Despite the acrimonious nature of negotiations between power forward Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers, the two sides have come to terms on a deal.
ESPN is reporting that the deal will pay Odom upwards of $33 million over four years.
The Lakers are already the odds-on to win the Western Conference (-120) and the NBA championship (+225).
Cleveland Cavaliers sign forward Powe Odds - The Cleveland Cavaliers are not stopping for anything on their quest to win the 2009-10 NBA basketball betting Championship. On Tuesday, the Cavaliers signed Leon Powe to a two year contract.
With the signing, the Cavaliers not only strengthen their frontcourt but also weaken the frontcourt of their chief opponent, the Boston Celtics.
In total, the Cavaliers have added Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Powe to a team that won a franchise record 66 games. They could very well break the Chicago Bulls record for regular season wins this year.
Basketball is the all-time favorite sport. It is played by all age groups, at all levels. Due to this popularity, now basketball season continues throughout the year either in the form of NBA or NCAA. But college basketball has captured the market. People can’t wait for the basketball season to start. With college basketball, they enjoy basketball round the year. And similarly college basketball betting. College basketball betting is the most popular form of sportsbetting. Because college Basketball is the most exhilarating sport to bet on. It gives more betting opportunities because of shear number of games played. With more than 200 Division I-A schools, you can be assured of being able to find some action any night you want throughout the year.
Description of basketball betting is incomplete without online betting. Online college basketball betting is no longer a thing of the future but something of the present. It’s safe, reliable, easy, and can be done by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. A large number of online sportsbook are available on the internet which provides online college basketball betting services 24*7. With greatest online basketball betting lines, live bet odds, Las Vegas point spreads and fastest payouts, online college basketball betting is simply jubilant. Affordable betting lines with all types of bets are also available online. Select an online college basketball betting lines either with point spread or money lines, and bet on college basketball online.
NCAA basketball gives basketball fun and basketball betting throughout the year. With internet, you can bet on all NCAA tournaments. And it is quite easy and simple also. So select an online college basketball line and bet online. For Nore info college basketball betting
If you want to be successful in betting NCAA basketball lines, you need to look at more than just team records. This is particularly true when betting NCAA basketball lines during March Madness. When tournament time rolls around much of what the teams did during the regular season may be irrelevant. For example, a team from a minor conference may have been the odds on favorite during the regular season in most of its games, but enters the tournament as an underdog against a powerful opponent. This means you’ll want to carefully examine how the team did during the season when it was not the favorite.
On the other hand, when betting NCAA basketball lines it is important to look at the record each teams has “against the spread” (ATS). A powerful team may be highly favored in a tournament game, but has it been consistent in beating the point spread in similar situations during the regular season? If it hasn’t, you may want to reconsider betting on the team, or at least limit the amount you bet. After all, betting NCAA basketball lines is all about winning your bets, so you want to always consider all of the factors.
Another thing to consider when betting NCAA basketball sportsbook lines is how a team does when it has home court advantage. Does it beat the spread more often at home than on the road, or is it the other way around? This may even come into play during tournament time when most games are played on neutral courts. If a Texas team is in the final four and it is being played in San Antonio then there is essentially a home court advantage. So know all of the facts and bet to win.
There never has been a better time to supplement your income with a little basketball betting at sportsbetting. You know you love sports. You know everything about the players, the coaches and the teams. It's time to use that knowledge to your wallet's benefit and make a few extra bucks.
There are some common mistakes people make when betting. Here I will describe these missteps and how to avoid them.
The most popular betting blunder and the one that costs people the most money is betting with their heart and not their brain. Just because you want a team to win doesn't mean you should put money on them.
So many people bet for their home team even when they know that it is a long-shot victory. These are the easiest games to make money on if you bet with your brain and not your heart. Betting against your favorite team may be difficult for you to do but you know better than anyone if they may struggle against a certain opponent.
Another common mistake is not doing your homework. It is vital to research the ins and outs of the teams involved. Just because you're betting on your favorite team and you think you know them really well, there is always additional research you can do. Knowing how your team fares against certain teams or how they fare on the 2nd night of back to back games is very important in deciding how you place your bets.
College Basketball betting can be a little tricky for sports bettors during the NCAA Tournament in the middle of March. Many college basketball bettors begin to bet college basketball once football season is over and that is the time when conference play begins. Most college basketball teams have been competing against conference opponents since the first week of January. In the first round of March Madness bettors are looking at 32 games involving teams with possible no head to head meetings to reference when handicapping for a winning side or total. In essence we have 32 non-conference games in the first round and 16 in the second round before the possibility of teams within the same conference competing against one another during the NCAA Tournament. For this reason it can be very challenging for sports bettors to find a winner and avoid the trap of simply betting on a team because the betting public is either familiar with the coach or program.
