we
did."
The Pistons, meanwhile, lost to the Nets in their last encounter, a 118-110
setback on Friday in East Rutherford. Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian each netted
career-highs with 37 and 31 points, respectively, in that one as New Jersey
took down Detroit, 118-110.
Tayshaun Prince finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as
the Pistons dropped their seventh game in a row, and lost in New Jersey for
just the seventh time in their last 19 appearances.
"It's disappointing to score that many points and we can't allow them to score
the way they did," said Pistons coach John Kuester. "Our intensity was good. I
thought we had guys playing hard, but Lopez and Yi ended up hurting us a lot."
<< Hawks, Pacers clash in Dixie
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks hope to bounce back from an
uncharacteristic performance when they host the suddenly streaking Indiana
Pacers on Sunday.
The Hawks laid an egg in Philadelphia on Friday, losing to the woeful
<< Bucks host desperate Grizzlies
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Bucks are virtually assured of a postseason
berth in the Eastern Conference but the outlook is growing gloomier by the day
for the Memphis Grizzlies out West as the two teams get ready to meet in
Brew City.
<< Cavs welcome Kings to the "Q"
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers continue their march toward the
postseason Sunday when the open up a three-game homestand against the lottery-
bound Sacramento Kings.
The Cavs, who have the NBA's best record and lead the Eastern C
<< Avalanche aim to stop free fall against Sharks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Four losses in their last five games have the Avalanche
slipping in the Western Conference standings. Colorado might catch a break if
Joe Thornton is unable to play for the San Jose Sharks in tonight's matchup at
HP Pavilion.
<< Blackhawks try to avenge loss to Blue Jackets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks didn't look like a playoff team in
their last trip to the ice when they suffered their worse loss of the season.
They'll get a chance to avenge that setback tonight against the same opponent
as they hos
Magic and Nuggets collide at Amway Arena >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the NBA's top teams square off in central Florida
Sunday when the Orlando Magic play host to the Denver Nuggets.
Amway Arena has been a house of horrors for Denver over the years. The Nuggets
are a miserable 3-18 al
Heat host Raptors in key Eastern Conference matchup >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of postseason contenders meet in a key Eastern
Conference matchup in the shadow of South Beach on Sunday when the Miami Heat
play host to the Toronto Raptors.
Their current four-game run has put the Heat in great sh
Streaking Suns visit woeful Wolves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The streaking Phoenix Suns plan to improve their playoff
position in the jumbled Western Conference tonight when they take on a
Minnesota team hoping to avoid matching the franchise record with a 16th
straight loss.
The S
Blazers head to Oklahoma City for big Western Conference clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Western Conference contenders jockey for playoff
position tonight when the Oklahoma City Thunder welcome the Portland Trail
Blazers to Ford Center.
The Thunder, who are currently the sixth seed in the West, a gam
Celtics and Spurs clash in Beantown >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics clinched their third straight Atlantic
Division title in their last outing. Now, Doc Rivers' club hopes to get to
work on improving its playoff position in the Eastern Conference when it
hosts the San Anton
Betting the NFL preseason
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Bet on NFL Football
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
NFL football gambling
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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