nba wagering
The NBA held a coin flip between the Raptors and the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies to determine the order of selection in both the expansion draft and the college draft. The Grizzlies won the flip, electing to pick sixth in the college draft (Toronto would pick seventh) and give Toronto the first pick in the expansion draft. Prior to the expansion draft Toronto had signed its first player by agreeing on contract terms with Vincenzo Esposito, an all-star forward from the Italian League.
The 1995 NBA Expansion Draft was held on June 24. Toronto's first pick was veteran Chicago Bulls guard B. J. Armstrong, although Thomas made it clear that Armstrong's wishes to be traded to a contender would be honoured. After the selection of Armstrong, the Raptors and the Grizzlies alternated picks until one player had been taken from each of the existing 27 NBA teams.
Thomas filled out the Toronto roster with a combination of veterans and youngsters. He acquired proven players in the Portland Trail Blazers' Jerome Kersey, the San Antonio Spurs' Willie Anderson, the Milwaukee Bucks' Ed Pinckney, and the Miami Heat's John Salley. He also picked promising young players such as Dontonio Wingfield from the Seattle SuperSonics, B. J. Tyler from the Philadelphia 76ers, Keith Jennings from the Golden State Warriors, Oliver Miller from the Detroit Pistons, and Tony Massenburg from the Los Angeles Clippers. Others selected included Andres Guibert from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doug Smith from the Dallas Mavericks, Zan Tabak from the Houston Rockets, and Acie Earl from the Boston Celtics.
In the 1995 NBA Draft held at SkyDome in Toronto, the Raptors' first-ever draft pick (seventh overall) was 5-10 point guard Damon Stoudamire from Arizona. The pick surprised most of the 20,000 in attendance, who were expecting the Raptors to take Ed O'Bannon from UCLA. "They'll know who Damon Stoudamire is by the time I'm through playing," the young recruit said confidently. In the second round Toronto The team's first GM Isiah Thomas helps unveil the New look for the Toronto Raptors. On May 15 the PBF finally had an identity. No doubt fueled by the enormous success of the movie Jurassic Park and the popularity of dinosaurs with youngsters who would grow up to be fans in the target market, the team's new moniker, the Toronto Raptors, was unveiled on Canadian national television. The franchise's logo (the work of NBA Properties) featured an aggressive, sharp-toothed little dinosaur dribbling a basketball. The team colors were to be bright red, purple, black, and "Naismith silver" (in honour of Canadian James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891). More than $20 million in Raptors gear was snapped up in the first month. By the end of 1994 the logo was hot in the marketplace, and the Raptors, still a long way from their first game, were seventh in the league in merchandise sales.
Shortly after their name was announced, the Raptors made several additions to their management team. On May 24, 1994, Isiah Thomas burst through a large paper Raptors logo to be introduced as the team's vice president of baskeball operations. Thomas had long been admired by Bitove, who had attended Thomas's alma mater of Indiana and had then followed the start of his Pistons career closely while studying at the University of Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit.
In September 1994 Bob Zuffelato, a 33-year veteran of coaching, player development, and scouting, was hired to direct the talent search, with the help of a pair of video experts. Former Denver Nuggets vice president Glen Grunwald, a member of the 1981 NCAA-champion Indiana Hoosiers, was hired as Thomas's assistant in November.
Later that year the Raptors' original downtown site, next to the Eaton Centre shopping complex, was deemed too small to accommodate the new arena. Bitove wanted a construction site large enough to house an additional 22,500-seat hockey rink, which would assure more event nights and give the structure more financial viability. This was accomplished by acquiring from Canada Post the historic Postal Delivery Building at the south end of downtown, east of the SkyDome and still served by the subway system.
Uncertainty about the arena obviously didn't deter ticket sales. At the end of 1994 the Raptors reported 50-percent deposits on 15,287 seats for the inaugural season. In February 1995 it was announced that the building would be named the Air Canada Centre. Revised plans called not only for an arena to be completed by fall 1997 but also for 200,000 square feet of adjacent office space.
The Raptors officially became an NBA franchise on May 16, 1995, and the work of building the team began in earnest. Toronto held its first free-agent camp at Seneca College, under Brendan Malone, a longtime assistant with the Pistons and well-known to Thomas. Although Thomas was well aware of Malone's abilities on the basketball court, he had never pictured him in a head coaching role until he listened in on the motivational talk Malone had with the crew of career minor leaguers and journeymen who had turned up in search of the NBA dream.
Five days after camp closed, Thomas introduced Malone as the team's first head coach. Thomas wanted someone who was not only a teacher but also had the maturity to deal with what would inevitably be a number of losing seasons. Malone, for his part, emphasized defense and rebounding as a key for the new clubAfter meeting all of these conditions, PBF could finally get down to the business of creating a team identity. It instituted a nationwide "Name Game" contest to name the team and develop team colors and a logo.
The Name Game became one of the most popular such enterprises in league history, generating more than 2,000 entries. The final top-10 list was dominated by animal names: Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs (Toronto's nickname is Hogtown), Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, and Terriers.As the Toronto Raptors approached their scheduled home opener at the SkyDome on November 3, 1995, club President John I. Bitove could congratulate himself on having pulled off a remarkable achievement.
Bringing NBA basketball back to Toronto, where the long-forgotten Toronto Huskies had tipped off against the New York Knickerbockers in 1946, had been an arduous process, fraught with obstacle after obstacle. It had not been such a struggle a half-century ago, when the Huskies became a charter member of the Basketball Association of America, the forerunner of the NBA. In fact, Toronto had hosted the new league's first game on November 1, 1946, when the Knicks beat the Huskies, 68-66. The Toronto franchise folded at the end of the 1946-47 season, however, and the NBA wouldn't return to Canada for nearly 50 years.
The current franchise traces its roots back to April 23, 1993, when the NBA announced that it had received a formal application from Professional Basketball Franchise (Canada) Inc. (PBF). The ambitious group's president was Bitove, the son of a leading Canadian food services family and president of Bitove Investments Inc. (His father, John Bitove Sr., had approached the NBA about a franchise in Toronto during previous expansions.) The PBF group also included Allan Slaight of Standard Broadcasting Limited; Borden Osmak, a vice president of The Bank of Nova Scotia; Phil Granovsky of Atlantic Packaging Limited; and David Peterson, former premier of the Province of Ontario, who served as chairman.
