Gasol leads Lakers over Hawks

Basketball Betting Lines

02/15/2012 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pau Gasol had 20 points, doubling up Kobe Bryant, and the Los Angeles Lakers returned home with an 86-78 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

Bryant had 10 points on 5-of-18 shooting without visiting the foul line and Gasol added 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were coming off a 3-3 road trip while Staples Center was readied for Sunday night's Grammys.

The Lakers have beaten the Hawks six straight times at home and won 19 of the last 22 meetings between the teams in LA.

"Tonight, we had to find a way," said Gasol. "We got some energy going on in the second half and hit some big shots. Any time you hold a team down to 78 points is huge."

Jeff Teague scored 18 points to lead Atlanta while Josh Smith and Joe Johnson had 15 apiece. The Hawks started a five-game road trip with their fifth loss in seven games.

The Lakers trailed by five points early in the third quarter, but turned the game around with a 15-1 run sparked by four straight points by Bryant and a dunk by Metta World Peace.

Bryant scored eight of his 10 points during the burst and Andrew Goudelock ended it with a three, giving the Lakers a 59-50 lead.

Their advantage was 59-51 going into the fourth and reached 17 points on a Gasol three that made it 81-64 with around 3 1/3 minutes remaining.

"We're a very good defensive team," said Bryant. "We did well in transition. We were able to get some steals and turn them into points."

Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers while World Peace and Goudelock scored 10 apiece. LA shot 44 percent from the field and held Atlanta to 34.4 percent.

"We just didn't finish tonight," said Hawks coach Larry Drew.

The Lakers had 17 turnovers -- Atlanta scored 21 points off them -- including 10 in the second half. LA led 27-24 after the first quarter and 42-41 at halftime.

Game Notes

Up next for the Lakers is a home-and-home series with the Phoenix Suns this weekend. They will play in LA on Friday and in Phoenix on Sunday...Atlanta's five-game road trip also includes trips to Phoenix, Portland, Chicago and New York...Bryant's ex-wife, Vanessa, was seen waiting for him outside the locker room after the game.

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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)
5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.