Big start helps Washington past Memphis

Basketball Betting Lines

12/27/2006 - Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gilbert Arenas poured in 31 points on 9-of-13 shooting as Washington waxed Memphis, 116-101, at the Verizon Center.

Antawn Jamison added 26 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards, who won their third straight game and for the ninth time in 11 contests. Caron Butler chipped in with 19 points, five rebounds, six assists and six steals for Washington.

Alexander Johnson recorded his first career double-double with 23 points and 10 boards for the Grizzlies, who lost their fourth straight and for the 10th time in 11 games. Pau Gasol tallied 13 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Chucky Atkins finished with 15 points.

The Wizards blew this one open from the tip and outscored the hapless Grizzlies 45-18 in the first quarter behind 18 points from Arenas. Washington closed out the frame with 12 consecutive points, highlighted by a Jamison driving dunk and six straights points by Arenas.

The Grizzlies recovered a bit in the second quarter but Arenas stuck a step- back jumper with just 0.6 ticks left to give Washington a comfortable 77-51 edge at intermission.

The Wizards then coasted through the third quarter and took an insurmountable 99-71 advantage into the final frame.

Memphis played well during garbage time in the final stanza, however. Tarance Kinsey's driving layup, with 4:03 left, cut the deficit to just 12, 106-94. But, the Grizzlies just didn't have enough to recover from their early foibles and Washington held on for the easy victory.

Game Notes

Memphis has the league's worst record at 6-23 and are a woeful 2-15 on the road...The Grizzlies have lost three of their last four trips to Washington...The Wizards finished 10-of-18 from long range.

Wwwgoldenpalacecasino Basketball Betting News

<< Latent Heat sizzles in Malibu Stakes
Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Latent Heat, ridden by Edgar Prado, took control down the stretch on his way to winning Tuesday's $250,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The Malibu is the last graded stakes race on dirt fo

<< Angels sign IF Hillenbrand
Anahiem, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a tumultuous 2006 season, infielder Shea Hillenbrand has landed in Anaheim for 2007, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with the Angels that includes a club option for 2008. Hillenbrand started

<< Josh Howard, Mo Williams capture NBA weekly honors
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard and Milwaukee Bucks guard Mo Williams were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for the period ending December 24.

<< Giants place Strahan on IR
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was placed on injured reserve Tuesday because of sprained foot. Strahan returned to the lineup for this past Sunday's game against New Orleans after miss

<< College Football Bowl Season Hits Full Stride
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I'll begin with Thursdays Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Oklahoma State and Alabama hook up in a game where tempo will decide the outcome. The Cowboys like to run it up, averaging 35.3 points per

Slater lifts Thrashers over Lightning >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jim Slater scored with just 8.1 seconds left in the game to lead the Atlanta Thrashers to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Philips Arena. With time winding down in the contest Bobby Holik flicked

Arkhipov leads Blackhawks over Stars >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denis Arkhipov had a goal and an assist and Nikolai Khabibulin made 20 saves, including 11 in the third period, as the Chicago Blackhawks edged the Dallas Stars, 2-1. Martin Lapointe scored the game-

Head's trey lifts Pacers over Rockets >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luther Head's three-pointer drew iron with three seconds left as the Indiana Pacers held on to defeat the Houston Rockets 81-76. Jamaal Tinsley scored 17 points for Indiana, which has won thre

Brodeur, Devils blank Penguins >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Brodeur made 26 saves for his 85th career shutout to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Continental Airlines Arena. The shutout vaulted Brodeur i

Blue Jackets edge Bruins in overtime >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Vyborny scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 1:54 left in overtime, to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Boston Bruins, 5-4, at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets tied t

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.

Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.