ACC title game pits Blue Devils against Yellow Jackets

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-seeded and fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils go for their record 18th ACC Tournament title today, as they take on the seventh-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the finals at Greensboro Coliseum.

The Blue Devils are not only trying to establish a new record with an 18th championship in this event, but they are also gunning for their second straight title. Duke made its way to the finals by defeating ninth-seeded Virginia, 57-46, in the quarterfinals and nipping 12th-seeded Miami-Florida, 77-74, in the semifinals yesterday. The Blue Devils have now won a record 86 games in this event, and could secure a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a win today.

As for the Yellow Jackets, they entered the postseason knowing they needed to do some work to ensure a spot in the Big Dance. Tech certainly stepped up to the challenge and took care of business with a 62-58 win over 10th-seeded North Carolina in the first round before upsetting second-seeded and nationally-ranked Maryland, 69-64, in the quarterfinals. The team continued its run yesterday with a 57-54 besting of 11th-seeded NC State. Tech is now in its first championship game since losing to Duke back in 2005.

The Yellow Jackets held NC State to a dismal 30.6 percent shooting from the floor and survived a three-pointer in the closing seconds for a 57-54 win yesterday. Tech missed 13 free throws and turned the ball over 16 times in the game, allowing NC State to rally before hanging on for the win. Derrick Favors had 17 points and eight boards to lead the way, while Gani Lawal registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The ACC Freshman of the Year, Favors has scored in double figures in each postseason game and is averaging 12.2 ppg and 8.5 rpg for the season. He ranks second on the team to Lawal, who puts forth 13.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg. Iman Shumpert is in charge of setting up the duo, handing out a team-high 3.7 apg, and he also chips in with 10.0 ppg.

Duke used a 15-0 run in the second half to take control and it hung on down the stretch for a 77-74 win over Miami yesterday. The Blue Devils shot 48.1 percent from the field and dominated the boards, 38-24. Kyle Singler, who had a team-high 18 points in the quarterfinals, led the charge once again with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Jon Scheyer added 16 points and six boards, while Nolan Smith chipped in with 12 points. The trio have carried Duke all season long, and Scheyer paces the team with 18.7 ppg and 5.1 apg. Singler produces 17.5 ppg and a team-best 7.0 rpg, while Smith averages a healthy 17.4 ppg.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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