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01/16/2007 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant survived an off night, gutting out 25 points on 11-of-24 shooting and adding eight assists, and the LA Lakers held off the Miami Heat, 124-118, in overtime.
Brian Cook scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for LA, which had dropped two of three entering the game. Smush Parker scored 17 points, Maurice Evans scored 12, and Andrew Bynum and Vladimir Radmanovic contributed 11 points apiece as the Lakers won with a true team effort.
Dwyane Wade scored 35 points to lead the Heat, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Udonis Haslem scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, James Posey scored 16, and Antoine Walker added 13 points for Miami.
With the Heat trailing 121-118 in the extra session, Wade drove the lane and tried to get a pass off to the corner, but Parker stepped in front for the steal. Parker was immediately fouled, and hit two free throws with 16.1 seconds left in overtime that sealed the game, putting the Lakers up 123-118 as the team held on for the win.
LA led 108-101 late in regulation, but Miami scored seven straight, tying the game at 108-108 on a Jason Kapono trey with 1:58 left. A Bryant jumper gave LA a 110-108 lead, but Haslem threw down a dunk with 22.5 seconds left to tie the game at 110-110, and Bryant couldn't get a shot off on LA's final possession, sending the game to overtime.
Miami erased a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter, scoring 11 straight, with a Walker three putting the Heat up 87-85 with 23 seconds left. Radmanovic hit a trey in the final seconds of the quarter, though, and the Lakers regained the lead, 88-87, entering the final quarter.
The Lakers led 33-29 after one quarter of play, and maintained a slim 61-59 advantage at halftime.
Game Notes
LA shot 56 percent from behind the arc, sinking 14-of-25 three-pointers attempted...Miami had won four of the last five meetings in the series, including a 101-85 win over the Lakers in Miami on Christmas Day...Miami has lost four of five at LA...LA improved to 18-4 at home this season.
<< Tar Heels hold off UConn
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LaToya Pringle scored 18 points and pulled
down six rebounds as second-ranked North Carolina held off No. 6
Connecticut, 82-76, at Carmichael Auditorium.
Erlana Larkins added 15 points and
<< Nebraska's Jackson headed to the NFL
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson
announced on Monday that he will forgo his senior year to make himself
eligible for the NFL draft.
Over his three-year career with the Huskers, Jackson r
<< No. 5 Kansas outlasts rival Missouri
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sherron Collins netted 23 points to lead the
fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks past the Missouri Tigers, 80-77, at Allen
Fieldhouse.
Brandon Rush added 16 points and six boards for the Jayhawks (16-2,
<< Montreal Alouettes
Signed defensive tackle Devone Claybrooks and running back Morris Virgil.
Sharapova beats opponent, heat in Aussie openers >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Maria Sharapova survived a
scare and hung on to win in the first round at a scorchingly hot 2007
Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
With temperatures over 100 degrees play
St. Louis to host 2009 All-Star Game >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis' Busch Stadium has been chosen
to host the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement at the annual St. Louis Baseball
Writers Dinner on Monday.
Sharapova beats opponent, heat in Aussie opener >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Maria Sharapova survived a
scare and hung on to win in the first round at a scorchingly-hot 2007
Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
With temperatures over 100 degrees, pla
Falcons swoop into Salt Lake City >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The victories are becoming a little
tighter, but they still keep coming as the 13th-ranked Air Force Falcons
hit the road to take on the Utah Runnin' Utes at the Huntsman Center in Salt
Lake Ci
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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