There are some key statistical categories to look at when handicapping the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. In the first round it's always a best practice to look at recent form. Historically teams who have performed poorly down the stretch of the season after success in the beginning have been eliminated early. Look to bet against teams who have dropped seven to eight of their last 10 games. These teams often enter the tournament based on a good non-conference record and the strength of their conference. Another stat to look at is free throw percentage. Betting favorites who can't make their free throws will have a difficult time covering the point spread. Teams who are behind and facing elimination are often desperate and will begin fouling in the final two minutes to extend the game in hopes of drawing closer to their opponent. It's a very good practice to look at free throw percentage and specifically key on the ball handlers who most likely will find themselves on the charity stripe in the final minutes.
Another stat for the sports betting public to research is defensive field goal percentage. Good defensive teams know how to stop the dribble and avoid easy buckets. A sound defense will take teams far during March Madness. Look for teams who can defend the paint, which will force their opponent to shoot more difficult shots. Part of defending the paint is rebounding the basketball. Teams who are good on the defensive board will avoid giving up easy points around the basket.
The best way to increase your earnings from betting is to develop a basketball betting guide. Such a guide will help you cut your losses, and increase your earnings. This is precisely how professional bettors operate. They don’t place bets on whims and fancies as is the general belief, but after considerable hard work. In contrast, amateur bettors go with the public mood. They win some, and loose more. So if you want to win you must have your own betting guide. This guide should include the following details:
Know your teams. Go through the newspaper reports carefully. Also listen to the team analysis done by professionals on the TV. Make a list of the strong and weak points of the players in each team, and the performance of teams at home and away. A good guide should cover at least two, if not three, seasons. Check which players are injury-prone and are likely to miss big games. Work out the impact of their absence on team performance. Use an Excel sheet, and make a noting of team ratings by different newspapers, TV channels and websites. Based on this, arrive at you own rating.
Team Motivation: several bets go wrong because the bettor has not evaluated the motivation level of a team to win a game. A team that has already qualified will save its best for the final. It would rest its key players or experiment with new team formations. These are useful strategies that coaches adopt. In contrast, a team that is facing elimination will go the extra mile to win, even if the opposition is full of stars. Team performances are also affected by back to back matches. A team may be too drained to put up its best when made to play a game the next day, and end up loosing to a weaker team. Your guide will alert you to these possibilities.
There never has been a better time to supplement your income with a little sports betting. You know you love sports. You know everything about the players, the coaches and the teams. It's time to use that knowledge to your wallet's benefit and make a few extra bucks.
There are some common mistakes people make when betting. Here I will describe these missteps and how to avoid them.
The most popular betting blunder and the one that costs people the most money is basketball betting with their heart and not their brain. Just because you want a team to win doesn't mean you should put money on them.
So many people bet for their home team even when they know that it is a long-shot victory. These are the easiest games to make money on if you bet with your brain and not your heart. Betting against your favorite team may be difficult for you to do but you know better than anyone if they may struggle against a certain opponent.
If the word amazing for an individual is equated to watching a performance of a quick yet precise movement of hands or the careful but penetrating stares of a player moving from the other end of the court to reach the goal, then basketball is certainly the sport for them. Making a bet on an activity that one feels is dragging and uninteresting certainly kills the whole point of making one in the first place. A person must to a certain extent want the thrill and chill in watching basketball games for them to be able to appreciate and efficiently place a wager on such events. It is a form of entertainment that one is better off experiencing when the passion for the game is alive.
There are many different sorts of bets that one can make in basketball. Regarding about how to bet on basketball, the primary type though that most individuals engage in is known as point spread betting or simply spread betting. Other kinds are recognized as straight bets or proposition bets in which a bet is made on a certain aspect of the game.
Speaking to ANGOP, the coach said the results achieved by the national team during the pre-competition stage, mainly in the games of the Portuguese speaking countries, guarantee a positive participation in the event.
He said that despite the fact that other teams have the interest in winning the competition, such as Mali, Angola always showed sports capacity in these competitions, therefore there are conditions to get satisfactory results in the games.
Canada will play Argentina for bronze at the world under-19 women's basketball Betting championships after a lopsided 82-51 loss to the United States in Saturday's semifinals.
Kayla Alexander of Milton, Ont., scored 12 points to top the Canadians, who were coming off an upset win over Australia to earn their first appearance in the semifinals.
The two-time defending champion Americans broke the game open early with a 27-0 run, and the Canadians never recovered. Adding to the team's troubles, starting forward Natalie Achonwa of Guelph, Ont., left the game early on with a hip injury.
"I think we just didn't respond to that offensive quality," said Canadian coach Rich Chambers. "We still have a chance for a medal. So we hope we can take this experience to (Sunday)."
Nicole Larke of Calgary hit a three-pointer for the game's first points, but the Americans held Canada (4-4) off the scoreboard for the next 13 minutes to take a 27-3 lead, and led 50-18 at halftime.
The U.S. (7-1) had 19 steals.
Spain defeated Argentina 67-49 in Saturday's other semifinal. Canada will face the Argentines for bronze on Sunday.
Looking to get into a little bit of sports betting? Based on the numbers, odds are pretty good that basketball is going to be the sport you bet on. Bookmakers have the numbers to back up the claim that basketball is second only to football in the United States when it comes to the amount of money wagered each year. In fact, the major amateur March Madness tournament each year is the second highest grossing sports event for bookmakers in all of sports (Super Bowl is the first).
