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Bulls are still warming up

Basketball Betting Lines

12/05/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago did not start the season the way it had hoped. After an impressive road victory over the Miami Heat in the season opener, the Bulls dropped nine of their next 11 contests and owned a disappointing 3-9 record.

There should not be any excuses for poor play, but the new-look Bulls, who made major changes during the offseason, did go through a season-long seven game road trip where they racked up a dismal 1-6 record. Growing pains and getting used to playing with each other could be one explanation for their weak play early on.

However, things are getting back to normal for Chicago, which has been eliminated in first round of the playoffs in back-to-back years. The Bulls arguably had the best offseason in the NBA, as they signed reigning Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace to a lucrative, multi-year contract, and added veteran forward P.J. Brown and promising rookies Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha through trades.

A nucleus of Luol Deng, Chris Duhon, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni was already in place. The addition of Wallace, who has spent the six previous seasons with Central Division-rival Detroit, and Brown were going to have a huge impact on how the Bulls played.

Growing pains were obvious in the beginning of the season. The Bulls were a decent defensive team before they acquired Brown and Wallace. With its two new frontcourt players, Chicago was expected to be a ferocious defensive squad. The makeup of the club was starting to look a lot like the Pistons, who had participated in the last four Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals during that span.

Chicago crushed Dwyane Wade and the Heat 108-66 on October 31st at AmericanAirlines Arena. After just one game, the Bulls were already the talk of the NBA. Were they for real?

The Bulls endured a bad slump during the next 23 days, as they were 2-9 during that span and registered their only victories against the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.

Winning games with tough defense was the plan for the new roster that executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson assembled. The Bulls allowed 100 or more points in seven games during their 2-9 stretch, and were 0-7 in those contests.

Wallace seemed to be having trouble adjusting to the new surroundings, while the rest of the team was simply out of sync. The 32-year-old Wallace is expected to be the catalyst for Chicago's defense. Paxson and head coach Scott Skiles want Wallace to be the intimidating presence that he was in Detroit.

The Bulls have now won five straight contests and smiles are starting to appear on the faces of the front office and the players. During its five victories, Chicago surrendered 100 or more points just once and it is starting to look like a team that is getting comfortable playing with each other.

Wallace is still not playing like his old self, but glimpses of All-Star play are starting to pop up. He is not on the court for his offense. The 6-9 Wallace is expected to do the dirty work down that helps teams win the big games.

There is a plan in place. Deng, Gordon and Hinrich are expected to supply the offense, while Nocioni will help out on that end of the court as well. Brown and Wallace will provide the experience and leadership which is invaluable in the playoffs and during tough times.

The plan looks like it is starting to play out. The Bulls were able to bounce back after a stretch of poor play. Teams that are successful have to stick together when the going gets tough.

The Central Division has some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Detroit is always a contender, while LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers look like they have a chance to be there at the end.

Chicago fell off the map for a very short time, and now the Bulls are back. The Pistons and Cavaliers won't be in a two team battle for the division crown. With Deng, Gordon and Hinrich providing the offense, and Wallace leading the defensive charge, the Bulls are going to be tough to beat.

It's still very early. But, Chicago already had some turmoil and have shown that it has the ability to rise above it. The new-look Bulls are still learning how to play together and their best basketball should be on the way very soon.

<< Hawks continue road trip in Seattle
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks play the second of a five-game road trip, as they visit the Seattle SuperSonics tonight at KeyArena. This is the second and final meeting of the season between the clubs. On November 11th, Ray Allen pou

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Lake Buena Vista, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - According to the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Rangers finalized a deal with starting pitcher Vicente Padilla late Monday night. The paper reported on its Web site, citing a club source, that Padil

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Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Boozer scored 30 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to power Utah to a 101-88 win over Milwaukee, moving Jazz coach Jerry Sloan within one victory of 1,000 for his NBA career. Mehmet Okur

<< Spurs continue domination over Warriors to deny Nelson
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brent Barry led eight San Antonio players in double figures with 18 points, as the Spurs pounded Golden State, 129-89, denying Don Nelson his milestone 1,200th win for a third straight game. Beno Udrih

<< Wizards end Dallas' 12-game surge
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New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NFL has moved the December 17 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers to 8:15 p.m. (et) as part of the flexible scheduling system. At 10-2, the Chargers are tied for the NFL's best r

Italy soccer hit with more scandal >>
Udine, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Italian Football Federation has been given a list of 21 players who allegedly bet on soccer in the country from 1998 to 2005. The list, which was compiled from the Udine Prosecution Office and

ISC gives up on Staten Island track >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - International Speedway Corp. has ended all plans to build a track on Staten Island. The company, which has close ties to NASCAR, had purchased a 440-acre site in 2004 and planned to build an 80,000- seat tr

Celtics return home for two games >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics will have a day to rest before returning home for two games with hopes of ending a three-game losing streak. Boston has also dropped five of its last six games, including Monday's 100-82 loss against t

SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards

Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.