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06/08/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics accomplished what they wanted to do in Los Angeles and now the NBA Finals will shift to Beantown as the C's host the Lakers in the pivotal Game 3 of the series.
Ray Allen set a finals record by sinking eight shots from beyond the arc on the way to a 32-point night on Sunday, as the Celtics wrestled home-court advantage away from Los Angeles and evened the championship series with a 103-94 Game 2 win.
"I thought they (Lakers) did everything they could to keep me from shooting threes and they worked tirelessly," Allen said. "We were setting great screens and I was getting to my spots."
Rajon Rondo recorded his fifth career playoff triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Boston. Rondo had 10 points in the fourth quarter, including six during a big 11-0 run that gave Boston the lead for good. It was the first finals triple-double for a Celtics player since Larry Bird turned the trick in 1986.
"Getting the loose balls, I think that was key for me personally, trying to track down all the long rebounds," Rondo said. "Our bigs are doing a great job of making them take tough shots."
The defending NBA champion Lakers won the opener of the set on Thursday, 102-89, behind Kobe Bryant's 30-point, seven-rebound, six-assist performance. Bryant had 21 points Sunday as he battled foul trouble throughout the game.
"We gave them too many easy baskets and blew too many defensive assignments," Bryant said.
Pau Gasol recorded 25 points, eight boards and six blocks, while Andrew Bynum notched 21 points and seven blocks as the Lakers set an NBA Finals single-game record with 14 swats but lost for the first time at Staples Center this postseason.
"We definitely need to make sure we hustle a little more," Gasol said. "They got to the ball tonight, a lot of times quicker than we did. Second chance opportunities and just loose balls, they were pursuing the ball definitely with more desire."
With the next three contests of the best-of-seven series set for TD Garden, the Celtics could earn their record 18th NBA title without ever returning to Hollywood. However, Doc Rivers' team has been uncharacteristically pedestrian as the host this season, compiling a 24-17 record during the regular season and a more solid 7-2 mark in the postseason. The Lakers, meanwhile, have won four times on the road this postseason.
The NBA Finals has been tied at a game apiece 32 different times and the winner of Game 3 has gone on to take 28 of those series.
The 2010 Finals marks the Lakers' 31st trip to the championship series and Boston's 21st appearance with 12 of those overlapping in clashes between the NBA's two most storied franchises.
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 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 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.
The Lakers and Celtics have combined to win 32 of the NBA's 63 titles coming into this series.
Game 4 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday in Boston.
<< Clemson, Alabama among teams advancing to Super Regionals
Fullerton, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clemson and Alabama were among the teams
making it to the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals after winning their decisive
contests on Monday.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -The Pittsburgh Pirates know all about Stephen Strasburg's 100-mph fastball, the breaking ball that leaves batters looking foolish and, too, all the millions of dollars the Washington Nationals threw at him to sign.Still, after facin
<< Report: Lightning to name Guy Boucher head coach
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will reportedly name Guy
Boucher as their new head coach.
Several media outlets are reporting the news. Boucher also reportedly turned
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<< Diamondbacks hold off Braves
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stephen Drew drove in four runs and Dan Haren
pitched into the sixth inning as Arizona held off Atlanta, 7-4, to begin a
four-game series.
Mark Reynolds homered for the Diamondbacks, who won for the third
Marlins set to debut Stanton as they continue road trip vs. Phils >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins could use a boost on their current road
trip and hope to get one tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies in the
opener of a three-game series between NL East foes at Citizens Bank Park.
The Marlins we
Giants continue series with Reds >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants seek their third straight win when
they continue a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night
from Great American Ball Park.
The Giants didn't need extra innings in Monday's 6-5 vic
Red-hot Pelfrey hopes to extend surge in Mets' opener with Padres >>
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biggest surprises this season and will make his 12th start tonight for the New
York Mets in the first of three straight matchups with the hard-charging San
Diego Padres at
Brewers' Gallardo puts unbeaten streak on the line against Cubs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yovani Gallardo will try to keep his unbeaten streak intact
tonight, when he leads the Milwaukee Brewers into the opener of a three-game
series versus the NL Central-rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Gallardo opened the
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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MySportsbook.com favors Bears, Bengals, Chargers and Colts to remain perfect
LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.
Of the three remaining undefeated teams, only one, New Orleans, enters this week's game as an underdog. Despite an emotional and resounding win over Atlanta on Monday night, the Saints are a 7.5 point underdog against the struggling Carolina Panthers. Indianapolis looks to stay perfect when they face the New York Jets as a 9 point road favorite while the Cincinnati Bengals are a 6 point favorite at home to the New England Patriots.
Six teams enter the week still looking for their first win, with a seventh, Tampa Bay, on a bye week. The prospect of dropping another game would not bode well for a potential playoff run. Since 1990, just three teams -- the 1992 Chargers, 1995 Detroit Lions and 1998 Buffalo Bills -- have overcome losing their first three games of the season to earn a postseason berth. And only the Chargers managed to accomplish the feat after starting 0-4.
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