There is a lot of money to be made wagering on basketball gambling, whether or college or pro, but in order to stand a chance of breaking even you have to know what you are doing first. This article is a guide for those just starting out in the basketball betting world.
Sports betting are current one of the simplest and not to mention most popular forms of gambling. Its appeal can be considered as universal as well as far reaching because it is the first form of betting or gambling that most people try before moving on to more complicated kinds. In fact, today, sports betting are actually a billion dollar industry and as such more developments such as online betting and sports betting system have been created in an effort to further enhance the thrill of the game at the same time making it hard for any gambler to cheat or trick the system in order to win ncaa basketball betting.
However, there are still those with advanced knowledge about how the game and system works and are still able to veer the game to a road that's more favorable for them. Sports' betting, however, isn't as new as some people might think. In fact, as long as there has been sports so has there been betting and along with sports developments the betting industry has grown significantly too. This brings in more people wanting to bet for the sake of fun as well as to make money. But not everyone leaves with their pockets heavier, in fact, without a proper sports betting system these people are likely to lose their first time bets.
Well, a ncaa basketball betting system has a standard set of rules that gamblers, who wish to improve their profits and make more money on sports betting, can follow. Once you have a good grasp of the basic rules and systems of the game you can easily make the transition from learning the basics to learning the tricks .
Having an in depth knowledge of the game is actually your asset and is one of the important factors if you want to learn how to beat the system whilst playing its own game. Besides having a good sports betting system, money management is also essential to the game. A slight mistake in the money management can lead to great risks and might even eventually lead to you losing the game.
Citing the AP, NBA.com is reporting that the Charlotte Bobcats are about to trade Emeka Okafor to the New Orleans Hornets for Tyson Chandler.
The Charlotte Bobcats are listed at +240 to win the Eastern Conference next season while the New Orleans Hornets are listed at +1800 to do the same in the West
However, the Hornets also take on the last five years of an escalating, six-year, $72 million contract.
"We have a long-term option for us now at the center position and one we feel we can grow with," Bower said. "We looked at that as an asset, the fact that Emeka is under contract. ... It shows we are interested in improving and we are interested in competing in the Western Conference and we are willing to pay the price."
The Bobcats, meanwhile, unloaded that longer long-term commitment. Chandler would make $12.7 million in a player option in 2010-11, the final season of his deal.
The Dallas Mavericks have struck a deal with unrestricted free agent Drew Gooden to make use of some of the money they got back when Orlando matched their offer sheet earlier this month to restricted free agent Marcin Gortat.
Gooden announced via his Twitter feed shortly past midnight Saturday that he is signing with the Mavericks. "Dallas here I come," he wrote. In response, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted: "Welcome Drew."
Sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com that Gooden is receiving a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $4.5 million with incentives that will likely take it beyond $5 million by season's end. A formal announcement of the signing is expected Monday or Tuesday.
Gooden had previously announced via Twitter on Friday that he would be "making my decision tomorrow on which team I will be playing for." Sources said that Gooden had narrowed his final choices to Dallas, Cleveland and Charlotte.
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While he impressed in the summer league, Los Angeles Clippers will have to rest star rookie and first-overall pick Blake Griffin will be out of action for three to four weeks.
Griffin strained his right shoulder according to ESPN.
The Clippers are listed at +4800 to win the Western Conference next season.
A former UCLA basketball player is suing the NCAA over its use of former student athletes' images in DVDs, video games, photographs, apparel and other material.
In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, Ed O'Bannon says the NCAA illegally has athletes sign away their rights to the commercial use of their images and does not share any of the proceeds from their use with former athletes.
"While the NCAA, its member conferences and schools, and its for-profit business partners reap millions of dollars from revenue streams ..., former student athletes whose likenesses are utilized to generate those profit centers receive no compensation whatsoever," the suit claims.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and calls on the NCAA to pay the former athletes what it has allegedly made from the use of their images. That amount has yet to be determined, said Megan Jones, a partner with the law firm of Hausfeld LLP, which is representing O'Bannon.
It also seeks an injunction on behalf of current student athletes barring the NCAA from licensing the rights to their images.
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By virtue of a 2-1 home win over the Baltimore Orioles, where they covered at -215, the New York Yankees are now tied with the Boston Red Sox for the lead in the AL East.
The Yankees are favored at -180 in their tilt with Baltimore tonight and the BoSox are listed at -167 against the Texas Rangers.
The Bronx Bombers are listed at +375 to win the World Series while the BoSox are listed at +350.
Are you a fan of hoops? Every year, there are three big events that attract huge numbers of gamblers to sports book all over the world. The biggest, and this should come as no surprise, is the Super Bowl. The next most popular event in terms of bets wagered, though, is not on professional sports at all; it is on the March Madness tournament put on every year by the college basketball association.
