Bucks topple Cavs; James rests

Basketball Betting Lines

03/07/2010 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Jennings led five Milwaukee players in double figures with 25 points on 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, as the Bucks took down the Cleveland Cavaliers, minus LeBron James, 92-85, at the Bradley Center.

James was given the night off to rest and the Bucks took advantage by winning for the ninth time in 10 games.

Carlos Delfino added 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while Luc Mbah a Moute tallied 10 points and 11 boards for the Bucks, who have won three in a row. Andrew Bogut added 15 points and nine boards.

Antawn Jamison led all scorers with 30 along with 11 rebounds, and Delonte West scored 27 for the Cavaliers, who lost for the first time in seven outings.

"I think defensively we did pretty well," Jamison said. "We definitely missed some (opportunities) on the offensive end. The way (James) is able to create easy opportunities for his teammates, it took us awhile to get things going in the right direction."

Milwaukee started the final frame up 69-61 and traded baskets with the Cavs before extending the margin to 15 at 80-65 on a Jennings three-pointer with 7:38 to go. The Cavaliers would cut the deficit to eight multiple times, with the last coming on a West hook shot with 1:23 remaining, but the Bucks kept trading baskets before allowing a Danny Green triple to end the game.

"When we had to get stops and a rebound, we did," said Bucks coach Scott Skiles. "We had a lot of guys chipping in."

The Bucks got off to an 8-2 run to start the night as Mbah a Moute scored six of the team's first eight points. Milwaukee's first quarter lead extended to 11 at 25-14, when Ersan Ilyasova drained a bucket with less than a minute left.

Cleveland came out strong in the second, mounting a 19-6 run that ended with the Cavaliers maintaining a 33-31 lead with 6:35 left. Jamison and West combined for all of the 19 points in the stretch. The Bucks took back the lead at 39-37 after a Delfino three-pointer, but Mo Williams drained a jumper with five seconds left to give Cleveland a 42-41 halftime lead.

In the third, Milwaukee jumped out to a 13-point advantage at 58-45 on a Jennings jumper, but finished the quarter leading by eight as Jamison scored eight points in the final three plus minutes to slightly trim the deficit to eight.

Game Notes

The Bucks are 15-4 in their last 19 games...Cleveland dropped to 23-7 in 2010...The Cavs converted on just 7-of-22 three-pointers.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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