Thunder continue road trip at Sacramento
Basketball Betting Lines
02/09/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder have been moving along quite steadily this season and will try to keep it that way when they resume a five-game road trip tonight against the Sacramento Kings.
Oklahoma City is coming off Tuesday's 119-116 victory over the Golden State Warriors in which Kevin Durant poured in a team-best 33 points on 13-of-27 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out seven assists. Durant, who hit the go-ahead basket with 14.2 seconds left, has scored 30 or more points in five of his last seven games, averaging 31.4 ppg in that span.
Russell Westbrook also hit the 30-point mark with 31 points and James Harden provided 19 in a reserve role. The Thunder survived a 48-point performance by Warriors guard Monta Ellis and a triple-double from big man David Lee (25 p, 11 r, 10 a). Thunder head coach Scott Brooks was pleased with the effort.
"Our guys never gave up. We fought back and continued to believe in each other," Brooks said following his team's 15th win in 18 tries.
Daequan Cook scored 17 points for the Thunder, who have the league's best record at 20-5 and improved to 11-4 away from home this season. Oklahoma City will close out the journey Friday against the Utah Jazz. Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha missed his sixth consecutive game with right foot soreness and is still out indefinitely.
The Northwest Division-leading Thunder are one of only four Western Conference teams (Denver, Minnesota and the LA Clippers) to boast a winning road record.
Sacramento is in the basement of the Pacific Division and had a season-high three-game winning streak come to an end with Tuesday's 86-84 loss at Minnesota. Marcus Thornton had a team-best 22 points and DeMarcus Cousins recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
"We had an opportunity for a shot but it didn't go down," said Sacramento head coach Keith Smart. "The players fought and played well enough to get back into the game after a really bad first quarter."
Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette scored 13 points as a reserve and Tyreke Evans posted 11 points for the Kings, losers in six of nine games. The Kings will close out the homestand Saturday versus Phoenix and are 6-4 as the host. Minnesota's Nikola Pekovic abused the Kings to the tune of 23 points and 10 rebounds, and earned the attention of Sacramento head coach Keith Smart.
"He is a man down there," Smart said of Pekovic. "He plays in the trenches where you have to play with a physical game and that young man has been playing well for over a week and a half now."
Cousins has recorded 17 double-doubles this season, third-most in the NBA this season (behind Kevin Love and Dwight Howard), and is averaging 19.7 ppg and 16.7 rpg in the last three, recording double-doubles in each contest. Cousins recorded 26 double-doubles as a rookie last season.
Sacramento lost all four meetings with the Thunder last season and is winless in the past six matchups between the teams. Oklahoma City has won nine of 10 and 10 of the last 13 encounters with the Kings. Durant is averaging 28.3 points in 14 career games against Sacramento.
The Kings have lost all five visits to Oklahoma City.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pro basketball's most storied rivalry resumes in Beantown on Thursday, when the streaking Boston Celtics aim to complete a perfect five- game homestand versus the despised Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics (17) and Lake
<< Rangers try to rebound against Lightning
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers will try to rebound from a
controversial loss when they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning for tonight's
battle at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers dropped a 1-0 regulation decision Tuesday against the
<< Habs aim to make it three straight in clash with Isles
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to post their longest
winning streak in over three months when they visit the New York Islanders
tonight at Nassau Coliseum.
The Canadiens have recorded recent home wins over Winnipeg and Pi
<< OVC action pits Racers against Tigers
Murray, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ninth-ranked Murray State Racers will once
again march out on the court to defend their perfect record as they host the
Tennessee State Tigers in an Ohio Valley Conference clash at the CFSB Center.
This will
<< Rivals meet up in Starkville for SEC action
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Instate rivals collide in Starkville this
evening, as the 20th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs play host to the Ole
Miss Rebels in an SEC affair at the Humphrey Coliseum.
Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs can't af
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets are not making excuses that injuries are the main reason why they're mired in a season-high four-game losing streak. "We have a lot of young talent and a lot of players with experience. We have a long be
Nash, Suns host Rockets in the desert >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Nash celebrated his 38th birthday in style the last
time out for the Phoenix Suns, who look to extend their season-high winning
streak to four straight games this evening at home versus the Houston Rockets.
Nash
Argentines set to face host Germans in Davis Cup >>
Bamberg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's runner-up Argentina will
battle host Germany in an opening-round Davis Cup tie this weekend.
The best-of-five affair will commence with a pair of opening singles rubbers
on Friday, as
Wings, Leafs to meet in 2013 Winter Classic at the Big House >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs
will play in the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement Thursday at Comerica Park
in Detroit,
Whiting seeks another Run for the Roses >>
Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's been 20 years since trainer Lynn
Whiting saddled longshot colt Lil E. Tee to win the 118th Kentucky Derby. The
Midwest conditioner has another three-year-old in his stable at Oaklawn Park
giving
Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
Get all your baseball betting lines, MLB lines and MLB team props at the My Sportbook.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your baseball sportsbook needs.
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.