Basketball Betting
 
Basketball Betting
 

NBA Basketball Betting

NBA Northwest: Nuggets doing just fine sans A.I.

Basketball Betting Lines

11/21/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl certainly got some things of his husky chest regarding departed All-Star guard Allen Iverson.

Karl vehemently spewed his feelings about Iverson's me-first mentality and how the superstar sometimes didn't trust his teammates. Now Karl has all-world point guard Chauncey Billups running the offense and stated how there are less bad plays and more of a passing and point guard mentality on the floor.

Some of what Karl has said is true but Iverson is no doubt a future Hall of Fame playmaker who is fitting in just fine with the Detroit Pistons. Sometimes experiments or relationships don't work and one must go their separate ways. The Nuggets have wiped their hands clean of A.I. and are 7-2 since the trade. They are 7-1 in games in which Billups has suited up since it took him a few days to get into town for a physical.

Denver has won four in a row and seven of eight games overall, and is tied with the Utah Jazz atop the Northwest Division standings. Superstar forward Carmelo Anthony's numbers have dropped somewhat since Billups distributes the ball evenly, and leads the Nuggets with 20.6 points per game. The two veterans will keep Denver relevant in discussions concerning top teams in the West.

The Nuggets have beaten defending champion Boston and San Antonio on the road during the winning streak. They will try to stay impressive on Friday with a showdown against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. The Lakers have won the last eight matchups in the series, so it will be a true test for Karl's revamped roster. Antonio McDyess, who was acquired from the Pistons, was waived earlier this month.

ROAD WORK AHEAD FOR JAZZ

This isn't the Wizard of Oz and the Utah Jazz can't click their heels twice hoping for an 82-game schedule in Salt Lake City.

Utah must stay the course on the yellow brick road and learn how to win away from EnergySolutiuons Arena, where it is 6-0 this season and unbeaten in the past 14 dating back to 2007. The Jazz have scored no less than 98 points in a game at home this season and went 1-4 on a five-game road trip after opening the 2008-09 season with five straight wins.

The road ahead is a tough one, starting with Friday night's game on the road against the San Antonio Spurs. Utah has dropped 18 in a row in the regular season as the visitor in this series and 21 straight after losing three during the 2007 Western Conference finals.

Utah is banged up and has a shot at ending the lengthy slide in San Antonio since the Spurs are without top guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili because of ankle injuries. The Jazz, though, are just as roughed up with top point guard Deron Williams hampered by a sprained left ankle. Williams has missed all but two games for the Jazz this season after averaging 18.8 points and 10.5 a year ago. He is listed as questionable for Friday's game for Utah, which is 2-4 as the guest in 2008-09.

If news couldn't get any worse for Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan, forward Carlos Boozer left Wednesday's game versus Milwaukee with a strained left quadriceps and doubtful against the Spurs. Boozer reportedly underwent an MRI and results revealed a strain of the muscle. Meanwhile, center Mehmet Okur started against the Bucks after missing five games to be with his sick father in Turkey.

In addition, Jazz center Jarron Collins (elbow) is out for Friday night's game versus the Spurs, while Brevin Knight (strained left abductor muscle) and Kyle Korver (wrist) will each be gametime decisions.

Utah, which has won two straight since its unsuccessful road swing, will also visit the Memphis Grizzlies on its brief two-game trek.

WHERE'S THE THUNDER IN OKLAHOMA CITY?

It's a shame Thunder young stars Kevin Durant and Jeff Green have to expose themselves to such mediocrity at this level of basketball.

Durant, the reigning Rookie of the Year and leading scorer at 21.6 ppg, and Green are suffering through a 1-11 start to the season. The Thunder have dropped nine in a row since their only win of the season on November 2 versus Minnesota and will wrap up a three-game homestand Friday night versus the Hornets. They have lost five in a row at the Ford Center and are 1-6 as the host this season.

After Friday's game versus New Orleans, the Thunder will play six of the next eight games on the road, where they are 0-5 in 2008-09. Desmond Mason may return during the swing and is out with a right elbow injury. Mason is averaging 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds off the pine this season.

Thunder forward Chris Wilcox returned to the court after missing five games because of a strained right knee. Wilcox had four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes of Wednesday's 108-88 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

General manager Sam Presti and head coach P.J. Carlesimo now that this team is not headed for the playoffs any time soon, and are still trying to find an identity with the current players. Besides the aforementioned Durant and Green, the Thunder are pretty much strapped for talent. Center Robert Swift is a nice presence in the paint, but that's it.

The frustration has kicked in for the Thunder. But that was expected.

IN ROY BLAZERS TRUST

Brandon Roy is only in his third year in the NBA and he has already taken the Portland Trail Blazers under his wing. The former Rookie of the Year leads the Blazers in points (21.3), assists (5.4) and steals (1.33) so far this season and has recorded 20-plus points in seven straight games and nine overall.

