Aztecs and Lobos mix it up in Mountain West semis

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Continuing to build on one of the best seasons in program history, the eighth-ranked New Mexico Lobos find themselves in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament tonight and will be facing the always tough San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

UNM, the regular-season champions in the conference and the top seed in the tourney, was pushed to the limit once again by an over-achieving Air Force squad on Thursday afternoon, just barely getting by in a 75-69 decision. The victory was the 15th in a row for New Mexico, a squad that began the MWC schedule this season with two straight setback to SDSU and UNLV.

As for the Aztecs, the fourth seed in the event, they too had their hands full in the quarterfinals and needed strong play down the stretch to come away with the narrow 72-71 victory over the Colorado State Rams. SDSU, which now has a record of 11-8 in this event over the years, played in the title game in 2009 and lost by a mere two points to Utah, 52-50.

SDSU nearly pulled off the season sweep of the Lobos as it posted a 74-64 win at home in the conference opener back on January 5th and then took New Mexico to overtime in The Pit a month later before bowing in an 88-86 final in Albuquerque. With the split it means UNM still leads the all-time series by a count of 38-28.

The winner of this meeting will be into the title game on Saturday and will face the survivor of the UNLV/BYU contest for the right to move on to the NCAA Tournament.

A pair of free throws by D.J. Gay with 23 seconds remaining proved to be the difference as the Aztecs held on for the one-point win against a pesky CSU squad that played most of the game without Andy Ogide who was ejected in the first half for throwing an elbow. Handling most of the scoring for the Aztecs were Malcolm Thomas, Chase Tapley and Billy White with 15 points apiece, followed by Kawhi Leonard who delivered 12 points and six rebounds before picking up his fifth personal foul. As one of the weakest free-throw shooting teams in the nation, SDSU nearly let the game slip away as it made only 17- of-28 at the charity stripe, not to mention a disappointing 1-of-10 beyond the arc. After 31 games Steve Fisher's group has managed to put up 23 victories in spite of an awkward 60.8 percent effort at the free-throw line. Leonard leads the group in scoring with 12.6 ppg and is also tops with 9.5 rpg, followed by Thomas with his 11.2 ppg and 7.9 rpg as the group holds a huge 6.8 rpg advantage over the competition.

With absolutely nothing to lose, ninth-seeded Air Force came out with guns blazing on Thursday and nearly turned the MWC Tournament upside down, but in the end the height of the Lobos was simply too much for the academy in the six-point decision. Darington Hobson, the first player to be name the MWC Player of the Year and the league's newcomer of the year in the same season, electrified the crowd with his 28 points and 15 rebounds, almost single- handedly beating Air Force (22 rebounds) on the glass by himself. Dairese Gary added 20 points as he made good on 14-of-15 shots at the charity stripe. Hobson, who at times allowed his emotions to get away from him versus the Falcons, has been an incredible performer for the Lobos this season with his 16.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, not to mention his 145 assists and 40 steals. Slowly developing his touch out on the perimeter, Hobson has also converted 37.8 percent of his three-point tries, but it is Roman Martinez (13.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) who handles most of the perimeter shooting with his 91- of-216 accuracy thus far.

Wskybook NCAA Basketball Betting News


<< Bears and Wildcats meet in Big 12 Tournament semifinals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ninth-ranked Kansas State Wildcats and the 21st-ranked Baylor Bears are slated to collide in the semifinal round of the 2010 Big 12 Tournament from the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Awaiting the winner

<< Alabama challenges Kentucky in SEC Tournament quarterfinals
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats begin play in the 2010 SEC Tournament with a quarterfinal-round matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The winner of this game will move on to Saturday's semifinals to

<< Bonnies seek A-10 tourney upset of top-seeded Owls
Atlantic City, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The two-time defending Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Champions, the 17th-ranked Temple Owls, hit the floor at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City this afternoon in the quarterfinals of the 34th annual event

<< Browns sign Ben Watson
Berea, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns have signed unrestricted free agent tight end Ben Watson to a multi-year contract. Financial terms of the deal for the former New England Patriots veteran were not disclosed. "We vi

<< Arizona's NCAA run all but over at 25
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Arizona's streak of 25 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances is all but over.The Wildcats lost to UCLA 75-69 in the Pac-10 tournament on Thursday night, dropping their record to 16-15, a number that almost certainly won't be good

UNLV battles BYU in MWC Tournament semifinals >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In search of revenge for a devastating loss in the last meeting between the two programs, the 14th-ranked BYU Cougars clash with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels tonight in the semifinals of the 11th annual Mountain West

Bulldogs face tall task in SEC tourney tilt with Commodores >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Quarterfinal-round action of the 2010 SEC Tournament pits the 20th ranked Vanderbilt Commodores against the darkhorse Georgia Bulldogs. The winner will move into the semifinals for a clash with either Mississ

Vols and Rebels duke it out in SEC Tournament >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The quarterfinal round of the 2010 SEC Tournament pits the Ole Miss Rebels against the Tennessee Volunteers, the nation's 15th-ranked team. The winner of this game will take on either Kentucky or Alabama in S

Aggies to try and knock top-ranked Jayhawks from lofty perch >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks and the 23rd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies are slated to do battle in the semifinal round of the 2010 Big 12 Conference Tournament. The winner of this contest will advance to Sa

Buckeye State rivals meet in A-10 Tournament >>
Atlantic City, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In-state rivals clash for the third time this season as the 24th-ranked Xavier Musketeers and the Dayton Flyers take part in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at Boardwalk Hall

Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.