Big East action pits Mountaineers at Friars

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/20/2007 - Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In need of a quality win, the Providence Friars host the 22nd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in a key Big East showdown from the Dunkin' Donuts Center tonight.

The Friars have had a solid campaign thus far, but they still have a lot of work ahead of them to earn an invite to the NCAA Tournament. Providence, which hasn't defeated a ranked opponent since beating Marquette (74-59) in its Big East opener, enters the contest fresh off a 71-66 victory over St. John's on Saturday. The win put an end to a brief two-game slide and improved the team to 16-9 overall and an even 6-6 in league play. It was also the Friars' 15th home win in 17 games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center this season.

As for WVU, barring a major collapse, it seems pretty certain it will make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament behind a 20-6 record. On Saturday, the Mountaineers defeated Seton Hall, 81-71, to improved to 8-5 in league play. WVU, which has now posted three straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 1985-87, takes to the road, where it has gone just 3-4 thus far.

In terms of the all-time series, Providence owns an 10-9 edge over WVU, although the Mountaineers have won the last four meetings.

The Mountaineers possess one of the best turnover margins in the Big East, as they are forcing their opponents into 17.2 turnovers per game, while committing just 11.4 tpg themselves. Another area WVU has excelled in has been defense, as it is allowing just 59.5 ppg. Offensively, Frank Young leads the way with 14.2 ppg and he is shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range. Joe Alexander has provided a nice complement to him and he is turning in 12.2 ppg and a team-high 4.6 rpg. Darris Nichols adds 10.2 pg and 4.3 apg, while Da'Sean Butler chips in with 10.1 ppg off the bench. In the team's last game, Young tallied 18 points and collected five caroms in leading WVU to a 10-point win over Seton Hall. Nichols posted 17 points and five assists for the Mountaineers, who shot 57.4 percent from the field, including a 9-of-23 effort from long range.

The Friars have a definite advantage on the boards in this game, and they are outrebounding their opponents to by a solid 7.6 rpg on the season. The team has also fared well at the offensive end of the court, where it is averaging a hardy 77.1 ppg on an efficient 49.3 percent shooting from the floor. Herbert Hill currently leads the team in scoring with 17.0 ppg and he is also ripping down 8.3 rpg. Sharaud Curry is second on the roster in scoring (16.9 ppg) as well as assists (4.9 apg), while Weyinmi Efejuku adds 13.9 ppg and 4.4 rpg. Geoff McDermott is another player worth mentioning, as he leads the team in rebounding (9.4 rpg), assists (5.5 apg) and steals (51) to go along with his 10.9 ppg average. In the squad's previous outing, Efejuku poured in 22 points and recorded three steals, as the Friars earned a five-point win over St. John's. Curry netted 18 points, while Hill notched a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Providence converted 18-of-20 free-throw attempts in the game and dominated the boards 39-24.

Wwwldell NCAA Basketball Betting News


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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.