 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Roy makes surprise return, Blazers even series with SunsBasketball Betting Lines04/24/2010 - Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Roy made a surprise return to the court and LaMarcus Aldridge recorded 31 points and 11 rebounds, as the Portland Trail Blazers evened their Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Phoenix Suns behind a 96-87 Game 4 victory. Just eight days after undergoing successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, Roy suited up and gave the Blazers and the Rose Garden crowd the emotional lift they needed after the club lost the previous two games by a combined 48 points. "I was going to do all I could to get back on the court," said Roy, who admitted head coach Nate McMillan suggested he wait until Game 5 to return. "I came in today to get a hard workout in. I went to coach again and he said he's fine with [me playing] as long as [team president Paul] Allen and [general manager] Kevin Pritchard were on board. They gave me the thumbs up and I was ready to play." The All-Star guard played nearly 27 minutes and scored five of his 10 points in the final quarter for Portland, which turned the ball over just seven times. Andre Miller ended with 15 points, eight assists and six boards in the win. Amare Stoudemire logged 26 points and six boards for the Suns, who connected on just 5-of-16 from the field in a 15-point fourth quarter. Steve Nash logged 15 points and eight assists, while Jason Richardson, coming off a 42-point effort in Game 3's 108-89 drubbing, scored 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting. Game 5 is set for Monday back in Phoenix. Despite missing 12 straight field goals spanning the third and fourth quarters, Portland never trailed in the final 12 minutes. Juwan Howard halted the drought with a bank shot for a 78-76 lead with 7 1/2 minutes remaining, and Roy's three-pointer capped a 7-1 spurt a little later for an 85-79 cushion. A stepback jumper from Roy on the left wing gave the hosts a 91-83 advantage with 2:10 remaining. Nash answered with a bucket, and after two Nicolas Batum free throws, Roy caused a jump ball on the defensive end. Marcus Camby forced a turnover after the Suns won the tip, leading to a breakaway for Batum, who was sent to the line for two free throws after a flagrant foul on Channing Frye. The two makes with 1:05 to go gave Portland a 93-85 lead that was too much for the visitors to overcome. "There were never opportunities for us to attack in the open court," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "We let their defense get set. Although Amare had a big game, we weren't able to really take advantage of getting him the ball in good situations where he could go to the basket and then create shots for guys. At the end of the day we basically played at their pace." Batum, who was a game-time decision after suffering a shoulder injury in Game 3, had a personal 8-0 run in less than a minute span in the first quarter, with his three-pointer giving the hosts an 18-17 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left. The opening stanza ended with Jared Dudley's jumper beating the buzzer for a 27-26 Suns lead, and a back-and-forth second frame ended with Portland holding a slim 54-50 edge after a Camby tip-in. The largest lead for either team in the third quarter was seven, held by the Blazers at 72-65 with 4:06 left. Phoenix eventually tied it before two Miller free throws gave Portland a 74-72 lead heading to the final period. Game Notes Grant Hill grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with nine points on 3-of-10 shooting for the Suns, who shot 6-of-23 from behind the arc...Batum ended with 10 points and seven rebounds, and Jerryd Bayless logged 11 points and six assists for Portland, which outrebounded Phoenix, 45-39 and had 17 second- chance points to the Suns' five...Camby went for eight points and eight rebounds, while Howard added eight and seven in the win.
<< Seattle Seahawks 2010 NFL Draft Review
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - 1 - Russell Okung, T, Oklahoma State (6-5, 307); 1 - Earl Thomas, FS, Texas (5-10, 208); 2 - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame (5-10, 199); 4 - Walter Thurmond III, CB, Oregon (5-10, 189); 4 - E.J. Wilson, DE, North Carolina (6-
<< San Francisco 49ers 2010 NFL Draft Review
<< St. Louis Rams 2010 NFL Draft Review
<< Arizona Cardinals 2010 NFL Draft Review
<< Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2010 NFL Draft Review
Nolasco pitches Marlins past Rockies in DH opener >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricky Nolasco struck out nine batters in a strong eight-inning performance in Florida's 4-1 win over Colorado in the opener of a doubleheader. Dan Uggla hit a solo homer, while Brett Carroll als
City goalie Given will miss rest of season >>
Falcons re-sign RB Norwood, P Koenen >>
Bohn leads weather-delayed Zurich Classic >>
Rays use big eighth inning to beat Jays >>
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.
Horse Betting(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine). The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late. "You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest. "A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve." When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential: CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped. DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins. PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge. You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike. "You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders." Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of. (By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.) Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout." But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing." Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you." Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front." All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold. In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse. "Now," says Avello, "it's time for action." To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs. |
|
