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03/09/2010 - Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the fifth straight season the 12th- ranked Butler Bulldogs will take part in the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game when they host the Wright State Raiders this evening at the Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Raiders finished the regular season with a respectable 12-6 mark in league play, and that was good enough for the team to earn the second seed in the tournament and a bye to the semifinals. In the semifinal round, the Raiders defeated the seventh-seeded Detroit Titans by a 69-50 margin.
As for the Bulldogs, they were outstanding this year, posting just the fourth- ever perfect season in the Horizon League by finishing with an 18-0 ledger. Butler is also an impressive 14-0 at home and since Brad Stevens took over for the Bulldogs, the team is 43-3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The team carried that momentum into its semifinal matchup with Milwaukee, posting a 68-59 win over the Panthers on Saturday. This might be the fifth straight Horizon League tournament title match for Butler, but the team has hoisted the trophy just once during this run.
One of those losses in the championship game for Butler came in 2007 against the Raiders by a five-point margin. Despite that loss, the Bulldogs still own a 22-15 edge over Wright State in the all-time series, and that includes two victories during the regular season.
The Raiders used their tenacious defensive play to grab a victory over Detroit in their semifinal matchup. Wright State held Detroit to just 50 points in the win and limited the Titans to a meager 39.1 percent shooting effort that included an equally poor 2-of-15 clip from long range. Wright State has used its stingy defensive play throughout the season to corral victories, as the team is limiting the opposition to just 60.6 ppg. At the other end of the floor the team has been paced by Vaughn Duggins and his 14.4 ppg. Todd Brown is the only other player netting double figures on the season, and comes into this game with 13.0 ppg. Duggins posted 12 points in the win over Detroit, while Brown added 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists. The team was led by Ronnie Thomas and Troy Tabler though, as Thomas scored a team-best 18 points, while Tabler posted 16 points.
All five starters for the Bulldogs scored in double figures in Butler's victory over Milwaukee in semifinal round action. Matt Howard led the way with 18 points for Butler, which shot a respectable 47.7 percent from the floor, and also connected on 22-of-32 shots from behind the arc. Ronald Nored added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively. Gordon Hayward helped out as well, posting a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. Hayward has been the main source of production throughout the season and comes into the title game averaging 15.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg. Mack is contributing 13.9 ppg on the season, while Howard is posting 12.2 ppg, to go along with 5.3 rpg. Veasley is helping out with 10.4 ppg, while Nored is pacing the team with 111 assists.
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20,000th career point and will add to that mark tonight, when the Boston
Celtics hit the road to Milwaukee for a showdown with the Bucks.
On Sunday, Allen hit a go-
<< Sixers, Pacers clash in Indy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers finally got off the schneid with a
big win at Toronto this weekend, and hope that carries over into Tuesday's
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Philadelphia was able to snap
<< Streaking Magic hope to make Clippers disappear
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homestand at Amw
<< Rockets take fading playoff push to Washington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The chances of the Houston Rockets making the playoffs are
fading like a flattop. Tonight they'll have to get past the Washington Wizards
at the Verizon Center and hope for some help around the league.
Houston is 4 1/2 gam
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Charlotte Bobcats when the two teams collide Tuesday in the Tar Heel State.
The Bobcats
Bruins hope to bolster playoff chances vs. Maple Leafs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins will try to bolster their playoff hopes
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2010 Big West Conference Tournament Preview >>
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2010 Pac-10 Conference Tournament Preview >>
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championship beginning on Wednesday, March 10th.
The only member of the league that isn't compet
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
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