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03/08/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The inaugural Great West Conference Tournament takes place at the McKay Center in Orem, Utah from March 10-13. The champion of this event receives an automatic bid to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament, as the league won't be eligible for an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament until 2020.
Earning the top seed by virtue of its 11-1 league record are the South Dakota Coyotes, who finished a stellar 20-9 on the year and come into this event riding an 11-game win streak. USD has won at least 20 games in each of the past seven seasons. The Coyotes, who rank at the top of the GWC in scoring offense (79.2 ppg), scoring margin (+6.8), field goal percentage (.478) and field goal percentage defense (.408), won't see their first action in the tournament until the semifinals on Friday. South Dakota has three double-digit scorers in the form of Tyler Cain (15.1 ppg), Roman Gentry (13.6 ppg) and Jake Thomas (12.6 ppg). Cain has been a monster this season, as he leads the conference in field goal percentage (.665), rebounding (10.2 rpg) and blocked shots (84).
Houston Baptist went 9-3 in conference during the regular season to claim the second seed in the tourney, but the Huskies won only one other game all year to finish a dismal 10-20. HBU, which has won four of its last five coming into this event, boasts the top scorer in the league in Andrew Gonzalez (18.8 ppg), and the team is averaging 70.2 ppg to rank second in the Great West. Unfortunately, the Huskies give up a league-worst 79.1 ppg and they also rank last in turnover margin (-3.40).
The No. 3 seed went to North Dakota after it went 5-7 in conference to match the record achieved by fourth-seeded Utah Valley, but the Fighting Sioux won the tie-breaker by beating the Wolverines twice during the regular season. UND closed out the 2009-10 campaign by losing two in a row, but the team has won four of its last seven games overall. Only two players are averaging double figures in the scoring column, as Travis Bledsoe (14.8 ppg, league-leading .441 three-point FG percentage) and Travis Mertens (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) help the Fighting Sioux put up 62.0 ppg, which helps explain the club's dreadful 8-22 record.
As mentioned, Utah Valley finished two games under .500 in league play, and the team won just 12 of its 29 games on the year. The Wolverines, who are the host team of this event, have dropped five of their last six games coming into the postseason, with their lone win being a 65-57 decision against visiting NJIT on March 4th. UVU is the top defensive team in the Great West, yielding just 65.4 ppg -- a shade more than it produces (63.9 ppg). Jordan Swarbrick leads the team at the offensive end with his modest 12.7 ppg.
The No. 5 seed was awarded to UT-Pan American, which went just 5-26 on the year and 4-8 in conference. The Broncs have tasted victory just twice in their last 12 games, the most recent of which came in the regular-season finale at North Dakota on Saturday. UTPA doesn't have one double-digit scorer in the fold, and is averaging a league-worst 61.0 ppg as a result. Defensively, the Broncs are giving up 72.7 to rank sixth in the Great West. Foes have found it relatively easy to hit their shots, doing so 48.7 percent of the time, while also having their way on the glass (-7.7 rebounding margin) -- both of which have the team ranked last in the conference.
NJIT picked up the sixth seed after going 4-8 in league play this season, matching the conference records of both Chicago State and UTPA. The Highlanders, who went just 1-59 the previous two seasons, limp into this event having lost three straight and five of their last six overall, the most recent setback coming in an 83-49 shellacking at regular-season champ South Dakota on Sunday. Despite averaging just 61.1 ppg (sixth-worst in the Great West), the team features three double-digit scorers in the form of Jheryl Wilson (14.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Chris Flores (13.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Isaiah Wilkerson (12.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg). NJIT is shooting a league-worst 37.8 percent from the field, but at 66.9 ppg allowed, the Highlanders rank second in scoring defense.
Chicago State is the No. 7 seed, earning that distinction after going a mere 9-22 on the year and as mentioned, winning just four of its 12 league bouts. The Cougars have just two players averaging double digits in the scoring column, with Carl Montgomery (13.3 ppg) and Christian Wall (12.8 ppg) doing what they can to help the team achieve its goals. Unfortunately, CSU is putting up just 62.4 ppg to rank fifth in the conference, and the team sits sixth in field goal percentage (.381), which includes a league-worst 26.9 percent showing from three-point range. The one area the Cougars have excelled in this year is on the glass, as they lead the GWC in rebounding margin (+1.3).
Utah Valley takes on UT-Pan American in the first game of the event, and the teams split a pair of meetings during the regular season, with each winning at home. The winner will move on to face top-seeded South Dakota in the semifinals on Friday.
Houston Baptist will battle Chicago State in the quarterfinals, and the Huskies won both regular-season matchups with the Cougars, the last being an 85-83 overtime affair in early February.
North Dakota and NJIT lock horns in the third game of the quarters, and the teams split their two games during the regular season with the home team winning each time.
<< Fabregas to miss return leg against Porto
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will miss the
second leg of his side's Champions League Round of 16 tie against FC Porto due
to a hamstring injury.
The 22-year-old Spain international midfielder limped out
<< Di Maria continues to ponder future
Lisbon, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Benfica winger Angel Di Maria has played
down rumors linking him with a certain exit from the Portuguese giants in the
summer.
The 22-year-old Argentina international is attracting interest from a num
<< Eagles bring back Avant; Vick next
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver
Jason Avant have agreed to terms on a five-year contract, and it appears as
though the team will pick up the 2010 contract option on quarterback Michael
Vick.
<< Kings try to bounce back against Blue Jackets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings will try to avoid a three-game losing
streak when they host the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Staples
Center.
The Kings won their first game following the Olympic break, pounding Dallas,
5-1
Gonzalez sends Chile into Davis Cup QFs >>
Coquimbo, Chile (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fernando Gonzalez straight-setted Dudi
Sela on Monday, sending Chile into the 2010 Davis Cup quarterfinals. The
Chileans have an insurmountable 3-1 lead over Israel in the best-of-five
first-round affair.
2010 Big East Conference Tournament Preview >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While there are several teams projected to
make it to the NCAA Tournament, there's only one guaranteed bid that comes out
of the massive 16-team beast that is the 31st annual Big East Conference
Tournament.
UMass to seek new women's hoops coach >>
Amherst, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Massachusetts is in the
market for a new women's basketball coach after the school decided not to
retain Marnie Dacko for next season.
Dacko's contract is set to expire April 10.
Two tours, two wins for Villegas >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before Camilo Villegas arrived at the first tee Sunday, he
called his mother in Colombia. "Tell the little bro congratulations and keep
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More than 1,500 miles away, Manuel Villegas was signing his score
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.
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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