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Heat, Bulls set for Windy City skirmishBasketball Betting Lines03/25/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat are closing in on their second straight postseason berth, but will face a tough challenge tonight versus the hungry Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Miami is tied with Charlotte for the sixth spot in the East, while the Bulls sit two games behind Toronto for the eighth and final postseason position in the conference standings with 12 games remaining on the schedule. The Heat have won two straight and eight of 11 games, and opened a three-game road trip with Monday's 99-89 victory at New Jersey behind Dwyane Wade's 27 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Wade now has 93 career double-doubles for fifth on Miami's all-time list and is two shy of tying Tim Hardaway for fourth. Jermaine O'Neal tallied 25 points and Michael Beasley chipped in 16 for the Heat, who will also visit Milwaukee and are 16-18 away from south Florida this season. "We knew it wasn't going be an easy game," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said after his team shot 55.4 percent from the floor. "You look at a team like this and just look at the record and you are very deceived by it. You have to give them credit for competing every night." Wade is listed as probable for Thursday's game with a bruised right quadriceps muscle. He is fifth in the NBA with 26.5 points per game. Chicago is trying to reach the playoffs a second straight year and for the fifth time in six seasons. It has won two in a row since a horrendous 10-game losing streak and kicked off a three-game homestand with a 98-88 victory over Houston on Monday. Derrick Rose led all scorers with 27 points, handed out eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds in the win. Rose, who is averaging 24.0 points, 5.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds in his last nine games, is just one of four players posting at least 20.0 ppg, 5.7 apg and 3.5 rpg this season (LeBron James, Chris Paul, Wade). Rose and Company got a huge lift when head coach Vinny Del Negro was tossed from the game after receiving a second technical in the final minute of the third quarter. "We needed that, we need that more often," Rose said regarding the spark after the ejection. "One of us had to step up and let it be known in this league that they're not going to keep bullying." Kirk Hinrich was 4-for-4 from three-point range for 17 points against the Rockets, and is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds over his past five contests. Chicago had a 53-39 edge on the boards and is second in the NBA in rebounds with 44.19 boards per game. The Bulls will also host New Jersey on the residency and are 20-14 in the Windy City this season. Miami has won two of three matchups with the Bulls this season and six of the previous eight meetings overall. These two clubs have split the past 12 encounters at the United Center.
<< Rockets aim to thrust past Clippers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With 12 games remaining on the schedule, time is running out on the Houston Rockets and their quest for a playoff berth. Tonight they'll try and get back in the win column for a last-minute push towards the postsea
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<< Cornell battles Kentucky in Sweet 16
<< Wildcats and Musketeers collide in Salt Lake City
<< Huskies and Mountaineers duke it out in Sweet 16
Thrashers resume playoff push against visiting Leafs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers missed out on a golden opportunity to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race in their most recent trip to the ice. The postseason hopefuls may have another chance to boost their prospects ton
Bruins hope to continue surge against Lightning >>
Devils host Rangers with first place in reach >>
Flames try to extend success over Islanders >>
Feisty Flyers aim to halt skid versus Wild >>
Football BettingNFL Football Betting OnlineThe San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago. Thursday, August 21 NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37 NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007 In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points. Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season): * SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp. Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled. Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too. That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm. Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds. CHICAGO -3 (-120) ** The 2008 NFL betting lines season is almost upon us! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join sportbook today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond! Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTINGNCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.) "To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good." Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida. Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October. USC Trojans - 10.5 wins A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention. Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2 "There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach." Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1 The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1 If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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