March Madness: NBA style
Basketball Betting Lines
03/17/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When watching the NCAA Tournament, I'm not
holding my breath waiting for Cinderella to appear like most of America.
Nope, I'm all about the next level and trying to project which players have
the athletic skills and basketball smarts to flourish in the NBA, and which
ones are the frauds, manufactured in the Dick Vitale/Jay Bilas ESPN-generated
hype-machine (think J.J. Redick).
If you are looking for talent, it's usually a good idea to find John Calipari,
the coach that mentored both Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans at Memphis for a
season before they burst onto the NBA scene.
Calipari may have fled Beale Street for the blue grass of Kentucky but he
remains the best recruiter in all of college basketball, and his new one-year
wonder is point guard John Wall, who figures to be the No. 1 overall selection
in June's draft.
The 6-foot-4 Wall has the size and physical skills to become an elite player
early in his NBA career. His speed and athleticism are strikingly similar to
Rose, and few guards can finish above the rim like Wall. One scout told me Wall
has an Allen Iverson-like extra gear, with five more inches of height.
Kentucky power forward Patrick Patterson, a junior, may also be a lottery
pick. At 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, Patterson already possesses an NBA-body and
has the demeanor you want in a post player, a rare thing in today's college
game. Patterson actually enjoys contact and seeks to bang inside, like a far
more skilled Charles Oakley.
Georgia Tech doesn't bring the same cachet to the dance as UK but they sure
bring talent and like the Wildcats figure to have two NBA Lottery players in
forwards Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal.
Favors, a freshman, is a sure-fire top five pick and will remind you a lot of
Al Horford. Like the Atlanta big man, Favors is only 6-foot-9 but is an
explosive leaper with that rare combination of power and quickness that can
give even the best fits on a daily basis. Favors also possesses a 7-footer's
wingspan, and figures to turn into a top-tier shot-blocker early in his NBA
career. Like most young players, Favors lacks a go-to move on the blocks and
relies too much on his athleticism, but that's the nature of the beast these
days.
Lawal is a junior with a relentless work ethic. He also has the 7-foot
wingspan along with an NBA-body and solid athletic skills, but Lawal will beat
you with conditioning. Like a big-time NFL defensive end, the Georgia native
has a non-stop motor and runs the floor extremely hard on a consistent basis.
Kansas is a No. 1 seed for a reason and could have three first round
selections is this year's draft. Freshman shooting guard Xavier Henry has the
biggest upside and could be gone in the top 10. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds,
unlike most freshmen, Henry is physically ready. He's a naturally gifted
scorer that gets his shot effortlessly but lacks the foot speed to be a true
superstar.
Junior Cole Aldrich is the premiere center in the country and is as
fundamentally sound a player as you will find in college. He may not have the
athletic skills that wow NBA scouts but he's improved every year and could
certainly be a late lottery pick.
Meanwhile, senior point guard Sherron Collins figures to be a late first-round
selection. Collins is only 5-foot-11 and thinks shot first, but as a 15- or 20-
minutes-a-night backup, he has value. In fact, if Collins proves he can keep
people in front of him defensively, he could be a nice little role player on a
championship-level club.
Right behind Wall in most mock drafts is Ohio State superstar Evan Turner, a
6-foot-7 combo guard that is silky smooth with a great feel for the game.
Offensively, Turner reminds me a lot of Portland Trail Blazers star Brandon
Roy. He's not the freakish athlete that Wall is, but has the length to give
people fits on the wing.
Syracuse junior forward Wesley Johnson rounds out the top three as far as NBA
projections go. The prototypical athletic small forward, Johnson actually has
a monster mid-range game, something that is usually lost in the three-point-
driven college game.
If you are looking for role players that could be steals in the second round,
I like Washington forward Quincy Pondexter, Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez and
Notre Dame big man Luke Harangody.
Pondexter is slight but he seems to understand the game and has a feel for his
own strength and weaknesses, an underrated trait. Few players have the
basketball IQ to stay away from things that hurt them.
At 6-foot-6, you have to like Vasquez's size and he plays with great
intensity. Of course, that same intensity means Vasquez will play out of
control at times, and his decision making suffers. If a coach can harness that,
he might have something in the Maryland senior.
Harangody is 6-foot-7, 245-pound plodding power forward. He lacks athleticism,
explosiveness and height but dominated the toughest conference in all of
college basketball for three years. In short, Harangody knows how to play the
game, and there will always be room for a guy like that.
<< NBA board approves sale of Bobcats to Jordan
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA Board of Governors made it official
on Wednesday by unanimously approving Michael Jordan's acquisition of a
controlling interest of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Jordan and MJ Basketball Holdings,
<< Van Bommel inks Bayern extension
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel has
agreed to a contract extension that will keep him at the club through the end
of next season.
Van Bommel's contract was set to expire at the end of the curren
<< Diamondbacks sign P Benson to minor league deal
Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed veteran
pitcher Kris Benson to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.
The 35-year-old appeared in eight games (two starts) in 2009 with the Texas
Range
<< Report: Seton Hall fires hoops coach Gonzalez
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seton Hall has reportedly fired head men's
basketball coach Bobby Gonzalez.
The Star-Ledger reported that on Wednesday, the school forced out Gonzalez,
who was in his fourth season with the team. The
<< Kiessling commits future to Leverkusen
Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayer Leverkusen have secured the
future of Germany international Stefan Kiessling until the summer of 2015 with
a new contract.
Kiessling has been rewarded with a new long-term deal on the back
NASCAR's March Madness begins with Bristol >>
Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, March
21. Race: Food City 500. Site: Bristol Motor Speedway. Track: .533-mile oval.
Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 500. Miles: 266.5. 2009 winner: Kyle Busch.
Television
Harvick looking for another win at Bristol >>
Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday,
March 20. Race: Scotts Turf Builder 300. Site: Bristol Motor Speedway. Track:
.533-mile oval. Start time: 2:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 300. Miles: 159.9. 2009
winner: Kevin Harv
Eagles cut ties with OL Andrews >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles released
offensive lineman Shawn Andrews on Wednesday.
"We appreciate the efforts and contributions of Shawn while he was in
Philadelphia," said head coach Andy
Report: Rangers manager Washington tested positive for cocaine >>
Surprise, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington
reportedly tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season.
According to a report from SI.com, Washington failed the test last July, but
has passed all his t
Portland fires VP Penn >>
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers announced on
Wednesday that Vice President of Basketball Operations Tom Penn has been
relieved of his duties.
"We felt it was in the organization's best interest to
It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.
As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.
Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey betting needs.
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.
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