Southwest trio ready for war

Basketball Betting Lines

03/03/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets, thanks to general manager Daryl Morey, should be rewarded with a playoff spot for just getting rid of Tracy McGrady's expiring and ungodly contract.

Unfortunately they're no such accommodations at this level with other teams posting up for a playoff berth in the competitive West. Not only is Houston a few games off the pace, but New Orleans and Memphis are still hooked up to a defibrillator in the conference standings. If the season ended today, the Rockets and Hornets would miss the playoffs by four games, while the Grizzlies would be 4 1/2 games behind No. 8 seed Portland.

The ding-dong battle between the three Southwest inhabitants will most likely be won by Houston because the Hornets need injured All-Star Chris Paul back and Memphis is still too young to take the next step. Yes, it was tough to part ways with Carl Landry, but Morey and the Rockets are deserving of a postseason spot for landing former Sacramento leading scorer Kevin Martin. Morey got his wing scorer to replace the oft-injured McGrady and the newcomer hasn't disappointed, averaging 23.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in six games (four starts) with his new employer.

Martin, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola give the Rockets a solid trio of scorers for the stretch run, while reserve Trevor Ariza is averaging 15.4 points off the bench for Houston, which hasn't helped itself with seven losses over the past 10 games.

Memphis has made the playoffs just three times in its history, getting swept in four games in each series. It would be a boost for the NBA to see the young Grizz play past their 82-game schedule, but Lionel Hollins' club is still a few steps away from making a playoff splash. Hollins has watched his squad alternate wins and losses over the past nine games, which is more proof that the inconsistency will be an albatross.

The rest of March's schedule has a handful of layups in New Jersey, New York, Golden State and Sacramento, with the likes of Western powers New Orleans, San Antonio, Boston, Houston and Dallas on the docket as well. The storybook ending would have Zach Randolph leading the Grizzlies into the playoffs in his first year with the club. However, if George Orwell was behind the pen, readers would be introduced to his idea of social injustice. In many ways it's a crying shame that a young, talented roster such in Memphis can't seem to get over the hump in the talent-laden conference.

New Orleans would probably jump at the chance of trading March schedules with Memphis because it's one any head coach would defer playing. Future matchups with the Spurs, Grizzlies, Thunder, Nuggets, Suns, Jazz, Mavericks, Cavaliers and Lakers will knock the Hornets out of contention, while the cries of woe for Paul will not be heard for at least another couple of weeks. Rookie Darren Collison can't do it all despite averaging 18.6 points, 8.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 23 games as a starter. Mix in David West's 18.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and New Orleans is still on the outside looking in.

In other news out West, many speculate which team has the audacity to push the Lakers in a seven-game playoff series. Is it Dallas, Denver, Utah or Phoenix? Who knows? Could upstart Oklahoma City make a run at the defending champs with the way Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have put the Thunder on the map?

Maybe.

Durant's thunderous scoring streak has Oklahoma City in the sixth spot, while Dallas eight-game winning streak has helped them to the second seed in the West, just six games behind LA and a half-game in front of Denver. MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki has been a major factor in that run, averaging 32.8 points in his last four games with three 30-point games and one double-double. Since acquiring Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood from Washington before the trade deadline last month, veteran point guard Jason Kidd has most likely felt like a 'kid' in a candy store. Just imagine what Oscar Robertson's already- amazing numbers would have looked like if he had the chance to sling the rock to Nowitzki, Butler, Shawn Marion or Jason Terry.

Kidd has it made is what other guards in the league may believe.

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.


Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com