Crawford helps Hawks top Wizards

Basketball Betting Lines

03/11/2010 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamal Crawford scored a team-high 29 points to lead Atlanta to a tight 105-99 victory over the lowly Wizards.

Joe Johnson and Al Horford each netted 18 points for the Hawks, who salvaged a three-game road trip following losses at Miami and New York. Mike Bibby chipped in with 16 points for the victors.

Andray Blatche ended with 30 points and 10 rebounds but had seven of Washington's 21 turnovers. JaVale McGee and Nick Young posted 20 and 17 points, respectively, in the club's fifth straight loss.

A Zaza Pachulia jumper gave Atlanta a healthy 85-73 lead less than two minutes into the final quarter.

The Wizards cut their deficit to 92-89 when Blatche capped a 10-2 run on a putback with under five minutes to play.

After trading field goals, a Bibby three-pointer and two Horford three throws moved the Hawks' cushion to 99-91.

McGee's dunk had the Wizards within 101-97 with under a minute remaining, but Blatche missed a mid-range fadeaway the next time down, and Atlanta made enough free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Washington stayed in striking distance in the first half, trailing 27-22 at the end of one quarter and 54-51 at halftime after Marvin Williams beat the buzzer with a three-pointer.

Atlanta was never down in the third quarter and took a 79-73 lead into the fourth thanks to six free throws from Crawford in the final minute.

Game Notes

The Hawks have won the past eight matchups between the teams and are unbeaten in the previous five contests at the Verizon Center...Atlanta was 8-of-17 from three-point range while Washington made just 1-of-13 from behind the arc...The Wizards won the battle on the glass, 42-29...McGee also grabbed nine rebounds, and his point total was a career-high...Mike Miller ended with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Washington.

Wwwallmusic Basketball Betting News

<< K-State tops OSU, moves into Big 12 semis
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamar Samuels scored a career-high 27 points, going 7-of-9 from the field, and pulled down 10 rebounds as ninth- ranked Kansas State blew out Oklahoma State, 83-64, in the quarterfinals of the Big

<< Capitals clinch Southeast Division
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thanks to Atlanta's 2-1 loss to Columbus on Thursday, the Washington Capitals clinched the Southeast Division crown. The Capitals had Thursday off, but were able to win the Southeast Division for the third str

<< UC Irvine hoops coach will not return
Irvine, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of California-Irvine announced on Thursday that head men's basketball coach Pat Douglass will not return next season. Douglass, who had been at the helm of the Anteaters for the last 13 seaso

<< Bulls' Rose leaves with sprained wrist
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bulls All-Star point guard Derrick Rose left Thursday's game against the Magic with a left wrist injury. Rose was driving the lane in the first quarter and ran into Orlando center Dwight Howard

<< Heat's Wright charged with DUI
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. The Miami Herald reported Wright was arrested in South Beach and was stopped early Thurs

Cross resigns at Toldeo >>
Toledo, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toldeo men's basketball coach Gene Cross has resigned his position, effective immediately, the school announced on THursday. Cross was hired on April 11, 2008 and in his two seasons at the help o

Jets agree to terms with safety Pool >>
Florham Park, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets and defensive back Brodney Pool have reached an agreement in principle on a contract on Thursday. Pool was not tendered by the Browns. A second-round draft pick in 2005 who pla

Habs clip Oilers in shootout >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrei Kostitsyn scored in the fifth round of the shootout, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Kostitsyn's was the only score of the shootout, and came when h

Rask, Bergeron power Bruins to win over Flyers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tuukka Rask stopped 31-of-32 shots to lead Boston over Philadelphia, 5-1, at Wachovia Center. Patrice Bergeron added a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who snapped a two-game slide. Marco Sturm,

Kessel's OT goal lifts Leafs over Tampa Bay >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phil Kessel scored 3:33 into overtime to give Toronto a 4-3 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Viktor Stalberg had a pair of goals, while Tyler Bozak also found the net for the Maple Leafs, who gained t

Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.