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
02/09/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Nash celebrated his 38th birthday in style the last time out for the Phoenix Suns, who look to extend their season-high winning streak to four straight games this evening at home versus the Houston Rockets.
Nash posted a game-winning runner in the lane with five seconds left in Tuesday's 107-105 victory at Milwaukee and was one of six players to score in double figures with 18 points and 11 assists. The Suns led by 17 points at halftime and by as many as 21 points before a 27-4 second-half run by the Bucks made things interesting.
Michael Redd faced his former Milwaukee team for the first time and finished with 14 points in a reserve role.
"It was pretty much fun to watch. Mike [Redd] obviously had a huge career here. Trying to be back playing is amazing," Nash said. "For him to come back to Milwaukee under all the things he had to face with his injuries and put on a show like that in the first was exciting for all of us on the bench."
Redd, who signed with the Suns in December, had spent his entire career with Milwaukee, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 578 contests over 11 seasons. Channing Frye also had 14 points, while Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley posted 21 and 19 points, respectively, for Phoenix, which is 4-1 this month and hasn't won four straight since Feb. 23-28, 2011. The Suns are 5-2 in the past seven games.
Grant Hill contributed 13 points in a winning effort and Josh Childress had a game-high tying 12 rebounds off the bench, the most in the NBA this season by a bench player that did not score in the game.
The Suns, owners of a 5-6 record in the desert, are playing just their second home game over a nine-game stretch and will begin a three-game road trip Saturday against the Kings, Warriors and Nuggets. A win tonight would put the Suns within two games of .500 for the first time since Jan. 12 (4-6).
Meanwhile, Houston will continue a six-game road trip Thursday and improved to 2-1 on the swing with last night's 103-96 win at Portland.
Goran Dragic filled in for an injured Kyle Lowry and scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, while Chase Budinger had 22 points to lead the Rockets, who got a season-high 66 points from their bench on 24-for-43 shooting (.558), won for the 12th time in the past 16 games and pushed their road ledger to 5-8 this season.
"Our bench was fantastic. You have to reward the guys who are playing well," Rockets head coach Kevin McHale said. "They deserved to finish the game."
Lowry left the game late in the third quarter with a strained right elbow and finished the contest with 12 points. He is questionable for tonight. Courtney Lee and Luis Scola scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, in the win. The Rockets still have Golden State and Memphis to play on the trek.
In other Rockets news, the NBA announced Wednesday that Houston will host the 2013 All-Star game.
"I am thrilled the Rockets and the City of Houston have once again brought NBA All-Star to Toyota Center," said Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. "The 2006 All-Star Game in Houston was a tremendous success and we plan to set the bar even higher in 2013. We take great pride in Toyota Center's standing as one of the premier venues in the country and are honored to be the first arena in Texas to host the game for a second time."
Houston just beat Phoenix, 99-81, last Friday at home thanks to Kevin Martin's game-high 16 points. Martin led seven players in double figures for the Rockets, who have won two in a row against the Suns since losing the previous seven meetings between the teams. Phoenix, however, has won four in a row and 10 of the past 14 encounters with Houston in the Valley of the Sun.
<< Thunder continue road trip at Sacramento
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder have been moving
along quite steadily this season and will try to keep it that way when they
resume a five-game road trip tonight against the Sacramento Kings.
Oklahoma City
<< Celtics, Lakers renew rivalry in Beantown
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pro basketball's most storied rivalry resumes in Beantown
on Thursday, when the streaking Boston Celtics aim to complete a perfect five-
game homestand versus the despised Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics (17) and Lake
<< Rangers try to rebound against Lightning
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers will try to rebound from a
controversial loss when they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning for tonight's
battle at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers dropped a 1-0 regulation decision Tuesday against the
<< Habs aim to make it three straight in clash with Isles
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to post their longest
winning streak in over three months when they visit the New York Islanders
tonight at Nassau Coliseum.
The Canadiens have recorded recent home wins over Winnipeg and Pi
Wings, Leafs to meet in 2013 Winter Classic at the Big House >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs
will play in the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement Thursday at Comerica Park
in Detroit,
Whiting seeks another Run for the Roses >>
Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's been 20 years since trainer Lynn
Whiting saddled longshot colt Lil E. Tee to win the 118th Kentucky Derby. The
Midwest conditioner has another three-year-old in his stable at Oaklawn Park
giving
U.S. will host friendly against Brazil in May >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The U.S. men's national team will host five-
time World Cup champion Brazil in a friendly on May 30 in Landover, Md. during
final preparations for 2014 World Cup qualifying.
The U.S. opened the year with win
Ticats reach deals with pair of receivers >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tiger-Cats signed Bakari Grant to a
contract extension that will keep the receiver in Hamilton through the 2014
season.
Grant caught 42 passes for 507 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie l
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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