March Madness, from beginning to end, is by far the most popular amateur sporting event to receive bets on the continent. In fact, many Las Vegas bookmakers hire extra staff and prepare months ahead of time just to handle all of the extra traffic that goes through their shops during the weeks of the tournament!
March Madness is of course just one example of the amount of bets placed on basketball games each year in America. From the amateur level on up, basketball is as popular to wager on as any other sport in the world, and more popular than some. We're going to discuss some basketball betting basics in this article, tips that will help you out no matter what level you are betting on.
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It’s all about March Madness. The rush of excitement. The thrill of victory. The crushing agony of defeat. However, first teams must play out a full season before being selected. In the grand scheme of things, only a handful of the college teams are selected to the big dance. Most get there by winning their conference or the championship tournament for their conference. I bring this up, because it’s important to know. A successful sports bettor needs to know what teams are motivated and what teams are just going through the motions.
It would be a grave mistake to assume that a team with an average record is playing for nothing. Many teams play hard throughout the season, because they have a shot at the NCAA tournament even if they are low in the conference. Another fallacy that kills sports bettors is betting NCAA basketball like it’s the NBA. You have to remember that NCAA basketball is comprised of young adults, typically 18-21. Most don’t possess the ability to perform at a high level, to think under pressure and to rise to the occasion against all odds.
While colleges fill their basketball teams with the best talent they have available, that does not mean the team will have even one really good player. Some programs out there are just plain bad. Only a small sample of players at the college level will be drafted by the NBA. Most are just street balers going through their college years. College basketball players are more susceptible to emotional swings than NBA players. For this reason, you must pay attention to any recent news and events swirling around the team.
For those that don’t already know, college basketball works on the spread system. For example, let’s say you have UCLA playing at Duke and Duke is -8. You have two options. You can take Duke and lay the 8 points, which means Duke must win by more than 8 for you to win—8 is a tie and only wins on some parlay cards. Your other option is to take UCLA and the 8 points. As long as UCLA win or does not lose by more than 7, you win. If they lose by 8, you tie.
Basketball betting is easy. If you're a basketball fan, and were asked which of two teams in pretty much any NBA basketball game was going to win, you'd be able to come up with a pretty good answer, and back it up with some reasons about that teams previous form that season, their star players, any injuries, refereeing bias, whether or not it's a home game or an away game.. and probably a whole host of other factors.
You would probably be right on most counts, and you'd probably win some of your basketball bets. But, do you think you'd win 97% of the time, over hundreds of bets? In order to be able to achieve that high a success rate, there's a little extra secret sauce that needs to be taken into consideration when placing your bets on SPORTSBETTING.COM.
When getting started with basketball betting, and deciding which team to place a bet on, here's a couple of the most vital statistics which you need to take into account:
Wins for each team. How many wins have they each recorded in the current season so far, and the last season. This gives a very strong indicator of how well the team is performing as a whole, and how well they're doing compared to teams of a similar ability in the same league.
It's also worth looking at the win-rates of their opponents, especially the ones which they beat. If the team is trashing opponents who have a terrible win rate, it's not such a big deal, but if they defeated the undefeated, it says a lot about their current skills.
ncaa basketball betting also requires that you take note of the performance of each basketball player on the team, and be aware of any unusual activity - are they injured? Have they been playing exceptionally well? Are they considerably better than their opposite number? Basically, here you're looking to see if the teams are well matched, or if every player on your team is outgunned by a better player on the other.
If you are reading this article, you are probably aware at this point in your wagering career that successful sports betting is less about the sport and more about the numbers involved. As we take a look at some tips for those who consider themselves advanced basketball bettors, keep that general rule in mind.
Forget the Big Guys
The most important rule for advanced basketball betting is to leave the majors behind. We are not just talking about the National Basketball Association here, either. You also want to scratch college teams in the top rankings off your list as well.
The reason for this is fairly simple. The NBA has a handful of teams with great programs and a lot of money, who tend to win game in and game out. The books make betting on these teams poor value. It's fun if you are just getting into basketball betting, but if you are serious it's time to leave the bigs behind.
You need to leave the best teams out of your handicapping when betting college basketball, too. Again, the schools with the best programs tend to be consistent year in and year out, reflected in their records and in the lines. The big money for advanced basketball betting is in the mid and low major conferences, where knowledge beats heart every time.
After losing to the Hornets in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, Avery Johnson was fired, and Rick Carlisle was hired as the new head coach for the Dallas Mavericks. After getting off to a rocky start at 2-7, the Mavericks eventually found themselves with the sixth spot in the western conference playoff bracket for 2009. This was after going 50-32 (ninth consecutive 50+-win season) and about three to four weeks earlier, weren't even sure if they were going to make the eighth and final spot. But a run of 5-1 in their last six regular season games got them to a game over the Hornets for sixth place. Dirk Nowitzki also entered the postseason with a streak of twenty-five consecutive games of scoring 20 or more points, which was ended in the first game of the quarterfinals series verses the arch-rival, San Antonio Spurs.
