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Barbosa key to Raptors' team conceptBasketball Betting Lines07/19/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors are moving in a new direction, the focus no longer on the talents of Chris Bosh, but on a collective approach to playing the game. Bosh recently joined LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, leaving a giant hole in the Raptors' front court, a 24-point and 10-rebound-per-game hole that general manager Bryan Colangelo has been working feverishly to fill. With Bosh out of the picture, the dynamics of the team will shift immensely and Colangelo has made it known that speed, athleticism and depth will become the hallmarks of the organization going forward. With the long-anticipated trade that sent Hedo Turkoglu to the Phoenix Suns for Leandro Barbosa completed last week, the transformation process has begun. The 27-year- old Barbosa fits to a tee the type of player the Raptors will need to employ if they plan to successfully implement their new approach on the hardwood. "His speed, quickness and scoring ability will mesh well with our desired playing style and talented young athletes,' said Colangelo in a news release following the trade. "With the departure of Chris Bosh now real, this trade fits well with our plan of adding talent to the roster while establishing future salary cap flexibility." Known as "The Brazilian Blur" because of his neck-breaking speed, the six-foot- three, 202-pound combo guard made a career out of backing up two-time MVP Steve Nash in Phoenix, while adding even more valuable minutes by his side at shooting guard. During the 2006-07 season, his best as a pro, Barbosa averaged an impressive 18.1 points, 4.0 assists while sporting a .434 shooting percentage from three- point territory, numbers that landed him the NBA's sixth man of the year honors. The 2009-10 campaign was a tough one for Barbosa. Hampered by a wrist injury that would eventually require surgery in January, he averaged only 9.5 points and 1.5 assists in 44 games last season in an off year for the Sau Paulo native. If healthy, expect him to take a central role on a young Raptors squad where he will fit in nicely beside up-tempo wingmen DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems. Colangelo's plan to re-tool the roster took another leap forward with the re- signing of multipurpose man Amir Johnson to a five-year $34-million-dollar deal. Johnson could end up being a bargain down the road, as there are few Raptors that can run and rebound with his tenacity. Linas Kleiza, 24, of the Denver Nuggets is another player that may suit up with the Raptors next season, as the Nuggets are not expected to match an offer sheet put forward by Colangelo. Boasting a dynamic skill set, the six-foot- eight, 245-pounder could vie for a starting job next year at either small forward or power forward. Add six-foot-11 rookie power forward Ed Davis and the Raptors are in the midst of building a roster full of tough and athletic bodies, capable of success at multiple positions. Ultimately, it will be up to head coach Jay Triano to capitalize on this new depth and roster flexibility while employing a balanced scoring attack. Barbosa's speed, vision and scoring ability will be an integral to that end, as the Raptors aim to succeed by running teams out of the gym next season. With Bosh no longer the team's offensive security blanket, the door is wide open for a facilitator to take charge, and Barbosa may be just the player to jump into that role.
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Villarreal, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich Albion have cut their losses on Borja Valero after allowing the midfielder to return to Spain with Villarreal. Valero, 25, joined the Baggies from Mallorca for a club record $7 mill
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Mainz, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mainz have completed the one-year loan signing of Christian Fuchs from Bochum. The Austrian midfielder has the option of making the deal permanent next year following Bochum's relegation from the Bun
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SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook BettingNFL 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. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs. Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers. A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers. Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers. The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5). Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries. The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38). To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. |
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