Texas-sized tussle in Dallas; Mavs welcome Spurs for Game 1
Basketball Betting Lines
04/18/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It wasn't easy and took the entire 2009-10 season, but the
Dallas Mavericks were able to lock up the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference
and will face rival San Antonio in the Western Conference quarterfinals
starting tonight in Big D.
These two teams just met on the final day of the regular season, and the Mavs
locked up the second seed with a 96-89 victory. Dallas won the season series
with the Spurs by a 3-1 count.
The Mavericks extended the longest streak in franchise history by clinching a
postseason berth for a 10th straight season -- the second-longest streak in
the NBA behind the rival Spurs, who are in the playoffs for an NBA-best 13th
consecutive year. Led by All-Star and MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas went
55-27 this season and owns the most 50-win seasons in the NBA since the
2000-01 campaign (9).
Head coach Rick Carlisle guided the Mavs to their second Southwest Division
title in four years. Carlisle owes a lot of his success to MVP candidate
Nowitzki, who's averaged at least 21 points per game in 10 straight seasons.
Nowitzki also has plenty of postseason experience, appearing in 97 career
playoff games -- all starts, and averaging 25.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.6
assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Making the playoffs has also been the norm for the Spurs, who amassed 50-plus
wins for the 11th consecutive time (1999-2000 to present) to become just the
second team in NBA history to accomplish the feat. The Los Angeles Lakers
totaled 50-plus wins in 12 consecutive seasons from 1979-80 to 1990-91, which
is the longest streak in NBA history. Under head coach Gregg Popovich, the
Spurs have 12 consecutive winning seasons.
Led by future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and top reserve Manu Ginobili, San
Antonio always has a shot at making a deep run in the postseason despite
finishing with the seventh seed.
It matches up well in this showdown with rival Dallas for obvious reasons, but
playing a familiar division rival can be a problem since the opposition knows
regular tendencies. The biggest question for the Spurs is if Tony Parker will
be ready to go full blast after missing some time with a broken bone in his
right hand. Parker still has a ways to go in terms of regaining his rhythm and
conditioning, but never count out the heart of a champion.
The aging Spurs certainly have the experience to give their in-state rivals
fits, but the February trade that brought Caron Butler and Brendan Hayward to
Big D really toughened the Mavs up and made them far better suited for
postseason play. Dallas went 23-7 after adding Butler and Haywood and closed
the regular season by winning eight of 10 and five in a row.
These two rivals have met in the playoffs four times previously, including
last season. The Spurs won sets in 2001 and 2003 before the Mavericks bounced
back to win a pair of series in 2006 and 2009. Last season, the Mavs took down
San Antonio in the quarterfinals in just five games.
<< Suns and banged-up Blazers meet in Game 1 of West quarters
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers will kick off the postseason in
Phoenix tonight minus All-Star guard Brandon Roy.
A full 82-game schedule was needed to sort out the jumbled Western Conference
playoff scenarios. The Suns capture
<< Bobcats set to make first postseason appearance in Orlando
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Larry Brown's latest reclamation project is complete and
the Charlotte Bobcats will be making the franchise's first ever postseason
appearance this afternoon.
Brown's prize for turning things around in Charlotte? How about
<< Top-seeded Lakers host Thunder in Game 1 of West quarters
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers kick off their
quest to repeat Sunday in the Western Conference quarterfinals against the
talented Oklahoma City Thunder.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson got things started a little e
<< Nadal routs Verdasco for sixth straight Monte Carlo crown
Monte Carlo, Monaco (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Nadal continued his domination
at the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-0, 6-1 rout of fellow Spaniard Fernando
Verdasco in Sunday's final.
Nadal captured the prestigious clay court French Op
<< Oda claims playoff win in Japan
Mie, Japan (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Koumei Oda won a playoff Sunday to capture the
Token Homemate Cup for the second year in a row.
Oda closed with an even-par 71 to end alongside Satoru Hirota and Daisuke
Maruyama at one-under-par 283.
Rays shoot for sixth straight win at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays take aim at their sixth straight win
this afternoon when they continue their four-game series against the Boston
Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The Rays picked up two wins against the Red Sox on Saturday, as
Red Wings, Coyotes meet in Motown for Game 3 >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to take their first lead of
the Western Conference quarterfinals when they host the Phoenix Coyotes today
in Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena.
The fifth-seeded Red Wings, who have won the last two W
Angels, Jays wrap up set in Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Ervin Santana can pitch the Los Angeles Angels
of Anaheim to a0 series sweep this afternoon while picking up his first win of
2010 when the defending American League West Division champions head to
Rogers Centre
Indians, Carmona attempt to complete sweep of White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fausto Carmona tries to continue his recent mastery of
the Chicago White Sox this afternoon, as the Cleveland Indians attempt to
complete a three-game sweep of them at Progressive Field.
Carmona beat the White Sox in his
Yanks eye first sweep of year against Rangers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Pettitte hopes to pitch the New York Yankees to their
first sweep of the 2010 season this afternoon when they wrap up their three-
game series against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium.
New York, which last swept t
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Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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