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03/06/2010 - Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jordan Crawford scored 22 points to lead 25th-ranked Xavier to a 93-72 win over St. Bonaventure in the regular-season finale for both teams at Cintas Center.
Jamel McLean poured in 15 points for the Musketeers (23-7, 14-2 Atlantic 10), who finished with the same record as Temple and captured a share of the league title for a fourth straight year but will enter the upcoming conference tournament as the No. 2 seed due to the Owls holding the tiebreaker.
Jason Love added 14 points, Dante Jackson had 11 points and Terrell Holloway contributed nine points and 10 assists in the victory.
"Making history - there's nothing like it," Love said. "I can't put into words how it feels to win a fourth straight conference title."
Andrew Nicholson led the way with 21 points for the Bonnies (14-15, 7-9), who saw their four-game win streak halted. Chris Matthews netted 14 points while Jonathan Hall posted 11 points and eight rebounds in the loss.
"We had to play an A-plus game and they had to play a C game if we were going to win," St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt said.
Xavier scored 16 of the game's first 20 points, with a Mark Lyons bucket from in close capping the early surge with 13:45 to play in the first half.
From that point, Xavier went on a 10-2 run and opened an even bigger advantage. A three-point play by McLean made it 19-6 then Lyons added a layup before consecutive scoring possessions -- the first a jumper by Holloway and the second a three-pointer by Jackson -- gave the hosts a commanding 26-6 lead near the midpoint of the half.
A basket by Hall with 5:46 to go brought the Bonnies within 32-20, and several minutes later, a three-pointer by Matthews cut the SBU deficit even further, to 38-30.
Holloway's jumper gave the Musketeers a 44-32 lead at the break.
In the second half, the hosts were simply too much. Crawford's layup over five minutes into the frame put Xavier ahead by 18, 58-40, before a fastbreak jam by Kenny Frease pushed the lead to 22 points.
Nicholson's dunk with 6:50 on the clock drew the Bonnies within 15, 72-57, but a triple by Crawford over a minute later was the start of six straight points that eventually put Xavier back on top by 20 and the remaining minutes were dedicated to honoring the seniors.
Game Notes
This marked Xavier's 24th straight home win, which is good for the third longest home win streak in the nation...Xavier leads the all-time series, 22-15...The Musketeers have won seven straight games and 11 of their last 12 overall...Xavier has now also captured 32 consecutive home conference contests...SBU has dropped nine straight to Xavier, which won the battle on the glass, 38-30.
<< Vols start strong in win over Mississippi State
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.P. Prince scored 16 and grabbed seven
rebounds, and No. 16 Tennessee opened the game with the first 17 points to
conclude the regular season with a 75-59 win over the Mississippi State
Bulldog
<< Purdue downs PSU, captures share of Big Ten title
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - JaJuan Johnson finished with 21 points
and 10 rebounds, as seventh-ranked Purdue claimed a share of the Big Ten title
with a 64-60 victory over Penn State.
Keaton Grant added 17 points for the Boile
<< Wild forward Boogaard suspended again
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wild forward Derek Boogaard was suspended for
two games on Saturday by the National Hockey League for an incident during
Minnesota's game against Edmonton on Friday.
In the first period of Friday's cont
<< Jags sign WR Osgood
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jacksonville Jaguars signed wide
receiver Kassim Osgood to a reported three-year contract on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Osgood has played mostly on special teams since breaking into
the NFL as an
Celtics add guard Finley >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics officially announced the
signing of guard Michael Finley on Saturday.
Finley was waived at his request Monday by San Antonio after his playing time
dwindled upon returning from a spra
Raiders release RB Fargas >>
Alameda, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Raiders released long-time
running back Justin Fargas on Saturday.
The team indicated Fargas had failed a physical and issued a statement
thanking him for his contributions over
ETSU wins Atlantic Sun for second straight year >>
Macon, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Tubbs led a balanced scoring attack with
18 points, and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers secured their second
consecutive Atlantic Sun tournament championship with a 72-66 victory over
Mercer.
Theodore, Caps blank Rangers >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Theodore stopped all 30 shots he faced
for his first shutout of the season, as Washington posted a defensive-oriented
2-0 victory over the New York Rangers at Verizon Center.
Eric Fehr and Eric Belang
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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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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