Celtics roll the dice with West
Basketball Betting Lines
09/02/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat may have dominated the
offseason headlines, but the Boston Celtics are still the top dogs in the East.
After taking the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the NBA Finals last
season, the veteran-laden Celtics could have gone in two different directions.
Coach Doc Rivers' contract was up, while veteran sharpshooter Ray Allen was a
free agent and All-Star forward Paul Pierce could have opted out of his deal.
Basketball chief Danny Ainge could have pulled the plug and got started on the
inevitable rebuilding process, or convinced the band to get back together to
take one more stab at capturing the franchise's 18th NBA championship.
Ainge made his decision, booked the Hard Rock and convinced Rivers to return,
while re-signing Allen and securing a still formidable but declining Pierce
for another four seasons.
With his core four of Allen, Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo back in the
fold, Rivers certainly knows he has a contender but his club has already
forfeited the make-believe mantle of favorite in the much-improved East. That
now belongs to Pat Riley and the Heat, who brought in LeBron James and Chris
Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade.
To fend off the Heat and solve the Lakers puzzle, the C's needed to sure up a
shaky bench. Ainge has brought in veteran big men Shaquille O'Neal and
Jermaine O'Neal to hold down the fort in the middle while Kendrick Perkins
recovers from tearing the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments
in his right knee during Game 6 of The Finals.
Meanwhile, his latest move was bringing back troubled veteran guard Delonte
West, the 24th overall by the Celtics back in 2004.
The 27-year-old West, who signed a non-guaranteed deal, spent the last two-
plus years in Cleveland with James but was limited to 35 games in 2009-10 and
64 games a year earlier while dealing with an array of personal problems that
included depression, along with legal issues stemming from an arrest on weapons
charges in September of 2009.
After being stopped for a traffic violation while riding a 3-wheeled
motorcycle, police found a Beretta pistol, .357 Magnum and a Remington 870
rifle in a guitar case West was carrying.
An underrated swing guard, West originally blamed the indiscretion on his
failure to take his prescribed medication for bipolar disorder. He eventually
pleaded guilty this past July to traffic and weapons charges, and was
sentenced to electronic monitoring, unsupervised probation, and 40 hours of
community service as well as psychological counseling.
The NBA piled on, suspending the St. Joseph's product for 10 games.
"I think we're getting Delonte at a good time in his life," Rivers wrote on
Twitter. "He knows who he is now."
Rivers also understands bringing West in could go boom or bust. A healthy,
well-adjusted West could provide solid minutes behind both Rondo and Allen,
giving Boston one of the most impressive three-guard rotations in the league.
On the other hand, a brooding, distant West could upset the balance of a
delicate locker room.
"Chemistry is a delicate thing. I understand that, and I'm as cautious as
anyone with it. I guarantee you, I'll be keeping my eye on it,"' Rivers told
AOL FanHouse on Wednesday. "I don't know yet if we can make it work. It is
going to be interesting, that's for sure."
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Despite the ailment, Staal is expected to be ready for the regular season.
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<< QB Gilbert had clear path to take over at Texas
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A's P Braden leaves game >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden left
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Yankee Stadium.
Braden exited in the sixth inning with Oakland trailing, 1-0. T
Cane Pace kicks off Triple Crown series >>
Freehold, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pacing's Triple Crown gets started on Labor
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The Triple Crown
Deutsche Bank extends sponsorship through 2012 >>
Norton, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deutsche Bank has exercised a two-year option to
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Oak Tree to race at Hollywood Park in 2010 >>
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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
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