Bobcats eye playoff spot in New Orleans

Basketball Betting Lines

04/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats are on the verge of a couple of firsts in franchise history. The team can inch even closer to its initial postseason berth tonight by securing its first ever win in the Big Easy when they take on the New Orleans Hornets.

A win last night over Atlanta coupled with Chicago's loss to Milwaukee lowered Charlotte's magic number to clinch a playoff spot to two. The Bobcats can secure the berth with a win tonight along with a Toronto loss to Boston.

Gerald Wallace posted 28 points and six rebounds on Tuesday, as the Bobcats moved one step closer to the postseason with a 109-100 win over the short- handed Atlanta Hawks.

Boris Diaw added 17 points, nine assists and nine rebounds for the Bobcats, who have won three of four and improved to 30-9 at home. Charlotte, which is currently in seventh place in the East, clinched its first .500-plus season with its 41st win, and its now four games ahead of ninth-place Chicago. The Bulls are idle on Wednesday.

Stephen Jackson overcame several injuries and provided 15 points and in the win, while Raymond Felton had 14 points and six helpers.

"The first half we played great," said Bobcats head coach Larry Brown. "(Atlanta) doesn't turn the ball over. They had 10 turnovers (in the first half). We got out on the break, shared the ball; we did a lot of great things."

The Hornets, meanwhile, dropped their third straight game Saturday in New Jersey when Chris Douglas-Roberts paced eight New Jersey players in double- figure scoring with 17 points, as the New Jersey Nets put forth perhaps their best effort of the season in a 115-87 romp.

David West had 25 points to lead the Hornets, who have lost three in a row and five straight on the road. Marcus Thornton scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

"We wanted to come in here with a better effort than what we gave. It's a young team, they've been playing loose...they were better," West said of the Nets.

The Bobcats are 0-5 all-time in New Orleans, losing by an average of nearly 16 points per game.

Wwinfospace Basketball Betting News

<< Coyotes try to clinch home-ice against Preds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bankruptcy and ownership issues left many wondering how long hockey would be around in Phoenix. A victory Wednesday night and the playoffs will begin with a game at Jobing.com Arena. The Coyotes will try to lock up the Wes

<< Mavs, Grizzlies clash in Big D
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks hope to salvage the finale of a three- game homestand and inch closer to the Southwest Division crown tonight when they host the Memphis Grizzlies. The Mavs are coming off a tough 121-116 loss to Ok

<< Seattle Seahawks 2010 Draft Preview (Revised)
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pete Carroll's draft strategy will be laid bare twice in the first 14 picks, as Seattle picked up an extra first-round pick thanks to a 2009 draft-day deal that helped Denver select cornerback Alphonso Smith in the second-rou

<< Blazers invade LA to take on Clippers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers hope to improve on their playoff position in the Western Conference tonight when they invade Hollywood to take on the lowly Los Angeles Clippers. The Blazers won for the fifth time in six trie

<< Blackhawks aim to extend win streak in clash with Blues
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Central Division champion Chicago Blackhawks will aim for a fifth straight victory when they host the St. Louis Blues tonight at United Center. The Blackhawks clinched their first division title since 1992-93 on Sunday

Jazz pay a visit to Rockets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Utah Jazz get back to work on improving their playoff position in a crowded Western Conference race when they visit south Texas to take on the Houston Rockets. The Jazz are coming off a thrilling 140-139 overti

White Sox go for second straight win over Tribe >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jake Peavy tries to put an injury-plagued 2009 season behind him this evening, when the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians play the second test of their season-opening three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field. Chicag

Bucks tangle with Nets in Brew City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off clinching their first postseason berth in four years the Milwaukee Bucks get back to work on Wednesday by hosting the NBA's worst team, the New Jersey Nets. John Salmons scored 26 points against his former

Braves try for another outburst against Cubs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Atlanta's Jason Heyward lived up the hype for a least one day. Heyward will try to help the Braves open the season with two straight wins for the second year in a ro

Rays, Orioles to go at again after dramatic opener >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Following a dramatic win in their season opener, the Tampa Bay Rays try to make it two in a row when they play the middle test of their three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles this evening at Tropicana Field. On Tuesd

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.