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02/06/2007 -
MIAMI (AP) -When Shaquille O'Neal returned to Miami's lineup after recovering from knee surgery, he was asked when the struggling Heat needed to regain their championship form.
O'Neal got right to the point.
``Not next month. Not next week. Not tomorrow,'' O'Neal said. ``Now.''
So far, he's getting his wish.
Things are not exactly wonderful for the Heat these days, not with the team still two games below .500 (23-25) with 34 games remaining and hanging onto the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
But a four-game winning streak certainly has made Miami's situation look considerably less dire, and it's probably little coincidence that the last three of those victories came with O'Neal looking better than he has at any point this season.
He's logged 70 minutes in those games, scoring 58 points - a remarkable pace. O'Neal needed only 21 minutes to score 22 points Monday, in Miami's 113-93 win over Charlotte.
``We have been anticipating Shaq coming back for a while,'' Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. ``We knew it was going to take him time to get back into form. He is getting back quicker than a lot of us expected. Early on, we are trying to use him as much as possible. He is doing a great job with passing out of the post and getting guys open shots.''
Miami goes for a season-high fifth straight win Wednesday in Boston, against a Celtics team that carried a 14-game losing streak into a Tuesday matchup at Detroit.
Should the Heat win Wednesday, the defending NBA champions would have a chance to get back to the .500 mark at Cleveland on Friday; Miami hasn't been .500 since Nov. 12, when it was 3-3.
``We had a little team meeting the other day, and we decided that we needed to either be at .500 or one game above .500 right before the All-Star break,'' O'Neal said. ``We've been playing pretty good team basketball, sharing the ball very well.''
The Heat are only one winning streak away from soaring up the Eastern Conference standings despite their troubles - being without O'Neal for much of the first half of the season following knee surgery, Jason Williams' knee, foot and abdominal injuries and even the loss of coach Pat Riley because of knee and hip problems.
Entering Tuesday's games, the Heat were six games behind Detroit in the race for the East's No. 1 seed, and 5 1/2 games behind Washington in the Southeast Division standings.
``It is coming together at the right time,'' O'Neal said. ``The good thing about this conference is that teams really haven't been that dominant.''
Miami's post-All-Star-break schedule might give the Heat a chance to make a run, too.
The Heat plays four of their first five games on the road after the Feb. 18 All-Star Game in Las Vegas, including a trip to Dallas in another rematch of last season's NBA finals and a Feb. 28 game in Washington. Riley's return date is unknown, but it figures to be sometime around the All-Star break.
After that road swing, Miami plays eight of its next nine games at home, a stretch that could prove to be a major springboard into the postseason.
O'Neal expects to be at his best by then, too.
``I'm not in excellent shape yet,'' O'Neal said. ``But I'm getting there.''
Collectively, the Heat feel the same way.
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< From Sapelo Island to Miami: Allen Bailey takes ferry to the big time
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<< Magic-Bucks Preview
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<< Bulls fine Thomas $10,000
CHICAGO (AP) -The Chicago Bulls fined forward Tyrus Thomas $10,000 on Tuesday, one day after the rookie said he only was interested in the money for the NBA's slam dunk contest.The first Bull since Scottie Pippen in 1990 to participate in the event,
Former Iowa State coach joins South Florida staff >>
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney was hired Tuesday as assistant head coach and defensive line coach at South Florida.The Bulls also announced the addition of Mike Canales to coach Jim Leavitt's staff as receivers coach. Meanwhi
Mo. senators target NFL policy against sideline TV coverage >>
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -Two Missouri lawmakers are challenging a National Football League policy prohibiting local television stations from covering games on the sidelines.Legislation filed Tuesday would force the NFL to allow local TV cameras on
Wolves trying to stop slide >>
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -The struggling Minnesota Timberwolves might lead the league in lethargic losses.The latest example came in Monday night's 105-77 defeat at Houston. There was no shame in losing to the Rockets, but a 50-30 halftime deficit was enoug
Bruins' Murray scratched with groin injury >>
WASHINGTON (AP) -Glen Murray, Boston's leading goal scorer, sat out the Bruins' game against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night with a groin injury.Murray, who scored twice Sunday against Carolina to raise his season total to 26 goals, partici
Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook
Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds. The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.
Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.
Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).
Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.
World Series odds
Adam Dunn 15-1
Albert Pujols 5-1
Alex Rodriguez 12-1
Alfonso Soriano 15-1
Andruw Jones 25-1
Barry Bonds 50-1
Carlos Delgado 40-1
David Ortiz 8-1
Jermaine Dye 40-1
Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1
Lance Berkman 40-1
Manny Ramirez 20-1
Richie Sexson 40-1
Ryan Howard 6-1
Travis Hafner 20-1
Vladimir Guerrero 40-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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