Clippers send Bobcats to 14th straight loss

Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Blake Griffin scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers dominated the Charlotte Bobcats, 111-86, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Each of Griffin's fellow starters scored in double figures, with Chris Paul netting 18 points and 14 assists, Caron Butler picking up 16 points, Randy Foye adding 12, and DeAndre Jordan finishing with 11 points and 12 boards.

Los Angeles won its second game in as many nights and their fourth in five tries on its current six-game road trip, which ends Monday at Dallas.

Kemba Walker continued his impressive rookie campaign, pacing Charlotte with 19 points. Corey Maggette added 12 and six rebounds and Tyrus Thomas had 11 points off the bench for the Bobcats, who set an unfortunate franchise record with their 14th consecutive loss.

Charlotte kept it close early, and the game was tied at eight near the midpoint of the first quarter. The Clippers rolled off the next seven points, however, capped off by a Jordan putback slam. Los Angeles built an advantage its would hold throughout the remainder of the contest.

The Clippers, who won at Philadelphia on Friday, led 24-16 after the first quarter, thanks in part to Charlotte shooting 6-of-21 from the field. LA was up 55-37 at halftime, and 84-52 after three quarters.

Game Notes

Maggette made his first start after missing 19 games this season with a strained left hamstring...The Clippers defeated Charlotte by the largest margin in team history. Los Angeles' previous best was a 15-point victory on January 29, 2011 at Staples Center...The Clippers scored 50 points in the paint and led by as many as 34...Charlotte shot 35.1 percent (26-of-74) from the field and 7.1 percent (1-of-14) from three-point range.

Sportstakecenter Basketball Betting News

<< Nuggets hold off Pacers
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ty Lawson scored 27 points to lead the Nuggets to a 113-109 win over the Pacers on Saturday. Denver had five scorers in double figures, including 23 points from Arron Afflalo and 19 from Corey B

<< Princeton continues home dominance of Harvard
Princeton, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Harvard's unbeaten mark in the Ivy League came to a halt Saturday night against a team they haven't solved on the road in more than 23 years. Ian Hummer scored 20 points, pulled down nine rebounds and h

<< Pinceton continues home dominance of Harvard
Princeton, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Harvard's unbeaten mark in the Ivy League came to a halt Saturday night against a team they haven't solved on the road in more than 23 years. Ian Hummer scored 20 points, pulled down nine rebounds and h

<< Baylor thumps Texas A&M to stay perfect
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brittney Griner dropped in a game-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and six blocks as top-ranked Baylor took care of business with a 71-48 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday. Odyssey Sims finishe

<< Spartans snap Ohio State's long home win streak
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adreian Payne scored a team-high 15 points as No. 11 Michigan State handed third-ranked Ohio State its first home loss in almost two years with a 58-48 decision at Value City Arena. Keith Appling added 14

Stamkos leads Bolts past Sabres >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steven Stamkos lit the lamp and added an assist while Mathieu Garon stopped 26 shots as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 2-1. Steve Downie also scored for Tampa Bay, which had lost t

Price, Canadiens blank Maple Leafs >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carey Price made 32 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season and 16th of his career as the Montreal Canadiens blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-0, at Air Canada Centre. Mathieu Darche had a goal and a

Sixers stop shorthanded Cavs >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jrue Holiday led a balanced Philadelphia attack with 20 points as the 76ers rolled to a 99-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lou Williams added 19 points, Thaddeus Young had 16, Elton

Umberger paces Blue Jackets over Wild >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - R.J. Umberger scored a pair of goals, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. James Wisniewski -- playing in his first game after missing the previous

Murray State routs Austin Peay >>
Murray, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Isaiah Canaan scored 23 points to pace ninth- ranked Murray State to an 82-63 rout of Austin Peay. Jewuan Long and Ivan Aska each added 12 points for the Racers (24-1, 12-1 OVC), who moved closer to the

How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

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

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.