Magic stay hot, cool Spurs

Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vince Carter recorded 24 points and eight assists, leading the Orlando Magic in a 110-84 rout of the San Antonio Spurs in a matchup between the NBA's two hottest teams.

Both teams came in having won eight of nine, but it was the Magic who never trailed in a game they dominated from start to finish. Rashard Lewis added 20 points, while Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick each poured in 10.

Dwight Howard contributed with nine points and seven rebounds for Orlando, which has won three straight over San Antonio for the first time in franchise history.

The Magic also came into the game having clinched their fourth playoff berth in as many years after the Charlotte Bobcats lost on Tuesday.

"We can't be satisfied just getting to the playoffs at this point, with what we went through last year," Nelson said. "To have a taste of the championship, you want to win it. It's what we're playing for. We're not one of those teams that are happy all year and let's celebrate just because we made the playoffs. We're one of the teams that wants to win it, to have a legit chance."

Richard Jefferson scored 20 points to lead the Spurs, who could not record their third five-game win streak of the season Manu Ginobili added 18 points in the defeat.

Tim Duncan went a miserable 1-for-10 from the field for only a season-low five points.

"It was a tough game," Ginobili said. "We were coming from Miami on a back-to- back against a great team. They started making a lot of shots. We kind of gave up in the third quarter after a good run at the end of the second, but we just couldn't hold it."

Orlando jumped out to a 29-24 lead after the first quarter, then grabbed a 43-26 advantage behind a 14-0 burst early in the second.

Brandon Bass and Redick each had four points during the stretch, and Redick drilled a pair of free throws to cap the stretch with five minutes left.

A Matt Barnes layup quickly increased the lead to 20 at 48-28, but the Spurs finished the half on a 14-4 run to close to within 10, 52-42, at halftime.

The Magic did not relinquish their lead in the third, pushing the margin back to 15, 65-50, on a Barnes shot midway through the period.

A 9-0 burst later had the hosts ahead by a score of 74-52 after a pair of Nelson free throws with 3 1/2 minutes left, and it was 80-58 heading to the fourth.

Orlando maintained their enormous advantage down the stretch.

Game Notes

The Spurs had held seven of their last eight opponents to fewer than 93 points...San Antonio fell to 4-2 since guard Tony Parker broke his finger...The Spurs are a half-game ahead of idle Portland for the seventh spot in the West...Orlando is 28-7 at home, and San Antonio is 16-16 on the road...Barnes returned from a one-game absence (toe) to score eight points.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.