Aggies top Nebraska, No. 1 Kansas up next in Big 12 semis

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/11/2010 - Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Donald Sloan finished with 23 points, as No. 23 Texas A&M defeated Nebraska, 70-64, in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

Khris Middleton added 17 points while B.J. Holmes provided 11 points for the Aggies (23-8), who advanced to face top-seeded and top-ranked Kansas in one of Friday's semifinals. The Jayhawks pulled away to beat Texas Tech earlier Thursday.

Sloan, Middleton and Holmes combined to go 9-of-18 from three-point range for Texas A&M, which has won its last four games.

Ryan Anderson had 16 points to pace Nebraska (15-18), which had knocked off fifth-seeded Missouri in the opening round. Jorge Brian Diaz and Sek Henry finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Down by double digits more than six minutes into the second half, the Cornhuskers ripped off 11 consecutive points to get back in the game. Anderson ended it with a three to get Nebraska within 49-47.

The game continued to be close, and with 3:20 left, an Anderson jumper had Nebraska within 57-55. However, Texas A&M countered with a Middleton three, and after Anderson missed from long distance, Sloan's jumper made it a 62-55 contest with two minutes left.

It was critical separation for the Aggies, who led by at least two possessions the rest of the way.

Texas A&M scored the game's first eight points and played in front the entire first half. The Huskers were within five just inside the final minute, but the Aggies got a free throw from Ray Turner and three from Sloan to go into the break with a 37-28 advantage.

Texas A&M then scored the first seven points of the second half to push the advantage to 44-28.

Game Notes

Nebraska shot 50 percent and held a 29-25 rebounding advantage...Texas A&M shot just under 43 percent and made 19-of-25 free throws.

Wwwinfind NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Buffalo extends AHL agreement with Portland
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Sabres announced on Thursday that the club has renewed its affiliate agreement with Portland of the American Hockey League on a long-term extension. "Greater Portland has embraced a group o

<< Big Ten Conference Tournament Recaps
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manny Harris scored a team-high 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds as he led the Michigan Wolverines to a 59-52 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the opening game of the 2010 Big Ten Conference Tournam

<< Liverpool drops first leg at Lille
Lille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eden Hazard scored off a free kick with just five minutes remaining and Lille edged Liverpool 1-0 on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 series at Lille Metropole. Hazard curled a 2

<< Marquette trumps 'Nova to reach Big East semis
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darius Johnson-Odom struck for 24 points, thanks to 5-of-7 makes from beyond the arc, as Marquette upended 10th-ranked Villanova, 80-76, in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. Lazar Hayward p

<< Cardinals re-sign OL Bridges
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals re-signed guard/tackle Jeremy Bridges to a three-year contract on Thursday. Bridges signed a one-year deal with Arizona prior to last season and played in all 16 games with the club, in

Volunteers vault past LSU into SEC quarterfinals >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wayne Chism had 17 points and 10 rebounds as 15th-ranked Tennessee downed LSU, 59-49, in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Bobby Maze had 14 points and J.P. Prince added 11 points for the Vol

New Mexico wins 15th straight, advances in MWC tourney >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darington Hobson erupted for 28 points and 15 rebounds, carrying No. 8 New Mexico to a hard-fought 75-69 victory over Air Force in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Dairese Gar

Bills re-sign TE Klopfenstein >>
Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Bills re-signed tight end Joe Klopfenstein on Thursday. The Bills signed Klopfenstein two different times last season, and he played in only one game, the season finale, making one catch for

Western Athletic Conference Tournament Recaps >>
Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tai Wesley, one of three players to score 18 points for Utah State, collected 10 rebounds as the Aggies defeated Boise State, 84-60, in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournam

Bears re-sign S Bullocks >>
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears signed safety Josh Bullocks to a one-year tender offer on Thursday. The 40th pick by New Orleans in the 2005 draft, Bullocks has recorded 327 tackles, six interceptions, 28 p

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

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