Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
03/12/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - March is when college basketball vaults to the top of the sports scene. It also happens to be when I really start to pay attention to the college game with an eye on June's draft.
Conventional wisdom says college hoops is the "coach's game" while the pros is for the players. For the most part, I agree with that. The real stars of college basketball are the mentors calling timeout after timeout to extend a 13-point game with the hopes some athletic director at a bigger school is so impressed, he gets offered a deal to flee from the same teenagers he recruited a year ago with the promise he would always be there for them. On the other hand, the NBA is all about Kobe, LeBron, CP3 and Dwayne Wade.
Give the worst coach LeBron and he's going to beat every Larry Brown that comes down the pike.
That said, you have to find a way to procure the talent that will give the pedestrian coach the edge over the Hall of Fame pilot and that starts at the very top of the food chain -- ownership.
Great ownership can't guarantee you anything other than competitiveness but bad ownership is a recipe for losing consistently. Look no further than a pair of cities separated by 3,000 miles -- Los Angeles and Philadelphia -- to prove that thesis.
The Clippers' Donald Sterling thought so much of Mike Dunleavy this year that he fired him twice. Sure if we play semantics, Dunleavy stepped down as head coach last month to concentrate on his duties as general manager but everyone knows he was forced out.
On Tuesday, Sterling finally showed the courage of his convictions and went ahead and fired Dunleavy as general manager with five weeks to go in the regular season.
The news stunned Dunleavy, who had no idea he joined the growing ranks on the unemployed. "Had no clue!" Dunleavy said in an e-mail to The Los Angles Times.
It was typical Sterling, a real estate mogul that is almost universally considered one of the worst owners in all of sports since taking over the Clips in 1981-82. Whether its karma or just plain incompetence, the Clips' history under Sterling is scarier than anything Wes Craven ever produced.
Brown had the franchise heading in the right direction in the early 1990s but the nomadic one got antsy and packed his bags long before anything real was accomplished. Meanwhile, Dunleavy, joined the Clippers in 2003 and led the team to their lone playoff success in 2006.
Widely criticized for his tight hold over the purse strings and unwillingness to invest in his own team, Sterling seemed to have an epiphany when Dunleavy arrived but things have reverted back to form and the Clips are bottom-feeders again.
Across the country in Philadelphia, things are a bit different.
The Sixers have a storied history, both good and bad. The 1966-67 team led by Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer was once voted the best team in NBA history and, contrary to revisionist history that plays up Larry Bird's Celtics and Magic Johnson's Lakers, it was the 1982-83 Sixers team, fueled by Moses Malone and Julius Erving, that was the best team of that era. Meanwhile, the 1972-73 club was the worst in NBA history, finishing 9-73.
Today's Sixers are a lot closer to the '72-73 bunch than any championship teams but it wasn't like that earlier this decade when Pat Croce was in charge.
Croce became president of the Sixers in 1996 as part of a group led by Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider and the Comcast Corporation that bought the team. Under Croce's reign, the Sixers went from last place in 1996 to the NBA Finals in 2001.
Giddy with success and upset he had to report to Snider, Croce attempted what can only be described as a coup, a plan quickly quashed by Snider, a sort of real life Two-Face, the fictional Batman villain with the dual personality.
The comic book version of Two-Face was of course Harvey Dent, the DA of Gotham City and a close ally of the Dark Knight. After a criminal disfigured half of his face with acid, Dent became the insane crime boss Two-Face who would choose to do either good or evil depending on the flip of a coin.
Snider may not be a criminal mastermind but he displays a similar dichotomy to fans of Philadelphia. To Flyers fans, Ed is a hero -- a never say die owner who will do anything to win. While the Stanley Cup hasn't taken up residence in the city in over 35 years, area hockey fans generally genuflect at the sight of Snider and all agree it hasn't been due to a lack of effort.
To Sixers fans, Snider is a clod. An absentee buffoon of an owner happy to collect the riches of the NBA's massive television contract while ignoring the product he puts on the floor.
After striking out with Elton Brand two offseasons ago, Snider and Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski had one bullet in their chamber for 2009-10 -- a new head coach.
Instead of hiring Doug Collins or Avery Johnson the team settled on Eddie Jordan, an abject disaster. Most blame Stefanski since he has a long history with Jordan and loves the guy but make no mistake, the Sixers' basketball chief wasn't given the checkbook to sign a big-time coach.
Philadelphia is now back at square one in salary cap hell, weighing whether to fire Jordan right now or let him coach through the end of the season while demanding he give more playing time to younger players such as Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks and Jason Smith.
In the end, it's all window dressing.
As long as Sterling and Snider are at the top of their respective organizations pulling their ill-conceived strings, losing is virtually predetermined for both the Clippers and Sixers.
<< West Ham tries to overcome Bolton disappointment
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last weekend's 2-1 loss at home against
fellow relegation-strugglers Bolton did not sit well with West Ham manager
Gianfranco Zola.
But he is calling on his team to recover and pull off a stu
<< Cards bolster O-line with Hadnot, Claxton
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals announced Friday they have
agreed to terms on contracts with offensive linemen Rex Hadnot and Ben
Claxton.
Hadnot's is a three-year pact and Claxton's a one-year deal. Financial t
<< Eagles bring back WR Baskett
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles announced Friday
they have signed wide receiver Hank Baskett to a one-year contract.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Baskett spent his first four years in th
<< Karl to miss remainder of Denver road trip
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Nuggets coach George Karl will miss the
remaining three games of the team's road trip as he continues his treatment
for neck and throat cancer.
Karl missed the opening game of the trip on Wednesd
Duke uses late surge to fend off Virginia in ACC quarters >>
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Singler scored 18 points and grabbed 11
rebounds, as fourth-ranked Duke pulled away late to earn a 57-46 victory over
Virginia in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum.
Jon Sc
Turner's heave beats buzzer as Buckeyes survive Michigan >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ohio State star Evan Turner buried a
desperation three-pointer with no time on the clock to lift the fifth-ranked
Buckeyes to a thrilling 69-68 victory over rival Michigan in the
quarter
Bulls' Rose to miss at least one game with sprained wrist >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bulls All-Star point guard Derrick
Rose will miss Friday's game at Miami and is listed as day-to-day after an MRI
confirmed he has a sprained left wrist.
During Thursday's loss to the Magic, Ros
Berkman to have surgery on knee, out up to a month >>
Kissimmee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman
will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee within the next few days
and will miss two to four weeks of action.
Berkman said he felt discomfort in the k
MySportsbook.com is the Internet’s largest online sportsbook site serving customers in more than 80 countries worldwide. Founded in 1997, MySportsbook.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering, using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, MySportsbook.com has earned an industry leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Antigua and the UK, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, horse racing and online casino games.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts credit cards needs.
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting