NCAA Basketball Lines: Indiana Hoosiers against Iowa Hawkeyes

Posted on by
Reply

Indiana at Iowa
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa

CLICK HERE to place your College basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: Iowa ranks last in the Big Ten in scoring defense, while No. 20 Indiana is the highest-scoring team in the conference. The Hoosiers had one of their best offensive showings of the season in their first meeting with the Hawkeyes, riding Cody Zeller’s 26 points to a 103-89 home win Jan. 29. Indiana is the most improved of all BCS conference programs this season, already eight wins ahead of last year’s finish. Iowa point guard Bryce Cartwright, who has a high ankle sprain, missed Thursday’s loss at Penn State and is unlikely to play Sunday.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.

ABOUT INDIANA (20-6, 8-6 Big Ten): Zeller, a freshman forward, has been a major difference-maker for the Hoosiers in their turnaround season, leading the team with 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor. Indiana leads the conference in points per game (78.4), field-goal percentage (49.5) and 3-point percentage (42.7), and they are generating more points per game at the foul line (18.5) than any major conference team. Senior guard Matt Roth and junior guard Jordan Hulls are the league’s top two 3-point shooters at 54.5 and 48.6 percent, respectively.

ABOUT IOWA (13-13, 5-8): The Hawkeyes have remained competitive in league play thanks to a balanced and effective offense that averages 73.4 points, but they could be in trouble if Cartwright remains sidelined. Iowa has averaged only 62 points in two losses without the senior point guard this season. Senior guard Matt Gatens (14.2) scored a team-high 21 points against Penn State, and freshman forward Aaron White is averaging 16.7 points and 10.3 rebounds over the last three games. Despite their defensive struggles (72.3 points allowed), the Hawkeyes average a Big Ten-best 7.9 steals.

TIP-INS: CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$

1. Indiana leads the all-time series 95-73, but has lost 10 of the last 15 meetings, including four straight defeats prior to this season.

2. The Hawkeyes have won six of the last seven meetings in Iowa City, including a 91-77 victory last January. Current sophomore forward Melsahn Basabe had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

3. Neither team has been overwhelming on the boards this season, but Indiana finished with a lopsided 37-22 rebounding edge in its win over Iowa three weeks ago.

CLICK HERE to place your College basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

Duke Blue Devils vs Boston College Eagles: NCAA Basketball Picks

Posted on by
Reply

Duke at Boston College
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Silvio O. Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

CLICK HERE to place your College basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: Duke travels to Boston College in a game between an ACC have and have not. The No. 4 Blue Devils can move into a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a win over the Eagles, who are tied for 10th and have the league’s worst overall winning percentage. Expect to see a few 3-pointers: Duke leads the ACC with 8.2 per game and Boston College ranks third at 7.2. Duke leads the series 9-1 since the 2005-06 season. The Eagles’ win came in Chestnut Hill and the three home losses were by an average of 4.3 points.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT DUKE (22-4, 9-2 ACC): The Blue Devils will be trying to win their sixth straight league game for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee are combining to average 17.9 points and 16.3 rebounds, and one of them has led the team in rebounding in 24 of 26 games. Seth Curry is averaging 18.6 points over the last five games, during which he’s been in double figures every time and shot 43.2 percent on 3-pointers. Austin Rivers, named the ACC Freshman of the Week for the fourth straight time, is averaging 15 points and has had 22 double-figure games. Duke has trailed at the half in three of its last four games.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (8-18, 3-9): Freshman Ryan Anderson has put together three straight impressive outings, averaging 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds and shooting 54.3 percent over that span. Anderson had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the last game against Maryland and improved his season average of 10.4 points. Over the last six games, Matt Humphrey is averaging 12.7 points and has scored in double figures five times. He is averaging 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds. Dennis Clifford (9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds) and Lonnie Jackson (8.5 points) have also been steady freshmen performers.

TIP-INS: CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$

1. Boston College is 0-11 when the opposition shoots 40-49 percent.

2. Duke is one win short of winning at least 10 conference games for the fifth straight season.

3. The Eagles have at least eight 3-pointers in eight games.

CLICK HERE to place your College basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

