Florida inches closer to SEC crown, as Gators host Gamecocks
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/21/2007 -
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked Florida Gators have
been knocked off their perch atop the college basketball world, at
least temporarily, but they continue to rule the SEC and are heavy
favorites in tonight's matchup with the South Carolina Gamecocks.
South Carolina carried a five-game skid into Saturday's home game
against Tennessee, but the result was a thrilling 81-64 victory. The
Gamecocks are a game over .500 overall, but their 3-9 league mark leaves
much to be desired.
Florida was a perfect 11-0 in SEC play heading into Saturday's road clash
with a strong Vanderbilt squad, and the Commodores scored an 83-70 upset
victory in that tilt. Still, the Gators are steamrolling toward a regular
season league title and are a perfect 16-0 at home.
Also, keep in mind that Florida crushed South Carolina by an 84-50 final
back on January 13th, and the Gators own a 31-19 advantage in the all-time
series between the teams.
South Carolina guard Tre' Kelley is one of the better players in the SEC,
but he doesn't receive a great deal of attention because of the struggles
of his team. Despite facing constant double teams, Kelley is averaging
18.3 ppg to rank among the league leaders. He is also dishing out five
assists per contest and gives maximum effort every time he takes the floor.
Unfortunately, only one other player in the lineup is scoring in double
figures, as Brandon Wallace checks in with 10.3 ppg and 9.6 rpg. USC is
netting a modest 64.9 ppg on 42.4 percent overall shooting, and the lack of
offensive production has resulted in the poor record. Kelley scored 25
points against Tennessee and actually got plenty of support from his
teammates for a change in Saturday's win. The Gamecocks shot 53.7
percent from the floor and limited the Vols to 38.2 percent.
After winning the national championship last season, all five starters
for Florida decided to return to school rather than give in to the lure
of NBA riches. All five standouts are averaging double figures in scoring this
season, as the Gators may be the nation's most unselfish team. Taurean Green
paces the club with 13.6 ppg on the strength of his 42.2 percent shooting
from three-point range, and he has dished out 96 assists. Corey Brewer checks
in with 13.0 ppg, and Joakim Noah adds 12.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 47 blocks.
Al Horford is contributing 12.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg, while Lee Humphrey rounds
out the group with 10.2 ppg on 47.4 percent accuracy from behind the arc.
The Gators are racking up 81.0 ppg while limiting opponents to 61.0 ppg. Noah
scored 15 points to pace Florida in the loss to Vandy, but the freakishly
athletic forward only took five shots from the floor and needs to be a bit
more assertive at the offensive end. Poor defense led to the defeat, as the
Gators permitted the Commodores to shoot 57.1 percent from the field.
<< Louisville seeks 20th victory of the season
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Louisville Cardinals gun for
their fourth straight win tonight, as they host the St. John's Red Storm
in Big East play from Freedom Hall.
The Cardinals moved into the Top-25 this
<< Streaking Commodores set to battle Bulldogs
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off one of the most memorable
victories in recent memory for the program, the 17th-ranked Vanderbilt
Commodores hope to carry the momentum into tonight's SEC clash with the
Mississ
<< Aggies meet Cowboys in Stillwater
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies have
made the trip to Stillwater for a Big 12 Conference clash with the
Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Texas A&M has won six of its last seven games to move
<< Salukis seek double-digit win streak in Terre Haute
Terre Haute, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Southern Illinois
Salukis have achieved their highest ranking in program history, and
they carry a wealth of momentum into tonight's Missouri Valley
Confere
<< Second-ranked Ohio State plays host to Penn State
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the second time in eight days, the
second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Penn State Nittany
Lions in Big Ten Conference action.
Last Wednesday, Ohio State built a
Knicks visit Atlantic Division-rival Philadelphia >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers conclude their seven-game homestand
tonight when they welcome the Atlantic Division rival New York Knicks to the
Wachovia Center.
The Sixers fell to 2-4 on their stand before the All-Star break when
Cavs, Raptors meet in Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers conclude a three-game road trip
tonight when they travel to Toronto to battle the Raptors at Air Canada
Centre.
Cleveland has split the first two games of its trek so far. The Cavaliers were
downe
Nets open homestand against Hornets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets open up a five-game homestand this
evening when they welcome the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets to the
Continental Airlines Arena.
However, the big question for the Nets is how many of those games s
Magic, Pistons play front end of home-and-home set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic open a home-and-
home set tonight when the two teams square off at The Palace of Auburn
Hills.
Detroit comes into the game on a winning note after holding on for an 84-83
win over t
Timberwolves open homestand vs. Bobcats >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves hope home is where the
heart is when the struggling club opens up a five-game homestand this evening
against the Charlotte Bobcats at the Target Center.
The Timberwolves have lost six of their l
Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.
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