20th-ranked Sun Devils set sights on Beavers

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

01/08/2009 - Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils return to the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena this evening, as they welcome the Oregon State Beavers to Tempe for a Pac-10 tussle.

Herb Sendek's Sun Devils are a perfect 6-0 at home this season and are 21-5 at Wells Fargo Arena over the past two campaigns. The team however, is coming off a split of its first two conference matchups, whipping Stanford on the road last Thursday (90-60), before falling to California in Berkeley last weekend (81-71). The loss was just the second this year for ASU, which had a eight- game win streak come to a close.

The Beavers opened the 2008-09 season with four straight losses, but since then, the team has won six of its last eight games to pull even at 6-6. OSU also opened league play a week ago and like the Sun Devils, split a pair of games, losing at UCLA (69-46), before salvaging the trip to Los Angeles two days later with a 62-58 overtime victory at USC. The victory snapped a dreadful 21-game losing streak in regular season Pac-10 play for the Beavers.

The Beavers lead the series with the Sun Devils by a count of 38-33, but it was ASU which swept the season series a year ago.

The Beavers have turned things around this year thanks to solid play at the defensive end of the floor. OSU is allowing just 61.6 ppg this year, as foes are shooting just .425 from the floor. Offensively, the team is generating a rather low average of 62.6 ppg, but the Beavers take full advantage of each trip up and down the floor, hitting on a solid .488 from the field. The team does have one of the conference's top offensive threats in Calvin Haynes, who is delivering on 58.5 percent of his shots, leading the team with nearly 18 points per outing (17.8). Omari Johnson ranks second in scoring at 10.9 ppg and leads the team with 5.7 rpg. The Beavers once again shot the ball very well (especially in the second half) in their win over USC, as the team converted 50 percent from the floor overall, and 7-of-15 from behind the arc. Roeland Schaftenaar led the way with 18 points. Haynes was a close second, coming off the bench with 16 points. Johnson finished off the double-digit scorers with 11 points.

The Sun Devils have been highly successful at both ends of the floor this season and are currently enjoying a +16.3 scoring margin. The team is shooting a stellar .510 from the field (nearly 40 percent from three-point range), leading to a healthy 76.1 ppg. The defensive effort has been equally impressive, holding opponents to a tad over 40 percent shooting and a meager 59.8 ppg. Forward James Harden is once again the focal point of the offensive gameplan, as he is shooting .547 from the floor, including a scorching .438 from three-point range. The result is a hefty 23.4 ppg. What makes Harden even more dangerous is his ability to help out on the boards (6.1 rpg), as well as in the passing lanes (second on the team with 64 assists). Jeff Pendergraph is another option in the frontcourt (14.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg), while the sharpshooting Rihards Kuksiks (10.6 ppg, .510 shooting, .527 from behind the arc) and Ty Abbott (10.2 ppg) add perimeter balance. The Sun Devils fell victim to a very accurate shooting performance from the hometown Golden Bears last weekend, as Cal connected on 58 percent from the floor, including hitting nine three- pointers. The hot shooting spoiled a terrific offensive performance from Harden, who poured in 26 points. Kuksiks and Pendergraph were productive as well, adding 16 points apiece. However, the rest of the team combined for a mere 13 total points in the loss.

Hankokki NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Xavier opens Atlantic 10 schedule against Saint Louis
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Xavier Musketeers and the Saint Louis Billikens begin Atlantic 10 play this evening, as they square off at the Cintas Center. Sean Miller's Musketeers opened the season with nine straight win

<< Gophers try to bury Hawkeyes in Iowa City
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Iowa Hawkeyes play host to the 22nd- ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Big Ten Conference clash tonight in Iowa City. Tubby Smith has clearly turned the Minnesota program around, as his team has won 1

<< Cilic, Karlovic advance; Moya tumbles out of Chennai
Chennai, India (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tall seeded Croats Marin Cilic and Ivo Karlovic were among Thursday's second-round winners, while former world No. 1 Carlos Moya came up a loser at the $450,000 Chennai Open, an ATP World Tour season-

<< Bulldogs hope to cool off red-hot Raiders
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Butler Bulldogs are once again the favorites to capture the Horizon League title, and they will play host to the Wright State Raiders this evening. Wright State opened the season with six c

<< Verdasco, Mathieu reach Brisbane semis
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco and unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu notched quarterfinal victories Thursday at the ATP World Tour's season-opening Brisbane Interna

Mavs aim to continue dominance over Knicks in Dallas >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA schedule can be a fickle mistress. One day it can lift your spirits and the next you are picking up the pieces after a devastating loss. Just ask Mike D'Antoni and the New York Knicks. Two days after their most

BCS countdown finally over as Gators and Sooners get it on in Miami >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in the country will meet in the third-annual FedEx BCS National Championship game, as the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners square off at Dolphin Stadium in Miami this evening, with the national

Banged-up Clippers hope to snap skid in San Antonio vs. Spurs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The banged-up Los Angeles Clippers hope to avoid their ninth consecutive loss tonight when they face the surging San Antonio Spurs in the Alamo City. The Clips, who have never won in the AT&T Center, will also attempt

Slumping Bruins aim to halt slide versus Senators >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins will try to avoid matching their longest losing streak of the season when they welcome the Ottawa Senators for tonight's Northeast Division battle at TD Banknorth Garden. The Bruins, who lead the Northeas

Devils welcome Thrashers to Garden State >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Devils will try to rebound from their first loss of 2009 when they welcome the lowly Atlanta Thrashers for this evening's encounter at Prudential Center. The Devils began the new year with consecutive wins b

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines

New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
The Major League Baseball season starts this weekend and MySportsbook.com, a leading online sportsbook for over 8 years, is the first to offer baseball sports betting lines on who will win the 2007 World Series.

"The World Series is the biggest baseball event in the sports betting world and MySportsbook.com is excited that we are first to market with betting lines on every team," says Tim Dalton, Marketing Director, MySportsbook.com. "We are getting things ready for a great baseball season and our members are looking forward to our Player Payback Bonuses, as well as Dime Lines, all season long."

Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.

"These betting lines are ripe for the picking," Dalton added, "baseball fans know that the season is long and many factors, including players staying healthy, will affect these Future odds as the baseball season progresses. Betting on your favorite team in the beginning of the season could prove quite lucrative. We are seeing examples of this right now in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament with a lucky few that placed pre-season bets on George Mason to win it all. Anything can happen."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs..

About www.MySportsbook.com
MySportsbook.com is the foremost online sportsbook offering Internet wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John’s, Antigua since 1997, MySportsbook.com offers a complete range of online casino games, sports betting lines, poker tournaments and horse racing offtrack betting daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services. With over 7 years of experience, MySportsbook.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. MySportsbook.com is part of the SportingBet PLC group of companies that is publicly-traded on the London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) under the symbol SBT.L. MySportsbook.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MAXIM Magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and CNN’s Paula Zahn Now among others.