Originally, Bitove and Slaight were each to own 44 percent of the franchise, with the bank holding a 10-percent stake and Granovsky and Peterson 1 percent each. The ownership group later cut in former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas, who received a 5-percent share from both Bitove and Slaight. Thomas later became a club vice president and the architect of the Raptors' roster.
The NBA's expansion into Toronto was unique for two reasons. First, it marked the league's first step beyond the borders of the United States. Second, PBF was only one of three viable prospective bid groups in the same city. In previous expansions the NBA had been faced with choosing between competing cities, but never with such a strong internal rivalry for a franchise within a single market. There was little doubt, however, that Toronto wanted and could support an NBA franchise-top-caliber exhibition basketball games had twice drawn more than 25,000 fans to the SkyDome, in 1989 and 1992.
The door to Canada had been nudged open the previous year by the Palestra Group, led by road construction magnate Larry Tanenbaum of Toronto, who was joined in his application by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Labatt Breweries, both of whom were also founding partners in baseball's highly successful Toronto Blue Jays. The NBA was not considering expansion when Palestra put down an unsolicited application fee of $100,000, but the possibilities presented by the untapped Canadian market were irresistible.
Also joining the bid process were rock concert impresarios Bill Ballard and Michael Cohl, who had NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson in their camp and support from Metro Toronto to develop a new arena on civic lands.
In July 1993 an NBA expansion committee, headed by Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, came to Toronto to meet with the bid groups, examine their plans, and visit their proposed arena sites. The PBF contingent made an immediate impact, based upon its criteria for a downtown site: it was to be on the subway line-giving Torontonians access without having to fight winter conditions-and close to the financial core of the city to entice major businesses to buy corporate boxes, a key element in the financial plan of 1990s sport franchises. Neither of the other bidders proposed a site that was so centrally located.
In the end, it was the arena plan that led the NBA expansion committee to recommend on September 30, 1993, that PBF be conditionally awarded a franchise for the 1995-96 season to become the 28th team in the league. The NBA Board of Governors endorsed that decision on November 4 and set a record expansion fee of $125 million, about four times the amount levied for the previous expansion. It was agreed that Toronto would play its first two seasons in the SkyDome while its own building was being completed.
The battle was still far from over, however. There was a chance that the franchise agreement would be revoked over the thorny issue of an Ontario provincial betting game, Pro-Line, which among other things allowed bettors to wager on the outcome of NBA games. The league's longstanding opposition to such a scheme ran up against the province's unwillingness to do away with a game that could put some $100 million into Ontario's coffers, some of it earmarked for hospitals. It took three months of sensitive negotiations involving the league, the PBF, and the province to resolve the dispute.
The province finally acknowledged the boost an NBA team would provide to the local economy through taxes-$81 million the first year alone, according the the Metro Toronto Convention and Visitor Association-and the creation of 4,000 jobs necessitated by construction and related activities.
The Toronto club took on responsibility for various youth and community programs in order to offset dropping basketball from the betting slips. For its part, the NBA, eager to gain the Toronto market and wanting to preserve good relations with its new constituency, contributed $1.5 million to medical research, donated $2 million in television time to promote tourism in Ontario, joined with the Toronto team to create a charitable foundation, and agreed to hold the 1995 NBA Draft in Toronto.Phoenix fans who attended the Suns’ Season Ticket Holder Party at CrackerJax on Saturday enjoyed an afternoon full of bumper boats, Indy cars, mini-golf and video games.
Then there were those lucky few who got to do push-ups for Frank Johnson.
Never one to back down from a challenge – or a friendly wager, for that matter – the Suns’ head coach went head to head with a number of kids in games of H-O-R-S-E on the hoop attached to the back of the Suns’ Hummer.
The bet? Loser gives ups their shoes.
“C’mon Frank, give the kids their shoes back,” reprimanded Suns center Scott Williams after Johnson left the court with a large box full of sneakers and sandals, trailed by a line of kids in socks and bare feet.
Ducking into an “employees only” room inside the CrackerJax arcade, Johnson hid out for several minutes before peeking through a crack in the door, only to find a huddle of confused kids and laughing parents, capturing the whole scene with their cameras.
“What are you all doing out here?” he deadpanned, before coming out to explain that he has more than 300 pairs of shoes he’s won in his closet at home. “I’ll tell you what, if you want your shoes back, I’m going to need 20 push-us for each pair.”
The exercise with the Suns’ coach was just a taste of the interaction season ticket holders experienced at the “Family Fun & Sports Park” in Scottsdale.
Several fans double-teamed center Cezary Trybanski on the bumper boats, forcing the Suns’ new center into the waterfall. Others raced forward Tom Gugliotta and his daughter on the Indy track, while several more lent their golfing tips to guard Joe Johnson, who was taking his first-ever swings on the driving range.
The afternoon – which included live music by Jodi Light and Shining Star, and box lunches courtesy of Subway – also featured two tents set up on the sand volleyball courts in the middle of the park. The Read to Achieve tent was packed with young fans, who enjoyed books read by some of their favorite players, while the Suns.com Chat Room was set up to give fans a chance to sit down and ask questions of players, including Stephon Marbury, Casey Jacobsen and Shawn Marion.
“I love this, interacting with fans and stuff,” said Marion, who stretched out on a black leather couch, provided by The RoomStore. “We’re out here just chilling, playing bumper boats. This is cool. You know, as much as we do for them on the court, they come out and show their love for us. So this is all for them.” Alright NBA bettors, the start of the 2007-08 NBA season is upon us – and this edition of the BetUS.com End Zone article will provide all you hoops fanatics with the expert insight to make this your most successful NBA wagering season ever.
With that said, let me get started before some NBA official tries to throw up a game-opening tip-off without us.
Let’s start in the weaker conference, the East, before moving on to the powerful western conference.
Everyone knows the Boston Celtics are the odds-on-favorite to win the east after acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, but I say don’t get carried away too fast.
While the Celtics will be much improved – and will be a great team to wager on this season, a look at last year’s ATS numbers tell me the improving Toronto Raptors will win – and cover – more than their fair share of games this season. The Raptors led the league ATS last season, posting a 48-33-1 record ATS.
