Spurs resume road trip against Lakers
Basketball Betting Lines
02/08/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs face the toughest test of their annual Rodeo Road Trip when they face the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center tonight.
Each year around this time the Spurs hit the road while the annual San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo takes over the AT&T Center.
Gregg Popovich's team set up temporary residence in Hollywood on Saturday and improved to 2-1 on its season-long eight-game trek when George Hill scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and the Spurs notched their 15th straight win over the Clippers with a 98-81 blowout win.
Tony Parker added 14 points and 14 assists for the Spurs, who have not lost to the Clippers since March 7, 2006. Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner each contributed 11 points in the resounding victory.
"It was important to come out and play better, and we did that," said Spurs forward Manu Ginobili. "George (Hill) has been a huge key for us; it's hard to imagine us not in the playoffs, so every win is important."
Historically, the long trips have actually been very successful for San Antonio, which has compiled a 42-17 mark in the Rodeo Road Trips since the club moved into the AT&T Center.
The Lakers, meanwhile, keep chugging along and improved to a Western Conference-best 39-13 on Saturday by dispatching the Trail Blazers, 99-82, in Portland on Saturday.
Ron Artest poured in 21 points and Lamar Odom contributed 10 points and tied a career-best with 22 rebounds, as the Lakers overcame the absence of Kobe Bryant to win in the Rose City for the first time in nearly five years.
The Lakers came into the game having lost nine in a row at the Rose Garden, but used a 47-30 rebounding advantage to end that skid. It was their first win in Portland since Feb. 23, 2005.
Bryant, who is averaging 28 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season, sat due to a sprained left ankle, ending a string of 235 consecutive games played. The 12-time All-Star last missed a game on March 7, 2007, due to a suspension.
"Kobe followed me in the coaches room and said 'I'm thinking about not playing' and I said 'it's OK if you don't,'" Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I went back in and saw him 10 minutes later and he said 'yeah I think I should take it off' and so we did and went from there."
Shannon Brown tallied 19 points and Derek Fisher scored 14 for LA, which also received 13 points and eight boards from Pau Gasol. The Lakers won for the sixth time in eight games and did it after losing center Andrew Bynum due to a hip injury. He didn't play in the second half.
"It was a great effort, great teamwork and great outcome," Gasol said. "Obviously we don't like to see Kobe sitting out and he's been banged up, and then Andrew going down, we'll see what happens with them, but we reacted well, we just played hard and played together and the result was good, we won in a place that we haven't been able to play at all, or be successful at all."
Bryant, who hasn't missed consecutive contests since missing the first two games of the 2006-07 season with a knee injury, is listed as day-to-day while Bynum is doubtful for tonight's contest.
"I would say it (Kobe's injury status) is day-to-day," Jackson Said. "We have an opportunity here with two games before the All-Star break and there is some time there if he does need to take a longer time, we're trying to give him the liberty to do that."
The Lakers, who are a gaudy 24-4 at home, had an eight-game winning streak at Staples Center snapped in their last home encounter, a 126-113 setback to Denver on Friday. Meanwhile, San Antonio snapped a two-game skid to the Lakers with a 105-85 win in the Alamo City on Jan. 12.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southwest Division-leading Dallas Mavericks will hit the road for three games starting with Monday's contest against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena. Dallas will also visit Denver and Oklahoma City on the roa
<< Magic, Hornets collide in Orlando
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic hope to carry the momentum from their big
win at Boston into tonight's home tilt versus the New Orleans Hornets at Amway
Arena.
Orlando posted a 96-89 triumph over the Celtics on Sunday at TD Garden, as
<< Missed opportunities cost Colts
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peyton Manning was one quarter away from
capturing his second Super Bowl title in four years, but the four-time league
MVP didn't get enough support from his teammates, and in the end a costly
interce
<< Brees brings home MVP to the Big Easy
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a city that has struggled in both the world of
sports and in day-to-day life, Drew Brees has brought a smile to the faces of
the New Orleans residents.
The party will be rocking for the next few days in the B
<< Line of Scrimmage: Saints' Night, Manning's Nightmare
Miami Gardens, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Raise your umbrella and your Hurricane
glass to the New Orleans Saints, who are Super Bowl XLIV champions because
they were flat-out better than the Colts in an incredible, exhilarating upset
victory that ca
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Panthers take a break from their Big East Conference schedule this evening to battle the Robert Morris Colonials of the Northeast Conference at the Petersen Events Center in the Steel City. R
Villanova visits West Virginia in Big East showdown >>
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off their first Big East Conference
loss of the season, the Villanova Wildcats will attempt to get back on track
in Morgantown against the West Virginia Mountaineers this evening.
Villanova dropped a 1
Jayhawks and Longhorns duke it out in Austin >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Big 12 heavyweights collide in Austin
this evening, as the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks take on the ninth-ranked Texas
Longhorns from the Frank Erwin Center.
Bill Self's Jayhawks sit atop the Big 12 stan
Ramblers try to cool off red-hot Bulldogs >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Butler Bulldogs continue their
run at a perfect Horizon League campaign tonight, as they host the Loyola
Chicago Ramblers at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs are enjoying another terrific season
Giguere seeks to continue hot streak as Leafs host Sharks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The new-look Toronto Maple Leafs will test themselves
tonight against the top team in the Western Conference, as they host the San
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The Maple Leafs ended January on a six-game losing streak
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.