The Mavericks surprised many people by winning Game 1, 105-97 in San Antonio. The Spurs would come back to win Game 2 though, by twenty-one points, as the series shifted to Dallas, as the two teams had both won a game. Dallas, who had only lost one game at home after the All-Star Break, won both Games 3 and 4 at home, by twenty-one and nine points, 88-67, and 99-90. San Antonio was just trying to win Game 5 to extend the series, but they couldn't do it as the Mavericks eventually took over and won by thirteen, 106-93, clinching the series, as they would get out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 playoffs when they advanced all the way to the Finals.
Point guard Jason Kidd has re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks for three-years at over $25 million reports ESPN.
The Mavs are listed at +1800 to win the Western Conference next season.
There is a lot of money to be made wagering on basketball, whether or college or pro, but in order to stand a chance of breaking even you have to know what you are doing first.
Basketball Bets
Like basketball bet scores are typically very high because of the scoring system. This means that betting the spread in basketball is the most popular way to wager.
On a spread bet, the person placing the wager wins if their team "covers" the spread. This means that the team either wins by the number of points specified, or loses by less than the number of points specified. Here's a look.
San Antonio Spurs -8 New York Knicks +8
Betting on the Spurs to cover the spread means that they have to win by more than eight points to collect. If they win by exactly 8 points, it is a "push". Your bet will be returned, but you will not win any extra money. If the Spurs win by only 7 points, they win the game but fail to cover the spread. In that case, you lose the money you wagered and those who bet on the Knicks collect.
Betting on point spreads can be a little bit tricky, so those new to sports betting might favor the money line instead. This is a bet on a team to win the game outright, and it does not matter how many points they win by.
In a money line bet, more money must be placed on the favorite team. As an example, in order to win $100 on a favorite, you would have to bet $120. On the other hand, if you wanted to bet on the underdog, you stand to win more money. For every $100 you bet on an underdog, you could win $130. Let's take a look at how this would appear on "the books":
San Antonio Spurs -120 New York Knicks +130
The favorite is always indicated by a minus sign, whether betting the spread or the line.
The Junior Tall Blacks ended their under-19 world championships campaign on a high note, seeing off a physical challenge from Angola to claim 13th place at the 16-team event.
The battling victory was a solid finish to a campaign that captain Dion Prewster felt exceeded many people's expectations, but ultimately fell short of matching the team's own hopes.
Having shown they were a match for some of the tournament's big guns, the defeat to Kazakhstan that stopped the Kiwis from progressing beyond first-round pool play still rankles - and probably will do for some time.
"It's safe to say that we have surprised and got the respect of a few other countries," Prewster said.
"At least that shows our hard work hasn't gone to waste. But not making it into the 12 was tough to swallow. It is heartbreaking because we know we can compete with a lot of those teams. But we did it to ourselves.
"This was our first time [at a world championships]. At least we know next time, with the next group of guys coming through, that we can compete. We just have to be mentally tougher and execute at the end."
Coach Kenny McFadden hoped his side had made a strong enough case for FIBA to consider granting a second spot to the region.
Having finished ahead of two of the three Asian nations and proved themselves a cut above the African nations, they've made a strong case.
"If they allow us to do this on a regular basis you will see New Zealand basketball make huge strides."
The impressive Loe, in particular, is sure to have plenty of offers on the table from US college Basketball but there was a more immediate reward for the 2.11m centre and teammates, Brook Ruscoe and Prewster, who have been named in a 20-strong senior Tall Blacks trial squad.
Sparks forward Candace Parker will play an undetermined number of minutes off the bench tonight, after last year's most valuable player missed training camp and the first eight games of the season while on maternity leave. Doctors cleared her to fully practice since Tuesday.
"I had circled that date as a return in my head as a goal of mine," Parker said. "It feels good, I'll be able to dress and be back. I had a solid week of practice." The Sparks are 3-0 at home, and have won two of their last three games despite the absence of center Lisa Leslie, who sprained her right knee June 19 against Phoenix and isn't expecting to return until July 22 against Seattle. It remains unclear whether Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, second in the league at 21.2 points a game, will play. The league hasn't ruled on any disciplinary action, and Taurasi, cited for drunk driving Thursday night, declined to say whether she's playing. The Mercury averages a league-leading 90.6 points a game.
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The Rutgers women's basketball team will take part in the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic for a fourth straight year.
The Scarlet Knights will host Florida on Dec. 7 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said the late Jim Valvano, the former North Carolina State coach for whom the tournament is named, was a dear friend and her team is excited to be chosen to play again.
The event raises money for the V Foundation, which funds cancer research.
The NCAA is finished with the latest Kelvin Sampson saga.
The NCAA on Tuesday rejected an appeal from the former Indiana coach, who was given five years of potential penalties for taking part in more than 100 impermissible calls to recruits while coaching the Hoosiers.
The NCAA said its infractions committee upheld the violations found in the case, which prompted an overhaul at the storied program and led to Sampson's departure after 1 ½ seasons. An NCAA spokeswoman said Sampson, 53, has used his only appeal, and the case is closed.
Sampson, an assistant coach for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, is essentially barred from coaching in college until 2013.
The NCAA ruled Sampson ignored signed compliance agreements with Indiana, ignored the recruiting restrictions he was already under from a similar case at Oklahoma and deliberately lied to infractions-committee members.
In his appeal, Sampson — a former Washington State coach — claimed the penalty was too harsh, the NCAA misinterpreted evidence and that the infractions committee was biased against him.
The NCAA rejected each claim, saying "it found no basis on which to conclude that the findings of violations were contrary to the evidence."
Sampson's publicist, Chris Capo, said Sampson "will not be making any comment on the recent NCAA ruling."
A Bucks spokesman said "Sampson declined comment on the report."
Sampson defended himself in September in a statement made through his former publicist, Matt Kramer.
Miroslav Raduljica scored 16 points and added eight rebounds as Serbia defeated Canada 99-73 Monday in the last game leading up to the 2009 Summer Universiade men's basketball event.
Canada finished the four-team tuneup tournament 0-3 after losses to the United States and Russia.
Christian Upshaw led Canada with 14 points while Josh Whyte had 12.
"We knew playing three games in three days against this high calibre was going to be a real mental battle," said Canadian head coach Chris O'Rourke, who returns for his second tour of duty with the Universiade squad.
"We got real frustrated in the first half with the number of times they were going to the foul line. We didn't execute, and when you play a very good team like that they're going to make you pay for it."
The Serbian team used its significant size advantage to dominate the glass on the night, out-rebounding Canada by a 42-19 margin and putting the red and white in early foul trouble.
Serbia scored 29 points in each of the first and third quarters, including a 15-point outburst in the first three minutes following half time. The host side shot a sparkling 32-for-36 from the free-throw line after drawing 18 shooting fouls.
Serbia finished the four-team event with a perfect 3-0 record, with the U.S. following at 2-1. The American squad got past Russia 67-63 in the early game Monday night.
The Canadians begin their quest on Thursday to return to the podium after a bronze medal at the 2007 Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand. Their first game is against Italy.
With two days before their next competition, Canada will recharge and refocus on the tough test facing them in the Universiade tournament.
"We need some time to watch more film and practice and get some physical and mental rest," said O'Rourke. "There's not much time and we have a lot of fine tuning still to do.
"There's no time to dwell, that's for sure. We won't be able to see (Italy) play, so again it becomes about focusing on us and what we have to do."
Following the contest against Italy, Canada will also play China in Group C action at the Universiade tournament. The top two teams from the group phase will move on to the second round.
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Marie Ferdinand-Harris led a balanced offensive attack with 15 points, as the Los Angeles Sparks forced 22 turnovers en route to an 82-55 win over the Seattle Storm.
Betty Lennox scored 10 of her 14 points from the free throw line, while reserves Vanessa Hayden and Noelle Quinn contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, for LA, which moved to 3-5 on the year.
No player on the Storm scored double digits, with Camille Little and Lauren Jackson chiming in with nine points apiece.
Seattle, now 6-3, shot 34.6 percent in the loss.
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ESPN reports that the Phoenix Suns are on the verge of dealing center Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for power forward Ben Wallace, shooting guard Sasha Pavolic, cash and a draft pick .
The deal is pending league approval and as it stands, the Cleveland Cavaliers are listed at +400 to win next year’s NBA championship while the Phoenix Suns are listed at +5000 to do the same.
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Candice Wiggins poured in 25 points to power Minnesota to a 69-57 blowout of New York at the Target Center.
Roneeka Hodges added 10 points, while Kelly Miller scored eight for the Lynx, who had lost their previous two games. Minnesota forced 20 Liberty turnovers, leading to 21 points.
Shameka Christon scored 25, going 6-of-10 from three-point range, for the Liberty, who had a two-game win streak snapped. No other New York player had more than six points.
The Liberty trailed just 38-36 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, but the Lynx finished the period on a 21-4 run to take control.
Pistons president Joe Dumars is coming off a disastrous year in which he jettisoned the underrated Flip Saunders for the untested and unproven Michael Curry and compounded that mistake with the ill-conceived Chauncey Billups-Allen Iverson trade.
Gone was Detroit's legendary balance, defensive prowess and chemistry, not to mention the run of six straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals. So, needless to say, this is a big summer for Dumars.
Trading for Iverson did give Dumars plenty of cap space and the team seems to be targeting Chicago sharp-shooter Ben Gordon. As for the draft big man Rasheed Wallace isn't likely to return and Antonio McDyess could also leave via free agency meaning Dumars will be in line for a big body with the 15th overall pick.
Options could include Gonzaga forward Austin Daye and Ohio State Center B.J. Mullens.
Mullens has the size and soft hands to develop into a legit center and help Curry start rebuilding his frontcourt. A number of sources say the Pistons have a promise in place to take Mullens, so if anyone else has designs on the big man, they will have to move up past No. 15.
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Vanessa Hayden had 12 points and eight rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Sparks over the Sacramento Monarchs, 67-47, at Staples Center.