Dallas Mavericks host New York Knicks: NBA Online Betting

Posted on by
Reply

Dallas at New York
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: Two players familiar with NBA word play face off Sunday afternoon when Vince Carter and the Dallas Mavericks tangle with Jeremy Lin and the host New York Knicks. Carter was known as “Vinsanity” – among other things – during the prime of his illustrious career. Now a role player in Dallas, Carter will get his first look at “Linsanity,” the latest craze to envelop the league and its fans. Lin is coming off his first loss since taking over as the Knicks’ starting point guard – and his nine turnovers played a contributing role in that defeat.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (20-11): Games against the Knicks traditionally bring out the best in the NBA’s elite players – and Dirk Nowitzki is no exception. Last season’s NBA Finals MVP has had tremendous success in his career against New York, averaging 24.3 points and nine rebounds. He was especially tough on them last season, averaging 26 points and 10 rebounds while making all 15 of his foul shots in a pair of meetings.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (15-16): Few could have predicted that the New Orleans Hornets would be the first team to quiet the Lin hype, but that’s exactly how things played out Friday night. Lin posted 26 points but had just five assists while recording the bulk of the Knicks’ 21 turnovers on the night. It has been a consistent issue with the unheralded Harvard grad; he’s averaging 24.6 points and 8.9 assists as a starter, but his 6.4 turnovers are easily the most in the NBA.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Dallas swept the season series in 2010-11, averaging 120 points in the two-game set.

2. Lin has already committed at least eight turnovers in a game three times this season.

PREDICTION: Mavericks 101, Knicks 97. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$   

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

NBA Gambling: Orlando Magic against Miami Heat

Posted on by
Reply

Orlando at Miami
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: With another successful return to Cleveland in the books, LeBron James sets his sights on a geographical rival Sunday afternoon as he leads the Miami Heat into a showdown with the visiting Orlando Magic. Miami will be looking for a measure of revenge in this one after dropping a 102-89 decision in Orlando earlier this month. A 111-87 evisceration of the Cavaliers on Friday night marked the eighth win in nine games for the Heat, who suddenly find themselves with the best record in the NBA.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE MAGIC (20-11): The Magic have ripped off four consecutive victories to keep pace with the red-hot Heat. Orlando limited Milwaukee to 11 fourth-quarter points and Dwight Howard had yet another dominant showing with 26 points and 20 rebounds as the Magic rallied to beat the Bucks 94-85 last time out. Howard is showing no ill effects from the condensed season, averaging 20.3 points and a career-best 15.3 rebounds in just over 38 minutes per game.

ABOUT THE HEAT (24-7): With much of the focus on James hinting at the possibility of an eventual return to the Cavaliers, the club’s recent play has flown under the radar. That will likely change with another strong showing Sunday afternoon. Since losing to the Magic, Miami has reeled off five straight road victories by an average margin of 18.8 points. The Heat didn’t score fewer than 105 points in any of those wins, and average a league-best 103.7 points overall.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. James was held to just 17 points against Orlando, 11 points below his season average.

2. Despite Howard being the best rebounder on either team, Miami actually owns a better rebounding differential – 3.19 compared to the Magic’s 1.03.

3. The Magic have prevailed in five of the last seven meetings.

PREDICTION: Heat 111, Magic 102. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$    

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons: NBA Basketball Lines

Posted on by
Reply

Boston at Detroit
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: The Boston Celtics have hit a skid over the last week that included a home loss to the Detroit Pistons. Now they have a chance to avenge that defeat and turn around what could be a disastrous road trip. The Celtics fell to the Derrick Rose-less Bulls 89-80 on Thursday to suffer their fourth loss in the last five games – a stretch in which they have averaged 84.8 points. The Pistons are trending in the other direction, having won six of eight.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, CSNE (Boston), FSD (Detroit)

ABOUT THE CELTICS (15-14): Boston got a career-high 35 points from Rajon Rondo but still fell to Detroit 98-88 at home on Wednesday. Kevin Garnett sat that contest out but returned Thursday and contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds in the loss at Chicago. That setback began a five-game trip that will take the Celtics through Dallas and Oklahoma City at the beginning of next week. The Celtics still lead the NBA in scoring defense but have topped 90 points only once in the last five games and rank 30th in rebounding. They were outworked on the glass 44-33 in Wednesday’s loss to the Pistons.

ABOUT THE PISTONS (10-22): Rodney Stuckey went for 25 points in the win over Boston and has averaged 28 over the last three. Ben Gordon buried three 3-pointers at the beginning of the fourth quarter to spark a game-ending run in that one. Detroit has gotten strong play from its entire backcourt during its recent run, with rookie Brandon Knight joining the fun with his first career points-assists double-double in Friday’s 114-108 victory over Sacramento. That 114-point output marked a season high for the Pistons, who had entered Friday 28th in the NBA in scoring.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Garnett has averaged 18.9 points and 10.1 assists in 36 career games against Detroit.

2. Pistons coach Lawrence Frank was an assistant with the Celtics last season.

3. Boston had taken six of the previous seven in the series.

PREDICTION: Celtics 92, Pistons 88. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$    

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers visit Sacramento Kings: NBA Basketball Betting

Posted on by
Reply

Sacramento at Cleveland
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: The Cleveland Cavaliers traded J.J. Hickson to the Sacramento Kings for Omri Casspi and a conditional first-round pick last summer. The teams meet Sunday for the first time since the deal. Hickson is coming off the bench and averaging 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds. Casspi is starting for Cleveland, but averaging just 7.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. The Kings have lost four straight and are just 3-15 on the road this season. The Cavs have dropped three of their last four.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Comcast, Fox Sports Ohio

ABOUT THE KINGS (10-20): Rookie Isaiah Thomas will remain Sacramento’s starting point guard after he played well for three quarters in Friday’s loss to the Pistons, but was inexplicably benched for the fourth. That’s also when the Kings went away from DeMarcus Cousins and it cost them the game, prompting coach Keith Smart to reiterate how important it is for the team’s offense to flow through their big man.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (11-17): The wounded Cavaliers are starting to get healthy, but perhaps not in time to help against the Kings. Starting shooting guard Anthony Parker (back) is expected to return no earlier than Tuesday and his backup, Daniel Gibson, is questionable for Sunday with a sprained left ankle. That could make Alonzo Gee the starting shooting guard again, but Gee is shooting 6 of 25 in his last two games.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Cavaliers’ current nine-game homestand is the longest in team history and tied for the third-longest in NBA history. They don’t play on the road again until Feb. 29.

2. Cleveland backup point guard Ramon Sessions averaged 20.5 points in two games against the Kings last season.

3. Cousins is averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds in the first three games on this trip. He has 19 double-doubles this season, third-most in the NBA.

PREDICTION: Kings 113, Cavaliers 99. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$   

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

Charlotte Bobcats at Indiana Pacers: NBA Online Gambling

Posted on by
Reply

Charlotte at Indiana
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: The Charlotte Bobcats can finally exhale after snapping a franchise-record 16-game losing streak Friday with a 98-91 victory in Toronto. That the win came against a team missing its leading scorer hardly mattered to the Bobcats, who own a league-worst 4-26 record. “It’s just really good to get the monkey off our back,” Corey Maggette said. The Indiana Pacers were in a spiral of their own, having lost five in a row before topping visiting New Jersey on Thursday night. The Pacers have beaten Charlotte seven straight times entering Sunday’s home matchup.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSIN

ABOUT THE BOBCATS (4-26): Charlotte coach Paul Silas raved about the performance of rookie C Bismack Biyombo, who registered season highs with 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots vs. the Raptors. “Unbelievable. He let it all out tonight,” Silas said. “Just outstanding.” Leading scorer Gerald Henderson (hamstring) missed his seventh straight game, but rookie Kemba Walker has helped to fill the void. He scored 13 points against Toronto and is averaging 18.8 points over his last four games.

ABOUT THE PACERS (18-12): Danny Granger (ankle) returned from a one-game injury absence to score 32 points and help Indiana end its skid. It was the second 30-point effort of the season for Granger, who had been on a roll before getting injured in Tuesday’s game against Miami. He averaged 21.9 points in his previous 11. The Pacers have hit a soft spot in the schedule. Including the Nets, they are in a stretch where five of six opponents have single-digit wins.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The victory over the Raptors was the first for the Bobcats since beating Golden State on Jan. 14.

2. Indiana limited Charlotte to 28 second-half points in a 99-77 home win on Jan. 7.

3. The Bobcats also snapped a 10-game road slide to improve to 2-15 away from home.

PREDICTION: Pacers 97, Bobcats 91. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$  

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

NBA Odds: Milwaukee Bucks visit New Jersey Nets

Posted on by
Reply

Milwaukee at New Jersey
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: The Milwaukee Bucks will look to snap a four-game losing streak when they visit the Garden State on Sunday to take on the New Jersey Nets. The Bucks have won the last eight meetings against the Nets, including four in a row in New Jersey by an average of 23.5 points. The Nets, however, could be inspired by the return of Brook Lopez, who is expected to make his season debut after breaking his right foot in the preseason.

TV: 7 P.M. ET. YES, FSN-WI

ABOUT THE BUCKS (12-18): Milwaukee, which is 3-7 in its last 10 games, is coming off a 94-85 road loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday. Carlos Delfino led the Bucks with 16 points while Ersan Ilyasova added 14 points and collected 10 rebounds. Leading scorer Brandon Jennings struggled and had just 14 points. Rookie Tobias Harris came off the bench for eight points and three rebounds in 16 minutes. He left the game in the fourth quarter with a right shoulder injury. The Bucks are just 5-11 on the road this season.