Roy, who had a season-high 27 points versus Orlando on October 10, has recorded at least a share of the scoring lead for Portland in nine games. The smooth passer and slick defender out of Washington had 20 points in Wednesday's 116-74 victory over the Chicago Bulls, leading the Blazers to their sixth win in eight tries.

The former first-round (6th overall) by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2006 NBA Draft, Roy is the center of a young nucleus in Portland. Head coach Nate McMillan is in his fourth season at the helm and has averaged a 10-game improvement each season. Portland also owns a winning record (7-5) 12 games into the season for the first time under McMillan.

After handing the Bulls an embarrassing loss, the Blazers improved to 5-1 in games in which they have reached 100 points this season. Roy has been a big part of that success, while center Greg Oden is finally starting to contribute. Oden, who was playing his first regular season home game versus the Bulls one year and 144 days after he was picked in 2007, scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 17 1/2 minutes of action.

In his previous four games, Oden has registered 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.00 blocks with three double-doubles over that stretch. The 7-footer scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a loss to Golden State on November 18 at ORACLE Arena.

Oden and company will open a two-game road trip on Friday against Sacramento and Phoenix, and are 3-5 away from the Rose Garden this season. Portland will then return home for three games versus the Kings, Heat and Hornets.

JEFFERSON KEEPS MOVING ON UP FOR 'WOLVES

Al Jefferson has been keeping head coach Randy Wittman smiling since being acquired in the trade that sent Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics for five players and two draft picks.

Jefferson is the only player who flourished in Minnesota since the deal and currently leads the team in points (22.6), rebounds (10.3) and field-goal percentage (52.2). Jefferson led all scorers with 25 points in Wednesday's win over the Philadelphia 76ersat home, snapping an eight-game losing streak and lifting Minnesota to a 2-8 mark.

Minnesota, which finished with only 22 wins last season, will welcome Garnett back to the Twin Cities on Friday. Garnett played 12 seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to Boston during the summer. He returned to the Target Center in February, but was unable to play because of an abdominal strain. Now Garnett is back at full strength to show his old fans and teammates what they're missing.

Rookie big man Kevin Love is trying to fill the void in the middle and is having somewhat of a slow start. Love is averaging 8.8 points and 6.3 boards this season, and made his first-career start in a 121-109 loss against Sacramento on November 7. Love played more than 30 minutes and registered a season-high 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Love is still a work in progress, but is getting more than enough experience for a Minnesota team short on talent.

The T-Wolves will shoot for a season high two straight wins Friday versus Garnett and the Celtics. Minnesota will also close out a two-game homestand at the Target Center, where it is just 2-3 this season. At least that's better than an 0-for-5 clip as the visitor.

<< Motherwell hoping to rediscover scoring touch
Motherwell, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It has been nearly 300 minutes since Motherwell has scored a goal in league play, and the team will try to snap that streak on Saturday at home against Hibernian. Mark McGhee's Motherwell put tog

<< Juventus aims to keep momentum going against Inter
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juventus carries a five-game winning streak in Serie A play into its top-three showdown against Inter Milan on Saturday at the San Siro with the two sides separated by only three points. It looked like th

<< Aston Villa takes aim at top four
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In recent seasons, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have had a near stranglehold on the top four places in the Premiership, but Aston Villa is poised to challenge those heavywe

<< Streaking Ajax confident ahead of AZ test
Alkmaar, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marco van Basten's Ajax side is brimming with confidence as they head to DSB Stadion to face fourth-place AZ Alkmaar on Sunday. After taking just seven points from its first five games under V

<< Heisman Showdown
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There are still a couple of weeks left in the 2008 college football season and with it, the Heisman Trophy remains up for grabs. The list of candidates has dwindled down significantly over the last m

Gallas captaincy in doubt >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsene Wenger is facing mounting pressure to strip William Gallas of the Arsenal captaincy following the outspoken Frenchman's latest verbal attack on his teammates. Gallas, 31, who has previously

Report: White Sox sign Cuban defector Viciedo >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox have reportedly agreed to terms on a lucrative contract with 19-year-old Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo. Viciedo, considered to be a five-tool talent at third base, defected from

Schuster won't quit Real >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bullish Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster insists he has never considered resigning despite the club's inconsistent form leading to speculation that he is close to the sack. Real's sporting director, Pr

Xavi reveals new Barca deal is close >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona midfielder Xavi has paved the way for a resolution is his contract negotiations with the club after admitting he wants to end his career at the Camp Nou. The 28-year-old Spain inter

Milito won't rule out Real >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Genoa striker Diego Milito is refusing to rule out a potential January move to Real Madrid. Milito has already been the subject of a rejected approach from the Spanish giants, who are keen to land a ne


Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards









Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends

We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS.  Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned.  For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go.  As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190).  Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”.   By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet.  For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction.  On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later.  Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick.  Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com

New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors

Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
 New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season. 
 
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls

Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times. 
 
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons

Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season. 
 
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers

In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS. 
 
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”.  With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit.  Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your basketball sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.