The Cleveland Cavaliers also ranked in the top 10, checking in at No. 6 overall ATS, going 43-37-2. Although I expect the Cavs to take a step backwards this season with their straight up record, their strong defense usually allows the Cavs to cover the spread even when they lose straight up.
Another eastern conference team, that should be a bit better on the court this season than last and also ranked in the top ten ATS, is the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite their 35-47 won-loss record, Philadelphia managed to go 43-36-3 ATS last season. Although they may not improve their won-loss record much this season, Philadelphia looks like one of those teams that will again cover more often than not.
In addition to the Raptors and Sixers, the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat also ranked in the top 10 in ATS statistics.
The Pistons are a team I think a lot of people are forgetting about but may have their best chance to win the east in the past three seasons. Detroit went 43-37-2 ATS last season and could surpass those numbers this season with an infusion of youth that has been added to their core of experienced veterans.
The Miami Heat ranked ninth, just behind the Pistons against the spread last season, going 42-37-3. However, I am advising bettors to look long and hard at any Heat game they’re thinking about wagering on this season because I think it’s a very real possibility this team could take another step backwards this season.
One team I think will improve both, their SU and ATS records is the Chicago Bulls. The team just missed the 50-win plateau and went just 40-41-1 ATS last season, should be a year wiser, older and better as they continue to inch towards fielding a championship caliber team.
Finally, the Celtics went 42-39-1 ATS last season, covering in a bunch of games where they were double-digit underdogs. The Celtics will obviously be favored in a lot more games in 2007-08, but after watching them all preseason, I think it’s possible they could improve their ATS statistics from last season.
In the west, bettors have a few more options for good wagers as four of the top five ATS teams in the league last season came from the West, starting with the New Orleans Hornets.
The Hornets ranked second last season in ATS statistics, compiling a 47-33-2 ATS record and a not-too-shabby, 34-47 record straight up. I believe the Hornets will once again be near the top of the ATS stats after moving back to their New Orleans home for a full season for the first time in two years.
I also encourage bettors to wager on the No.3 ATS team last season, the Denver Nuggets. With Allen Iverson on the roster for an entire season, and Kenyon Martin back to join Carmelo Anthony in the frontcourt, the Nuggets would appear to be a bit better on paper than they were when last season ended. I also like the fact that the Nuggets have a defensive and rebounding star in rail-thin center Marcus Camby.
Last, but certainly not least, the fourth and fifth-ranked teams on last season’s ATS list are the Phoenix Suns, (44-37-1), and Golden State Warriors, (44-37-1) respectively.
The teams tied with identical ATS records and will once again field high-powered offenses that will allow them to cover most spreads even if they lose straight up.
Finally, the Dallas Mavericks checked in at No. 10 ATS, going 41-37-2 last season. Dallas will certainly win its share of games for bettors this season, but could take a step back after winning a whopping 67 games last season. As the Mavs come closer to the 60-win total than the 70-win mark they almost reached last season, expect the Mavericks ATS numbers to fall just a bit as well.
Another team I like to improve is the Portland Trailblazers, who went 41-41 ATS last season. I know Portland won’t have No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden on the floor this season, but this team still has two future superstars in 2006-07 Rookie of the Year, shooting guard Brandon Roy and athletic power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge.
Head coach Nate McMillan generally gets his young squad to hustle all the time and play the right way, which usually results in a cover. Take the Blazers to better their ATS stats and possibly their 43-39 SU record as well
Two other teams, (one in each conference), that I think will improve both, their straight up and ATS records, is the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
I think the addition of new head coach Larry Krystowiak in Milwaukee will have a positive effect on the young Bucks while I can see the same happening in Minnesota with Randy Wittman, although the T-Wolves are clearly further away from success than Milwaukee.
Look at both teams hard this season, particularly Milwaukee, as I think they can surprise some folks and better their ATS records.
Okay bettors, now that you have the inside scoop on which teams will rise and fall, both, against the spread and straight up, it’s time to take a brief look at an upcoming matchup.
The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Dallas Mavericks on Halloween Night in a matchup of two teams that used their level of talent in two totally polar opposite ways.
The high-scoring, deep and talented Mavericks flamed out of the postseason like yesterday’s old news, while the Cavaliers rode an under-talented team with just one superstar player, too overachieve and reach the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
Though the line is not out for the matchup at the time of this writing, I can already say that this is a game that the Cavs will likely cover in – even though I fully expect them to lose. The Cavaliers have covered the last five games against the Mavericks dating all the way back to 2005 and will likely do so again, even though they are without two members of their regular rotation.
The Cavaliers play a slow-it-down style that isn’t much fun to watch at times, but allows them to stay in almost every contest.
So there you have it NBA bettors, the 2007-08 NBA betting season in a nutshell. Good luck and let the games begin.Now, Arison has his own bed. There's not a lot of talent around O'Neal in Miami, but, in the East, any team with O'Neal is a potential conference champion. The Heat already have Mike Doleac to play the Travis Knight role. If they can add a couple more guys (Derek Fisher comes to mind), then the Heat will look a lot like the recent Lakers -- two cornerstones and a supporting cast.
But will a 33-year-old O'Neal, one who will be playing his 13th NBA season, have enough to be the dominant player most everyone still thinks he is? Will he have it at age 34? And -- here's the great quandary -- will he have it at ages 35 and 36, when Shaq could be pulling down around $30 million per?
Money is not the issue for Arison. He has it. Life -- and, one assumes, Carnival Cruise Lines -- does not have a salary cap. Money cannot possibly be an issue for Shaq -- except that he wants more on top of the bundle he already has. Only someone who will earn $58.3 million over the next two years could be insulted at not being offered another $58 million or so for two additional years.
It's illegal, of course, to agree to any future deals in situations like these. It's also naïve to think that agreements don't happen all the time. The Joe Smith saga merely put it down in writing.
