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12/31/2008 - Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will try to get back on track tonight, as they close out 2008 with a non-conference bout against the Utah Runnin' Utes at the Huntsman Center.
The Bulldogs have been idle for over week now and the break couldn't have come at a better time. After starting off the season 7-0, Gonzaga has hit a bit of rough patch, dropping three of its last four outings, including two straight. Two of those setbacks came to elite programs in Arizona and UConn, but the team's most recent loss was a shocking one, as Gonzaga was upended by Portland State, 77-70, on its home floor on December 23rd. It was just the Bulldogs' third home loss since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, and it was also Portland State's first victory against a ranked foe since its basketball program was reinstated for the 1996-97 campaign.
As Utah, it wrapped up a short two-game road trip with a 60-52 triumph at UC Irvine on Saturday. The victory was the second in three games, as the team improved to 7-5 on the year. The Utes are now set to play three straight games at the Huntsman Center, where they have gone a modest 3-2 thus far.
Utah and Gonzaga met last New Year's Eve as well, with the Bulldogs notching a 61-59 victory in Spokane.
With four players averaging in double figures and the team shooting a solid 47.8 percent from the field, Gonzaga has been able to generate a hardy 77.7 ppg on the year. Josh Heytvelt currently tops the roster in scoring at 15.4 ppg and he is tied with Austin Daye for the team-lead in rebounding, with 6.1 rpg. Daye ranks second to Heytvelt with 12.9 ppg, while Matt Bouldin contributes 11.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg. Steven Gray has provided the team with a spark off the bench and he rounds out the double-digit scorers, with 10.1 ppg. In the team's prior outing, Bouldin tallied 18 points and registered four steals, but that wasn't enough for Gonzaga in a loss to Portland State. Heytvelt posted 13 points and eight boards, and Daye finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort. The Bulldogs were outscored from long distance, 36-21, and outrebounded, 39-30, in the defeat.
Much like Gonzaga, Utah has four players scoring in double figures and is shooting 47.8 percent from the floor, only it is netting a little less 71.7 ppg. Luke Nevill paces the team in both scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) and he is also making 61.4 percent of his attempts from the floor. Lawrence Borha is next in order at 10.8 ppg and he is trailed by Shaun Green and Tyler Kepkay, whom contribute 10.5 and 10.4 ppg, respectively, off the bench. On Saturday. Borha netted 18 points and Nevill notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to power the Utes over UC Irvine. The Utes drained 41.5 percent of their field goal tries and limited UC Irvine to just a 35.7 percent shooting effort from the floor.
<< Bruins place Bergeron on IR
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have placed center Patrice
Bergeron on injured reserve.
Bergeron, who played in only 10 games with Boston last season after suffering
a concussion in a contest against Philadelphia on Oct
<< Pistons shoot for 5th straight win vs. Nets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons will shoot for their fifth straight win
this afternoon when they resume a three-game homestand versus the New Jersey
Nets at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Detroit has won four in a row overall and opened
<< Raptors return home to face Nuggets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets will resume a four-game road trip
Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
The Nuggets are 1-1 so far on the trek and had a two-game winning streak
stopped after a 109-91 loss to the A
<< Magic aim to get back in win column vs. Bulls in Windy City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic will close out a three-game road trip
Wednesday afternoon against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
Orlando had a seven-game winning streak come to an end following an 88-82 loss
to the Detroit Pist
Duke puts extended win streak on the line in Durham >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils get a three-
game homestand started today, as they welcome the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds
to Cameron Indoor Stadium for a non-conference affair.
The Blue Devils, who have won 65
Spartans visit Gophers in clash of ranked Big Ten foes >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-ranked Michigan Spartans and the
21st-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers begin Big Ten Conference play this
afternoon in Minneapolis.
Michigan State has played quite well recently, as the squad has wo
Irish open Big East slate against Blue Demons >>
Rosemont, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish
invade Allstate Arena tonight, as they tussle with the DePaul Blue Demons in
the Big East opener for both teams.
The Irish return from their lengthy break and are s
Top-ranked Tar Heels bring act to Reno for clash with Wolf Pack >>
Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nevada Wolf Pack have the privilege of hosting
the nation's top-ranked team, as the North Carolina Tar Heels arrive in Reno
for tonight's non-conference clash.
North Carolina has won its first 12 games to open
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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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.”
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