Washington and Marquette meet in first round of 2010 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles and the 11th-seeded Washington Huskies will meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's East Region.

Up next for the winner of this contest is a second-round clash with either third-seeded New Mexico or 14th-seeded Montana.

Washington has lost its last 10 games against Big East Conference foes, not exactly a source of confidence heading into tonight's affair. The Huskies earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10 Conference Tournament title with three consecutive victories last week. They are 24-9 and are making their 14th appearance in the "Big Dance", posting a 15-15 record in their previous showings.

As for Marquette, it is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 28th overall, and the program is 34-28 all-time in college basketball's top postseason event. The Golden Eagles were awarded with an at- large bid after posting a 22-11 record and reaching the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament. Marquette has faced a current member of the Pac-10 Conference 19 times and owns a 13-6 record.

Marquette has won both previous meetings with Washington, the most recent of which took place in 1978.

The Huskies rely heavily on a pair of standout performers to carry the load at the offensive end. Quincy Pondexter leads the team in both scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg), and he is a 53.5 percent shooter from the floor. Pondexter is also an 84 percent shooter from the foul line, so he often has the ball in his hands at the end of close games. Isaiah Thomas checks in with 17.1 ppg for the Huskies, who are posting 79.8 ppg while limiting opponents to 69.9 ppg. They have been strong on the boards this season, outrebounding foes by 4.3 rpg. Washington carries a seven-game win streak and plenty of confidence into this clash. Pondexter is the first player in Pac-10 history to earn five Pac-10 Player of the Week honors in one season, and he figures to be the focus of the Golden Eagles' defensive efforts tonight.

Marquette is generating 72.9 ppg while limiting opponents to 64.2 ppg. There are three double-digit scorers in the fold, and Lazar Hayward checks in with 18.1 ppg. The versatile forward is an 84.3 percent shooter from the foul line, impressive to say the least. Hayward does more than just score, as he is ripping down 7.7 rpg to go along with 60 steals. Jimmy Butler provides 14.9 ppg on 53.5 percent field goal efficiency, and he is pulling down 6.4 rpg. Rounding out the trio is Darius Johnson-Odom with 12.8 ppg on the strength of his 47.4 percent shooting from three-point range. The Golden Eagles have only committed 340 turnovers, 136 fewer than the opposition. They have also attempted 119 more free throws than the opposition.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

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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