Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
06/26/2010 -
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Ron Artest was one of the best players in the NBA when the Pacers drafted Danny Granger for him to mentor.
Artest saw something in Granger, prompting him to proclaim that the versatile forward would become a star. Granger made good on Artest's claims by making the 2009 All-Star team.
Now, it's Granger's turn to be the teacher.
The Pacers took Paul George with the 10th pick Thursday night, drawing immediate comparisons to Granger. The two worked out together before they knew George would become a Pacer, so they had a head start on building a relationship.
Pacers president Larry Bird sees similarities between Granger and George, but also sees a connection between Artest's mentoring role in 2005 and Granger's current task of helping George develop.
``No question,'' he said Friday. ``He's working out with Danny now. He's been working out with him for a period of time. It's the same thing.''
George hopes for similar results.
``If you've been under Ron, you kind of gain his hardworking ability,'' George said. ``He instilled that in Danny, and I can only hope and pray that Danny does the same for me.''
Granger is 6-foot-9, an inch taller than George. Both are good perimeter shooters and excellent free throw shooters. They come from mid-major schools out West - Granger from New Mexico, George from Fresno State.
His scouting report sounds nearly identical to Granger's from five years ago.
``He spaces the court, he's athletic, great upside, passes the basketball, can finish at the rim,'' Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said.
Bird said George could be an immediate contributor like Granger was.
``This young man has a great opportunity to get a lot of playing time,'' he said. ``It's on his shoulders.''
Indiana finished last season with a 32-50 record, their worst finish since 1988-89, and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. O'Brien is back after a third straight losing season and 104-142 record with the team. The Pacers also ranked 27th in the 30-team league with average attendance of 14,202.
The Pacers did not pick up a point guard in the draft, one of their needs, and instead took Cincinnati's Lance Stephenson with the 40th pick and traded up to get Louisiana Tech forward Magnum Rolle.
But they are happy about George.
Bird said George has the same confidence level and ``chip on his shoulder'' that Granger had when he was picked 17th in 2005.
``He (Granger) told me when he first walked in the door after we drafted him he was going to be an All-Star, and that he was a hard worker, and that he was going to continue to work hard,'' Bird said. ``That's what I see in this young man.''
Granger's growth has been unusual. He improved his scoring average by at least five points the first four years of his career. He averaged 25.8 points in 2008-09 and was selected the NBA's most improved player, then averaged 24.1 points last season.
George showed his work ethic with a dramatic improvement from the free-throw line last season. He shot 70 percent as a freshman, but 91 percent as a sophomore.
``I've always been a good free throw shooter,'' he said. ``My freshman year, I just wasn't as comfortable at the line as I was my sophomore year. I knew what I was capable of and I knew my numbers didn't project what type of shooter I was. In the offseason, I spent a lot of time at the free-throw line, doing standstill shooting to work on my form.''
George averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds as a high school senior in California before two strong years in college. It's been a long time since he's had to fight for playing time.
``It's competition,'' he said. ``No job is given, you have to compete for it. I think that will make all of us better. Whatever lineup we have, that person will deserve it. I'm ready for the challenge.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Reunions: Torre and Yanks, Halladay and Jays
The Yankees practically lined up to greet Joe Torre in Los Angeles. Roy Halladay treated his first start against the Blue Jays like any other. Justin and B.J. Upton's mom didn't know who to cheer for when her sons faced each other for the first time
<< Edmonton takes Taylor Hall with first pick
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Although the Edmonton Oilers agonized over their decision until a few hours before the NHL draft, they eventually decided Taylor Hall was just a bit more irresistible than Tyler Seguin.Both 18-year-old prospects realize this debate
<< Arizona's Edwin Jackson no-hits Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -Edwin Jackson had a chance to finish the ugliest of the no-hitters in this the Year of the Pitcher, and nothing was going to stop of him.Not Arizona manager A.J. Hinch. Certainly not the Tampa Bay Rays.Barreling ahead desp
<< Uribe and Giants slip past Red Sox
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juan Uribe blasted a solo home run and
Buster Posey added three hits with an RBI to help San Francisco beat Boston,
5-4, in the opener of a three-game interleague series at AT&T Park.
San Franci
Twins set to face Santana for first time since trade to Mets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For eight seasons with Minnesota, Johan Santana was one of
the top pitchers in baseball. Luckily for the Twins, who face Santana for the
first time since trading the left-hander to the Mets before the 2008 season,
the former
Royals aim to extend win streak in clash with Cardinals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals will try to string together a third
straight win today, as they play the middle bout of a three-game set against
the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium.
On Friday, Zack Greinke pitched into the
Rangers aim to start a new win streak against Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With their longest winning streak in 19 years now over, the
Texas Rangers will look to start a new run, as they continue a three-game set
with the Houston Astros today at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
On Friday, Chris Joh
Orioles seek rare three-game win streak in clash with Nationals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles stand nine innings away from a 2010
rarity -- a three-game win streak -- as they host the Washington Nationals
today in the second game of a three-game interleague series at Camden Yards.
Baltimore, w
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go.
MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points.
Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game.
Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again.
After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes.
Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at.
Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds.
If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time.
Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now.
Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting