76ers still alive for lottery
Basketball Betting Lines
02/20/2007 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All it takes is a dollar and a dream for a select few to
strike it rich in the lottery.
But in order for the Philadelphia 76ers to start raking in the loot, they have
to bag the rest of the 2006-07 season and start evaluating talent for June's
NBA Draft. Philly has its own lottery pick this summer and a pair of first-
round selections acquired from Denver for Allen Iverson.
The second half of the campaign gets started on Wednesday for the Sixers, who
will wrap up a series of seven straight games at home versus the division-
rival New York Knicks. Mo Cheeks' squad entered the All-Star break with three
straight losses and a 2-4 record on the homestand, and sits 12 games off
the lead in the Atlantic standings.
Philadelphia is just 9-15 at the Wachovia Center this season and will play six
more games there following a brief two-game road trip to Charlotte and
Milwaukee. After the quick swing the Sixers will host Sacramento, Phoenix,
Memphis, New Jersey, Seattle and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Cheeks had this team playing better basketball before the current slide, but
now must realize it's time to start cutting into the time of his regulars for
a chance to see who will make next year's roster. It seems like an easy
solution, especially with three draft picks on the horizon.
It's unclear whether guards Andre Miller, Kevin Ollie or Louis Williams will
be around next season. And who knows if forward Kyle Korver, center Samuel
Dalembert or forward Shavlik Randolph will be back either? Randolph is still
recovering from left ankle surgery.
Instead of guard/forward Andre Iguodala averaging 40:12 minutes per game,
Cheeks should shave about six to eight minutes off his star's average.
There's no sense to have Iguodala bust his rump every night just to sit at
home come playoff time. Rookie forward Rodney Carney, who averages 17:18
mpg this season, would be even more dangerous if he was recording 25 to 28
minutes per contest.
Veteran forward Joe Smith does not have to be on the court for 23:18 a night
for Philly, and Korver doesn't score enough to average 31:11 per contest.
Dalembert posts 30:06 a night and has been streaky over the past few games.
On the injury front, forward/center Steven Hunter will not require surgery on
the dislocated pinkie finger on his left hand. Hunter suffered the injury
during the first quarter of a loss against the Mavericks on February 11, but
returned to the game. Hunter does not make or break this team, but to have a
player his size (7-0, 240 pounds) on the hardwood is beneficial for the
inside game. Hunter has missed just one contest because of the finger.
The Sixers have their work cut out for them over the next few months, and are
currently the third-worst team in the NBA behind Boston (13-38) and Memphis
(14-40). The Celtics and Grizzlies are not going to pile up wins in the near
future and Philadelphia should follow suit.
On a brighter note, last week the 76ers unveiled their new second
road uniforms against Washington. The red jerseys bring back memories
of the Dr. J, Charles Barkley and Hersey Hawkins era, and have the
old-school PHILA script across the chest.
Philadelphia should go back to its retro-style uniforms soon.
<< Cowboys sign Gurode to six-year deal
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys signed offensive lineman
Andre Gurode to a six-year contract on Tuesday.
Gurode started all 17 games last season for the Cowboys and was added to the
Pro Bowl as an injury replacement f
<< Jazz have what it takes to hold on in Northwest Division
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Utah (35-17) is in first place in the Northwest
Division, 8 1/2 games ahead of the second place Denver Nuggets. Led by All-
Stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, the Nuggets will be primed to make a
run at the Jazz.
<< Martin comes up big both on track and off
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Martin won the 2007 Daytona 500.
Sure, he didn't get the trophy, the huge check or drenched by champagne in
Victory Lane, but that doesn't change the fact that he won the race.
In typical N
<< Line of Scrimmage: Norv Turner - Bad Things Happen in Threes
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - They're rejoicing in Denver, Kansas City,
and Oakland right about now.
Norv Turner is an NFL head coach for the third time, having taken over for
Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego, and the rest of the AFC
<< Lightning try to rebound against Panthers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to avenge
a weekend loss to the Florida Panthers when the Southeast Division rivals
complete a home-and-home series tonight at St. Pete Times Forum.
Florida got the upper ha
Celtics send Ray to D-League >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics assigned rookie guard
Allan Ray to their NBA Development League affiliate in Austin.
Ray is the team's first assignment to the NBA Development League this season
and the 19th NBA pla
Leopold out four weeks for Avs >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold
will be sidelined approximately four weeks with a fractured wrist.
Leopold, who will undergo surgery, suffered the injury during the third period
of Colorado's 7-
Pennsylvania Derby purse increased to $1 million >>
Bensalem, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Park Racetrack has announced that
its premier event, the Pennsylvania Derby, will now have a purse of $1
million. The announcement was made in a press release on Tuesday.
"There's somethi
United, Dynamo gear up for Champions Cup matches >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While most Major League Soccer teams are
slowly building their fitness and preparing for the upcoming season - which
kicks off April 7 - two clubs are under considerably more pressure.
The Houston Dy
Jankovic, Hantuchova advance in UAE >>
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Serbian
Jelena Jankovic and eighth-seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova were among
Tuesday's opening-round winners at the $1.5 million Dubai Duty Free Women's
Open.
Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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