Magic rout Knicks

Basketball Betting Lines

04/09/2010 - Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vince Carter and Dwight Howard each poured in 25 points, and the Orlando Magic handled the New York Knicks, 118-103, at Amway Arena.

Howard added 13 rebounds for his league-leading 61st double-double of the season, as the Magic won for the 17th time in 20 games. Ryan Anderson added 19 points, while J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson had 15 and 13 points, respectively, in the win.

While Orlando has locked up the second seed in the East, it is competing with the Lakers for the second overall best record going into the NBA playoffs. The Magic, who came into the game tied with the Lakers, would lose the tiebreaker due to opposing conference record.

Danilo Gallinari scored 28 points to lead the Knicks, who have lost seven of eight on the road. Chris Duhon and Sergio Rodriguez each had 13, while Toney Douglas added 12 points in defeat.

The Magic led, 10-9, early and scored the following 12 points to take control, as Carter nailed two threes during the stretch for a 22-9 advantage. New York battled back to get to within five, but Orlando scored the last nine points of the period, with a Nelson jumper providing a 35-21 lead.

The two teams played even in the second quarter, and the hosts took a 62-48 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Orlando used an 8-1 burst beginning the third to grab a 70-49 cushion on a Howard basket, and the Magic led by as many as 24 in the frame. The Knicks, however, closed the stanza on a 15-5 burst to close to within 90-79 entering the fourth.

The visitors didn't get closer than eight in the final quarter, at 92-84 after a David Lee layup in the early moments. Mickael Pietrus drained a three moments later to push Orlando's lead back to 97-84, and the Magic led by double-digits the rest of the way.

Game Notes

Orlando swept the season series, 3-0, for the first time since the 2001-02 season...The Magic are 22-0 this season when they shoot 50 percent or better; they shot 56 percent on Friday...The Knicks are 9-31 against winning teams this season...Orlando is 37-6 this season when five or more players score in double-figures...The Magic set a team record with 2,158 three-pointers made in a season...Orlando will host its final regular season game at Amway Arena next Wednesday against Philadelphia. The team is moving into a new arena in 2010-11.

Wwwhkcyber Basketball Betting News

<< Ovechkin scores 50th, takes NHL points lead
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin took over the goal-scoring and points lead with his pair of markers and an assist as the Washington Capitals took a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers at Verizon Center. Ovechkin now has 50

<< Allmendinger claims first Sprint Cup pole at Phoenix
Avondale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Allmendinger will start on the pole for the first time in his Sprint Cup Series career after winning Friday's qualifying for the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway. Allmendin

<< Rowand lifts Giants over Braves in 13th
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edgar Renteria hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning before Aaron Rowand's infield single plated the winning run in the 13th, as the Giants rallied past the Braves, 5-4, in a maratho

<< Wozniacki cruises into MPS Group SFs
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki easily advanced to the semifinals Friday at the $220,000 MPS Group Championships tennis event. Wozniacik had little trouble with Russia's Anastasia P

<< Geoffrion wins 2010 Hobey Baker Award
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Executive Committee announced Friday that University of Wisconsin forward Blake Geoffrion was named the 30th winner of college hockey's most prestig

Delfino paces Bucks over Sixers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Delfino hit five three-pointers on his way to 23 points, as the playoff-bound Milwaukee Bucks held on to top the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-90, at Wachovia Center. Luke Ridnour shot 8-of-12 and had

Bertuzzi, Howard help Detroit move to fifth spot >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Todd Bertuzzi netted the shootout winner and Jimmy Howard recorded 22 saves for his third shutout of the season, as Detroit picked up a key two points for playoff positioning with a 1-0 win to close out a home-

Rangers edge Flyers to pull even for East's final playoff berth >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marian Gaborik notched the game-winner late in the second period, as the New York Rangers stayed alive in the race for a playoff berth with a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia in the opener of a crucial home-an

Stubbs' grand slam helps Reds top Cubs >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Drew Stubbs' eighth-inning grand slam proved to be the difference, as Cincinnati edged the Chicago Cubs, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park. Orlando Cabrera drove in the ot

Hawks deal blow to Raptors' playoff hopes >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamal Crawford finished with 25 points to lead a balanced attack, as the Atlanta Hawks got back on track with a 107-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Josh Smith had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four

Sportsbooks to bet on football

Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.

He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.

"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.

He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.

Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.

Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.

Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.

Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.

With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.

Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).

And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)

The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.

While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.

Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.

One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.

Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.

What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.

That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.

MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.

"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.

"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."

So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.

In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.

MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.

The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.

Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.

MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.

To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.