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Thunder, Nuggets clash at Pepsi CenterBasketball Betting Lines03/03/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder face a big test Wednesday when they arrive in the Rockies to battle Western Conference power Denver. The Thunder won for the 12th time in 14 games last night when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook finished with 39 and 30 points, respectively, to lead Oklahoma City to a 113-107 home victory over the Sacramento Kings. It was the 32nd time in 33 games that Durant has scored at least 25. The All- Star forward also grabbed 10 rebounds and Westbrook had 13 assists for the Thunder, who have won three in a row. Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic added 15 and 14 points. The Kings made just under 54 percent of their shots, but Oklahoma City nearly matched that, making half its shots in addition to sinking 28-of-32 free throws. "Of course we didn't play the way we wanted to, but you're going to have games like that," Durant said. The Nuggets, meanwhile, have hit a bit of a snag, dropping two in a row against fellow West heavyweights, the LA Lakers and Phoenix. Most recently Amare Stoudemire poured in 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds on Monday, as the Suns dominated Denver, 101-85, at US Airways Center. Chauncey Billups finished with 21 points for the Nuggets, who have dropped back-to-back games for the first time since a season-high three-game skid from December 25-28. Carmelo Anthony ended with 17 points and seven rebounds, while J.R. Smith added 16 points off the bench in defeat. "I think in general if you hold Phoenix to 100 points you played pretty well defensively," Nuggets head coach George Karl said. "In general I think we did some good things, but we never really got a run going where we could get it to under 10 points. And we just didn't have enough energy in our bodies after playing four games in five nights to make a comeback." On the injury front for Denver, reserve big man Chris Andersen (right knee tendinitis) is questionable and rookie point guard Ty Lawson (shoulder/thumb) is listed as doubtful. The Thunder have won five of their past six on the road but haven't won in the Rockies since relocating to Oklahoma City from Seattle, dropping five straight.
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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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