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Red-hot Raptors to receive visit from BlazersBasketball Betting Lines02/24/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Even an injury to their star forward can't slow down the Raptors. Toronto, which could be without Chris Bosh for a third straight game, will try to win for the 11th time in its last 13 games this evening versus the Portland Trail Blazers at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors' current hot stretch has them fifth overall in the Eastern Conference and they have won two straight despite Bosh missing both games with a sprained left ankle. The 25-year-old, who leads the team with averages of 24.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, will be a game-time decision for this contest after not practicing on Tuesday. Jarrett Jack stepped up in Bosh's absence, posting 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 109-104 win over Washington. Jack added eight assists and netted the first seven points of a 14-0 fourth-quarter run that turned a nine-point deficit into a five-point lead with 1:34 remaining. "We can't let games like this slip away, especially on our home court. We have to take advantage of that," said Jack. "We made some big stops on defense, it seemed to get contagious and our offense came right back and made some big shots." Antoine Wright added a season-high 19 points and Andrea Bargnani scored 18 for Toronto, which has won nine of its last 10 at home and eclipsed the 100-point mark for a franchise-best 20th straight game. The Raptors could use Bosh tonight in their first meeting with the Trail Blazers this season. Portland won both meetings in 2009-09 despite Bosh averaging 24 points in the two matchups. That includes a 98-97 victory by Portland in Toronto on December 7, 2008, with Steve Blake hitting the game- winning three-pointer with 8.9 seconds left. Blake, though, was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers last Tuesday along with Travis Outlaw for Marcus Camby, who left last night's 102-93 victory over the New Jersey Nets in the first quarter with a sprained right ankle. "[New Jersey's Brook] Lopez stepped on my ankle and my momentum went the other way, and just rolled it," said Camby, who was drafted second overall by the Raptors in 1996. "It's pretty sore right now. X-rays were negative so we'll just look at it as day-to-day," The loss of Camby again thins out Portland's front court, as it is already without centers Greg Oden (left knee) and Joel Przybilla (right knee) due to season-ending injuries. Brandon Roy led the way versus New Jersey with 28 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 27. Andre Miller was also solid with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds as Portland opened up a five-game road trip by snapping a two-game slide. Portland, which owns a two-game edge over New Orleans for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, has won three of its last four on the road. Roy averaged 23.5 points and eight assists in the two wins over Toronto last year, while Aldridge averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.
<< Bucks shoot for rare victory over Hornets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A strong February has enabled the Milwaukee Bucks to creep back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while the New Orleans Hornets' shaky play during the month has put their postseason hopes in jeopardy. The Bucks
<< Bulls aim to bounce back against Pacers
<< Wizards hope to extend hot play versus Grizzlies
<< Pistons, Clippers square off in LA
<< Sixers continue road trip in Phoenix
Timberwolves shoot for rare win in Atlanta >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to pick up a rare road victory last night, but making it two in a row might present a problem given the location of tonight's contest. Minnesota will try to snap a seven-game series los
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MySportsbook.com favors Bears, Bengals, Chargers and Colts to remain perfect LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet. Of the three remaining undefeated teams, only one, New Orleans, enters this week's game as an underdog. Despite an emotional and resounding win over Atlanta on Monday night, the Saints are a 7.5 point underdog against the struggling Carolina Panthers. Indianapolis looks to stay perfect when they face the New York Jets as a 9 point road favorite while the Cincinnati Bengals are a 6 point favorite at home to the New England Patriots. Six teams enter the week still looking for their first win, with a seventh, Tampa Bay, on a bye week. The prospect of dropping another game would not bode well for a potential playoff run. Since 1990, just three teams -- the 1992 Chargers, 1995 Detroit Lions and 1998 Buffalo Bills -- have overcome losing their first three games of the season to earn a postseason berth. And only the Chargers managed to accomplish the feat after starting 0-4. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs. Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance. Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it? If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.) Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa). In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech. Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down. (Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28) If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you. Atlantic Coast Conference Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Work left to do: Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's. Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win). Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional basketball lines can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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