Celtics' story is a long tale of woe
Basketball Betting Lines
02/08/2007 -
BOSTON (AP) -Paul Pierce didn't get a chance yet to read the inspirational book Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck left for him. The Boston captain was in the hospital with an elbow infection that derailed his return from a bad foot, and the book remained in his locker.
Wally Szczerbiak left the book behind when he went to get his ankle taped after a 91-79 loss to the Miami Heat extended Boston's franchise-record losing streak to 16 games Wednesday. And Tony Allen's copy of ``The Adversity Advantage,'' by blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer, was still in his locker, too; it's probably tough to carry a lot of stuff when you're walking in a full leg cast.
The first blind climber to summit Mount Everest, Weihenmayer was honored during a break in the Heat game Wednesday night as part of the Celtics' ``Heroes Among Us'' campaign. Grousbeck insisted the visit was long-planned and not timed to snap the team out of its franchise-record losing streak.
``If there's an advantage in adversity, I haven't found it yet,'' he said.
Neither has his team.
The Celtics matched their magic number with their 16th loss in a row - one for each of the titles that once made them the pride of the NBA. The league record of 23 straight in one season was set by the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1996 and matched by the Denver Nuggets in '98.
``Every game they're close,'' Grousbeck said. ``Every game, there's two or three players that succeed. There's someone scoring 23, someone scoring 27, getting rebounds, people diving for loose balls. There's a lot to like about it, and they're playing hard for Doc.
``But it's time for a 'W.'''
The Celtics won 16 titles from 1957-86 to establish themselves as the NBA's most prolific dynasty. But it's been a long time since the Celtics, who named their mascot ``Lucky'' and wear a shamrock on their uniforms, have had any good fortune.
The deaths of Reggie Lewis and Len Bias; the transparent tanking of the 1996-97 season in an attempt to obtain Tim Duncan, only to get a bad draw in the lottery; the disastrous tenure of Rick Pitino - all set back the quest for banner No. 17.
This year, it's been injuries that left the youngest team in the league without veteran leadership, or talent.
Center Theo Ratliff played just two games before being sidelined with a bulging disc. Allen tore his ACL just as he was emerging with a streak of 20-point games. Pierce missed 22 games with a stress reaction in his foot, then went back to sick bay with an infection and fever just as he was on the verge of returning.
``Obviously, it's a tough break,'' coach Doc Rivers said. ``But we've gotten used to that.''
The Celtics are 2-21 without Pierce, prompting one fan to hold up a poster that said: ``Wanted: Paul Pierce. Reward: a win.''
Pierce was released from the hospital on Thursday.
Szczerbiak had already sprained each ankle before attempting to block a shot on Wednesday night and landing on the foot of Leon Powe, who was sitting near the end of the Boston bench.
``Step on your teammate's foot on the bench? What else can go wrong?'' Szczerbiak said. ``It's like, gee, it's one of those things. ... It's just frustrating, right when I was starting to feel better.''
Rivers joked that he would go to a seven- or eight-man rotation - ``If we have seven or eight guys'' - but otherwise wouldn't change his approach.
``First of all, I am who I am. I ain't changing,'' he said. ``I believe in what I believe in offensively and defensively. And that ain't changing. And I believe it's the right thing, you just have to stick with it.''
But it would be nice to get a little luck.
Before loss No. 16, Rivers lamented the fact that Boston had back-to-back games against the Detroit Pistons, who had the best record in the Eastern Conference, and the defending champion Miami Heat. Just the Celtics' luck: Shaquille O'Neal leading a resurgent lineup after missing 35 games with torn cartilage in his knee.
``When he went down, the first thing I did was look at the freaking schedule. I said, 'He'll be back.' So what can you do?'' Rivers said Wednesday before the Heat beat Boston 91-79. ``We've got to be the only team that didn't play Miami without Shaq.
``That's how things go.''
That's how things have been going for the Celtics, at least.
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.LOOMIS, Calif. (AP) -Dogs owned by Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest have spent a total of 77 nights at the pound since July because of poor care by their owner, costing the NBA star $1,942 in boarding and impound fees, county records show.Placer
<< Mavs' Mbenga out for season with knee injury
DALLAS (AP) -Mavericks reserve center DJ Mbenga will miss the rest of the season because of a torn knee ligament.He is scheduled for surgery in two weeks, and there is no timetable for his return, the team said Thursday.Mbenga was hurt in the fourth
<< Kwame Brown's return won't happen soon
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Lakers center Kwame Brown, sidelined since spraining his left ankle Dec. 31, won't return to action any time soon.An MRI conducted by specialist David Porter in Indianapolis confirmed the Lakers' previous diagnosis of a severe spra
<< Garrett Reid was on heroin at time of accident
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (AP) - The 23-year-old son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid tested positive for heroin after he caused a traffic accident last week that left another motorist injured, police said Thursday.Garrett Reid, the oldest son of
<< Arroyo and Reds agree to $25 million, 2-year extension through 2010
CINCINNATI (AP) -Right-hander Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds agreed Thursday to a $25 million, two-year contract extension through 2010.Arroyo's previous contract contains $8,075,000 in remaining guaranteed salary: $4,125,000 this year and $
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -Outfielder Shannon Stewart and the Oakland Athletics have agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract.Stewart can earn an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses under the deal, which was to be announced later Thursday.He
Hughes ready for spring training >>
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Phil Hughes has an outside chance of making the New York Yankees starting rotation at 20 years old.``I feel like I'm ready to go to spring training full speed,'' Hughes said Thursday. ``I'm not going to rule anything out.''Hughes s
Jazz still uncertain about Boozer's return >>
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -Utah forward Carlos Boozer's broken leg is healing, but perhaps not quickly enough for him to play in his first All-Star game, the Jazz said.Jazz vice president for basketball operations Kevin O'Connor on Thursday said tests sho
From goober pie to the Pink Pony, spring training is a fan's feast >>
When the players break out the bats and balls, it's time for fans to reach for the sunscreen and road map. All over the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues, little dots of towns spring to life for spring training. For rookie visitors, here's a look at whe
Suns might have to shoulder load if Nash is out >>
PHOENIX (AP) -Steve Nash might sit out Friday's game against Atlanta because of a sore right shoulder, although he and Suns coach Mike D'Antoni believe the injury poses no long-term problems.The league's two-time defending MVP did not practice Thurs
Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.
Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.
Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.
Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
Arizona 20-1
Butler 20-1
Duke 30-1
Florida 7-2
Georgetown 30-1
Indiana 35-1
Kansas 15-1
Marquette 25-1
Maryland 40-1
Memphis 50-1
Nevada 50-1
UNC 9-2
OSU 8-1
Oregon 30-1
Pittsburgh 15-1
Texas 30-1
Texas A&M 18-1
UCLA 6-1
Wisconsin 10-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.
Online Sportsbook Football Betting
Why Sports Betting is so much fun?
Betting Sports
The most popular sports to bet on are NFL and college football along with NBA and NCAA basketball. There are multiple betting opportunities within those sports, beginning with the basic wager on a game’s outcome (also called betting the side). College Football Point spreads are used in both football and basketball in an attempt to even the attractiveness of each team in a match-up. ( See our article detailing how and why point spreads are made)
But you could also simply bet on the money line, or straight-up winner of the game. Oddsmakers use the money line so that more money must be risked on the favorite or expected winner and less money on the underdog to balance the action on both sides. While money line gambling is an attractive option for football and basketball bettors who only care about picking a winner, it is the primary option for those bettors who enjoy wagering on MLB baseball and individual sports like boxing, tennis, golf and racing events such as NASCAR. ( More details on playing the Money Line)
Points (or Runs) Scored
Another bet across all major team sports including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey involves wagering on the amount of scoring in a game, called an Over/Under total. For example, the Over/Under total on Super Bowl XXXIX was 48, which means a bettor could wager whether there would be more or less than 48 points scored by both teams combined in the game.
The final score of Super Bowl XXXIX was 24-21; the scoring of both teams added up to 45, which means the game went Under . So Under bettors won, and Over bettors lost.
Future Bets
Sports gambling doesn’t end there. Betting sides and totals are the most common wagers available everywhere, but many sportsbooks also offer future bets on big upcoming events like who will win next year’s Super Bowl and what movie will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The main advantage of futures is that you can get appealing odds by betting far in advance. For example, with NFL futures you often can get much higher odds on a team by betting before the season even starts. A NFL future bet on a team to win the Super Bowl odds might be 20/1 in the preseason; but by midseason, their odds might decrease to 10/1 if they turn out to be legitimate championship contenders.
Proposition Bets (or Prop Bets)
Proposition bets , also known as prop bets, focus upon the more exotic aspects of a game and are generally reserved for events that are widely televised. Prop bets are extremely popular when it comes to wagering on the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. The Imperial Palace Casino’s sportsbook is well-known for the enormous number of prop bets offered. For example, you can bet on:- What team will win the coin toss
- What player will score the game’s first touchdown
- What will be the exact margin of victory
Types of Bets
Straight Bet
Involves one individual wager, whether it be on your team to cover the point spread, to win the game straight-up on the money line, or to go over/under the total.
Sports Betting Parlays
A parlay is a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers and is dependent on all of those wagers winning together. The benefit of the parlay bet is much better odds than placing each individual bet separately since the difficulty of hitting it is much higher.Standard payoffs on a two-team parlay are 13/5; while a three-teamer pays 6/1; and a four-teamer 10/1.
Parlay cards are also fairly common in sportsbooks and popular with bettors, as they are released early in the week with set odds that do not change in return for a slightly lower payoff.
Round Robin Betting
Adventurous bettors who enjoy betting parlays sometimes put together a series of parlays called a Round Robin . A three-team Round Robin consists of one three-team parlay and three two-team parlays. For example, Joe likes teams A,B,C – with a Round Robin he has a three-teamer with ABC, and two-teamers with AB, AC, and BC.Betting Teasers
Similar to a parlay, a teaser bet is a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers, but is different in that the point spread is adjusted to your advantage on each individual wager. In exchange for the points, you get less of a return on your bet compared to a parlay. For example, a 6-point teaser would move the line on a 7-point favorite from -7 to -1, meaning the team would have to cover 6 less points. Each of the individual wagers must win or the bet is a loss.These are the main types of sports bets available today. But as sports betting continues to grow, sportsbooks will continue to develop new and creative ways to bet. We’ll continue to track these changes to the sports gambling landscape, so check back often and we’ll tell you all about it!
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.