Bears and Bearkats collide in South Regional action

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Playing in their second NCAA Tournament in the last three seasons, the Baylor Bears will tangle with the Sam Houston State Bearkats in first round action of the South Region at New Orleans Arena this afternoon.

The Bearkats set a school record this season for wins, grabbing 25 victories, surpassing the team's previous high of 23 set back in 2003 and 2008. The Bearkats claimed the regular-season and the tournament title in the Southland Conference, earning them just their second trip to the NCAA Tournament. The only other appearance for Sam Houston State in this event came in 2003 and the team was promptly dismissed by Florida in the first round, 85-55.

As for the Bears, this will be their sixth appearance in the Big Dance, and the second in the last three seasons. However, Baylor is just 3-7 all-time in this tournament. This season the Bears racked up an impressive 25-7 ledger and finished 11-5 in Big 12 action, The team's reward was the third seed in the South Region, which is the highest seed in Baylor's history.

In regard to the all-time series between the two schools on the hardwood, the Bears currently hold a 6-3 edge over Sam Houston State.

The winner of this contest will move into the second round where they will face either Notre Dame or Old Dominion.

Since the start of the season the Bearkats have been a dangerous squad offensively and come into this tournament averaging 79.9 ppg. Sam Houston State is shooting a respectable 46.8 percent from the floor on the season, and from behind the arc the team has been just as solid, connecting on 37.8 percent of its attempts from long range. Gilberto Clavell provides balance in the frontcourt, as the big man is netting 16.9 ppg, to go along with a team- high 6.3 rpg. Corey Allmond is contributing 15.9 ppg and is the team's top threat from behind the arc, connecting on 94-of-250 attempts from long range (37.6 percent). Running the show on the floor has been Ashton Mitchell, who has distributed 162 assists, to go along with 12.7 ppg. Mitchell however, is more than just a passer, as the guard comes into this tournament posting an impressive 47.0 percent shooting effort from the floor.

With the likes of Kansas and Kansas State in their conference, the Bears often went overlooked this season, but they remain a very dangerous team. Baylor is known for its play offensively, but the team has been tenacious at the defensive end of the court as well, and heads into this game limiting opponents to just 65.9 ppg on a 38.4 percent shooting effort. The Bears have also done a terrific on the glass, outrebounding opponents by an average of 6.7 rpg. While the defensive effort is important, the true success of this team does lie at the offensive end of the court, as the team is producing 77.6 ppg. LaceDarius Dunn is currently pacing the team with 19.4 ppg, and is a terrifying threat from behind the arc, where he is connecting on 42.5 percent (105-of-247) of his three-point attempts. Tweety Carter has run the show on the floor, netting 15.7 ppg, to go along with a team-high 171 assists, while Ekpe Udoh has dominated the paint, averaging 13.9 ppg and 9.8 rpg.

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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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