Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
08/04/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Conventional wisdom says the Chicago Bulls failed this offseason.
After all, the Bulls were supposed to be in hot pursuit of the game's biggest prize, LeBron James, and came up empty. In fact, when one ill-informed ESPN talking head proclaimed Chicago the favorite to land the narcissistic one, dozens of lemmings fell in line to drink the Bristol Kool-Aid, convinced the Windy City would land LeBron.
Instead, King James took his throne to South Beach and the Bulls were forced to scramble and cultivate a Plan B that included signing power forward Carlos Boozer away from Utah, and inking a number of complimentary parts like Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and Kurt Thomas.
The moves certainly weren't sexy. but if you look at what new coach Tom Thibodeau has at his disposal, Chicago now looks like a player in the revamped Eastern Conference.
Thibodeau, a defensive mastermind, inherited a pair of elite frontcourt defenders in Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, the game's best young point guard, Derrick Rose, and a solid small forward in Luol Deng. The addition of Boozer, Brewer, Korver and Thomas to that mix looks tailor-made.
Rose will be able to play pick-and-roll all day with Boozer, and the former Jazz stalwart is also a top-tier scorer with his back to the basket, meaning the Bulls will be a much tougher team to defend in the half-court come playoff time.
Meanwhile, Thomas brings toughness on the glass, Korver, one of the game's best pure shooters, will help space the floor, and Brewer is the type of slasher that could excel running the floor with Rose.
"We've got basketball players," Rose told Bulls.com. "I don't know about everybody else's team, but my team is ready to fight. We've got guys that just want to win. They aren't about their stats or anything. We've got legit winners."
Steve Kerr, the sharp-shooting guard that was a part of five NBA championship teams, including three with the Bulls, is impressed with what's going on in Chicago.
Kerr, who has returned to the broadcast booth with TNT after serving as the general manager of the Phoenix Suns, recently gushed over the Bulls talent.
"They've got two unbelievable frontcourt defenders with Noah and Taj Gibson, they've got the great point guard play of Derrick Rose and now you've got the low-post scoring that Chicago has been lacking for years with Boozer," Kerr said. "They've done a nice job of quietly putting some pieces in there on the wings. They've got a really deep mix of players and I think they are going to be really good."
Good enough to compete with a Heat team that has quietly added veterans like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Juwan Howard and Eddie House to its Superfriends trio of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh?
"Obviously, Miami has the most talent but when you look at Chicago's mix, I just really like it," Kerr said. "I actually think that (the Bulls) are the most well-rounded team in the East."
<< Knee still keeping Redskins' Haynesworth from test
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -On the seventh day, Albert Haynesworth rested again.This time, he had some company.The fitness of the Washington Redskins defensive lineman remains unresolved one week into training camp. Haynesworth did not attempt the team's con
<< Lurie says Vick guilty of mistake in judgment
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) -Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie says Michael Vick's mistake in judgment shouldn't be confused with any wrongdoing.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Vick on Tuesday he will not face disciplinary action following a shoot
<< Fever will keep Lookin At Lucky from Travers
Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Haskell Invitational winner Lookin At
Lucky will miss the $1 million Travers at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday,
August 28 after coming down with a fever on Tuesday.
Trainer Bob Baffert announced
<< Crawley given extension at BC
Chestnut Hill, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston College women's basketball coach
Sylvia Crawley has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension through
the 2014-15 season.
Crawley has a record of 40-27 in two seasons with the Eagles.
Montreal's Calvillo tops CFL Players of the Month >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo and
defensive end John Bowman, Hamilton kick returner Marcus Thigpen and
Saskatchewan slotback Andy Fantuz have been selected as the CFL's top
perform
Strasburg could return next Tuesday >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg
could return to the rotation next Tuesday.
Strasburg has been on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right
shoulder. He was scratched from a July
Elder to coach App State wide receivers >>
Boone, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Just as former Appalachian State star Armanti
Edwards is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver in the NFL,
one of his former backups is making a similar move at his alma mater.
Trey Elder, a fou
Motte placed on DL, Cardinals recall Salas >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals placed reliever Jason
Motte on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday due to an AC sprain of his
right shoulder.
Motte has excelled out of the Cardinals bullpen this season, pi
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.
Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting