Beehive State showdown pits Utes against Cougars
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
01/30/2010 - Provo, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off just their second loss of the season, the 12th-ranked BYU Cougars try to work their way back into the win column tonight as they face off against in-state rival Utah at the Marriott Center in Provo.
On Wednesday night, the Cougars had their lengthy 15-game win streak (the longest in the nation at the time) snapped as they took a minor tumble against the New Mexico Lobos, 76-72, in The Pit in Albuquerque. The defeat was the first in conference play obviously, so at this stage BYU is still at the top of the standings as the only program with a single setback.
Meanwhile, the Utes were also in action three nights ago and they too were defeated by a Mountain West foe as they suffered a 75-69 setback versus Wyoming in Laramie. The defeat was the second in the last three games for a Utah squad that has been alternating wins and losses for the last six outings overall and is now an even 3-3 in conference as a result.
BYU, which has won 17 consecutive games at the Marriott Center over the last two seasons, won the most recent meeting by a score of 63-50 last year in Provo, but still the Utes cling to a 125-123 advantage in the all-time series.
Turnovers proved to be the difference in the meeting with Wyoming earlier this week, as Utah suffered 19 miscues en route to the six-point loss at Arena Auditorium. Carlon Brown had a huge game off the bench as he tallied a game- high 31 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the field and 10-of-14 at the free-throw line, followed by Marshall Henderson and Jay Watkins with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Aside from Henderson, the other four starters for the Utes combined to post a meager seven points. Brown is now averaging a team-best 13.9 ppg overall this season, his average against conference foes coming in slightly higher at 14.8 ppg. Henderson now accounts for 11.3 ppg over the course of 20 games, even though he has made a mere 37.1 percent of his field goal attempts. Add Luka Drca (10.6 ppg) to the list of double-digit scorers, and the threesome combine for 38 of the team's 44 made three-point baskets in conference play thus far.
The Cougars came up a bit cold in the first half of their meeting with New Mexico, shooting just 31.3 percent from the floor and 3-of-10 behind the three-point line. In the second half, BYU improved on both of those numbers, but still had trouble holding off a spirited UNM squad in enemy territory. Jimmer Fredette tallied a team-best 27 points on 4-of-6 shooting behind the three-point line, while Jonathan Tavernari made good on 3-of-5 tries from beyond the arc as he arrived at 17 points off the bench. Noah Hartsock chipped in 10 points and seven boards as well. Fredette, who earlier in the season had a 49-point game, is now scoring 20.5 ppg while handing out a team-best 102 assists and pulling down almost three rebounds per game. Jackson Emery (12.2 ppg) and Tyler Haws (12.1 ppg) have also been key factors in the team's success this season. As a unit, the Cougars have connected on an astounding 50 percent of their field goal attempts and 41.6 percent beyond the arc, not to mention 77.7 percent at the free-throw line.
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off their biggest win of the season, the 23rd-ranked New Mexico Lobos try to keep the good times rolling as they battle the TCU Horned Frogs in a Mountain West Conference clash at Daniel- Meyer Coliseum
<< Blue Devils visit Hoyas in Top-10 showdown
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of top-10 teams take a break from
their respective conference schedules to square off in our nation's capital,
when eight-ranked Duke and seventh-ranked Georgetown collide at the Verizon
Center.
Du
<< Bears and 'Horns meet in clash of ranked Big 12 adversaries
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-25 foes meet up in Austin this afternoon, as
the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns welcome the 24th-ranked Baylor Bears to the
Erwin Center for a key Big 12 matchup.
The Longhorns were ranked number one in the co
<< Yellow Jackets host Thorobreds in obvious mismatch
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
take a break from ACC action to take on the seemingly overmatched Kentucky
State Thorobreds.
Kentucky State competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conferen
<< Zags and Dons square off in San Francisco
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs carry a
nine-game winning streak into tonight's West Coast Conference battle with the
San Francisco Dons.
On December 19th, Gonzaga was completely embarrassed in a 76-41 l
Rosemont, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams at opposite ends of the Big East spectrum meet up at Allstate Arena this afternoon, as fourth-ranked Syracuse looks to continue its torrid pace against struggling DePaul. Jim Boeheim's 34-year tenure
No. 25 UAB entertains UTEP >>
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked UAB Blazers will try to keep
their lock on the top spot in the Conference USA standings tonight, as they
host the Texas-El Paso Miners at Bartow Arena.
The Blazers are in the midst of a stret
Top-ranked Wildcats hope to put first loss behind them >>
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats attempt to
put some distance between themselves and their lone loss on the season, as
they welcome the 21st-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores to Lexington this afternoon
for an SEC sh
Spartans put perfect home and league marks on line against Wildcats >>
East Lansing, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Michigan State Spartans
put perfect home and league marks on the line tonight, as they entertain the
Northwestern Wildcats in Big Ten Conference action at the Breslin Center in
East Lansing.
Bobcats on the prowl in Sacramento >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats will continue their road trip tonight
against the Sacramento Kings at ARCO Arena.
The Bobcats have won two straight since a three-game slide and improved to 2-1
on the six-game trek following Frida
Betting Football
NFL Football Betting OnlineIs there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
Problem with Bears?
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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