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"I want to publicly apologize to Luis Scola and the Houston Rockets," Love said in a statement. "My intention is to never hurt another player on the basketball court. I've always had the utmost respect for the game of basketball and all of my opponents. I also apologize to my coaches, teammates and our fans for the consequences of my actions."
Sacramento will try to extend its season-high winning streak to four games when it closes out a brief two-game road trip Tuesday. It posted its third straight win last night with a 100-92 victory at New Orleans, as DeMarcus Cousins registered 28 points and 19 rebounds to lead the charge.
"I just wanted to go out and help our team get this win tonight," said Cousins. "Put all the stats aside, the main thing is we got the win tonight and that's all that matters."
Cousins has recorded 16 double-doubles this season, third-most in the NBA this season behind Love and Dwight Howard. Cousins should be able to post his 17th with Love out of the lineup tonight.
The Kings suffered a 99-86 loss at Minnesota on Jan. 16 this season. Love had 33 points and 11 rebounds, while Cousins posted only 10 points and three assists. The Wolves have won four of the last seven games in this series.
The Thunder improved to an NBA-best 19-5 with last night's 111-107 overtime win at Portland, as Durant led the way with 33 points and Russell Westbrook added 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Serge Ibaka had 12 points and 13 boards for Oklahoma City, which is 10-4 on the road and won for the seventh time in its last nine tries.
Golden State had won two straight and three of four games until dropping a 114-106 overtime decision at Sacramento on Saturday.
Dorell Wright had a season-high 24 points and Nate Robinson netted 20 for the Warriors, who got 18 points from Monta Ellis and 11 and nine assists out of Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson had 16 points and David Lee posted 10 and five rebounds in a losing effort.
The Warriors hope to even their 6-7 home mark tonight versus the Thunder and are in the midst of playing 15 straight games against the West (3-3). The next time Golden State plays a team from the East is Feb. 28 at Indiana.
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs have waived forward Malcolm Thomas. A rookie from San Diego State, Thomas has appeared in just three games this season. He has totaled one point, one assist and three rebounds.
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will likely be sidelined for at least a week because of the strained right groin he sustained during Monday's game against Utah. Anthony was hurt during the first quarter while on a fastbreak. After throwing a pass to teammate Tyson Chandler for an alley-oop dunk, Anthony limped down the other end and grabbed his groin.
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Games Adds Charlotte At Victory
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Points Sparks Billups From Portland
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Bryant Beats Lakers In Staples Center
Super Leaves Game Down Giants >>
Haley Recalls Bowl Into Pittsburgh >>
Period Detroit Smash Smash Over Concussion >>
Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"
A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."
Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.
In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.
"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."
Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.
But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"
Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.
This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.
Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.
In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.
No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.
And that's all any bettor can ask for.
To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
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