Desperate Grizzlies welcome Knicks to Memphis

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03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Memphis Grizzlies are still alive in the Western Conference playoff race, but time is running short. Tonight they'll begin a three-game homestand versus the New York Knicks at FedEx Forum with hopes of gaining ground in the conference standings.

Memphis has won two in a row and four of five games, and is four games behind Portland for the eighth and final postseason spot in the West. It will also welcome the Nuggets and Bulls to Tennessee and sports a 19-14 mark as the host this season. Memphis is 9-1 at home this season against opponents with losing records.

In a 111-91 victory at Boston on Wednesday, Rudy Gay had 28 points and O.J. Mayo posted 17 to help the Grizzlies extend their franchise-record road winning streak to seven games.

"It's a big game...we're not clouding our brains with the fact that we need to make the playoffs. It's the fact that we are getting better as a team, and the better we get the more wins we get," Gay said.

Zach Randolph returned from a stiff back to add 13 points and 10 rebounds in a winning effort.

New York will continue a five-game road trip Friday and opened the trek on a down note, suffering a 97-87 loss at San Antonio two nights ago. Reigning double-double king David Lee had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost three of four overall and three straight as the guest.

Wilson Chandler tallied 17 points, Al Harrington added 15 points off the bench and Danilo Gallinari ended with 14 points and five boards in defeat. New York was outscored 14-5 over the final 3:33 to fall to 8-21 away from Madison Square Garden this season.

"I think our defense was good throughout the entire game. We really have to make our shots to beat a team like the Spurs and tonight we didn't do it," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said.

The Knicks will also visit the Mavs, Sixers and Celtics on the road swing.

Memphis won the first meeting with New York, 120-109, on February 27 in the Big Apple behind 31 points and a career-high 25 rebounds by Randolph. These two clubs have split the last 16 matchups.

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LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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