Johnson and Syracuse hold off Connecticut
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/11/2010 - Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wes Johnson hit the go-ahead free throws with 33.5 seconds left in regulation, as No. 2 Syracuse held off a late Connecticut rally to upend the Huskies, 72-67, in an exciting Big East tussle.
Johnson ended with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph chipped in 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Orange (24-1, 11-1 Big East), who have rattled off 11 straight wins since their lone loss to Pittsburgh on January 2nd. Jerome Dyson scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds but missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer down the stretch to send the Huskies (14-10, 4-7) to their fourth loss in five games.
Stanley Robinson posted 16 points and seven boards, while Kemba Walker scored 14 points in the setback.
The last time these programs met was in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament last year, when Syracuse outlasted Connecticut in a memorable 127-117 victory after six thrilling overtime sessions.
Only 40 minutes were needed Wednesday, but the excitement in the Carrier Dome matched that of Madison Square Garden a year ago, as their beloved Orange opened up a 50-34 lead following a Jackson jumper with under 14 minutes remaining in regulation.
UConn fought back though, scoring 14 of the next 16 points to pull within 52-48 on Dyson's bucket off an offensive rebound with 8 1/2 minutes to play. It was nip-and-tuck from that point on.
Johnson's dunk from the baseline yielded a 65-62 Syracuse edge with 3 1/2 minutes showing, but the Huskies controlled a loose ball after a miss from Dyson, who got the ball back and canned a tying three-pointer from the left wing.
After a Johnson miss, UConn had several opportunities to take the lead but couldn't get the ball to go down. Following Dyson's out-of-control drive in the lane, Syracuse called timeout with 46 seconds left.
Immediately out of the break, Andy Rautins missed a quick three from the right corner, though Jackson corralled the rebound. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim then called timeout before Scoop Jardine drove the lane and missed a layup in traffic, and Johnson was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass, hitting both freebies with 33.5 seconds left.
"I saw Scoop with the ball [and] I wondered where he was going, but he didn't know where he was going. That's why I called timeout," Boeheim said.
At the other end, Dyson missed a deep three from roughly the same spot he hit from to tie it, and the Orange made enough free throws the rest of the way to seal another memorable win.
"We were very fortunate to win because they made a great comeback," Boeheim added.
Arinze Onuaku broke a 13-all tie for Syracuse at the 11:20 mark of the first half with a three-point play, which ignited a 15-6 run over the next 4 1/2 minutes, as Brandon Triche's three-ball resulted in a 28-19 lead for the hosts.
Syracuse continued to play front-runner and led 37-30 at the break. The Orange appeared to take full control when they scored 13 of the first 17 points of the second half, but the Huskies did not go that easily.
Game Notes
The Huskies are winless in all six true road contests this season...Rautins ended with eight points and five assists, while Triche had eight and four for the Orange, who made just 3-of-13 from behind the arc but made 23-of-28 from the foul line...Gavin Edwards chipped in 12 points for Connecticut, which made 38.8 percent from the floor and 11-of-17 from the stripe...Syracuse had 20 turnovers, compared to 17 for UConn.
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Scheyer ended with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists and sparked a late Duke run, as the eighth-ranked Blue Devils took this year's first edition of the Battle of Tobacco Road, 64-54,
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<< Udoh helps Baylor sneak past Nebraska
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Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, February 13. Race: DRIVE4COPD 300. Site: Homestead-Miami Speedway. Track: 2.5-mile tri-oval. Start time: 1:15 p.m. (et). Laps: 120. Miles: 300. 2009 winner: Tony St
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clinched a fourth consecutive Horizon League title, and they will attempt to
remain hot in tonight's clash with the Youngstown State Penguins.
The Bulldogs are a
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Bulldogs tonight at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING
NCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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Super Bowl 2009 Betting
Super 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.
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