Spurs close out Rodeo Road Trip in Denver

Basketball Betting Lines

02/23/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle said it felt like the team hit every green light during the 1998 season until getting sideswiped in the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons.

The San Antonio Spurs can relate to that somewhat after they absorbed their first loss on an annual Rodeo Road Trip the last time out. An 11-game winning streak and an unblemished mark on the trek went down the tubes in Portland, but the Spurs have a chance to redeem themselves tonight against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

San Antonio is 7-1 on the nine-game road swing and had an eight-game winning streak on the road cut short with Tuesday's embarrassing 137-97 setback to the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden, where the Spurs shot a dismal 38.1 percent and trailed 66-43 at halftime. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan did not play due to a coach's decision and rookie Kawhi Leonard led the way with 24 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in San Antonio's seventh straight loss in Rip City.

"They've been going and going and going and if you don't do it now I think you're asking for trouble," Popovich said about resting Duncan and Parker.

Danny Green and Cory Joseph scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, and both Dejuan Blair and Gary Neal ended with 10 points. The Spurs still lead the Southwest Division by 2 1/2 games ahead of Dallas and fell to 10-9 away from the Alamo City this season.

After their stint in the Rocky Mountains, the Spurs will rest during the break before opening a seven-game homestand versus Chicago, Charlotte, Denver, New York, the LA Clippers, Washington and Orlando. San Antonio will be without Manu Ginobili (oblique) and Tiago Splitter (calf), who are both expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

Parker and Duncan are expected to play tonight. Parker is posting 19.5 points per game, while Duncan owns averages of 19.9 points and 8.6 boards.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets hope to head into the All-Star break on a positive note and have lost four of five and nine of the last 12 games.

In Wednesday's 103-95 loss at the Clippers, Chris Paul had a season-high 36 points to go along with nine assists to lead the hosts and dunk master Blake Griffin added 27 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Arron Afflalo paced the Nuggets with 20 points, while Jordan Hamilton added a career-high 18 points for Denver, which suffered its fourth straight loss on the road.

"They made shots at the right time and we missed shots. They rebounded and we just couldn't put the ball in the basket," said Nuggets guard Andre Miller, who had eight points and eight assists.

Kenneth Faried and Corey Brewer recorded 12 points apiece in defeat. Rudy Fernandez (back) and Ty Lawson (ankle) did not play Wednesday and are questionable versus the Spurs.

Denver is back at home and sports a 9-7 record at the Pepsi Center. It has won two in a row in the Rockies and lost the first meeting of the season with San Antonio, 121-117, in the Alamo City. The Nuggets have lost six of seven matchups with the Spurs.

The Nuggets and Spurs have split the past eight encounters in Colorado.

Waferweb Basketball Betting News


<< Orantes elected to Tennis Hall of Fame
Newport, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Spanish star Manuel Orantes has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Orantes, who starred on the ATP World Tour in the 1970s and 1980s, defeated a top-seeded

<< Hawks, Magic clash at Philips Arena
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks have to be thrilled the All-Star break is right around the corner and they're one of the teams that could use the rest. Heading into this weekend's break won't be easy, however, with the Southeast Divis

<< Heat try to halt the Lin-sanity
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat have received plenty of attention thanks to a star-studded lineup. With a squad that tries to blow the opposition out of the building on any given day, the Heat look to deflate the recent surge the New Yor

<< Sharks aim to get on track versus Maple Leafs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling clubs will try to get back in the win column tonight, as the San Jose Sharks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs for a clash at Air Canada Centre. The Sharks have been floundering on the road, posting a 1-4-

<< Flyers seek first victory at Edmonton in 11 years
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers hope that their latest victory can shake them out of their near month-long slump. They'll look to win at Edmonton for the first time in almost 11 years as they battle the Oilers. The Flyers kicked o

Sizzling Thunder welcome Lakers to OKC >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Basketball fans will receive a nice treat before the NBA All-Star break with tonight's matchup between two of the league's best, as the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder play host to Kobe Bryant and the Los

Top-25 showdown on tap in Tallahassee >>
Tallahassee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first place picture in the Atlantic Coast Conference will get a little clearer tonight as the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils head to the Donald L. Tucker Center to square off with the 15th- ranked Florida S

Hawkeyes and Badgers meet in Big Ten battle >>
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers will look to ground the Iowa Hawkeyes as they visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena for Big Ten Conference action. This will be the second encounter of this season and 155th in history

Cardinals and Bearcats collide in Queen City affair >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The tie for sixth-place in the Big East will be broken tonight as the 17th-ranked Louisville Cardinals head to Fifth Third Arena to battle the Cincinnati Bearcats. This will be the 95th meeting in history be

14th-ranked Racers set sights on Tigers in Nashville >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Murray State Racers will try to avenge their only loss of the season as they head to the Gentry Center to battle the Tennessee State Tigers in a premiere Ohio Valley Conference matchup. TSU a

MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds

According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.

Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet.  The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.

MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.  In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State.  Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.

Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL.  In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.


ODDS TO WIN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Notre Dame
Ohio State
West Virginia
Texas
USC
Florida
California
Auburn
Oklahoma
Iowa
Louisville
Florida State
Michigan
Miami (FL)
LSU
Penn State
Virginia Tech
Nebraska
Tennessee
Georgia
Arizona State
Oregon
Clemson
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Alabama
Arkansas
Boston College
Michigan State
Maryland
South Carolina
Colorado
Purdue
Georgia Tech
TCU
UCLA
Arizona
Pittsburgh
Iowa State
Wisconsin
North Carolina State
Virginia
North Carolina
Fresno State
Hawaii
Northwestern
BYU
Oregon State
UNLV
Field (Any Other Team)
5-1
7-1
8-1
8-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
18-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
70-1
70-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
150-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
250-1
250-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
400-1
500-1
500-1
500-1
500-1
1000-1
1000-1
40-1



ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Miami (FL)
Florida State
Virginia Tech
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina State
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Duke
2-1
2-1
3-1
7-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
50-1
500-1



ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Texas Tech
Colorado
Iowa State
Texas A&M
Kansas State
Missouri
Kansas
Baylor
Oklahoma State
7-5
9-5
9-2
12-1
14-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
35-1
100-1
100-1



ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Auburn
Florida
LSU
Georgia
Tennessee
Arkansas
Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
Mississippi State
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
5-2
11-4
4-1
6-1
7-1
7-1
9-1
20-1
28-1
75-1
100-1
300-1

For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.

NFL Football Betting


BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES

It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.

BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES

All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.

COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES

Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.

TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES

Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.

RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES

Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.

PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES

Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.

JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES

Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.

SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES

I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.

VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES

Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.

DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES

Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.

SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES

I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.

BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES

Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.

BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES

Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.

RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES

A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.

PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers

Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.