Marion leads Mavs to 12th straight victory
Basketball Betting Lines
03/08/2010 -
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shawn Marion posted 29 points to go with 14
rebounds, pacing the Mavericks to their 12th straight victory in a 125-112
decision over the lowly Timberwolves.
Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler added 24 and 23 points, respectively, for
Dallas, which is in the midst of its longest winning streak in three seasons.
Jason Kidd ended with 12 points and 10 assists for the victors.
Minnesota's Al Jefferson returned for a two-game suspension for a suspected
DWI and scored 36 points on 16-of-21 shooting while pulling down 13 rebounds.
Ryan Hollins had 13 points and nine boards before being ejected late in the
game for Minnesota, which has dropped six straight overall and ninth straight
at the Target Center against the Mavs.
Minnesota actually got out to a fast start, as Jefferson scored 11 points in
the first five minutes, hitting a turnaround jumper for a 19-9 lead.
The Mavs countered with a 23-4 flurry over the next five minutes to take
control. Marion had 10 points during the stretch, and Dallas led 34-27 at the
first-quarter buzzer.
It was a double-digit game for most of the second quarter, and Dallas' 71-61
lead at halftime fell to seven, 77-70, following a Hollins dunk near the nine-
minute mark of the third.
Again the visitors had an answer, scoring 12 of the next 13 points, as a
Nowitzki bucket yielded an 89-71 lead midway through the frame.
Dallas owned a 97-84 advantage with 12 minutes to play, and the closest the
T'Wolves got in the fourth was 10.
Down 112-102 with under four minutes left, Hollins caught Nowitzki with an
elbow going after a rebound and was subsequently ejected. Earlier in the game,
he got away with a similar forearm to the face of DeShawn Stevenson.
Nowitzki, who earlier in the day was awarded the Player of the Week in the
Western Conference for the period ending March 7, hit the ensuing four free
throws and the Mavs cruised from there.
Game Notes
The last time the Mavs tasted defeat was on February 16 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are on their longest win streak since a franchise-best 17-
game run from January 27-March 11, 2007...Rodrigue Beaubois ended with 11
points for the Mavs, who made half of their 96 field goal attempts...Jonny
Flynn posted 13 points and eight assists for Minnesota, which won the battle
on the glass, 54-39.
<< Siena captures third straight MAA title
Albany, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edwin Ubiles recorded a game-high 27 points
along with seven rebounds to help the Sienna Saints past the Fairfield Stags
in overtime, 72-65, to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament
Champio
<< Turco, Stars snap Capitals' home streak in SO
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Loui Eriksson scored in the fifth round of
the shootout and Marty Turco stopped a career-high 49 shots as Dallas rallied
in the third and ended Washington's 13-game home-winning streak with a 4-3 win
at Veri
<< Raiders release injury-prone Walker; Ellis let go as well
Alameda, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Raiders released wide receiver
Javon Walker on Monday, as well as veteran defensive end Greg Ellis.
Walker inked a six-year, $55-million contract with Oakland prior to the 2008
campaign but
<< Old Dominion takes down William & Mary for CAA title
Richmond, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Darius scored 12 points and Kent
Bazemore added 10 points and five assists, as Old Dominion held on to claim
the Colonial Athletic Association tournament title with a 60-53 win over
William
<< Cavs edge Spurs without LeBron
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mo Williams had 17 points, eight rebounds and
eight assists, as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the San Antonio Spurs, 97-95,
in a matchup between shorthanded teams.
The Cavaliers rested LeBron James for a se
Nets still searching for winning streak, fall to Grizzlies >>
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rudy Gay and Mike Conley each scored 21 points
to push the Memphis Grizzlies past the New Jersey Nets, 107-101, at the FedEx
Forum.
Gay grabbed 10 rebounds, while Marc Gasol also tallied a double-double wi
Gallinari and Knicks squeak past Atlanta >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danilo Gallinari made four three-pointers and
finished with a game-high 27 points, as the New York Knicks escaped with a
99-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden.
David Lee contributed a
Hornets hold off Warriors >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David West and Marcus Thornton each scored
28 points, as the New Orleans Hornets held on for a 135-131 win over the
Golden State Warriors.
Rookie Darren Collison finished with 16 points and a caree
Siena captures third straight MAAC title >>
Albany, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edwin Ubiles recorded a game-high 27 points
along with seven rebounds to help the Siena Saints past the Fairfield Stags
in overtime, 72-65, to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament
Champio
St. Mary's upsets No. 18 Gonzaga for WCC title >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mickey McConnell and Ben Allen each hit four
three-pointers to key the Gaels' terrific shooting effort, as St. Mary's
downed No. 18 Gonzaga, 81-62, to capture the West Coast Conference Tournament
title.
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.
It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.
NFL Football Betting Online
Is 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.
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