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Blazers hope to continue home dominance over LakersBasketball Betting Lines02/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers shoot for their 10th straight home win over the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, when the two Western Conference powers collide at the Rose Garden. Portland recorded its third straight overall win over the Lakers with a 107-98 triumph at home back on January 8. Brandon Roy made 9-of-11 shots from the field on his way to 32 points for the Trail Blazers, who have won nine in row as the host in this series. The Lakers' last win in the Rose City was an 86-83 victory on February 23, 2009. The Blazers opened a three-game homestand with a 96-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, as LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points with 13 rebounds and Martell Webster made key shots down the stretch en route to a 21- point performance. Andre Miller chipped in 11 points and 10 assists, while Juwan Howard ended with 10 points and eight rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have won three of their last four games overall and improved to 18-9 in the Pacific Northwest this season. Portland will also host Oklahoma City on the residency. The Trail Blazers have posted consecutive home sweeps over the Spurs for the first time since the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Roy, who averages a team-high 23.1 points per game, missed his ninth straight contest against the Spurs with a strained right hamstring but practiced Friday and coach Nate McMillan is anticipating a possible return for tonight's game. "He's been sitting out for a couple weeks now and you don't want again to waste the time that you've already allowed him to recover," McMillan told the Blazers' Web site. "He has to feel confident that he can go out there and play and explode the way he plays out on the court." Los Angeles, meanwhile, is coming off one of its worst losses of the season, a 126-113 thrashing at the hands of Denver. Chauncey Billups set a new career- high with 39 points after hitting a career-best nine three-pointers in 13 attempts in that one, as the sharp-shooting Nuggets crushed the Lakers. Kobe Bryant had 15 points in the first seven minutes of the game and finished with 33 for the Lakers, who lost for just the fourth time in 28 home games this season. Pau Gasol recorded 17 points and 17 rebounds, but Los Angeles shot just 44.9 percent overall and 8-of-26 from three-point range in defeat. "(Denver) put a rush on us in the third quarter," said Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. "Chauncey hitting threes changed the game. I'm not going to berate my team. I'm just glad it didn't happen in a playoff game."
<< Northwest heavyweights clash as Nuggets visit Jazz
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Utah Jazz can move up in the Northwest standings with a win over the division-rival Denver Nuggets tonight, when the two clubs square off at EnergySolutions Arena. Utah sits just three games behind the Nuggets for the
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<< Bulls, Heat clash in Windy City
Hughes era begins as Clippers host Spurs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The rodeo road trip continues this evening in Hollywood for the San Antonio Spurs, who will shoot for their 15th straight win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. The Spurs will have to do it against a Clippers
Durant, Thunder invade Oakland to face Warriors >>
Spartans hope for return to win column in clash with Illini >>
Blue Devils come north to challenge Eagles >>
Bears and Aggies meet in Big 12 action >>
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana Should be in: Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it? Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel. Work left to do: Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third. Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim. Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either. Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Big 12 Conference betting odds Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State Work left to do: Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on. Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough. Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.
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