Big East brawl pits Orange against Golden Eagles

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/07/2009 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of strong Big East Conference teams are set to close out the regular season in Milwaukee this afternoon, as the 13th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles play host to the 25th-ranked Syracuse Orange.

Syracuse has won its last three games to move to 22-8 overall and 10-7 in league play, seemingly eliminating any doubt about the team's prospects for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Orange crushed Rutgers on Tuesday in a 70-40 final and won 16 of their 19 home games during the regular season. Today, they will attempt to even their road record at 5-5.

Marquette has fallen on hard times in recent games, as the club has lost its last two outings to fall out of the race for the conference title. The Golden Eagles are 23-7 overall and 12-5 in league play, but they haven't been the same since losing standout guard Dominic James for the season with an injury. To be fair, however, it is important to point out that the three losses during the current slide have come against UConn, Louisville and Pittsburgh, the three best teams in the Big East.

Today's game marks the only scheduled meeting of the season between the Orange and the Golden Eagles, and Syracuse owns a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series.

There is no shortage of talent in the Syracuse lineup, as the team is capable of beating anyone, anywhere. Point guard Jonny Flynn is a sensational performer who averages 17.0 ppg and has dished out 191 assists. He has started all 30 games thus far, the only member of the team who can make that claim. Eric Devendorf scores 15.4 ppg for the Orange, who are getting 13.0 ppg and 7.9 rpg from Paul Harris. Arinze Onuaku (10.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Andy Rautins (10.0 ppg) bring further balance to the lineup for Syracuse, which is posting 79.9 ppg while allowing 70.5 ppg. Harris scored 18 points to lead the onslaught against Rutgers on Tuesday. The Orange played stellar defense, forcing 20 turnovers while limiting the Scarlet Knights to 25.4 percent shooting from the field.

On Wednesday, Marquette suffered a 90-75 loss to an outstanding Pittsburgh squad on the road. The Golden Eagles struggled mightily at the defensive end of the floor, as they permitted the Panthers to shoot 63 percent overall. Jerel McNeal scored a team-high 23 points in the setback, but he made good on only 8-of-24 field goal attempts. Lazar Hayward contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Wesley Matthews added 16 points. Those three players are sure to be the keys to the team's success in the postseason. McNeal is scoring 19.9 ppg, and he has dished out 120 assists to go with 64 steals. Matthews checks in with 18.7 ppg, and he is shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. Hayward, the team's leading rebounder with 8.6 rpg, is netting 16.1 ppg for Marquette, which is posting 79.1 ppg while allowing 69.5 ppg.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.


Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

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