But Arison will be paying O'Neal a staggering amount of money over the next two years to be what O'Neal once was -- indisputably. If Shaq can get back to that level -- and on a consistent basis, night in and night out -- then the Heat will have no choice but to write the check. The inherent danger in all of this is that Miami commits too much, too soon, and then has a $60 million albatross on its hands. Even by South Beach standards, that is one big birdThat can't happen in Miami. Stan Van Gundy has to have the 1999-00 O'Neal for the season, the MVP O'Neal, the one who played 79 games. He cannot have the O'Neal of the last three seasons, the one that Buss deemed expendable, the one whose bark was much larger than his bite. Buss doesn't see O'Neal on the back nine. He sees O'Neal coming up 18 looking like Ken Venturi at Congressional in 1964. Only time will tell if Buss is right on this, but he has made his (Bryant) bed and now will have to sleep in it.Back then, Riley was as determined as ever to add another title to his Hall of Fame resume. He spent and spent and spent and, when asked how much it would cost to build a winner, said, roughly, "When we win, I'll let you know. That will be the cost."
Now, the Heat are back in play again -- and as a major player. They also figure to be a major spender once again, for only the myopic can envision the Shaquille O'Neal deal going down without some sort of wink-wink that there will be an extension forthcoming for the Big Guy.
And, make no mistake, there has to be some sort of agreement that Shaq is coming to Miami for more than a season or two. He is under contract for the next two seasons at enormous amounts, but can opt out after this coming season. He had wanted an extension in L.A., but Jerry Bryant, er, Buss, would not accommodate him.
Will Micky Arison, the owner of the Heat who has Marianas Trench pockets? He can write the check. ("Have you ever read Forbes when they list the richest guys? Micky is always there," said one NBA executive.) Why would he give up two of his three best players to have O'Neal for two years? Or even one?
However, the Heat have been hemorrhaging money over the last few years. Interest in the team had been so marginal that the upper deck was curtained off for most of the regular-season games not featuring LeBron James. On any given night, there were scores of empty seats around courtside. The playoff run rejuvenated the previously apathetic (some might even say non-existent) fan base, and now Miami has what many people believe to be the most dominant player in the game.
Shaq might help the attendance situation all by himself. The Heat also managed to retain Dwyane Wade, possibly viewing Wade and Shaq as the new Kobe and Shaq. But you would have to think that the Heat would like to see what kind of Shaq they get before committing themselves to a huge extension. The downside of that rather realistic approach is that Shaq might perceive the delay as a diss, much the same way he looked at the Lakers' unwillingness to extend him.
The guess here is that O'Neal will want to remind everyone who had the temerity to even suggest that he is on the back nine that instead he has more than plenty left. I can easily see him averaging 27 and 16 this season, especially given the grueling division in which Miami will be competing -- Orlando, Atlanta, Washington and expansion Charlotte. If Shaq does that, his hand is going to be at the pay window at the earliest possible opportunity.
Arison can look at the whole thing and see that it's not going to cost him as much as it might seem. He is shedding two huge contracts in Lamar Odom and Brian Grant. When you add up all the numbers, a $60 million extension for O'Neal (to cover two years) really costs Miami only about $20 million. And if the Heat play well, make the playoffs, generate more interest and -- gasp -- open the upper deck, then maybe it will be a financial wash.
But if I'm Arison -- unfortunately for me, I have a few less zeroes in my comparatively pathetic portfolio -- I want to wait and see. I want to wait and see if O'Neal commits himself unequivocally -- that he shows up in shape and that his conditioning would make Lance Armstrong envious. I want to make sure his toes are fine.
And I want to see that 27-and-16 season -- and a nice playoff run -- before I write the check.
That's because despite all the euphoria in south Florida over this deal, there is an undercurrent out there that O'Neal is, in fact, on the back nine. Maybe even on the back five. He is 32, but it's an old, almost dog-years 32. In his last five years, Shaq has played 92 playoff games -- more than another full season. In his last three seasons in L.A., he has missed a total of 45 regular-season games, an even 15 a year.
That history was at the core of Bryant's verbal filleting of Shaq before the start of last season. But Shaq sort of epitomized the Lakers' team as a whole, a team that basically paid lip service to the regular season and got serious when the playoffs started.There once was a time, and not too long ago, when Miami was one of the NBA gold-standard stops. Pat Riley introduced the rest of the NBA to the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton Hotels. In the summer of 1996, the Heat broke the bank -- not to mention new ground -- in signing Alonzo Mourning and Juwan Howard to gargantuan, never-gone-there-before dealsWith the playoffs winding down in the NBA and NHL, whenever there is a game being played I get especially excited to hop online and place a few wagers on my favorite online sportsbooks listed on CasinoReview.org. For Saturday, it's back to NBA wagering, where the Utah Jazz look to gain back some lost ground to the San Antonio Spurs tonight in Salt Lake City. This is going to be a difficult wager to place tonight, as the Spurs are definitely the dominant team in the series; however Utah knows how to fight at home, and should be desperate to get a win to avoid the series falling to 3-0 in favor of the Spurs. There is a pretty tight set of betting types available for this game, with the Jazz favored to win, but only with a 2 point margin on the line. I'll have to go with the total points in this game, posted at 190 on Betonusa.com's website (read the review of BetonUSA), and hope that there won't be any anemic scoring tonight between the two teams. With a 5:30 p.m. tip-off this evening, I'll have a few hours to kill before the game, and the excitement begins.
As is always the case, Major League Baseball is in full swing this afternoon and evening, with another L.A. Angels vs. New York Yankees match-up for the earliest day game. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when my online sportsbook betting for the MLB came through on both parlay wagers placed at Sportsbook.com. My luck for baseball has certainly been better than it has for the NBA and NHL playoff games, and I'm starting to think that the rest of the baseball season could turn out to be quite profitable the way things are going. In fact, as this update is being written, the Angels have just sealed another win against the Yankees, grabbing 3-1 victory as Kelvin Escobar shut down the Yanks with a 7 inning, 6 hit, 1 run performance. All runs for the Angels came in the first inning, which was apparently enough to seal the Yankees' fate today. With this kind of luck and solid all-around play, it would be no surprise to see the Angels sitting on top of the AL West at the end of the year, as they are looking like the same team that won the World Series just a few years back.