ABOUT THE NETS (9-23): New Jersey snapped a season-high eight-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 97-85 on Saturday. “I’m just glad the streak is over,” said point guard Deron Williams, who led the Nets with 29 points. Kris Humphries added 24 points and 18 rebounds while rookie MarShon Brooks collected 19 points. “This was definitely the best defensive game of the season for us. We got going early, built a lead and didn’t let it evaporate,” Williams said. New Jersey is 2-8 in its last 10 games and 3-11 at home this season.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. This is the first of three meetings this season between the two clubs.

2. The Nets have lost five straight at home.

3. Lopez led the Nets in scoring last season with 20.4 points per game.

PREDICTION: Bucks 96, Nets 90. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$   

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

NBA Basketball Picks: Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets

Posted on by
Reply

Utah at Houston
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: The Houston Rockets began a six-game homestand with an impressive victory over the Oklahoma Thunder, but couldn’t keep the momentum going and were outplayed by the Minnesota Timberwolves two nights later. The Rockets are looking for consistency, a problem that the Utah Jazz understands. Utah has been a solid home squad but is just 3-9 on the road. The Jazz defeated the Washington Wizards on Friday for just their third win in 10 games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), Fox Sports (Houston)

ABOUT THE JAZZ (15-14): Center Al Jefferson had his top offensive effort of the season, scoring 34 points and hauling down 12 rebounds against Washington. Jefferson made 16 of 23 shots and registered his third double-double in four games. Jefferson was beyond dominating in the first half with 26 points. Jefferson has always fared well against Houston with career averages of 19.6 points and 12.8 rebounds in 15 career games. He is averaging 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds this season.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (17-14): Houston’s loss to Minnesota was mighty disappointing as frontcourt players Luis Scola and Samuel Dalembert were practically nonexistent and the Rockets were outrebounded 44-26. Minnesota’s Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic combined for 63 points and 29 rebounds, with each player scoring at least 30 points. The Rockets will need better play from the frontcourt against Utah, which relies on Jefferson and Paul Millsap for a large chunk of its scoring and rebounding production.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Utah has won seven of the past 10 meetings in Houston.

2. The Jazz scored a season-high 114 points in the victory over Washington.

3. Rockets forward Jordan Hill injured his right knee in practice Saturday and will miss about two weeks.

PREDICTION: Rockets 103, Jazz 99. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$  

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports

NBA Basketball Odds: Philadelphia 76ers at Minnesota Timberwolves

Posted on by
Reply

Philadelphia at Minnesota
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

THE STORY: The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to prove they belong among the elite teams in the NBA. Dropping their last four games to winning teams is not helping. The 76ers shot just 33.7 percent and scored 24 points in the second half in an 82-75 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, and now head back out for a four-game road trip. The first stop is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are on the verge of becoming one of those winning teams that has caused problems for Philadelphia. The Timberwolves have simply outscored their last two opponents, averaging 106.5 points in back-to-back victories.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TCN (Philadelphia), FSNO (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE 76ERS (20-11): Philadelphia has victories under its belt this season against the likes of Chicago, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Lakers. It just also happens that the majority of the 76ers’ 11 setbacks have come against the teams they will be competing against in the spring. The most crushing of the last four losses came Wednesday at Orlando, when the vaunted defense let Philadelphia down in a 103-87 loss to an Eastern Conference contender. The 76ers have not scored 100 points since Jan. 23 and had only one starter – Andre Iguodala with 10 points – reach double figures against the Mavericks.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (15-16): Minnesota has shot 53.1 percent in its last two games. Nikola Pekovic has emerged as a strong complement to Kevin Love on the inside. Pekovic has recorded a double-double in four straight games and seven of 10 this month. He went off for a career-high 30 points in Friday’s 111-98 win at Houston. Love, meanwhile, has averaged 28.5 points and 17.8 boards over the last four. After allowing more than 100 points in three straight games, at least Minnesota has managed to keep the Rockets and the Charlotte Bobcats under the century mark in the last two contests.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Philadelphia PG Jrue Holiday is 1 for 17 from the floor in the last two games.

2. Love has put up 13.6 points and 11.0 rebounds in five career games against the 76ers.

3. Philadelphia has taken three straight in the series.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 95, 76ers 90. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$   

CLICK HERE to place your NBA basketball bet at Bovada Sportsbook

betting lines Sports