Celtics to begin title defense against James, Cavaliers
Basketball Betting Lines
08/07/2008 -
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics will begin their title
defense on Tuesday, October 28 at home against LeBron James and the
Cleveland Cavaliers.
The contest is the first of two featured on the NBA's 2008-09 schedule, which
was released on Wednesday. The second contest of the opening night
doubleheader, which will be broadcast on TNT, will feature the top overall
selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, Greg Oden, and the Portland Trail Blazers as
they visit reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant and the defending Western
Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Boston-Cleveland matchup will also feature a ceremony before the game
where Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and company will receive their
championship rings.
ESPN will then take over the following night with a doubleheader of its own.
First, the San Antonio Spurs will host the Phoenix Suns and the nightcap
will feature an intra-city battle as the new-look Los Angeles Clippers, led by
Baron Davis, host the Lakers.
Other highlighted matchups of opening week, titled "NBA Tip-Off 08" include
Houston taking on in-state rival Dallas on Thursday, while 2008 No. 1 overall
pick Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls travel to take on the world champion
Celtics on Friday.
For the first time, the NBA's three national television partners -- ABC, ESPN
and TNT -- will each televise games on Christmas Day.
The action tips off on ESPN at 12 p.m. (et) when Orlando and All-Star Dwight
Howard play host to the New Orleans Hornets and dynamic point guard Chris
Paul.
ABC follows with a doubleheader, featuring the Suns and Spurs in Phoenix and a
rematch of last year's NBA Finals when Boston visits the Staples Center and
the Lakers. TNT finishes the day with a doubleheader of its own, headlined by
the Washington Wizards traveling to Cleveland to face James and the Cavaliers.
and Portland hosting the Dallas Mavericks.
ABC will exclusively broadcast the NBA Finals for a sixth straight season in
June.
<< Favre traded to Jets
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers reached an
agreement to trade quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets late
Wednesday night.
Though the Packers did not release terms of the trade, the Gree
<< Ellsbury, Red Sox blast Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-4 with a three-
run homer and scored twice as the Boston Red Sox routed the Kansas City
Royals, 8-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Tim Wakefield (7-8) pitched s
<< Fish, Safin advance in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Russian Marat Safin and
sixth-seeded American Mardy Fish advanced, while second-seeded Spaniard
Fernando Verdasco fell in Wednesday's second-round action at the $475,000
Country
<< Youkilis leaves game with injured hand
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin
Youkilis left in the first inning of Wednesday's game against the Kansas City
Royals with a right hand injury after being hit by a pitch.
The injury is listed a
<< Rockies reinstate Francis from DL
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis was
activated from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old lefty had been sidelined for over a month with inflammation in
his left shoulder. He w
Self inks 10-year deal with Kansas >>
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kansas has rewarded men's basketball coach
Bill Self with a new 10-year contract worth $3 million per season.
Self guided the Jayhawks to the national championship this past spring and has
a record of 142-
Yankees place Chamberlain on DL >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees placed star pitcher
Joba Chamberlain on the 15-day disabled list with a stiff right shoulder
Wednesday.
Chamberlain underwent an MRI on the shoulder on Tuesday in New York, b
Veteran D Hill headed to Switzerland >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former NHL defenseman Sean Hill signed a one-
year contract to play for Biel of the EHC Swiss hockey league on Thursday.
Hill played in 35 games for the Minnesota Wild last season, scoring twice with
seven as
Favre officially joins Jets >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brett Favre officially joined the New
York Jets Thursday in a press conference before the team's preseason game in
Cleveland.
Favre was traded to the Jets for a 2009 conditional draft pick. Acc
Red Sox minor leaguer suspended >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball suspended Boston Red
Sox minor leaguer Victor De La Cruz 50 games after the pitcher tested positive
for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of the Minor
League
MySportsbook features easy-to-use online betting software that’s the most reliable in the industry. If you’re looking to bet underdogs, then this Sportsbook is the place - we have the best betting lines in the business. MySportsbook is your one-stop shop for all your betting needs - sports betting, poker, casino, and horse racing . MySportsbook offers every bet type with lightning fast settlement of wagers. Take advantage of free statistical analysis - including against-the-spread and straight-up trends - in MySportsbook’s game previews section. With MySportsbook there are unlimited free deposits and payouts - and no transaction fees!
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs.
Big Ten Conference odds
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa
Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.
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.
|