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Cavs return home to host PistonsBasketball Betting Lines03/21/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Central Division champion and NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the cozy confines of Quicken Loans Arena tonight, when they play host to the rival Detroit Pistons. The top-seeded Cavs have won six in a row overall, six straight as the host and 28 of their last 30 home games, averaging 105.2 points on .509 shooting in that time on the home floor. They just handed the Chicago Bulls a 92-85 loss in the Windy City on Friday, as superstar LeBron James pumped in 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Cleveland, which is 12-1 in its last 13 games overall and got 18 points from Mo Williams. "We couldn't find our rhythm offensively tonight," James said one game after becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 15,000 points (25 years, 79 days in 540 games), surpassing Kobe Bryant at 27 years, 136 days and 657 games. "We missed a lot of easy shots that we usually make. That caused them to stay in the game." Williams is posting 16.0 points over his past five games. Delonte West and Jawad Williams each chipped in 10 points in the hard-fought victory. The Cavs hope to improve their league-best 30-4 home mark this evening. After having the best home record last season at 39-2, Cleveland is trying to hold the top home ledger in consecutive seasons for only the 14th time in NBA history. Since the start of the 2008-09 campaign, the Cavaliers are 69-6 at home. Detroit faces a tall task on the road Sunday and will close out a brief road trip. It has lost four in a row overall and eight straight as the guest, including Friday's 106-102 setback at Indiana's Conseco Fieldhouse. Rodney Stuckey had a big game in his return to action, scoring 25 points off the bench. Stuckey had missed the last six games after collapsing on the bench during a March 5 game at Cleveland. Ben Gordon finished with 17 points, seven boards and six assists for the Pistons, who have dropped 11 of their past 13 contests. "I thought we fought back with the second group that came in and we did a pretty good job at the end," Stuckey said. "(It was) defense. We just came in and tried to bother them a little bit. We just came in and played hard." DaJuan Summers had 12 points in defeat, as Detroit dropped to 7-27 away from The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Cavs have won the first three meetings of the 2009-10 season with Detroit and are shooting for a series sweep tonight. Cleveland has won six in a row against the Pistons, who are winless in their last three trips to the 'Q'.
<< Spurs, Hawks tangle in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of playoff-caliber teams get together this evening at Philips Arena in Atlanta, where the Hawks will try to snap a seven-game losing streak to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have also won 10 of the last 11
<< Lakers welcome Wizards to Staples Center
<< Rockets begin trip at New York
<< Durant, Thunder visit Pacers in Indy
<< Blazers make a stop in Phoenix
Kings visit Clippers without rookie Evans >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Sacramento Kings will be without leading scorer and Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans for this afternoon's game against the Pacific Division-rival Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Evans injured
Rangers, Bruins fight for playoff spot in Boston >>
Flames try to boost playoff chances in St. Paul >>
Sabres close road trip in Carolina >>
Panthers host Bolts in Sunrise >>
Betting the NFL preseasonRule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games." When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night. The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine. “I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.” The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark. “We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.” The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long. “It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.” Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play. “You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt." So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps? “Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says. Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins. Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter. “If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says. Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider. The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason. “We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003. Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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