Games just getting underway this afternoon are the Cubs vs. Dodgers in Los Angeles, Atlanta vs. Philadelphia, and Cleveland vs. Detroit. I've taken out a wager on pitching match-ups today at Betonusa.com, taking the Cubs to win with Carlos Zambrano on the mound, and Matt Morris pitching for the San Francisco Giants later today against Colorado. There's really nothing like betting on sports and then getting to have a relaxing day off on a long weekend. For all of your placing online sports bets, I wish you the best of luck today and through the weekend, and make sure to catch that NBA playoff game tonight, which should be a great one. We'll see you again tomorrow, and thanks for checking out CasinoReview.org for great online sportsbook reviews, and the best online sports betting sites to choose from. 2) So what do you do now if you're not a fan of Detroit, Miami or San Antonio? I can't remember a season where so few teams actually had a chance to win the NBA title. It's like being at Coney Island in one of those competitive eating contests. You know it's either going to be Kobayashi or Joey Chestnut.
That's what was so surprising about the NBA trade deadline. There are a few second-tier teams (Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey, Indiana) that could have had a chance if they had picked up one more impact player. However, for various reasons, none of them did. Disappointing really.
3) For anyone that didn't support the NBA Draft age restriction at 19-years old, just look at the disasters that have been Martell Webster and Gerald Green.
And one…
4) I know it seems like piling on, but if Isiah Thomas didn't exist we'd have to make him up. I really want to see Larry Brown go with the four-guard lineup of Francis, Marbury, Crawford and either Rose or Robinson. Hey, it's working for Villanova.
Without further ado, here are my NBA Power Rankings. The number in (parentheses) is their previous ranking:
1) Detroit (1) - I actually don't like the Darko/Arroyo-for-Cato trade for the Pistons. It has nothing to do with Milicic, but I hate to see Arroyo go because it leaves them thin in the backcourt. However, rumor has it that recently released guard Tony Delk will sign with the Pistons. I'm sure that will ease Delk's pain over getting dumped by Atlanta, but I'm not sure.
2) Dallas (3) - In 2006, the Mavericks are 23-3. That includes a 19-1 mark over their last 20 games and a 15-game home winning streak. Dallas has also been an extremely profitable 14-5 ATS since Jan. 14. That's out of control. But take note: they are just 3-4 ATS and against the total in their last seven games. The books have caught up with them, even if their NBA brethren cannot.
3) San Antonio (2) - How annoyed do you think Spurs fans are with Mavs fans right now? I bet Dallas fans have been phenomenally obnoxious over the last two months, and San Antonio fans know it's going to be another three months before they get to sweep them out of the playoffs.
4) Phoenix (4) - Does Jerry Colangelo realize how cold it gets in Toronto? Regardless, the Suns are averaging 107 points per game without Amare Stoudamire. The question is - and I know this seems like sacrilege - but how is Stoudamire going to fit in on this team when he returns in late March? Also, keep an eye on Nash over the next two weeks - his hamstring has been acting up.
5) Miami (6) - Bad news for Detroit: The Heat are starting to gel. They posted a season-high six-game winning streak by dropping Toronto on Monday. Miami finished February with an 8-2 mark, but lets not jump onto the bandwagon too fast. Those six wins were over Detroit, Orlando (twice), New York, Seattle, and Toronto. Their next five games are against other also-rans, so expect this train to build some steam.
6) New Jersey (7) - Still such a tease. The Nets are 2-7 ATS over their last three weeks, and I really don't expect a hard stretch run out of them. It's March and they already look like they're running on fumes. And in keeping with Charles Barkley's claim that Vince Carter is "Half-man, Half-a-season" VC is starting to show some wear.
7) L.A. Clippers (11) - Remember on NBA Jams when you were "On Fire" and could throw up shots from half court that would go in? That's the type of hubris I detect from the resurgent Clippers when they announced that Vin Baker is joining the team to fill in for Chris Kaman. Easy boys. A recent five-game losing streak has put a damper on L.A.'s run, but they're still in second place in the Pacific and lead the league in rebounding (43.2 boards per night) and blocked shots (6.4 a night). Also, Radmanovic was a steal.
8) Denver (16) - So, while Carmelo and the rest of the boys were getting acquainted with new Nuggets Reggie Evans and Ruben Patterson, the Bucks were busy tossing up 69 points in the first half on Monday. Good show. I actually like the move for Denver, who are clinging to a slim lead over Utah in a Northwest Division that can best be described as Eastern Conference-like.
9) Cleveland (9) - I get the feeling that when it comes time for LeBron James to decide whether or not he wants to sign a long-term deal in Cleveland, he'll think back to getting booed by the home fans against Washington. Just a hunch. Also, if Damon Jones can ink a shoe deal in China, there's no reason why I can't get one in India or Malaysia. Seriously, Damon Jones?
10) Indiana (8) - After a disastrous six-game losing streak that straddled the Peja-Artest trade, the Pacers have gone 7-3 and appear to be reestablishing an identity. Jermaine O'Neal is still at home rubbing his groin, and will remain there for another month.
11) Washington (18) - The Wizards have been taking their Zoloft - they've won 16 of their last 23 contests. That stretch included an absolutely ridiculous 10-game ATS winning streak. For that alone they should have cracked my top 10, and hopefully some of you were able to cash in. Gilbert Arenas was money in February, hitting 41 percent of this triples while averaging 31.8 points.
12) Memphis (5) - At one point they looked like they were going to sneak into the Top Tier, but now they're looking up at New Orleans in the standings. There's just no rhyme or reason to this team. They win three in a row; they lose three in a row. They're even a boring 4-3-3 ATS over their last 10. What is that?
13) New Orleans (20) - Only five teams have a better record in 2006 than the Hornets' mark of 19-8. I'll give you a hint: check out the top five in this list. Chris Paul isn't hitting the rookie wall. He's just hitting his stride. He's averaging 22 points since the All-Star break, and in February he actually upped his assists, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage.
14) Milwaukee (13) - Man, I really couldn't care less about the Bucks right now. They're just been grinding it out in the Eastern Conference. I mean, this is what I was talking about in the opening. Who cares about the Bucks outside of Wisconsin? Or in Wisconsin, for that matter. They may make the playoffs, but it's not as if they're anything more than a first-round TKO, so who cares?
15) Utah (10) - Carlos Boozer has been getting eased back into the lineup since returning from injury, but I think all of the trade rumors surrounding him have lit a fire. He posted 11 points and 19 rebounds against Golden State and has been averaging about 12 points and 11 rebounds in his last four games.
