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02/12/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics play their final game before the All-Star break on Thursday when they resume a lengthy six-game road trip in North Texas against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics, who sport three All-Stars in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, opened the trek with an 89-77 win in the Big Easy on Wednesday. Pierce had a game-high 30 points in that one as Boston topped New Orleans, which continued to struggle even with the return of star guard Chris Paul.
Garnett added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who improved to 19-7 on the road for the season. Eddie House and Leon Powe added 12 and 11 points, respectively, off the bench for Boston, which has won two of three.
It wasn't all good news for the C's, however. Allen hyperextended his right thumb in the game. X-rays came back negative and the veteran said he would try to play against the Mavericks.
"Early in the game I was underneath, I think it was (Kendrick) Perkins. My hand got caught in his jersey," Allen said of his injury. "I popped off and I caught the ball and then I couldn't even catch the ball (later) because it kind of jammed all of the way down. As I was running I was trying to yank on it. I tried to hold it in as the game went on. When I tried to catch the ball, I couldn't hold on to the ball."
After the break, the Celtics will finish their trip with visits to Utah, Phoenix, Denver and the LA Clippers.
The Mavs, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 on a four-game residency on Tuesday when Josh Howard and Antoine Wright each scored 23 points to lead Dallas to an easy 118-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Dallas continued its dominance over Sacramento at home. The Mavs have won 10 straight over the Kings in north Texas.
Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points for the Mavs, who have won six of their last seven outings. Jason Kidd ended with 15 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists. Jose Juan Barea finished with 10 points, while Erick Dampier had nine points and 16 boards.
The Mavs were without star guard Jason Terry, who had successful surgery on his left hand Monday. Terry, the team's second-leading scorer (19.9 points a game), broke his left hand against Chicago over the weekend and is expected to be out three to six weeks.
Dallas, which is 17-7 at American Airlines Center, has won 10 of the last 11 at home and will finish the residency after the All-Star break against New Jersey.
Boston has won three straight over Dallas, including an easy 124-100 win in Beantown on January 25. The Mavs have topped the C's in 11 of their past 13 trips to Dallas, however.
<< Irish attempt to stop the bleeding against fifth-ranked Cardinals
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Louisville attempt to keep
pace in the Big East standings, as they travel to South Bend for a
conference showdown with Notre Dame.
Rick Pitino's Cardinals won their first eight league affair
<< Utah State puts nation's longest win streak on line against Idaho
Moscow, ID (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ranked for the first time since the 2003-04
campaign when they were members of the Big West Conference, the Utah State
Aggies take their act on the road tonight to do battle with Western Athletic
Conference foe Ida
<< Zags and Gaels mix it up in West Coast Conference showdown
Moraga, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 19th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will attempt to
remain unbeaten in West Coast Conference play as they take on the Saint Mary's
Gaels on the road this evening.
Gonzaga carried a nine-game win streak into Saturda
<< Top-25 foes meet in Tempe
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A top-25 matchup takes place in the desert this
evening, as the 11th-ranked UCLA Bruins come calling on the 18th-ranked
Arizona State Sun Devils in a key Pac-10 tilt from Wells Fargo Arena.
Ben Howland's troops t
Sens seek third straight win in test vs. Flyers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators will aim for their first three-game
winning streak of the season when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for
tonight's test at the Wachovia Center.
The Senators completed a home-and-home sweep of Buffal
Hurricanes, Panthers battle in Raleigh >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of teams battling for playoff positions will meet
tonight in Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes invite the Florida Panthers for
a Southeast Division battle at RBC Center.
The Panthers are currently holding onto the
Lightning hope to get back in win column against Maple Leafs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to win for just the second
time in seven games when they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs for tonight's
battle between struggling teams at St. Pete Times Forum.
The Lightning, who are 12th o
Canucks take high-scoring ways to Phoenix >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks will attempt to keep up their recent
high-scoring ways when the resurgent club visits the Phoenix Coyotes tonight
at Jobing.com Arena.
Vancouver comes in riding a three-game winning streak, the team's
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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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.
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