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Jazz shoot for 5th straight win vs. lowly WolvesBasketball Betting Lines12/05/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Northwest Division rivals headed in opposite directions meet in the Twin Cities Saturday as the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves host the streaking Utah Jazz. The Wolves fell to a miserable 2-17 on the season Friday in New Orleans when Devin Brown scored 19 points, and Emeka Okafor added 17 points and 13 rebounds, as the Hornets claimed a 98-89 win over Minnesota in Chris Paul's returned to the lineup after missing the last eight games with a sprained left ankle. The All-Star chipped in with 16 points, a game-high 15 assists and eight steals for the Hornets, who had dropped three of four games coming in. Al Jefferson finished with a game-best 20 points to go along with 14 boards, while Ryan Gomes went for 15 points for Minnesota, which dropped to 1-8 on the road this season. "He's a very talented ball player," Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis said about Paul. "He does a good job of giving that team confidence. He just sliced us apart in the second half. He got a feel for the game. You could see him getting some confidence and his rhythm." Forward Kevin Love, who hadn't played since fracturing his left hand in preseason action, made his season debut for Minnesota and contributed 11 points and as many rebounds off the bench. The Jazz, meanwhile, won a season-high fourth straight game last night when Carlos Boozer scored a season-high 35 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, as Utah built a big lead early and hung on for a 96-87 win over the Indiana Pacers in Salt Lake City. Wesley Matthews added a season-high 18 points for the Jazz, who concluded an impressive 5-1 homestand. Mehmet Okur contributed 13 points and eight boards, and Deron Williams had 11 points and 13 assists in the win. "We played good. We came out with a great burst of energy in the first quarter, but they made a run," Boozer said. "(The Pacers) are a good basketball team; they came back and followed us a little bit, and then we did a great job to finish the game off at the end." Paul Millsap had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Utah, which announced that head coach Jerry Sloan signed a one-year extension through 2010-11 earlier this week. Minnesota snapped a four-game series skid with a 92-85 win in Utah last February. The Jazz have won in their last two trips to Minneapolis, however.
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FOOTBALL BETTINGAfter all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer. Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise. Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games. So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver. In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team. For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC. The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’. The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs. |
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