Boozer, Jazz dominate reeling Wizards

Basketball Betting Lines

03/16/2010 - Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Boozer led the way with 23 points and nine rebounds, and the Jazz sent the reeling Wizards to their eighth consecutive defeat, 112-89, at EnergySolutions Arena.

Deron Williams added 17 points and 11 assists, but sat out the fourth quarter for the Jazz after landing awkwardly in the waning moments of the third. Sundiata Gaines totaled 15 points as the Jazz had seven players score in double figures.

Mehmet Okur returned from a one-game absence due to a strained back and had 14 points for the Jazz, who snapped a two-game skid but won for the fifth time in seven contests.

Andray Blatche had 24 points for the Wizards, who haven't won since February 28 at New Jersey. Mike Miller recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds for Washington, which shot just 36.9 percent from the field.

Miller's layup moved the Wizards to a 9-6 lead, the largest Washington saw all night. Okur's three-pointer capped a small Jazz run for a 13-9 edge, although the teams went into the second even at 25.

Utah turned it on in the second, going 14-of-19 from the field to take a decided advantage after 24 minutes. Conversely, Washington went 7-of-22 in the period.

A three-pointer from Wesley Matthews expanded Utah to a 53-43 lead inside two minutes left and it was 59-45 at the break, thanks in part to Boozer's nine points in the quarter.

It got worse for the Wizards in the third, a period that saw them make just 3-of-22 shots from the field. That performance allowed the Jazz to dominate to the tune of 31-15 scoring in the quarter.

Okur's three-pointer widened the lead to 71-47 with 7:18 left in the stanza and the difference reached as high as 34 in the period. The only moment of trepidation came when Williams drove in for a layup try with 1.2 seconds left in the quarter, but came down in odd fashion. He slowly left the floor and sat while the Jazz concluded the quarter up 90-60. They were never threatened in the fourth.

Game Notes

The Jazz have won 19 of their last 22 home games against the Wizards...The Jazz played without Andrei Kirilenko (strained left calf) and Ronnie Price (sprained right wrist)...Utah has won six of the last eight meetings...Kyle Korver scored 11 and Paul Millsap had 10 for Utah.

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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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