Heat and Hawks clash in Atlanta
Basketball Betting Lines
02/12/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks hope to tighten things up in the Southeast when they entertain division-leading Miami at Philips Arena.
The star-studded Heat lead the Hawks by two games entering tonight's contest and improved to 1-1 on a season-long, six-game road trip in the nation's capital on Friday. Dwyane Wade scored 26 points in that one to lift Miami to a 106-89 victory over woeful Washington.
Chris Bosh scored 24 points to go with 11 rebounds, while LeBron James added 18 points and nine assists for the Heat, who bounced back from a loss at Orlando on Wednesday to win for a fourth time in their past five games overall.
"We all had a good feel for the ball tonight," said Bosh. "The way you start is usually the way you're going to play for the rest of the night."
Miami, which is 8-5 as the visitor on the season, will also visit Milwaukee, Indiana and Cleveland on its current trek.
The Hawks have hung tough despite a litany of injuries, especially in the middle where centers Al Horford (torn left pec) and Jason Collins (sprained left elbow) remain sidelined.
Atlanta won its second straight contest on Friday in Orlando when Josh Smith scored 23 points and pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds as the Hawks escaped Amway Center with an 89-87 overtime win over the Magic
"I thought our guys did a great job in just responding to the challenge. We really wanted to come in here and play with aggression," said Atlanta head coach Larry Drew. "I thought we really did a great job."
Joe Johnson added 14 points and Marvin Williams and Jeff Teague scored 13 apiece for Atlanta, which has won the two straight since snapping a three-game losing streak on Wednesday.
The Hawks, who are 9-4 in the ATL on the season, are a perfect 7-0 when Smith scores 20-or-more points.
This will be the third meeting between the two clubs this season. Atlanta topped the Heat in South Florida back on Jan. 2 but Miami responded and won a triple-overtime contest in Atlanta three days later despite missing both James and Wade.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The improving Detroit Pistons shoot for a season-high fifth straight win when they take on the lowly Washington Wizards in the middle contest of a three-game homestand. Greg Monroe recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds as the
<< Bulls aim to continue road success in Boston
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The East-leading Chicago Bulls shoot for their sixth
straight win when they finish a grueling nine-game road trip at TD Garden vs.
the Boston Celtics.
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Storm today in a Big East Conference clash at the Verizon Center in
Washington, D.C.
Thi
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Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked Michigan Wolverines will try
to make it 15 in a row at home, as they host the Illinois Fighting Illini in a
Big Ten Conference battle at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
This is the first of t
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off another dominating performance against their nearest division rivals, the first-place New York Rangers will welcome the Washington Capitals for today's battle at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers visited Philade
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets will shoot for a fourth straight win
tonight in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.
The Rockets improved to 3-1 on a six-game road trip Thursday in Phoenix when
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sweep i
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING
NCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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