 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Avs visit Kings for crucial Western battleHockey Betting Lines03/22/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After finishing as the bottom two teams in the Western Conference a season ago, both the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings will be trying to better their playoff positioning tonight when they begin a home-and-home set at Staples Center. The Kings come into this contest one point up on the Avalanche for the Western Conference's sixth seed with one game in hand. And while Colorado will be looking to overtake Los Angeles in this key set, the Kings are just two points back of the fifth-place Predators in the standings with three games in hand. Los Angeles has won just three of its last eight games but is coming off Saturday's 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Brad Richardson scored with 6:25 left in the first period and Jonathan Quick made it stand up with 26 saves. "There are things that do not end up on a score sheet but are invaluable to a team," Quick said. "I think it was a great game, a great third period. Having the lead and not giving it up, and the way we played, the way we killed penalties gives the team a little boost of confidence after these past two games." Quick's fourth shutout of the season and eighth of his career improved the Kings to 1-2-0 on a four-game homestand and 20-12-3 as the host club this season. Los Angeles is now also 27-0-0 when leading after two periods. One of Quick's four whitewashes this year came at the expense of the Avalanche, a 3-0 victory at Staples Center on Feb. 13 in the first meeting of the season between the clubs. Los Angeles will visit Colorado on Wednesday before the two teams close out their respective regular seasons in Denver on April 11. The Avalanche have lost two straight but also just three of their last nine to the Kings overall. Colorado has also won five of its last eight in Los Angeles. The Avs will try to snap a two-game slide tonight as they look to avoid their first three-game skid since Jan. 28-31. After a one-goal setback to Calgary on Wednesday, Colorado dropped a 5-2 decision in Anaheim on Sunday. Darcy Tucker and Ruslan Salei each had a goal for the Avalanche, while Paul Stastny had his nine-game point streak come to an end. Stastny had notched five goals and 11 helpers over his impressive run. "We've got to be better at the start," said Colorado captain Adam Foote. "At this time of year, teams are coming out of the gates playing hard." Craig Anderson was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots in 32-plus minutes and Peter Budaj made 13 saves the rest of the way. It is unknown who will be in net tonight but Anderson stopped 20-of-23 shots faced in the loss to the Kings earlier this season. Colorado, which is also six points back of first-place Vancouver in the Northwest Division with a game in hand, has lost five of its last eight on the road.
<< Celtics visit Jazz in marquee interconference matchup
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics conclude a three-game road trip tonight against the Utah Jazz hoping to creep closer to a third straight Atlantic Division title. The division crown is a virtual foregone conclusion for the C's, who hold
<< Heat pay a visit to lowly Nets
<< Streaking Habs play host to skidding Sens
<< Hawks, Bucks tangle at the Bradley Center
<< Pens make first trip to Detroit since Cup-clinching victory
Grizzlies to start up critical trek in Sacramento >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Memphis Grizzlies have been playing pretty solid basketball this month, but their postseason hopes continue to wane in the tough Western Conference as they get ready to visit the Sacramento Kings tonight. The Grizzlie
High-scoring Suns ready for clash with struggling Warriors >>
2nd former Seton Hall player pleads not guilty >>
Indians DH Travis Hafner back in swing >>
Mariners P Lee to play catch then be re-evaluated >>
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.
NFL Football Office Pool Printable Schedules |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
