Sun Devils and Golden Bears mix it up in Pac-10 action
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
01/04/2009 - Berkeley, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 17th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils and California Golden Bears will try to make it two Pac-10 wins in a row tonight, as they clash at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
ASU kicked off its Pac-10 slate in a dominating fashion, as it ripped through then undefeated Stanford, 90-60, on Friday. It was the Sun Devil's biggest margin of victory over Stanford in the 65-game series, as they won their Pac-10 opener for the second straight season. Winners of nine straight games, ASU is off to its best start since opening 15-1 in 1974-75.
As for Cal, it too is coming off a solid win in its conference lidlifter, notching a 69-55 victory over Arizona on Friday. It was the sixth win in a row for the Bears, who improved to 12-2 overall and remained perfect at home at 10-0.
Cal and ASU split a pair of meetings last season, leaving ASU with a slight 34-31 edge in the head-to-head series. The visiting team has won the past eight games in the rivalry.
The Sun Devils shot a scorching 59.0 percent from the floor compared to a lackluster 37.5 percent effort by Stanford, as they rolled to victory on Friday. The team also did a solid job from beyond the arc (6-of-13) as well as at the foul line (12-of-15) in the triumph. Jeff Pendergraph led the charge with a double-double that consisted of a career-high 31 points and 11 rebounds. James Harden had a double-double of his own with 17 points and 10 assists, while Derek Glasser added 13 points and six helpers. On the season, Harden tops the roster in scoring with a healthy 23.2 ppg average and he is also grabbing 5.9 rpg and dishing out 4.8 apg. Pendergraph has provided a nice complement to him, as he turns in 14.2 ppg and a team-best 7.4 rpg. Ty Abbott checks in with 10.7 ppg and 4.5 rpg, and Rihards Kuksiks rounds out the double-figure scorers, with 10.2 ppg. ASU as a team, is generating 76.5 ppg behind an efficient 51.5 percent shooting from the field this season.
The Bears made good on 46.7 percent of their attempts from the floor and 7- of-15 from downtown, as they raced past Arizona on Friday. The team also did a nice job dishing out 20 assists and committing a mere six turnovers. Patrick Christopher led the way with 23 points and four assists, while Jerome Randle and Theo Robertson posted 14 and 13 points, respectively. On the season, Randle paces Cal in scoring with a solid 19.1 ppg and he is also dolling out a team-high 4.8 apg and shooting a blistering 55.7 percent from downtown. Christopher has provided the club with another scoring threat, as he contributes 14.6 ppg. Robertson chips in with 12.1 ppg and he has made 61.4 percent of his attempts from three-point range. Cal as a whole, is shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and an even better 50.3 percent from three-point land for an average of 78.1 ppg.
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels finally open up ACC play this evening, as they welcome the Boston College Eagles to Chapel Hill for a showdown from the Smith Center. Roy Williams' Tar Heels have def
<< Big Ten showdown pits Illini against Wolverines
Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Big Ten foes will collide in Ann Arbor on
Sunday afternoon, as the 23rd-ranked Michigan Wolverines play host to the
Illinois Fighting Illini.
Illinois carries a stellar 13-1 record into this clash, and the cl
<< Azarenka, Bartoli cruise at Brisbane; Kirilenko withdraws
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Victoria Azarenka and Marion Bartoli
breezed through first-round action at the $220,000 Brisbane International, a
2009 season-opening event on the WTA Tour.
Seventh-seeded Russian Maria Kirile
<< Azarenka, Bartoli cruise; Kirilenko withdraws in season-opening event
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Victoria Azarenka and Marion Bartoli
breezed through first-round action at the $220,000 Brisbane International, a
2009 season-opening event on the WTA Tour.
Seventh-seeded Russian Maria Kirile
<< Soderling, Gasquet each kick off '09 season with win
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robin Soderling and Richard Gasquet
were each first-round winners at the $484,750 Brisbane International -- a
season-opening event on the 2009 ATP World Tour.
While the fourth-seeded Soderling
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Non-conference rivals will collide at Freedom Hall this afternoon, as the 18th-ranked Louisville Cardinals battle the Kentucky Wildcats. Expect Kentucky to play with a wealth of confidence this afternoon, as
Bruins go Duck hunting in Eugene >>
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - McArthur Court in Eugene is the site of today's
Pac-10 Conference clash between the UCLA Bruins and the Oregon Ducks.
UCLA opened Pac-10 play on Friday against Oregon State, and the result of that
tilt was a 69-
Duke opens ACC slate at home against Virginia Tech >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils will play host
to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC opener for both squads this evening.
Virginia Tech has won its last four games to improve to 9-4 overall, and the
club is c
Raptors finish homestand vs. Magic >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors conclude a three-game homestand Sunday
by welcoming the Southeast Division-leading Orlando Magic to Air Canada
Centre.
The Raptors improved to 1-1 on the residency Friday when Andrea Bargnani
finished
Lakers aim for 15th straight home win vs. Blazers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers aim to remain perfect on their five-
game homestand Sunday when they welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to Staples
Center.
The Lakers improved to 3-0 on the residency Friday when Kobe Bryant scored 4
MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com favors Bears, Bengals, Chargers and Colts to remain perfect
LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.
Of the three remaining undefeated teams, only one, New Orleans, enters this week's game as an underdog. Despite an emotional and resounding win over Atlanta on Monday night, the Saints are a 7.5 point underdog against the struggling Carolina Panthers. Indianapolis looks to stay perfect when they face the New York Jets as a 9 point road favorite while the Cincinnati Bengals are a 6 point favorite at home to the New England Patriots.
Six teams enter the week still looking for their first win, with a seventh, Tampa Bay, on a bye week. The prospect of dropping another game would not bode well for a potential playoff run. Since 1990, just three teams -- the 1992 Chargers, 1995 Detroit Lions and 1998 Buffalo Bills -- have overcome losing their first three games of the season to earn a postseason berth. And only the Chargers managed to accomplish the feat after starting 0-4.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.