 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
2010 Patriot League Tournament PreviewNCAA Basketball Betting Lines03/01/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The usual suspects in the Patriot League might be taking a backseat to a new crop of stars as the 20th annual conference tournament tips off this week. American University, which is the two-time defending champion of this event after beating Colgate in 2008 and Holy Cross last season, is the fourth seed this time around, while a program like Holy Cross, with its 26-14 record and five titles in the tournament over the years, is the seven seed. Lehigh (19-10, 10-4) earned the top seed in the tournament, but just barely. The Mountain Hawks closed the regular season with back-to-back wins over Bucknell and Holy Cross, giving the squad four wins in the last five outings overall. Lehigh was the top scoring team in the league with an average of 75.4 ppg, giving the squad the best scoring margin (plus-3.7 ppg) in the Patriot. Despite his freshman status, C.J. McCollum placed third in the league in scoring with his 18.8 ppg, while Marquis Hall and Zahir Carrington supplied some senior leadership with 11.3 and 10.5 ppg, respectively. Army (14-14, 4-10), which lost to the Mountain Hawks by double digits in each meeting this season, began the 2009-10 campaign with favorable results by winning nine of the first 11 contests, but then the league schedule kicked in and not much went right for the Black Knights. The squad averaged a mere 60.9 ppg, the lowest average in the PL, but by coincidence the Knights also surrendered an identical 60.9 ppg as well, which meant they had the stiffest defense in the league. Cleveland Richard (12.8 ppg) and Julian Simmons (11.5 ppg) were crucial to the scoring effort, but it was field goal percentage defense (.408) and three-point percentage defense (.334) that kept the group competitive. The Bucknell Bison (14-16, 9-5) were roughed up during the non-conference portion of the schedule and their loss to Lehigh in the final week of action proved to be costly as they dropped to the second seed and will now challenge seventh-seeded Holy Cross in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Bison finished seventh in the league in field goal shooting at a mere 41.1 percent, the team's 32.8 percent behind the three-point line being the worst in the league. From an offensive standpoint, the Bison failed to put a single scorer in the top-20, with Mike Muscala coming up with a team-best 9.9 ppg and Darryl Shazier another 9.8 ppg. Like the Bison, the Crusaders (8-21, 5-9) scheduled a number of top-notch, non-conference opponents this season and because of it had a tough time mounting wins. Holy Cross, which lost two in a row and four-of-five games to close out the regular season, ranks second in the league in three-point shooting at 38 percent and is third in overall field goal shooting at 44.4 percent, but that didn't always matter since the squad was second from the bottom in points allowed with a hefty 72.2 ppg. A pair of sophomores ranked in the top-10 in scoring as R.J. Evans and Devin Brown both recorded 13.2 ppg during the regular season, while Andrew Keister (10.4 ppg) came closest to averaging a double-double in the Patriot League with his 9.4 rpg. Taking on the winner of the Bucknell/Holy Cross encounter in the semifinals on Sunday will be the survivor of the Lafayette/Colgate battle. The third-seeded Leopards (17-12, 8-6) were second in the conference in scoring with 73.2 ppg, but the team split its two games with Colgate and the visitors won each of those contests. Not only did Lafayette lead the league in free-throw shooting at 75.8 percent, the squad was even ranked in the nation's top-10 in that department as recently as last week. Add to that a league-best 45.7 percent from the floor and it is easy to see why the Leopards need to be feared, although having the weakest field goal shooting defense doesn't bolster that claim. Jared Mintz (14.6 ppg), Jim Mower (13.7 ppg) and Ryan Willen (12.0 ppg) shouldered most of the load on offense for the group, the former also leading the conference with his 55.6 percent accuracy from the floor. As for the Raiders (10-18, 6-8), the sixth-seed in the event and a squad that has not won the crown since 1996 when Adonal Foyle was still active, they were shooting for glory right out of the gate this season as they opened with a meeting against UConn on the road. Needless to say, that meeting resulted in a double-digit loss and started the ball rolling in what became a nine-game slide to open the campaign. There was a span of four straight wins for the squad almost immediately after, but not much stock could be put in victories over Longwood, Central Connecticut State, NC Central and Army, the last of those forged by just three points in overtime. Nevertheless, one player that Lafayette cannot sleep on is Kyle Roemer, who ranked second in the conference in scoring with his 18.9 ppg, while Yaw Gyawu chipped in with 14.3 ppg for Colgate as well. The last matchup on the board for the first set of games pits fifth-seeded Navy against American University. The Midshipmen (13-16, 7-7) actually had the same record as the Eagles (10-19, 7-7) in league play, but because American won both regular season meetings, the advantage of playing at home in the quarterfinal round goes to the Eagles. Navy, which has the second-most tournament titles with three, actually has a losing record over the years in the event at 13-15, but with the league's leading scorer on their side (Chris Harris, 21.1 ppg), the Midshipmen aim to change all of that even though they are opening on the road. Luckily, Harris is not all alone in his endeavors as Jordan Sugars placed fourth in the league with his 15.9 ppg and was also third on the glass with close to eight rebounds per game this season. However, even with one of the strongest rebounders in the Patriot, Navy still placed last in the league with a minus-6.2 rpg margin and that had the squad ranked near the bottom nationally as well. Unfortunately, defense hasn't been a strength of the Midshipmen this season as they ranked last in the league with close to 76 ppg allowed. As for the Eagles, their offense struggled this season with a mere 62.8 ppg and that left them tied with Navy for the worst scoring margin in the league at minus-4.2 ppg. American was an enigmatic group that lost seven straight games right out of the gate, with defeats at St. Francis-PA, Mount St. Mary's and Maryland-Eastern Shore, yet the squad mixed in a win over DePaul on the road which at the time should have been something to build on before the Blue Demons themselves hit the skids. The Eagles won two straight and three of the last four in the regular season to generate some momentum, but they needed a lot more to propel them to a third straight championship. Stephen Lumpkins stands as the offensive leader with his 12.4 ppg, stemming from 50.4 percent shooting from the field, and at the same time finished second in the conference in rebounding with 8.3 rpg.
<< 2010 Big South Conference Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The surprising Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are the top seed in the Big South Conference Tournament for the first time since the 1990-91 campaign, and they have seemingly come out of nowhere to become the fa
<< 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Preview
<< 2010 Horizon League Tournament Preview
<< Longhorns hope to right ship in revenge game with Sooners
<< Hoyas visit Mountaineers in Big East showdown
Surging Mavs visit Bobcats >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks will take their season-best seven-game winning streak to the road this evening, when they pay a visit to the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Dallas continued its winning ways with Sunday'
Shaq-less Cavs host Knicks >>
Struggling Sixers tangle with Magic at Wachovia Center >>
Bulls kick off homestand vs. Hawks >>
Nuggets, Suns square off in the desert >>
Online Sportsbook Football BettingThe NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason. New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall). The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo. Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years. Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason. Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes. The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher. Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer. The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick. Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards. However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed). The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense. Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style. In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record. Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme. Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack. MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction. MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times. "Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders." Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com . Get all your baseball betting lines, MLB lines and MLB team props at the My Sportbook. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your baseball sportsbook needs. |
|