16) Sacramento (21) - Don't look now, but the Kings have won 10 consecutive home games and are 7-3 SU in their last 10 overall. While "Ron Artest" would be the quick answer if I asked who has led the revival in Sac Town. Try Kevin Martin (who?) and Kenny Thomas. Martin has led the Kings in scoring in five of their last nine games and Thomas has five double-doubles in his last seven outings.
17) Philadelphia (15) - How's this for defining the NBA's demographic: The Philly police announced last week that they would be sponsoring a one-week program where anyone could bring a working gun into a city police station and exchange it for a voucher good for a pair of tickets to an upcoming 76ers game. I can't make this stuff up.
18) L.A. Lakers (12) - What do you think goes through Phil Jackson's mind when he goes into the huddle to draw up a play and realizes that he's dealing with Smush Parker and Kwame Brown? The Lakers are 7-8 in games decided in the last minute.
19) Houston (28) - The Rockets have won 7-of-10, and have four very manageable games (three at home) coming up. But then four of their next six come against the other components of the Texas Triangle - Dallas and San Antonio. Houston opens April with a six-game road trip, so if they are going to make a move to get back into this they have to make a stand right now.
20) Minnesota (14) - Garnett bouncing the ball off that guy's face was the best thing that's happened to Minnesota in awhile. Either bet against the T-Wolves right now, or stay away because they have absolutely no clue where they're going. They're 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 games.
21) Golden State (17) - What was a once-promising season for the Warriors has gone down the tubes. And shock of all shocks, Brittle Baron Davis has been out for six games with a severely sprained ankle. Shouldn't we have recognized that the guy was made of glass back in college when he wore that 20-pound knee brace?
22) Chicago (19) - Only in the NBA: Bulls GM Jim Paxson has been paying Tim Thomas to stay away from his team. Amazing, but not unbelievable. Now, Paxson has offered to buy out the rest of Thomas' contract as long as he doesn't sign with Philadelphia or New Jersey, both of which are ahead of the Bulls in the standings.
23) Boston (22) - Paul Pierce has been a paradigm of professionalism this season. His latest run of six-straight games with more than 30 points is the longest such streak in nearly 20 years, and he's helping the franchise by being patient with the new guys. Their 3-1 West Coast trip was an eye opener, as was Ryan Gomes' three straight double-doubles.
24) Seattle (23) - Random prediction that I heard concerning this team: Look for Paul Allen, current owner of the Trail Blazers, to try to dump Portland and buy the SuperSonics. Allen already owns the Seahawks, desperately wants out of the Portland debacle, and rumor has it that current Seattle owner is ready to sell. The Sonics are a ridiculous 37-19 against the total, so it might be time to start betting against the inevitable market correction.
25) Orlando (26) - At one time, having Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway on the same team would have meant 50 wins. Too bad that was back in 1996. I actually like what the Magic have done. They have a good young nucleus and after next year will have more cap space than any team in NBA history.
26) Toronto (24) - Mercifully, the Rob Babcock Era is over Up North. Do you think anyone in Canada noticed? Regardless, say what you want about how bad these guys suck but they're the No. 1 team in the NBA against the spread (32-21-3).
27) Portland (27) - The Jail Blazers had a -6.9 scoring differential, worst in the league, in the beginning of February. It now stands at a just-here-to-pick-up-my-paycheck -8.3 points per night.
28) Atlanta (30) - I'll give the dirty birds some credit: when they do win they make it count. In the last three weeks they have beaten Detroit, New Jersey and Indiana. Too bad that's 75 percent of their total wins over the last month.
29) Charlotte (29) - I think Adam Morrison will fit right in on the Bobcats next year. Charlotte is one of the worst shooting teams in the league, with only one regular hitting more than 34 percent of their threes.
30) New York (25) - I don't care if they break off a 20-game winning streak to end the season, this abortion of an organization is staying at No. 32 on my rankings. After the luxury tax, incentives, and all contracts are paid out, the Knicks will have paid nearly $200 million for a 23-win team. I know it's been too long, old friends, but my Doc's NBA Power Rankings are back with a vengeance. Here's my four-point play concerning the last two weeks in the NBA:
1) The NBA All-Star game rates just slightly higher than the Pro Bowl in terms of overall worthlessness. How much would you like to bet that within five years the NBA implements some half-ass gimmick akin to baseball's concerning the All-Star game and home-court advantage in the Finals?
I will say one thing though; Andre Iguodala's dunk - you know the one - wasn't the greatest dunk I've ever seen. But it was close. What a weekend for the 76ers rising star.The Zig Zag theory states that you should go for a team in the playoffs if it lost its previous game straight up to the team it is currently playing. The theory is simple: the losing team will be more motivated and desperate having lost its previous game. Also, since it lost its previous game, the spread will move against our team.
Excluding the strike shortened season, let us run the numbers on 8 of the past 9 seasons. Of the 470 total playoff games played, this system won 53.0% of the time. From the 95-96 season until the 97-98 season this system was 55.8%. The past 5 seasons, this system has only been 51.5%. Again, with -110 juice and a required 52.4% strike rate, we will have lost money over the past 5 seasons.
Avid followers of our website NFLSystems.com know that most "simple" systems are very close to 50%. If they were not, oddsmakers would quickly identify it and adjust accordingly. This is why there is the disparity between the system's performance the past 5 seasons versus the 3 seasons prior to that. Earlier, the spread would move towards the SU loser of the prior matchup but now it moves against them. For example, if a 5 point underdog loses game #1. For game #2, they would become 4 point underdogs anticipating the zig zag theory at work instead of 6 points.
Public perception for playoff games is very key because the bookies and sportsbooks take in extra public money during the playoffs. My guess is that if the team were to win large, the spread would either remain in tact or move towards the winning team. Over the 8 seasons dating back to 1995, only twice did it perform below the 54% clip.
