Clippers resume road trip in Orlando
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02/06/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A possible trade destination for Dwight Howard is Los Angeles with the revamped Clippers. For now, however, Howard is still property of the Orlando Magic, who will open a three-game homestand tonight versus the Clippers at Amway Center.
Howard, the subject of trade rumors during this compressed season, and the Magic will also host the Southeast Division-rival Heat and Hawks on the homestand and are slated to play six of the next seven games in central Florida. Orlando is 8-4 as the host and is coming off of Saturday's 85-81 win in Indiana behind Howard's 27 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson had 17 and 12 points, respectively, for the Magic, who are unbeaten (3-0) since losing four straight.
"Both teams played really, really hard. When you have these kinds of schedules in the league you're going to have some games like that," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It was our ninth game in 13 days and their ninth in 14. Basically nobody could make a shot and there were 41 turnovers in the game."
The Magic played without Jameer Nelson for the fifth straight game. He is listed day-to-day with concussion-like symptoms and hasn't played since a loss at New Orleans on Jan. 27. Orlando forward Glen Davis is eligible to return from a two-game suspension Monday because of conduct detrimental to the team.
Magic forward Quentin Richardson was ejected from Saturday's game following an altercation in the third quarter. Richardson, who had eight points in less than 14 minutes, came face-to-face with, and then shoved Pacers forward Danny Granger in front of the Orlando bench during a stoppage in play.
Orlando made 9-of-25 three-pointers against the Pacers and is shooting .386 (226-586) from beyond the arc this season.
Los Angeles will continue its 11-day, six-game road trip tonight and opened the trek with Saturday's 107-81 blasting of the Washington Wizards.
Blake Griffin recorded 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while DeAndre Jordan added 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the Clippers, who are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead and won for the fifth time in six games. Chris Paul had two points and seven assists, and has been clicking with Griffin and the rest of the Clippers.
"It's getting better and better," Griffin said of his chemistry with Paul. "No one ever comes in an just clicks like that right away. We knew it was going to take time. We weathered the storm, so to speak. I think now we're starting to pick it up a little bit."
Mo Williams had 17 points and eight assists, Caron Butler scored 14 and Chauncey Billups added 12 points in a winning effort. Butler was facing his former Wizards teams since he was traded to Dallas in 2010. Los Angeles will also visit the Cavs, Sixers, Bobcats and Mavs on the trek and is 4-4 on the road as opposed to a 10-3 home ledger.
The Clippers are 5-1 against the East this season and could unveil new addition Kenyon Martin tonight. Martin was signed on Friday and played for the Xinjiang Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout. He was contractually obligated to wait until the end of the Tigers' season before returning to the NBA. Martin was cleared to play by FIBA, basketball's international governing body, on Thursday and averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 48 games last season with the Denver Nuggets.
"Kenyon is the ultimate competitor and a key acquisition," stated club vice president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. "We expect that he will provide additional experience, passion and professionalism, as well as some important depth to our front court."
Los Angeles lost both meetings with Orlando a season ago and is winless in the last nine matchups between the two teams. The Clippers have lost five straight at Orlando. Howard is averaging 18.4 points and 13.1 rebounds in 14 career games against the Clippers. Paul has faced the Magic eight times in his career, posting 18.0 points and 8.5 assists in that time.
Toluca, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mauro Cejas converted a penalty kick in the 90th minute as Pachuca rallied from three goals behind to stun Toluca, 4-3, on Sunday in Mexico's Clausura. Toluca built a three-goal lead after 17 minutes on an
<< Howard-less Red Wings aim for win in Phoenix
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Not having their starting goaltender over the weekend did
little to help Detroit shake off its road issues. However, a trip to Phoenix
just might do the trick.
The Red Wings look to record a sweep of their season series wi
<< Flames try for rare win in Anaheim
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames took care of business at home on Friday
before hitting the road for a few games. The task gets a little daunting right
off the bat tonight as they aim for their first victory against the Ducks at
Anaheim in
<< Thunder invade Portland's Rose Garden
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West's best faces a tough test tonight as Oklahoma City
resumes a five-game road trip against a Portland team that has been dominant
in Rip City.
The Thunder are an NBA-best 18-5 despite losing the opener of their
<< Nuggets target a win vs. visiting Rockets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The suddenly shaky Denver Nuggets will try to avoid a
season-high third straight loss tonight when they welcome the Houston Rockets
to Pepsi Center.
The Nuggets, who are opening up a three-game homestand, have dro
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The superstars keep rolling into South Philly and Los Angeles Lakers stud Kobe Bryant is next on the A-list when he leads his team against the 76ers tonight from Wells Fargo Center. Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, LeBron Jame
Bulls continue lengthy road trip vs. Nets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of a nine-game road trip
and will continue the lengthy trek tonight against the New Jersey Nets.
Chicago improved to 3-2 thus far on the road swing following Saturday's 113-90
victory at
Hawks hope to get healthy vs. Suns >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Known to be a formidable foe on their own court, the
Atlanta Hawks have stumbled a bit during a four-game homestand and look to
restore order at Philips Arena tonight versus the Phoenix Suns.
The Hawks have lost the first
Stoudemire deals with tragedy as Knicks host Jazz >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Utah Jazz haven't fared so well lately in the Big Apple
and hope to reverse those fortunes tonight against a shorthanded New York
Knicks team at historic Madison Square Garden.
Amare Stoudemire will miss tonight's game
Raptors seek another win over Wizards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards meet for the
second time in four nights this evening, as the two teams do battle at the
Verizon Center this evening.
These two bottom feeders met on Friday in Toronto and Leandro
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The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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