Ayers, Notre Dame hold off Villanova

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

01/28/2007 - South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Ayers eclipsed his season average in two possessions, draining a game-tying three, then burying 2-of-3 foul shots with 1:39 on the clock, as No. 22 Notre Dame got payback for a defeat 10 days earlier with a 66-63 victory over Villanova at the Joyce Center.

Ayers, the son of former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Randy Ayers, made his eighth trey of the season with 2:29 left to square the contest at 60-60.

Curtis Sumpter and Mike Nardi each missed on the other end, and Ayers was fouled while attempting a three. Only 10-of-16 from the foul line on the season, Ayers calmly sank 2-of-3 attempts.

On Villanova's next possession, Sumpter missed a three before Scottie Reynolds threw the ball away while sitting on the floor. Colin Falls picked it up and went the distance for a lay-in and a 64-60 edge.

Falls made two free throws to open a 66-60 lead, but no lead is safe in the Big East.

Reggie Redding made one free throw, then Dante Cunningham drained a pair to cut the deficit to 66-63.

Notre Dame threw away the in-bounds pass and Villanova had two good looks to tie the game. Redding missed from the right wing, but the ball wasn't controlled by the Irish.

The Wildcats then had another look, but Sumpter misfired from the opposite wing before Zach Hillesland missed a pair of free throws. However, Sumpter's heave at the buzzer missed badly short and left.

Falls ended with 23 points and Russell Carter donated 14 points in the victory. Notre Dame (17-4, 5-3 Big East) avenged a 102-87 loss to the Wildcats at the Pavilion on January 17.

The Irish won despite shooting just 35 percent from the floor by making 29- of-37 from the charity stripe.

Reynolds scored 19 points, while Sumpter, Nardi and Cunningham each added 11 for the Wildcats (14-6, 3-4). Villanova only shot 33 percent from the floor and 32 percent from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats held a 25-21 halftime edge, then took a 47-40 lead on Reynolds' three-point play with 9:46 remaining.

Cunningham's free throw again opened a seven-point advantage, 55-48, with 7:12 on the clock, but the Irish scored nine straight points capped by three Falls' free throws to seize a 57-55 edge.

Game Notes

Reynolds had eight assists and Sumpter grabbed 10 rebounds...Rob Kurz finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the victory...Notre Dame improved to 15-0 at home...Villanova's impressive three-game win streak -- against these Irish, Texas and Providence -- came to an end...Ayers came into Saturday averaging 2.5 points per game.

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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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MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

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