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06/03/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The latest chapter in one of the most storied rivalries in sports tips off tonight as the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers welcome the Boston Celtics to Staples Center for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The league's two marquee franchises will be fighting over the Lawrence O'Brien Trophy for a record 12th time.
Their finals history dates all the way back to the 1958-59 season when the Lakers still called Minneapolis home. Boston and the game's ultimate winner, Bill Russell, dominated the early years of the rivalry. The Red Auerbach-era Celtics took the Lakers all seven times they met in the finals, although the Jerry West, Elgin Baylor fueled LA clubs did manage to take Boston to seven games on three different occasions.
The rivalry lay dormant for 15 years until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson "saved" the NBA by bringing their own storied college rivalry to the pros. Bird avenged his loss at Indiana State to Magic's Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 NCAA Finals when the Celtics got past the Lakers in seven games to win the 1983-84 NBA title.
Johnson and his Lakers responded the next season as LA finally beat Boston in the finals for the first time. Magic also won the rubber match two years later before the rivalry went cold again, this time for 20 years as the Celtics struggled mightily in the post-Bird era.
Boston basketball chief Danny Ainge re-ignited things by acquiring both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen before the 2007-08 season. The two All-Stars teamed with Paul Pierce to create the "Boston Three Party" and the Celtics were relevant again. A 17th Boston championship was the result as Garnett and his Celtics got the best of Kobe Bryant's Lakers.
A rematch could have been in the offing last season but a knee injury to Garnett derailed any hopes of a Celtics repeat. Instead, LA earned its 15th championship by taking Orlando in five games.
"Obviously, one is special but the other groups have a couple, and we'd love to join that club," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of the other Boston dynasties. "It's not going to be easy for us. We've talked about that we want to join that club. No one can ever take away the first title. But we want to join another club too."
"I only think about this one matchup," Bryant said. "The happy times of Magic winning against Boston, or the sad times of Jerry West losing to them, has no impact on me whatsoever. I have a series to play. I have a series to win. I'll just focus on that."
The Lakers secured a chance to repeat as champs and avenge their loss two years ago last Saturday when Bryant poured in 37 points as Los Angeles gained their third straight trip to the Finals by ousting Pacific Division rival Phoenix in six games.
The Celtics, meanwhile, will be gunning for their record 18th title, and have already knocked off LeBron James and Cleveland, which had the league's best record, in the East semifinals, as well as Orlando, last season's Eastern Conference champion.
Pierce totaled 31 points, 13 rebounds and five assists the day before the Lakers clinched their trip to the finals as the Celtics made sure history was not made in the East. The Magic had staved off elimination in back-to-back games and had momentum on their side in trying to become the first NBA team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.
"This is where we thought we would be," Rivers said. "So we're not surprised."
The Lakers, who snapped a seven-game playoff skid in Phoenix during the West finals clincher, are bidding to become the first repeat champion since they won three in a row (2000-02) when Bryant teamed with Shaquille O'Neal.
"Last time we played [the Celtics], it was a great learning experience for us," Bryant said. "It taught us what it takes to be a champion. With the defensive intensity they play with, the tenacity they play with, we learned a great deal in that series."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who surpassed the legendary Auerbach with his 10th championship as a coach last year, an NBA and major North American professional sports record, is glad he has a chance to avenge one of his two losses in the finals.
"After we came back in the playoffs last year, I ran into Paul Pierce in a complex where my daughter lives in LA," Jackson said. "I said, 'Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals.' So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry."
Unlike in 2008, LA will have home-court advantage in the finals and the team is 8-0 at Staples Center in the postseason after going 34-7 there in the regular season. Boston, however, was one of the NBA's best road teams this year and has already won five games away from TD Garden in the playoffs after compiling a 26-15 mark as the visitor during the regular season.
Pierce, a Los Angeles native, was the first to post bulletin board material for the set, downplaying the fans in his hometown.
"Our fans are a little bit more knowledgeable to the game," Pierce said. "I think a lot of celebrities come here to get out of the house (rather) than to watch a game -- to see the other celebrities. It's an interesting crowd, whereas I think our fans really come to watch the actual game."
On the injury front for Game 1, Lakers center Andrew Bynum had his balky right knee drained on Monday.
"It's the same as before it got drained, the draining didn't do too much," Bynum said. "It is what it is. I just want to get out there and do what I can, as long as I contribute it's worth all the pain."
Bynum, who missed the 2008 finals with knee problems, was able to get through practice on Wednesday, "fine," according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, and he's expected to start tonight.
The 22-year-old originally hyperextended the knee in Game 6 of the conference quarterfinal series against Oklahoma City, and the team later found a small tear of the anterior horn of his lateral meniscus. He is expected to have surgery to correct the injury in the offseason.
For Boston, point guard Rajon Rondo and veteran reserve forward Rasheed Wallace are both battling back problems. Rondo is listed as probable for tonight's contest while Wallace will be a game-time decision.
The Lakers and Celtics have combined to win 32 of the NBA's 63 titles coming into this series.
Game 2 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Sunday in Hollywood.
<< Twins put Cuddyer on bereavement list
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer
was put on the bereavement list following Wednesday's 2-1, 10-inning loss to
the Mariners.
Cuddyer will miss the next four games due to the death of his fathe
<< Mariners beat Twins in first game after Griffey's retirement
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ichiro Suzuki delivered a slow-rolling infield
hit to end an 11-pitch at-bat and score the game-winning run, as the Mariners
picked up a 2-1 win against Minnesota amid the announced retirement of
surefir
<< Cain strong again as Giants avoid sweep against Rockies
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Cain threw eight strong innings and
Aaron Rowand cracked the go-ahead two-run double in the fifth inning in San
Francisco's 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Cain (4-4) allowed four hits and a
<< San Jose, Columbus battle to draw
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes
battled to a 2-2 draw in Major League Soccer action on Wednesday night.
Each team scored a goal apiece on each side of the half, with the 'Quakes
answering
Huff returns to hill, but talk still surrounds blown call in Detroit >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fans in Detroit were one out and an admitted blown call
away from seeing something special last night at Comerica Park. Less than 24
hours later, they'll get to see another special moment, although one that
means a little mor
Red Sox hope to get brooms out on A's at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both the Athletics and Red Sox put together solid months
of May, but only one team has so far been able to carry that success over into
June.
That would be Boston, which tries for a sweep of Oakland this afternoon in the
Brewers' Capuano concludes long road back to majors vs. Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There isn't anything that strikes fear into pitchers more
than the words Tommy John.
The former major leaguer is more known for having a ligament replacement
procedure in his name rather than 20-plus years of service and 2
Astros try for series win over Nationals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros hope to post their second winning series
in more than a month when they close out a four-game set Thursday afternoon
versus the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park.
After losing the opener of this s
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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