Jazz continue hectic stretch in NOLA

Basketball Betting Lines

02/13/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Utah continues a grueling three games in three nights road stretch tonight in the Big Easy when it visits the struggling New Orleans Hornets.

The Jazz snapped a three-game skid in Memphis last night with an impressive 98-88 win over the Grizzlies.

Gordon Hayward scored 23 points and handed out five assists in that one while Al Jefferson chipped in with a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds. Paul Millsap added 16 and eight for the Jazz, who won the battle in the paint, 54-40, and shot 51 percent from the field.

"We were aggressive," Jazz head coach Ty Corbin said. "The guys played hard."

Utah, which is now 3-7 away from Salt Lake City, will finish it's only back- to-back-to-back this season in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The Hornets, meanwhile, have lost eight straight and 23 of 25 overall since starting the season 2-0. Their most recent setback came on Friday when Portland escaped the Bayou with a 94-86 triumph.

Trevor Ariza led New Orleans with 23 points and nine rebounds. Emeka Okafor netted 13, while Al-Farouq Aminu and Marco Belinelli each scored 12 as the Hornets fell to 0-3 on a four-game homestand.

"When I look at this game, I see guys who fought, who competed, who were put in a tough situation and battled all night," Hornets head coach Monty Williams said. "Right now, I'm proud to be around a group of guys who fight no matter what the situation."

Injuries continue to be a major problem in New Orleans. Starting guard Jarrett Jack did not play against the Blazers with soreness in his left knee. Jack aggravated the injury against Chicago on Wednesday after missing the previous three games and has already been ruled out for tonight's contest.

Meanwhile, centers Chris Kaman (sprained left ankle) and Jason Smith (concussion) are both questionable for tonight, while high-scoring Eric Gordon (sore right knee) and forward Carl Landry (sprained left knee) remain on the sidelines.

Utah has won five of its last six games in NOLA.

Wwwdrf2000 Basketball Betting News

<< Canucks host streaking Coyotes in Vancouver
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes will try to push their longest winning streak of the season to six games when they visit the first-place Vancouver Canucks tonight at Rogers Arena. The Coyotes, who are holding onto the eighth seed in t

<< Habs aim to stay hot vs. Hurricanes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The suddenly-hot Montreal Canadiens will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes for tonight's battle at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens have scored 15 times

<< Reeling Wolves visit Magic
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves try to avoid a fourth straight loss this evening when they visit the Orlando Magic That may be easier said than done, though, as the Magic have won the last six, seven of the last eight and eight

<< Guadalajara's woes continue with loss to Monterrey
Monterrey, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Guadalajara was held without a goal for the fourth time through just six matches in Mexico's Clausura on Saturday, losing 2-0 to Monterrey to remain at the foot of the standings. Jesus De

<< Bobcats hope to halt franchise-record skid against Sixers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats try to avoid a 15th straight loss this evening when they welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to Time Warner Cable Arena. Charlotte established a new club record for futility on Saturday, as it dropped a 1

Heat try to solve Bucks at Bradley Center >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat resume a hectic three games in three nights stretch tonight when they hit the hardwood at Bradley Center vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat kicked off their tough journey and improved to 2-1 on a season-long

Jayhawks and Wildcats mix it up in Manhattan >>
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunflower State rivals square off in Manhattan this evening, as the Kansas Jayhawks pay a visit to the Kansas State Wildcats in an important Big 12 Conference clash. After a December 19 loss to Davidson, Kans

Cyclones blow into Waco seeking upset of Bears >>
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The tie for third place in the Big 12 Conference Standings will be broken tonight, as the Iowa State Cyclones square off with the Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. The Cyclones have played Baylor

Syracuse visits Louisville in pivotal Big East clash >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tied with top-ranked Kentucky for the best overall record in the nation, the Syracuse Orange hit the road tonight to clash with the Louisville Cardinals in a Big East Conference showdown at the KFC Yum! Center.

Suns start tough stretch in Oakland vs. Warriors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix will begin a grueling three games in three nights stretch in Oakland tonight against the Golden State Warriors. The Suns have won three straight on the road, including Saturday's 98-84 win in Sacramento, and 11 of

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.