Jayhawks and Longhorns duke it out in Austin
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/08/2010 -
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 standings with a flawless 8-0 record.
The team has won 22 of its 23 games on the year and enters this tilt with an
eight-game win streak in tow, including Saturday's 75-64 win over Nebraska in
Lawrence. The victory extended the nation's longest homecourt winning streak
to 55 games.
The Longhorns looked like the team to beat in the Big 12 just a few weeks ago,
but they have hit a wall of late, losing four of their last six games,
including an 80-71 setback at Oklahoma on Saturday. With the loss, Texas fell
to 5-3 in league play.
These are the two winningest programs in conference play since the inception
of the Big 12, with Kansas posting a league-best 180 league wins and Texas
ranking second with 150. This is the 23rd all-time meeting between these two
teams, with Kansas holding a 16-6 series advantage, including wins in each of
the last two meetings.
The Jayhawks forced Nebraska into 19 turnovers and shot an efficient .481 from
the floor, marking the team's 55th consecutive win at the Allen Fieldhouse.
Marcus Morris led the way with his fourth double-double this season, finishing
with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Sherron Collins added 17 points and six
assists for Kansas, which remained unbeaten in league play. The Jayhawks have
been able to rack up the victories thanks to stellar play at both ends of the
floor. The team boasts of an impressive +21.0 scoring margin (leads the
nation), averaging 83.7 ppg, while allowing just 62.7. KU has certainly been
efficient shooting the ball, converting 49.3 percent from the floor, with four
players currently averaging double figures. It starts with Collins, an All-
American candidate with the ability to create for himself (15.6 ppg) and
others (team-high 98 assists). Morris, a sophomore, and Xavier Henry, a
freshman, are next at 13.0 ppg, while junior Cole Aldrich (11.6 ppg, 10.3 rpg)
rounds things out with his dominant play inside.
The Longhorns are definitely capable of hanging with Kansas at the offensive
end, as Texas comes into this week averaging a steady 84.1 ppg on 48-percent
efficiency from the field. The key to this game may be the battle inside
between KU's Aldrich and UT's standout Damion James. The Big 12's all-time
leading rebounder, James is a force down low, averaging a double-double with
team-highs of 17.8 points (sixth in the league) and 11.0 rebounds per game
(leads the league). The 6-7 senior gets perimeter support from Avery Bradley
(12.5 ppg), J'Covan Brown (9.4 ppg) and Jordan Hamilton (9.3 ppg), while big
man Dexter Pittman (11.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, team-high 48 blocks) helps out in the
paint. Texas was its own worst enemy in Norman this past weekend, as the team
shot just .417 from the floor and a miserable 10-of-27 from the free-throw
line (.370) in a nine-point loss to the Sooners. Bradley did his best to keep
the Longhorns in it, finishing with 21 points. James just missed a double-
double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Gary Johnson did complete the
feat, coming off the bench with 11 points and 10 boards. Pittman tallied eight
points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds in the loss.
<< 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
<< Colonials face tall task in clash with Panthers
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
<< Spurs resume road trip against Lakers
(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
<< Mavs kick off road trip in Oakland vs. Warriors
(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
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
Jose Sharks at Air Canada Centre.
The Maple Leafs ended January on a six-game losing streak
Avs resume homestand with visit from Blues >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to forge a tie atop the
Northwest Division standings tonight, when they welcome the St. Louis Blues
for a battle at Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche have 70 points and are two behind idle Vancouv
Devils, Flyers ready to renew rivalry >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ilya Kovalchuk will seek his first goal in a New Jersey
Devils uniform when his new team visits the rival Philadelphia Flyers tonight
at Wachovia Center for the opener of a home-and-home series between Atlantic
Division foes.
Streaking Kings try to continue mastery of rival Ducks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings will be aiming to extend a franchise-
record winning streak tonight. If recent history is any indication, the
Anaheim Ducks may not be posing much of a problem towards achieving that feat.
The Kings s
What Is the Point Spread?
In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.
Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).
If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).
Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.
How to Read Point Spreads
New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)
In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:
- Philly wins the actual game by any amount of points
OR
- Philly loses the game by less than 7 points.
-
There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.
The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:
Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots
Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.
For Those Who Like to Consider Things Mathematically
Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:
- Subtracting the point spread from the favorite’s score (thus the minus sign before the number) and then compare to the underdog’s score
OR
- Adding the point spread to the underdog’s score (thus the plus sign before the number) and then compare to the favorite’s score
Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21
The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.
Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.
Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).
Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.
And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.
Stanley Cup betting
New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.
The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.
MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.
Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Odds
Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings
Carolina Hurricanes
San Jose Sharks
Anaheim Ducks
Philadelphia Flyers
Calgary Flames
New Jersey Devils
Buffalo Sabres
Dallas Stars
New York Rangers
Nashville Predators
Vancouver Canucks
Colorado Avalanche
Minnesota Wild
Tampa Bay Lightning
Boston Bruins
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Atlanta Thrashers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers
Phoenix Coyotes
Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Chicago Blackhawks |
7-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
80-1
80-1
100-1
100-1 |
NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games
Team
Ottawa Senators
Anaheim Ducks
Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
San Jose Sharks
Calgary Flames
Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils
Buffalo Sabres
Carolina Hurricanes
Dallas Stars
New York Rangers
Minnesota Wild
Atlanta Thrashers
Montreal Canadiens
Team
Los Angeles Kings
Tampa Bay Lightening
Vancouver Canucks
Boston Bruins
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Phoenix Coyotes
Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida Panthers
Columbus Blue Jackets
New York Islanders
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Penguins |
Over/Under
108.5
106.5
104.5
104.5
103.5
101.5
100.5
99.5
97.5
97.5
97.5
95.5
94.5
93.5
92.5
Over/Under
91.5
91.5
91.5
89.5
89.5
88.5
88.5
86.5
84.5
82.5
80.5
72.5
72.5
72.5
71.5 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.
|