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03/14/2010 - Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The championship game of the SEC Tournament pits the second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the top-seeded teams from the league's East and West Divisions, respectively.
Mississippi State is the defending champion of this event, as it defeated Tennessee by a 64-61 final in the 2009 title game, and the program has three titles to its credit. The Bulldogs, who are 23-10 overall, opened play at this event with a 75-69 decision over Florida in Friday's semifinal round. Yesterday, the Bulldogs knocked off Vanderbilt by a 62-52 final.
As for the Wildcats, they have won this event 25 times and own a 113-22 record in SEC Tournament games. Still, they haven't cut down the nets since 2004 and haven't reached the title game since 2005. Kentucky barely got by Alabama in the quarterfinals, but the team was impressive in a 74-45 romp over nationally-ranked Tennessee on Saturday. The Wildcats are 31-2 overall and figure to be a number one seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament regardless of today's outcome.
Kentucky beat Mississippi State by an 81-75 final in overtime during the regular season, and the Wildcats own an 85-20 mark in the all-time series between the teams.
The man to watch for Mississippi State is forward/center Jarvis Varnado, the three-time defending SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Not only does Varnado lead the Bulldogs with 13.4 ppg on 58.3 percent shooting from the floor, he is also ripping down 10.4 rpg to go along with 158 blocks. Ravern Johnson is close behind offensively with 13.3 ppg, and Dee Bost provides 12.7 ppg and 173 assists. Barry Stewart is the program's all-time leader in three-pointers made and he is posting 11.8 ppg. MSU is generating 72.5 ppg, while surrendering 64.2 ppg on 38.4 percent shooting. The Bulldogs played tremendous defense against Vanderbilt yesterday, as they limited the Commodores to 34.6 percent shooting from the field. MSU committed just nine turnovers and got 14 points and eight rebounds. Varnado, Bost and Phil Turner all added 11 points in the triumph.
Like Mississippi State, Kentucky has four double-digit scorers in the fold, three of which are freshman. Star rookie John Wall was recently named the SEC Player of the Year, and he is netting 16.9 ppg to go along with 6.3 apg. DeMarcus Cousins, the SEC Freshman of the Year, provides 15.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg, and he is tops on the roster with 60 blocks. Veteran Patrick Patterson checks in with 14.7 ppg and 7.4 rpg, while Eric Bledsoe is scoring 10.6 ppg. The Wildcats are generating 79.4 ppg, while permitting just 65.0 ppg to opponents on 38 percent shooting. Kentucky is outrebounding opponents by 8.3 rpg, key to the success. In the 29-point win over Tennessee yesterday, the Wildcats played tremendously at the defensive end, limiting the Vols to 30.9 percent shooting, including 2-of-15 from three-point range. Kentucky, which earned a 44-29 rebounding advantage, shot 52.1 percent from the floor and was led by a 19-point, 15-rebound effort from Cousins.
<< A-10 title up for grabs as Owls take on Spiders
Atlantic City, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gunning for their ninth Atlantic 10
Conference Tournament title, the third in as many seasons, the 17th-ranked and
top-seeded Temple Owls take the floor at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City this
afternoon agai
<< Blues wrap road trip versus Wild
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues conclude a six-game road trip this
evening that has kept them in the playoff race. They do so against one of the
better home teams in the league, the Minnesota Wild, at Xcel Energy Center.
The Blues hav
<< Lightning play host to Penguins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Lightning are coming off a big win over the Eastern
Conference's top team. They wouldn't mind posting another one versus arguably
the East's second-best team.
Tampa Bay will try to record just its third win in its last
<< Maple Leafs try to push win streak to four games versus Islanders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to stretch their longest
winning streak of the season to four games this evening when they visit the
New York Islanders in a matchup of the two bottom teams in the Eastern
Conference.
Toro
Surging Bucks shoot for season sweep of Pacers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Milwaukee Bucks continue their push to the
postseason Sunday when they attempt to sweep Central Division rival Indiana
for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The Bucks have already beaten the Pacers three times
Thrashers shoot for rare victory over Coyotes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Thrashers couldn't have picked a worse time to post
their second-longest losing streak of the season. A visit from the Coyotes on
Sunday could extend the winless drought by another game.
Atlanta will try to snap a five
Sharks visit Ducks aiming for season series sweep >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After three straight come-from-behind victories, the Sharks
finally ran out of magic on Saturday. Good thing they haven't need much when
facing the Ducks this year.
San Jose kicks off a six-game road trip this evening vers
Heat host hapless Sixers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat continue their push toward a postseason
berth when they host the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
The Heat are coming off a huge win over Chicago on Friday in which Quentin
Richardson made 7-of-11 three-p
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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