Tina Thompson had 12 points, Betty Lennox added 10 points and eight boards and Marie Ferdinand-Harris had 10 points for the Sparks, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Nicole Powell had 13 points and was the only played in double-figures for the Monarchs, who have dropped their past three Basketball games.
The Sparks held a 22-point lead at the half and were never threatened for the rest of the game.
The Nelson Giants are through to the National Basketball League finals after a thrilling last second win over the Wellington Saints in Nelson.
Trailing 82-81 with seconds remaining, Tony Rampton scrambled in a two point shot from a rebound off a free throw to claim an 83-82 win.
The Saints appealed the result after claiming time was up before the final play was made but they have since withdrawn the protest after reviewing footage.
Giants guard Phill Jones says the game was a great advertisement for New Zealand basketball and it was an exciting fightback by his team which showed, yet again, that the game is never over until the buzzer goes .
The Waikato Pistons host the Christchurch Cougars in the second semi final in Te Awamutu tonight.
The biggest rap against Kobe Bryant is that he hasn’t been able to win an NBA Betting title without Shaquille O’Neal but it looks like he is about to shed that label.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in OT 99-91, covering at +1.5 and gaining a 3-1 series lead.
Basketball Game 5 goes Sunday in Orlando and although the Lakers can capture a title, they are listed as 3-point underdogs and the Total is set at 198.
The Lakers are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games when listed as underdogs of 4-points or less.
Kobe Bryant can finally say he won an NBA championship without Shaquille O’Neal as the Los Angeles Lakers took down the Orlando Magic 99-86 and won the NBA betting finals 4-1.
The Lakers covered as 3.5-point underdogs and Bryant was named MVP.
Here are some futures odds for next year’s NBA Betting championship and bookies are favoring a LeBron-Kobe matchup.
The L.A. Lakers are the odds-on from the Western Conference and overall at +250 and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the odds-on from the Eastern Conference at +300.
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It will be an important game in the NBA finals as the Orlando Magic can pull even with the Los Angeles Lakers with a win or fall behind 3-1 in the series.
The Magic have been anything but the last 17 times the Lakers have visited going 6-11 ATS–Orlando is a 2-point home fave tonight.
Tonight’s Total is set at 201 and in the Lakers’ last 17 visits, the Over/Under has gone 5-12, including 6-0 in the last six games.
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Dwight Howard scored 21 points with 14 rebounds, as Orlando finally put the ball in the basket and watched Kobe Bryant miss several shots and commit a key turnover down the stretch, as the Magic beat the Lakers, 108-104, to take Game 3 of the NBA betting Finals.
Rafer Alston scored 13 of his 20 points in the first half, Rashard Lewis donated 21 points and Hedo Turkoglu recorded 18 points with seven assists and six rebounds.
The Magic shot an NBA Finals record 75 percent in the first half, and ended up making 62.5 percent of their shots for the entire 48 minutes.
Kobe Bryant scored 17 points in the final five-plus minutes of the first quarter then went hot and cold for the rest of the contest, finishing with 31 points and eight assists.
Pau Gasol added 23 points and Trevor Ariza contributed 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Lakers now lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday night at Amway Arena in Orlando.
The L.A. Lakers opened the NBA championship series, guns blazing, with a 100-75 win over the Orlando Magic in yesterday’s Game 1–the Lakers were favored by 6-points.
Going into Sunday’s Game 2, the Lakers are favored by 6.5-points and the Total is set at 202.
In the Lakers’ last 19 Sunday home games, they are 11-8 ATS and a perfect 19-0 SU and are -300 on the Money line.
Kobe Bryant is off to a good start in his quest for a post-Shaq championship, scoring a personal NBA Finals-high 40 points with eight rebounds and eight assists, as the Lakers took control before halftime and never let up in a 100-75 victory over Orlando in Game 1.
Pau Gasol added 16 points with eight rebounds, Lamar Odom notched a double- double with 11 points and 14 rebounds and Andrew Bynum donated nine points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who shot 46.1 percent but more importantly held the Magic to 29.9 percent shooting.
The Lakers have not won a championship since 2002, the last of their three consecutive titles, but have won 14 in the storied franchise history. Bryant is in search of his first solo title -- meaning without the services of Shaquille O'Neal.
Los Angeles is off to a good start, as head coach Phil Jackson, aiming for his record 10th NBA championship as a coach, has a 43-0 mark in the postseason when his team wins the first game.
The Magic will open the Finals on Thursday in Los Angeles against the L.A. Lakers after winning the Eastern Conference and smothering the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Magic, who were not one of the favorites when the playoffs began, have convinced everyone that they are for real. They came from behind to beat both Philadelphia and Boston. Then they pounded the Cavs, who had the best record in the league during the regular season.
As for the Lakers, they are back where they wanted to be.
Their chance for redemption is at hand after they eliminated the Denver Nuggets in six Western Conference Finals games. The Lakers are favored by 6 points in Game 1.
Out with a torn labrum in his right shoulder since early-February, Orlando Magic PG Jameer Nelson went through a full practice on Tuesday and according to teammates, looked good.
