Raptors visit Bobcats down south
Basketball Betting Lines
11/09/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors will try to get back on track this afternoon when they square off with the Charlotte Bobcats down south.
The Raptors have lost two straight games after opening the season with three straight victories, and suffered a 110-92 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday at Philips Arena. Chris Bosh led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed eight boards while Jose Calderon posted 12 assists for the Raptors.
Toronto opened a three-game road trip on a sour note and will also visit the defending champion Boston Celtics on the current trek.
The Bobcats ended a two-game losing streak with Friday's 92-89 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in the opener of a six-game homestand.
Raymond Felton had 20 points, including two huge free throws late in the game, to help the Bobcats edge the Hornets.
Jason Richardson also had 20 points for the Bobcats, who will also host Denver, Utah, Orlando and Dallas. Emeka Okafor had 10 points to match his 10 rebounds while D.J. Augustin had 11 points off the bench.
Okafor (flu) is questionable for Sunday.
Toronto and Charlotte split four matchups a year ago.
The Raptors have won 10 of the 14 meetings with the Bobcats, who have lost five of six as the host in this series.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The unbeaten Utah Jazz will kick off a five-game road trip today, when they take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Jazz improved to 5-0 this season after posting a 104-97 victory over the Oklahom
<< Kings, Warriors square off at ARCO Arena
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Sacramento Kings will resume their four-game homestand
tonight, when they host the Golden State Warriors at ARCO Arena.
The Kings dropped all four of their road games to open the 2008-09 campaign,
but have rebounde
<< Nuggets welcome Grizzlies to Pepsi Center
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups and the Denver Nuggets will welcome the
Memphis Grizzlies to town for a showdown at the Pepsi Center.
Billups made his Nuggets debut in Friday's 108-105 win over Dallas after being
acquired from Detroit
<< Hawks try to steal Thunder in Oklahoma City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks will put their unbeaten record to the
test this evening, when they open a four-game road trip against the Oklahoma
City Thunder at the Ford Center.
The Hawks are 4-0 on the season and are coming
<< Showdown in Motown: Pistons host Celtics at The Palace
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle of Eastern Conference powerhouses is on tap for
tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons will host the
defending champion Boston Celtics.
Detroit opened the season with four straight
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The undefeated Los Angeles Lakers are well rested and will host the Houston Rockets tonight in a battle between Western Conference powerhouses at the Staples Center. The Lakers are 4-0 on the season and haven't
Thrashers take winning streak to Carolina >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The suddenly hot Atlanta Thrashers will aim for a fourth
consecutive victory when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes this afternoon for
a Southeast Division clash at RBC Center.
The Thrashers have won three straight contes
Blackhawks, Flames tangle in Chicago >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks will shoot for a fourth straight win
when they welcome the Calgary Flames for tonight's matchup at the United
Center.
The Blackhawks have outscored the opposition, 15-7, during their three-game
winn
Oilers take road trip to Jersey >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers will try to halt a two-game slide as
they continue their longest road trip of the season with tonight's stop at New
Jersey's Prudential Center.
The Oilers are 2-3-0 so far on a seven-game swing and have
Sharks visit Phoenix, aim for eighth straight win >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Not even an injury to starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov
could stop the Sharks from extending their winning streak on Saturday night.
San Jose will try to pick up its eighth straight victory this evening, when
they visit the
MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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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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