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Spurs resume road trip against LakersBasketball Betting Lines02/08/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs face the toughest test of their annual Rodeo Road Trip when they face the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center tonight. Each year around this time the Spurs hit the road while the annual San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo takes over the AT&T Center. Gregg Popovich's team set up temporary residence in Hollywood on Saturday and improved to 2-1 on its season-long eight-game trek when George Hill scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and the Spurs notched their 15th straight win over the Clippers with a 98-81 blowout win. Tony Parker added 14 points and 14 assists for the Spurs, who have not lost to the Clippers since March 7, 2006. Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner each contributed 11 points in the resounding victory. "It was important to come out and play better, and we did that," said Spurs forward Manu Ginobili. "George (Hill) has been a huge key for us; it's hard to imagine us not in the playoffs, so every win is important." Historically, the long trips have actually been very successful for San Antonio, which has compiled a 42-17 mark in the Rodeo Road Trips since the club moved into the AT&T Center. The Lakers, meanwhile, keep chugging along and improved to a Western Conference-best 39-13 on Saturday by dispatching the Trail Blazers, 99-82, in Portland on Saturday. Ron Artest poured in 21 points and Lamar Odom contributed 10 points and tied a career-best with 22 rebounds, as the Lakers overcame the absence of Kobe Bryant to win in the Rose City for the first time in nearly five years. The Lakers came into the game having lost nine in a row at the Rose Garden, but used a 47-30 rebounding advantage to end that skid. It was their first win in Portland since Feb. 23, 2005. Bryant, who is averaging 28 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season, sat due to a sprained left ankle, ending a string of 235 consecutive games played. The 12-time All-Star last missed a game on March 7, 2007, due to a suspension. "Kobe followed me in the coaches room and said 'I'm thinking about not playing' and I said 'it's OK if you don't,'" Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I went back in and saw him 10 minutes later and he said 'yeah I think I should take it off' and so we did and went from there." Shannon Brown tallied 19 points and Derek Fisher scored 14 for LA, which also received 13 points and eight boards from Pau Gasol. The Lakers won for the sixth time in eight games and did it after losing center Andrew Bynum due to a hip injury. He didn't play in the second half. "It was a great effort, great teamwork and great outcome," Gasol said. "Obviously we don't like to see Kobe sitting out and he's been banged up, and then Andrew going down, we'll see what happens with them, but we reacted well, we just played hard and played together and the result was good, we won in a place that we haven't been able to play at all, or be successful at all." Bryant, who hasn't missed consecutive contests since missing the first two games of the 2006-07 season with a knee injury, is listed as day-to-day while Bynum is doubtful for tonight's contest. "I would say it (Kobe's injury status) is day-to-day," Jackson Said. "We have an opportunity here with two games before the All-Star break and there is some time there if he does need to take a longer time, we're trying to give him the liberty to do that." The Lakers, who are a gaudy 24-4 at home, had an eight-game winning streak at Staples Center snapped in their last home encounter, a 126-113 setback to Denver on Friday. Meanwhile, San Antonio snapped a two-game skid to the Lakers with a 105-85 win in the Alamo City on Jan. 12.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTINGNCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.) "To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good." Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida. Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October. USC Trojans - 10.5 wins A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention. Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2 "There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach." Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1 The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1 If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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