Bucks drop Grizzlies in OT

Basketball Betting Lines

11/14/2008 - Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richard Jefferson had 26 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 101-96 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

Rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute started in place of the injured Charlie Villanueva and contributed 19 points and 17 rebounds for the Bucks, who have won two straight. Ramon Sessions came off the bench to score 20 points, while Andrew Bogut had 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Milwaukee dominated Memphis in the paint, out-rebounding the Grizzlies by a 62-36 margin, including a 23-8 disparity on the offensive end.

O.J. Mayo paced the Grizzlies with 25 points, while Marc Gasol contributed 18 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, which has lost four straight. Rudy Gay had 24 points -- including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime -- in defeat.

Gay's deep three-pointer with just over three minutes left in overtime gave Memphis a 92-91 edge, as both teams were sloppy early. Jefferson was fouled with 1:19 left in extra time and made both free throws to give Milwaukee the lead at 93-92.

Bogut fouled out with 57.6 seconds left as he hit Hakim Warrick's arm on a shot. Warrick gave the Grizzlies the lead back with both free throws, but Warrick's foul on the other end allowed Sessions to give the Bucks the lead back with two free throws with 42.3 ticks on the clock.

Warrick missed a shot attempt on the other end, and Luke Ridnour made two free throws to make it 97-94 with 22.7 seconds remaining. Gay followed with a drive to the basket that resulted in a foul and two free throw makes with 19.6 on the clock. Ridnour again made a couple free throws to restore the three-point lead, and Mayo's missed three-pointer allowed Milwaukee to come away with the win.

Headed into the fourth tied, Mbah a Moute scored the first four points for Milwaukee to make it 68-66 in favor of the visitors. Gay's jumper made it 72-70 with 8:41 left, but the Bucks embarked on a 7-2 surge in the next three minutes to take a 79-72 lead.

The Grizzlies came back, though, and Mayo was fouled with 1:07 left. He drained both free throws, making it 84-83 in favor of Milwaukee. Jefferson's ill-advised pass on the next offensive set gave the ball back to the Grizzlies, and Gay hit a runner in the paint to give Memphis a one-point lead with 25.8 seconds left.

Sessions gave the ball back to Memphis before getting a shot off, and Gay was fouled and made both free throws to make it 87-84 with 20.0 seconds left. But Sessions redeemed himself on the next possession, hitting a three-pointer with 9.4 seconds left to tie the game at 87.

Mayo's next shot was off the mark, and Milwaukee called timeout with 2.2 seconds left. Sessions' last-second hook shot from long distance clanked off the rim, sending the game into overtime.

Mayo and Gasol set the tone early for the Grizzlies. The duo combined for 21 points in the first quarter, and Memphis held a 25-21 advantage after the opening period.

The Grizzlies opened up the second quarter on a 14-2 spurt in the first three minutes, extending the team's lead to 16. Memphis was able to maintain the lead over the remainder of the quarter, and they led at halftime by a 49-37 margin.

The teams traded baskets early in the third, but Milwaukee finally put together a 13-3 spurt late in the quarter. Down 61-51, Sessions put together a three-point play, and Joe Alexander had a jumper and a layup to climb to within four. Jefferson had 10 total points in the quarter, and the game was locked at 64 headed into the final period.

Game Notes

Milwaukee's Michael Redd has missed the last six games with an ankle injury...Villanueva sat out with a hamstring injury he suffered in Tuesday's victory over San Antonio...Mayo came into the game leading all rookies in points per game with 20.6...Milwaukee has beaten the Grizzlies in five straight contests between the clubs...Warrick had eight points and 10 rebounds...Ridnour had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

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