Analyzing it further, I noticed that in order to make this system pop, the team that had lost by DD did so on the road but is now currently playing at home. Constraining it in this way leads to a system that is 49-31-2 ATS over the past 8 seasons. The Home Court advantage is worth about 6-7 points in the NBA and for a team to win by DD, the public will not correctly quantify their disadvantage in their next game on the road. Thus, the sharp handicapper gets the edge by taking the home team. In fact, most expert handicappers have a better record in the playoffs because of this.The point spread - also called "the line" or "the spread" - is used as a margin to handicap the favorite team. For betting purposes, the oddsmaker predicts that the favored team will win by a certain number of points. This number of points is the point spread. The favorite is always indicated by a minus sign (e.g. -5.5) and the underdog without (e.g.5.5). If you bet on the favorite, you win your bet if the favorite wins AND their margin of victory is greater than the point spread. If you bet on the underdog, you win if the underdog wins, ties, or if the favored team wins but fails to exceed the point spread. It is standard for point spread bets in most sports that you wager $110 to win $100.
A money line, used in baseball and hockey as well, takes the place of a point spread. Money line betting is simply wagering on the contest based on a given price rather than a point spread. The team wagered on has to win the game outright, regardless of the score. The minus sign (e.g.-130) always indicates the favorite and the amount you must bet to win $100. The line without the minus sign (e.g.120) always indicates the underdog and the amount you win for every $100 bet. Using this example, therefore, you would bet $130 to win $100 on the favorite, while for the underdog you would bet $100 to win $120.
The over/under is the number of points oddsmakers expect will be the total score for the contest (both teams combined, overtime included). You bet on whether the total points scored will be more or less than this number. As with point spread bets, you must generally wager $110 to win $100.
Betting on a point spread or money line is sometimes called betting "sides" - that is, betting that one side or the other will be the winner - while betting the over/under is referred to as betting "totals".
NBA basketball and everything around it such as 2007 NBA betting lines, NBA wagering, NBA scores and stats, NBA playoffs, and NBA odds, fall into the longer sports betting seasons.
In NBA basketball if you are looking for some NBA online betting, the first thing to remember is that the NBA season is a long grind. NBA betting odds can vary tremendously as even the best teams have losing streaks, and even the worst teams can win a few. The big key for NBA online betting is not to overreact to any one game. The professional gamblers that do NBA betting online love to bet the totals because they believe, and rightly so most of the time, that their NBA betting odds are better than the ones the odds maker has.NEW YORK (AP) – Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to felony charges Wednesday for taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games he officiated in a scandal that rocked the league and raised questions about the integrity of the sport.
Donaghy faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. He was released on a $250,000 bond.
Speaking in code during telephone calls, Donaghy provided recommendations, called “picks,” to co-conspirators about what team they should bet on, said U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon. If he was correct, they paid him $5,000.
The picks, the government said, included information about games that Donaghy officiated – information that was not public. Donaghy had “unique access,” including what crews would be officiating games, the interaction of different officials and players, and the physical condition of certain players.
Donaghy was fined $500,000 and must pay at least $30,000 in restitution to the government.
Commissioner David Stern said the NBA would “continue with our ongoing and thorough review of the league’s officiating program to ensure that the best possible policies and procedures are in place to protect the integrity of our game.”
Donaghy’s lawyer, John Lauro, told The Associated Press: “Tim is relieved this part of the proceeding is over and we look forward to completely resolving this matter in the coming months.
“Tim deeply regrets his involvement in this matter and especially the pain it has caused his family, friends and co-workers.”
Donaghy stood ramrod-straight, hands clasped in front of him, and spoke in nearly inaudible tones as he addressed the judge. He said he was seeing a psychiatrist for his gambling addiction and taking antidepressant and anxiety medication.
Prosecutors said Donaghy bet on games himself, but that was not a specific part of the verbal admission he made before the judge.
Two alleged co-conspirators, identified by prosecutors as James Battista, a professional gambler, and Thomas Martino, were in the custody of federal marshals and awaiting arraignment on conspiracy charges carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years.
The FBI first contacted the NBA on June 20 to talk about a referee alleged to be gambling on games, and the two sides met on June 21, Stern said last month. Donaghy resigned July 9 after 13 years as a referee. Stern said he would have fired him sooner but was told it might affect the investigation.
Stern called Donaghy a “rogue, isolated criminal” during his July press conference and said no other NBA officials or players were expected to be involved in the scandal. Stern called it the “most serious situation and worst situation that I have ever experienced either as a fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or a commissioner of the NBA.”
Donaghy was rated in the top tier of officials, Stern said, and there was nothing suspicious about the frequency of his foul calls. He was assigned to work in the second round of the playoffs, with his last NBA game coming during the Phoenix-San Antonio Western Conference semifinal series.
“Tim Donaghy’s former colleagues on the NBA’s officiating staff are deeply saddened to learn that he pleaded guilty today to wagering on professional basketball games and providing others with non-public information on those games,” referees association spokesman Lamell McMorris said. “This is a truly unfortunate case of wrongdoing by one of our own who has admitted to having a serious gambling problem.
“We recognize that a cloud has descended upon all referees, but we are committed to showing the public that this was an isolated event and that NBA officiating is conducted at the highest levels of honesty, integrity and fairness.”
Donaghy will be sentenced Nov. 9, Lauro said.
He turned over his passport and must seek permission to travel anywhere other than Pennsylvania, Florida or New YorkLooking to become a better basketball handicapper? You've come to the right place! Here we offer tons of tips and advice to help increase your chances of beating the point spread!
We'll kick off our list of goodies with suggesting that you shop for the best line. This means that you will more than likely need to be playing multiple sportsbooks. The difference between +2 and +2.5 may be the difference between whether you have a winning or losing NBA season!
In the NBA, there tends to be more sucker bets than in any other sport. Beware of a point spread that looks too good to be true because it probably is. Investigate the line, check for injuries and any other pertinent information you may be able to find to help determine why the line in question looks so low. Often times the best way to deal with a too good to be true spread is to go against your gut feeling and bet the other way. Crazy but true.
Find out what the public is wagering on. Since hoops point spreads are based on public perception, if you find out that the general public is hammering one side of the game giving the other team no respect and the line is not moving accordingly to balance the money, this is a good time to consider being a contrarian and going the opposite way. Check out our NBA consensus picks page for help in figuring out which games of the day are getting pounded in a one sided fashion.
Always and we repeat ALWAYS check the updated injury report. Nothing is worse than betting on a team and finding out their point guard is on the pines with an injury.
