Collins, Kansas blow past Texas A&M in second half

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sherron Collins scored 26 points and dished out six assists, and top-ranked Kansas used a big run late in the second half to post a 79-66 victory over No. 23 Texas A&M in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

Xavier Henry added 15 points, and Markieff Morris scored 10 for the Jayhawks (31-2), who will face either Kansas State or Baylor in Saturday's championship game.

Top-seeded Kansas, which is trying for its seventh Big 12 title, used great defense to shut down the Aggies in the second half, limiting them without a field goal over an eight-minute stretch.

The Jayhawks, who trailed by as many as nine in the second half, used a 21-2 spurt to take control. They've won their last four games since falling at Oklahoma State on February 27.

Donald Sloan had 24 points for the fourth-seeded Aggies (23-9), who had their four-game winning streak broken and will now wait for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Khris Middleton tallied 14 points and B.J. Holmes 12 for Texas A&M, which fell to 1-16 all-time against Kansas. The Aggies are 0-6 against top-ranked opponents.

Texas A&M led 38-35 at the break, and Middleton's three-pointer widened the lead to 47-38 nearly three minutes into the second half. The Aggies led 55-51 following a pair of Sloan free throws with 10 1/2 minutes to go.

Then came Kansas' huge rally, started with a three-pointer by Henry. Morris' layup gave the Jayhawks the lead, but Sloan interjected with a jumper with under nine minutes left. That would be A&M's last field goal until the final minute.

Morris tacked on a jumper, and Collins came up with a steal and layup to give Kansas a three-point edge. Henry then extended the cushion with a three- pointer from the left wing.

Aggies coach Mark Turgeon was visibly upset at Kansas' players on a couple of occasions, jawing at Collins with under seven minutes left. Texas A&M's Bryan Davis and Kansas' Morris where whistled for technical fouls with 6:41 remaining.

Henry's three-ball capped the burst with five minutes left for the dominating 72-57 cushion. Sloan and Naji Hibbert each hit shots in the final minute for the Aggies, but the game was already decided.

Game Notes

Kansas coach Bill Self captured win No. 200 as Jayhawks coach, joining Phog Allen, Ted Owens and Roy Williams to reach the milestone at the school. Self became the fastest coach in KU's history to reach the 200-win mark, doing it in 243 games. Williams won 200 at Kansas in 252 games...Sloan has played in 136 career games, moving past Josh Carter (2005-09) for the most in A&M history...The Aggies, who beat Nebraska on Thursday, played their second straight contest without sophomore guard Dash Harris, who is out with a right wrist injury...Kansas ended 10-of-18 from three-point range.

Virtuslvegas NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Kovalchuk, Devils clip Pens to tighten Atlantic race
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ilya Kovalchuk posted a goal and two assists and Martin Brodeur stopped 34 shots as New Jersey clipped Pittsburgh, 3-1, at Prudential Center. Patrik Elias and Andy Greene also scored for the Devils, who hav

<< Georgia Tech downs Maryland to reach ACC semis, boost resume
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Iman Shumpert scored 14 points and handed out four assists to help Georgia Tech fend off 19th-ranked Maryland, 69-64, in the quarterfinals of the 2010 ACC Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. The Yellow Ja

<< Bobcats top Clippers; Wallace hurt ankle
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stephen Jackson poured in 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter while dishing out six assists, as the Charlotte Bobcats continued their stellar play at home with a 106-98 victory over the Los Angeles

<< Lightning escape Verizon Center with win over Caps
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Walker had a goal and an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning got a big win in a 3-2 decision over the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center. Vincent Lecavalier and Brandon Bochenski each had

<< Monroe Doctrine: Hoyas dominate paint to reach Big East final
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Monroe dominated the paint with 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and 22nd-ranked Georgetown returned to the Big East Tournament final for the third time in four years with an 80-57 v

Prospal, Rangers down sliding Thrashers >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vinny Prospal had two goals and an assist as the New York Rangers took a 5-2 decision over the Atlanta Thrashers in a battle between playoff contenders. Marian Gaborik had a goal and two assists while

Pierce leads Celtics in rout of Pacers >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Pierce scored 20 to lead a balanced attack, and the Boston Celtics got back to their winning ways with a 122-103 rout of the lowly Indiana Pacers. Rajon Rondo added 16 points and 11 assists for the Celt

San Diego inks CB Strickland >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Chargers announced the signing of free agent cornerback Donald Strickland to a two-year contract on Friday. Strickland, 29, saw his playing time diminish with the New York Jets last season

Richardson and Heat clobber Bulls >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Quentin Richardson made 7-of-11 three-pointers on his way to 23 points while pulling down seven rebounds, as the Miami Heat handled the Chicago Bulls, 108-95. Jermaine O'Neal had a season-high 25 points t

Harding solid as Wild escape Sabres >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Harding stopped a season-high 43 shots, as Minnesota escaped from Buffalo with a 3-2 win at HSBC Arena. Andrew Ebbett, Andrew Brunette and Guillaume Latendresse lit the lamp for the Wild, who halted a fou

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

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