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Bulls continue playoff push with trip to MinnesotaBasketball Betting Lines02/19/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Chicago Bulls pulled off a few trades on Thursday that will make them contenders in the upcoming free agent market, they are still very much alive in this season's playoff race. Fresh off dealing Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons in separate trades, Chicago will try for a third straight victory in this evening's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Bulls were able to clear salary yesterday by dealing Salmons to Milwaukee, along with a pair of second-round picks, for forwards Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander. An even bigger deal went down later in the day, when Chicago ended Thomas' disappointing run in the Windy City, shipping the fourth overall pick of the 2006 draft to Charlotte for guards Acie Law and Flip Murray as well as a future first-round pick. The 23-year-old Thomas had career averages of 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his 254-game career with Chicago. By acquiring a host of expiring contracts, Chicago is now in position to make a major run at the upcoming free agent class, which could include the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson. The Bulls will hope to pair one of those players with their own star in guard Derrick Rose, who has played well since the All-Star break despite suffering a right hip injury last week. The top pick of the 2008 draft was well enough to score eight points in 15- plus minutes at last weekend's All-Star Game. Rose was then worked back into action slowly by Chicago following the break, though he made the most of his 27 minutes Tuesday versus the New York Knicks. Rose dropped 29 points in a 118-85 home win that night, then posted 27 points in close to 40 minutes of work in Wednesday's 115-109 triumph at New York to complete the home-and-home sweep. "Everything is going smooth for me," Rose said. "We're playing good basketball right now." Luol Deng added 23 points in Wednesday's win, Brad Miller notched 19 of his 21 points in the second half and Taj Gibson donated 14 points and a career-best 16 rebounds as Chicago moved a game over .500 (27-26) by winning for the fourth time in five games. The Bulls will also try to keep up their solid road play as of late. Chicago, which is tied with Miami for sixth in the East, has won seven of its last nine as the guest following a 4-15 road start this season. Chicago may find it tough to extend its strong road play, as it has lost four trips to Minnesota, where it hasn't won since February 13, 2005. However, the Bulls did log a 110-96 home victory over Minnesota on January 9 to halt the Timberwolves' three-game series winning streak. Rose was held to just eight points in that win, while Joakim Noah -- currently sidelined with a left foot injury -- had 20 points. Chicago now visits a Minnesota team that has lost four straight and is just 6-18 over its last 24 games. The Timberwolves used a big fourth-quarter run to pull ahead of Washington on Wednesday, taking a 91-87 lead after a 16-1 burst, but couldn't hold off the Wizards in what ended up being a 108-99 setback. Al Jefferson had 18 points and seven rebounds for Minnesota, which received a 13-point, 13-rebound effort from Kevin Love in his 24th double-double of the season. Ryan Gomes and Jonny Flynn added 16 and 15 points, respectively. "Guys aren't doing the right things to get wins," Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis said of his struggling club. Minnesota, which traded forward Brian Cardinal to the Knicks on Wednesday for center Darko Milicic and cash considerations, has won three of four and five of its last eight at home.
<< Stoudemire, Suns play host to Hawks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and Phoenix All- Star center Amare Stoudemire remains in the desert as the Suns prepare to host the Atlanta Hawks tonight. Stoudemire, who has the right to opt out of his contr
<< Celtics, Blazers square off at the Rose Garden
<< Jazz make a stop in Golden State
<< Revamped Bucks visit Pistons
<< Spurs continue road trip versus 76ers
Magic take on Mavs in battle of division leaders >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of first-place clubs meet this evening in Orlando, where the Magic play host to the Dallas Mavericks at Amway Arena looking to win for the ninth time in their last 11 contests. Orlando, which holds a 1 1/2-game lead
Pacers try to end slide against slumping Hornets >>
Woods: "I am so sorry" >>
Nationals win arbitration case with Burnett >>
Memo to UEFA: Ovrebro must go >>
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.
MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL linesNow that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow. Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season. Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints. These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order. As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS. The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens. The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers. MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds: Saints +6 @ Colts -6 Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em) Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em) Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5 Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1 Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3 Patriots -5 @ Jets +5 Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5 Steelers -4 @ Browns +4 Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6 Bears +6 @ Chargers -6 Lions +3 @ Raiders -3 Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5 Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4 Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3 Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3 Super Bowl line (2008) NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5 MySportsbook is a large, publicly traded company with strong financial backing. You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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