All-Star break awards

Basketball Betting Lines

02/16/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's hard to believe, but the NBA's All-Star break is here. This season has been filled with plenty of rim-rattling dunks and exciting finishes.

The trade deadline is near, and soon the playoffs will be here. When the postseason arrives, the NBA will hand out hardware to the players who are deserving of individual honors.

Here is a look at the front-runners for the season-ending awards that will be given out during the postseason.

MVP: DIRK NOWITZKI (Dallas Mavericks)

Nowitzki is playing like a man on a mission for the Mavericks, who are an NBA- best 44-9. A six-time All-Star, Nowitzki leads the Mavericks in scoring (25.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg).

The Mavericks are a deep and talented team. But, Nowitzki has managed to do the things on the court that makes all of his teammates better. He is shooting over 50 percent from the floor, including an amazing 42.5 percent from beyond the arc. Nowitzki has been the catalyst for the defending Western Conference champions outstanding play. Right now, he deserves to unseat his good friend Steve Nash, who has won the award the last two seasons,

HONORABLE MENTION: Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tracy McGrady (Houston Rockets), Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns).

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: BRANDON ROY (PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS)

The rookie class of 2006 has not had a very strong showing. Portland's Roy has been solid and has shown that he could be a future All-Star. He has posted 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34 games for the young Trail Blazers.

Roy can play both guard positions and has a chance to develop into a deadly outside shooter. He is shooting just over 43 percent from the field, including 30.9 percent from three-point range. The 6-6 Roy is one of the pieces to the puzzle in Portland and his future is extremely bright.

HONORABLE MENTION: Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors), Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats).

COACH OF THE YEAR: JERRY SLOAN (UTAH JAZZ)

Sloan has put it all together once again in Utah. The Jazz, who have missed the playoffs three straight years, are in first place in the Northwest Division, and own a comfortable 8 1/2 game lead over the second place Denver Nuggets.

The Jazz have talent, but Sloan has put together a system that has helped it mesh. Point guard Deron Williams is shining in his second year, while Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur have developed into All-Star under Sloan's tutelage.

HONORBALE MENTION: Avery Johnson (Dallas Mavericks), Eddie Jordan (Washington Wizards), Sam Mitchell (Toronto Raptors), Jeff Van Gundy (Houston Rockets).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MARCUS CAMBY (DENVER NUGGETS)

The Nuggets are not a defensive team, but Camby is the reason that they do make some big stops. The 6-11 veteran is averaging an impressive 3.0 blocks per game, which leads the league, in 42 contests.

Camby is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 11.9 rebounds per game. He has defended the middle and the paint in a big way for Denver. The Massachusetts product uses his long arms and athletic ability to defend some of the NBA's best. He is the catalyst for Denver's transition game and his defense leads to a lot of easy baskets for the Nuggets.

HONORABLE MENTION: Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons), Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers) Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks), and Ben Wallace (Chicago Bulls).

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: KEVIN MARTIN (SACRAMENTO KINGS)

The 24-year-old Martin has shined for Sacramento this season. He has been one of the bright spots for the Kings, who are in danger of having their eight- year playoff run halted.

Martin, who is playing in his third year, leads the Kings in scoring (21.0 ppg). He has pulled down 4.3 rebounds, handed out 2.1 assists and has drained 49.4 percent of his field-goal attempts, including 42.0 percent from three- point land. The 6-7 Martin has raised his game to the next level and is definitely a big part of the Sacramento franchise.

HONORABLE MENTION: Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers), Hakim Warrick (Memphis Grizzlies), and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: LEANDRO BARBOSA (PHOENIX SUNS)

Barbosa could start on most teams in the NBA. He has averaged 16.8 points and 4.1 assists per game for the free-wheeling Phoenix Suns. The 6-3 Barbosa spells the reigning MVP Nash and also plays next to him. Head coach Mike D'Antoni is lucky to have the luxury of a player like Barbosa, who can play both guard spots and fits in perfectly in his system.

When Barbosa, who is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc, steps on the court for Nash, the Suns don't skip a beat. He pushes the ball up the court with tremendous speed and has the uncanny ability to get to the hoop and find his open teammate with a pass.

HONORABLE MENTION: Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), Jerry Stackhouse (Dallas Mavericks).

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: BRYAN COLANGELO (TORONTO RAPTORS)

Toronto's team president and general manager, Colangelo was brought in to change the environment and make the Raptors a winner. Colangelo, who was hired by the Raptors on February 28, 2006, was general manager of Phoenix for 11 years, and team president for seven before taking over in Toronto. He helped build the Suns into a contender and one of the most exciting teams in the league with smart personnel moves.

During last offseason, Colangelo added Bargnani, who was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, and lightning quick point guard T.J. Ford, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade for Charlie Villanueva. The Raptors are a surprising 29-24 and own a 4 1/2 games lead over the second place New Jersey Nets in the Atlantic Division.

HONORABLE MENTION: Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons) and Ernie Grunfeld (Washington Wizards).

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Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.

College Football Betting Tips From a Pro

While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.

Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.

The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.

What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.

These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.

College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.

Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.

Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.

Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.

I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.

Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.

It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.

As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.

Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.