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Spurs aim for 12th straight win vs. T'WolvesBasketball Betting Lines04/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Still grappling for playoff position in the tight Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs shoot for their 12th straight win over the woeful Minnesota Timberwolves in their regular season finale at the AT&T Center on Monday night. San Antonio is currently deadlocked with both Portland and Oklahoma City for the West's final three seeds with each team trying to avoid a first round matchup with the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs got good news last night, however, when the Thunder fell in Oakland against the lowly Golden State Warriors. If San Antonio can defeat Western Conference-worst Minnesota tonight and Oklahoma City loses at Portland, the Thunder will be locked into the eighth seed and the matchup with LA. The Spurs came up with a very big win in their last outing, routing fellow West contender Denver, 104-85, on Saturday in the Rockies. Tim Duncan posted 18 points and 10 rebounds in that one. Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson each tallied 15 points for the Spurs, while Tony Parker and DeJuan Blair both scored 12 as San Antonio snapped a two-game skid. "We got into the bonus with nine minutes left and were able to attack the basket a little more," Duncan said. "I think DeJuan did a great job of getting into the middle and making some great passes. Manu hit some shots, so I think it was good ball movement, make some and it gave us breathing room." San Antonio finishes its season on Wednesday in Dallas against the Southwest Division-champion Mavericks. The finish line can't get here quick enough for the lowly Wolves, who lost for the 21st time in 22 games yesterday in New Orleans when Emeka Okafor scored 23 points and Marcus Thornton added 22, as the Hornets finished off a four-game series sweep of Minnesota with a 114-86 rout. Ryan Gomes had 18 points and Ramon Sessions scored 17 for the Timberwolves, who are trying to avoid tying a franchise record of 67 losses in a season (1991-92). They'll have to win one of their final two games, either at San Antonio tonight or home against Detroit on Wednesday. Jonny Flynn scored 11 in another loss for the Timberwolves, who have also dropped 11 in a row on the road. Al Jefferson returned to the Minnesota lineup after missing two games supporting a hospitalized family member, but only recorded five points on 1-of-6 shooting. "I don't think we were purposeful out there," Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis said. "Defensively, we weren't focused on what we had to do to get the stops." Overall, the Spurs have won 16 of 17 vs. Minnesota, including 11 straight in the Alamo City.
<< Nuggets still alive for No. 2 seed; host Grizzlies
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With just two games left in the regular season the Denver Nuggets have plenty to play for. The Northwest Division crown and the second seed in the Western Conference playoff standings are still at stake as Denver gets re
<< Kings welcome Rockets to ARCO Arena
<< Playoff-bound Blazers, Thunder clash in Rose City
<< Mavs pay a visit to Clippers
<< Knicks and Wizards clash at MSG
Reeling Raptors try and keep hope alive against Pistons >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Losers of five in a row, the Toronto Raptors have only themselves to blame on possibly missing out on a playoff berth. Tonight they'll try to regroup with a visit to the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Toro
Hawks aim to wrap up East's No. 3 seed in Milwaukee >>
Bobcats visit lowly Nets >>
Garza, Rays shoot for another victory over Orioles >>
Now the season begins; playoffs set to go >>
Super Bowl 2009 BettingSuper Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder. Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while. Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books. If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl. Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX. By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI. In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite. So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs. While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl. There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog. In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl: SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots. XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired. XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers. Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard |
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