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Hawks, Pacers clash in DixieBasketball Betting Lines03/28/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks hope to bounce back from an uncharacteristic performance when they host the suddenly streaking Indiana Pacers on Sunday. The Hawks laid an egg in Philadelphia on Friday, losing to the woeful 76ers. Andre Iguodala finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in that one to lead the Sixers to a surprising 105-98 win. Josh Smith and Joe Johnson each had 20 points to pace the Hawks, who have lost three consecutive road contests. Atlanta has already clinched a playoff spot, however, but lost ground in the Southeast Division race. The Hawks entered the contest 3 1/2 games behind first-place Orlando, but fell another game back after the Magic beat Minnesota on Friday. Atlanta does have a magic number of five to lock up home-court advantage in the first round. The Pacers, meanwhile, won their season-high fifth straight game on Friday when Danny Granger made 14-of-23 field goals en route to a career-high 44 points while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out five assists, as Indiana used a big second half to defeat the Utah Jazz, 122-106, at Conseco Fieldhouse. Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush each added 14 points for the Pacers, who set a franchise mark for three-pointers made with 17. Indiana is now nine games behind Toronto for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Raptors lost 97-96 to the Nuggets on Friday. A.J. Price and Josh McRoberts donated 12 and 11 points off the bench, respectively, for the Pacers, who outscored the Jazz, 68-45, in the second half. "A terrific win for us. I'm very proud of our guys," Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien said. "The biggest statistic is we held them to 28 points in the paint and the last five games they've averaged 57 points. We made 17 threes. So when you can space the court it opens things for Danny (Granger)." The Hawks, who have won seven straight overall at Philips Arena, have beaten Indiana five straight times.
<< Bucks host desperate Grizzlies
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Bucks are virtually assured of a postseason berth in the Eastern Conference but the outlook is growing gloomier by the day for the Memphis Grizzlies out West as the two teams get ready to meet in Brew City.
<< Cavs welcome Kings to the "Q"
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<< Flyers try to avoid sixth straight loss in clash with Devils
Bulls take playoff push to Auburn Hills; face Pistons >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls shoot for their second win in as many nights against an inferior foe as they hope to tighten the race for the Eastern Conference's last playoff spot. The Bulls, who topped the lowly Nets in Chicago last n
Magic and Nuggets collide at Amway Arena >>
Heat host Raptors in key Eastern Conference matchup >>
Streaking Suns visit woeful Wolves >>
Blazers head to Oklahoma City for big Western Conference clash >>
Super Bowl 2009 BettingSuper Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder. Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while. Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books. If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl. Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX. By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI. In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite. So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs. While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl. There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog. In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl: SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots. XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired. XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers. Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard |
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