As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid betting on "good teams." WHAT! You say? Well, in theory, good teams win straight up while bad teams cover. Bad teams are given much less respect relative to the point spread making for quite a few backdoor covers when good teams and bad teams meet. This isn't to say that you should bet on the underdog in every matchup, however, when a really good team and a really bad team meet, there is money to be made wagering on the bad team when picking your spots. We're obviously not going to recommend such a wager if the bad team is suffering injuries etc. Don't be afraid to apply this method to bad road teams either. A good solid team playing at home has no reason to crush a crappy team (unless the good team lost to the bad team straight up last time out) and this often makes for some very nice barking dog covers.
Exercise proper money management. No matter how much your down, don't fire your whole bankroll at a game looking for that game to bail you out of a bad situation. Bad handicapping got you there, only good handicapping will bring you back. Keep unit sizes the same otherwise your never going to get a sniff at winning at basketball betting.
Consider learning how to bet on totals. Totals are a much overlooked part of sports wagering and actually offer the most value! Think about it, why do you think the limits on totals are lesser than what you can bet against a point spread? Because their easier to beat! It amazes us how many sports bettors have NEVER played an NBA total! Another note regarding totals is that it's one of the few sports bets that makes good use of stats when handicapping.The Lakers and Suns also meet up on Halloween night in a playoff rematch.
The Suns and Lakers went to seven games in their first-round playoff series last year, before Phoenix moved on after pounding Los Angeles in Game 7. In that series, the home team won five of the seven games. Including the playoffs, the Suns played the Lakers 11 times last season with Phoenix winning the season series 7-4. The Suns were also 7-4 ATS versus the Lakers.
The big difference between Phoenix last year and this season is the return of power forward/center Amare Stoudemire. Last year, Stoudemire missed all but three games after knee surgery. Stoudemire is expected to return to full strength this season, but only time will tell just how long that will actually take. Even if Stoudemire takes a few games to get back into the groove, Phoenix has plenty of scoring punch. Steve Nash and Shawn Marion were the leaders last season, while Raja Bell and Boris Diaw both had breakout seasons. Much of the same is expected for all of them, but their numbers could dip slightly with Stoudemire back in the starting five,
In Los Angeles, the Lakers are still Kobe Bryant's team. The sharpshooter is returning from offseason knee surgery but is expected to be ready for opening night. Bryant sat out the entire preseason and could be a little rusty tonight. Outside of Bryant, the Lakers' biggest scoring threat is forward Lamar Odom. Odom nearly averaged a double-double last year and should be the Lakers' leading rebounder once again. The Chicago Bulls will try to exact a little revenge on the Miami Heat tonight, while the Heat raise their first-ever NBA Championship banner to the AmericanAirlines Arena rafters.
The Bulls and Heat faced off in the first round of the playoffs last season when Miami eliminated Chicago in six games. The Heat looked like they were on their way to a sweep in that series after taking the first two games at home, before Chicago came back with a pair of wins in the Windy City. However, the Heat went on to win the next two games and eventually the Championship.
Including the playoffs, the Heat and Bulls met up nine times last season. Miami won the season series 6-3, but bettors cashed in on the Bulls who were 7-2 ATS in those nine contests.
The Bulls have a different look this year after dipping into the free-agent market to sign big man Ben Wallace and trading for forward P.J. Brown. The addition of Wallace improves what was already the best defensive team in the league last season. Wallace is one of the best rebounders in the league and is also proficient at blocking shots and making steals. Brown is expected to be slotted in at power forward and should improve on the decent numbers he put up in New Orleans last season. For the Hornets, Brown averaged nine points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
The rest of the Bulls' starting lineup all returns from last season. Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich make up a young and talented backcourt, while Andre Nocioni and Luol Deng are expected to split time at small forward. Deng can also move to shooting guard when needed. Another member of the Bulls to keep an eye on this season is draft pick Tyrus Thomas. The former LSU standout will come off the bench early on, but could move into the starting power forward spot if he adjusts quickly or if Brown falters.
The Heat start this season with much the same roster that won it all last season. Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal will continue to lead the way with Udonis Haslem, James Posey and eventually Jason Williams filling out the rest of the starting five. Williams is out 3-5 weeks with a knee injury so Gary Payton may start the season at point guard. The Miami bench didn't get any younger during the offseason and could be a concern for the Heat this year. Veterans Antoine Walker and Alonzo Mourning should see their fair share of minutes, and look for coach Pat Riley to get Miami's first-round pick from last season, Wayne Simien, more playing time this seasonAt local sports books, that is known as a proposition bet. There are hundreds of them posted each year for the Super Bowl, and there will be none on the board Sunday when several NBA superstars play a game in which the winner does not matter one bit.
The NBA stands for No Betting Allowed this weekend.
"People have been asking when the line is going to be up, and they were shocked to hear we're not booking it," MGM Mirage sports book director Robert Walker said.
The Western Conference should be favored to defeat the Eastern Conference at the Thomas & Mack Center. There will be a betting line posted, but it will come from offshore and underground books and none of the wagering will be legal.
As part of the deal to bring the game to Las Vegas, NBA commissioner David Stern insisted the sports books not take action on it, so a one-time exception was made.
"I think it's wrong that we can't take wagers on it," Walker said. "It's right to be able to book action on any sporting event."
Nevada sports books accept action on college basketball games involving UNLV and UNR -- all without incident -- but the NBA is taking a strong stand against betting.
If Las Vegas is to land a full-time franchise, an arena must be built and the betting issue must be settled.
One potential compromise could be to book all NBA games except those involving the Las Vegas team. So if Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were in town to play the Las Vegas Oscars, there would be no wagering action allowed.
"I would hate to start at that point. I would like to see us be able to book all the games," Walker said. "But there's probably a middle ground."
The odds are against Stern softening his anti-betting stance, but the case for Las Vegas could get an assist from the Maloof family, owners of the Palms and the Sacramento Kings.
"It can only help to have the Maloofs here because they are really in tune to what we do," Walker said.
In the meantime, Walker said he is considering putting a disclaimer on the betting boards this weekend to explain to tourists why the All-Star Game is not open for wagering.
In last year's game at Houston, LeBron James scored 29 points to lead the East to a 122-120 victory. The West closed as a 4-point favorite, and the total was 256
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