Longhorns welcome Cowboys to Austin for Big 12 showdown
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/24/2010 - Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams looking to bolster their Big 12 records clash in Austin this evening, as the 21st-ranked Texas Longhorns welcome the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the Frank Erwin Center.
The Longhorns had conference title aspirations just a few weeks ago, but the team has faltered at times in league play and comes into this week with a 7-5 Big 12 mark. Texas has won two of its last three games however, including a hard-fought 71-67 road victory at Texas Tech this past weekend.
The Cowboys are sporting an identical conference record at 7-5 and bring a three-game win streak into this contest, after knocking off nationally-ranked Baylor in Stillwater on Saturday, 82-75. OSU is tied with Baylor and Texas for fifth place in the Big 12 standings, but is just two games out of second place.
Texas holds a 41-35 edge in the all-time series with Oklahoma State, thanks to wins in seven of the last eight meetings. The Longhorns are seeking the regular-season sweep after posting a 72-60 victory in Stillwater back on February 1st.
The Cowboys got another superhuman effort from star guard James Anderson, as OSU was able to get past a good Baylor team over the weekend. Anderson was 9- of-17 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from three-point range and finished with a double-double of 31 points and 12 rebounds. Keiton Page was also instrumental in the win, pouring in 22 points in support. Obi Muenelo chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Matt Pilgrim notched a double-double of his own with 10 points and as many rebounds. The Cowboys were able to keep their distance thanks to 48.2 percent shooting from the floor overall and an impressive 14-of-25 from behind the arc (.560). Anderson is the most dynamic scorer in the Big 12, ranking fourth nationally at 22.8 ppg. He has also connected on almost double the amount of free throws (173-of-215) as the next closest guy on the roster has even attempted (88). Muenelo is a distant second in scoring at 13.3 ppg, followed by Page's 10.8 ppg. The trio have formed quite the long range arsenal, combining for 176 of the team's 211 three-pointers to date.
Star forward Damion James set the school record for consecutive games played as his efforts at Texas Tech marked the 135th straight game for the big man. However, the four-point win came at a cost, as point guard Dogus Balbay suffered a torn ACL in the first half and is done for the season. Gary Johnson stood up when Balbay went down, leading the team with a career-high 22 points and eight rebounds in the victory. James recorded his 15th double-double on the year and 52nd in his career, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. His effort helped Texas dominate on the glass, 44-30. James is the center of attention for Texas, ranking sixth in the league in scoring (17.6 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.8 rpg). James is aided up front by Dexter Pittman (10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg), while guards Avery Bradley (12.6 ppg), J'Covan Brown (10.0 ppg) and Justin Hamilton (9.5 ppg) provide adequate perimeter support.
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Football Betting
NFL Football Betting OnlineThe San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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