While officials are “mum” on the subject, many Orlando players are expecting Nelson to see action in Game 1 on Thursday.
Will Kobe Bryant finally win a title sans Shaquille O’Neal?
After losing to the Boston Celtics in last year’s championship series, Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers will play Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in this year’s NBA final.
The Lakers are favored at -245 while the Magic are +205.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading back to Florida. LeBron James, showing off every dimension of his unstoppable game, had 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, and Mo Williams added 24 points in a 112-102 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 on Thursday night.
The Magic will once again try and close out the series in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Orlando overcame a 22-point deficit on Thursday but missed their first opportunity to finish off the Cavaliers, who are trying to become just the ninth team since 1947 to rally and win a series after being down 3-1. Orlando has two more tries to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995.
The Cavs of course feel confident that if they can force Game 7 they will be in the driver's seat. Last night's win improved their home record to 44-3 this season.
Memo to Mo Williams, leave the predictions or shot calling, to Babe Ruth, Mark Messier and Joe Namath.
Prior to Tuesday’s Game 4, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ one-guard guaranteed a win but unlike that revered New York trio, his mouth wrote a check that he couldn’t cash.
The Cavs were defeated in OT by a score of 116-114 and as a result, they failed to cover as -1.5 road faves and are down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference final.
Over in the West, the sports betting rejoiced as the Los Angeles Lakers rebounded nicely at home last night following a brutal 120-101 road loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Back in the friendly confines of the STAPLES Center L.A. defeated the Nuggets 103-94, covering as 6-point favorites and getting a leg up on Denver in the series, currently leading 3 games to 2.
NBA Playoff Trends
The Nuggets aren’t out for the count by any stretch of the imagination as they play Game 6 back in Denver and are 18-2 straight up and 14-6 against the spread in their last 20 home games.
The NBA secretly wants a Cavs-Lakers final but should the Orlando Magic, who are 7-point underdogs in tonight’s Game 5 in Cleveland, defeat the Cavaliers and the Nuggets force and win a Game 7, the NBA will see a final with the Denver Nuggets and Orlando.
Prospective Betting
What about an Orlando-Denver Final?
SPORTSBETTING.com offers up the unique option fo “Prospective Betting”
The Nuggets have been the hotter team during the postseason, going 12-2-1 ATS while the Magic are 10-7 ATS in the playoffs, although they are currently on a 6-0 ATS run.
In the last 20 games overall between Denver and Orlando, the Magic hold the edge with a record of 12-7-1 ATS and the Under has cashed in the last four consecutive meetings between the two.
More recently, the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic split the season series in 2008/09.
The two teams last met back in February 11, 2009 but it was Denver that came away with the win straight up and against the spread, covering as 7-point road ‘dogs in an 82-73 win.
The first meeting of the season took place back in January, with the Magic coming away with a 106-88 win in Denver, covering 1.5-point road underdog.
The last 15 times Orlando has hosted Denver, they have been, pardon the pun, magic, going 14-1 SU and 11-3-1 ATS.
In Denver’s last 15 home contests against the Magic, it hasn’t been too profitable overall going 7-6-2 ATS but more recently it has been, going 5-1 ATS and 4-2 O/U in its last six matchups dating back to November of 2003.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility to see a Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic championship final in the NBA.
It wouldn’t be the exact matchup the NBA would want but it wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
We’ll see how it plays out.
You can check all the NBA Playoff odds and Prospective Betting at SPORTSBETTING.com.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Author: ChadRogers has been an avid follower and handicapper of North American sports for over 20 years and has written about sports and sports betting for the last decade. Chad specializes in articles focused on the NFL, NFL betting, NCAA betting, the NBAand overall "how-to" handicapping articles.
The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the NBA postseason as one of the favorites to win it all. So far the Cavs, winners of 66 regular-season games and their first eight straight in the playoffs, certainly haven't looked superior to the Orlando Magic.
They can't stop Dwight Howard inside. They can't contain Orlando's outside shooters. They're not giving LeBron James enough support. And they trail 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Orlando is relishing the underdog role in its first conference finals appearance since 1995. They won 99-89 on Sunday night in Game 3, which included a flagrant foul on Anthony Johnson for his elbow to Mo Williams' face in the second quarter. James has been doing his part.
The league's MVP is averaging 41.7 points in the series. But there have been extended periods when it's LeBron and only LeBron vs. the Magic. Can the 1.5-point underdog Cavs tie up the series?
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Tonight in Game 4 the Nuggets will need everything they have to try and even the series with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In their half-dozen blowouts at the Pepsi Center in these playoffs, the Nuggets had turned their crowd into a major factor by using their transition game, pull-up 3s, kick-outs and rim-rattling dunks to turn tight games into runaways and their arena into a jet engine.
Against Los Angeles, however, the 3-pointers rimmed out all night, allowing the Lakers to stick around long enough for Kobe Bryant to win it for them in the fourth quarter.
The 4.5-point underdog Lakers are 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings and the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between these clubs.