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02/13/2007 -
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -March could be more maddening than usual for teams on the NCAA tournament bubble this year.
Gary Walters, chairman of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee, said in a conference call Tuesday that there's little difference between many of the teams on the selection committee's radar, so they'll have to make last-minute impressions.
``As a result of the general compression and bunching at the conference level, conference tournaments could take on increasing significance this year in helping us to separate teams,'' he said.
Walters said he expects the committee's job to be more difficult than ever this year, so he's already braced himself for criticism.
``No good deed goes unpunished,'' he said.
Walters fielded numerous questions about how mid-majors will affect the draw. George Mason, a No. 11 seed, reached the Final Four last season and fellow mid-majors Bradley and Wichita State from the Missouri Valley Conference made the Sweet 16.
Walters said that will have no bearing on this year's brackets.
``I can assure you that past performance does not guarantee future results,'' he said. ``While one can look back last year and certainly acknowledge that a number of the mid-major teams performed well ... this year presents us with a whole new slate. It's a brand new year. Every year presents you with a different kaleidoscope of teams.''
Butler, the highest-ranked mid-major this season, had wins against Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, Gonzaga and Purdue early in the season. But the 13th-ranked Bulldogs play in the Horizon League, whose Ratings Percentage Index total ranks 13th out of the 32 conferences. The Bulldogs started the week with an RPI of 31, despite having just three losses.
Walters compared the Bulldogs to Bucknell from last season. Bucknell, another mid-major, went 26-4 before the NCAA tournament and was seeded ninth in the Oakland Regional.
``There are teams out there similar to Butler that have proven that they're bona fide, and if they can continue to maintain their quality of play through the rest of the season, they certainly will be strongly in the hunt,'' he said.
Walters said the strength of non-conference schedules will be weighed heavily because there were more exempt games this season, offering teams more opportunities to schedule outside their conferences.
Walters also said schools from big conferences no longer can depend on the traditional ways of ensuring their entries into the field, especially because of the increase in the number of games and the balance in college basketball.
``There's always been this notion out there that achieving a 20-win season is a precursor for getting into the tournament, and that's just not the case,'' Walters said. ``We have to evaluate everybody separately and compare and contrast teams across the country.''
The Missouri Valley got four bids last year and could get that many again with Southern Illinois, Creighton, Missouri State and Bradley all ranked in the RPI top 50. But Missouri State had an RPI of 21 last season and didn't qualify.
Walters said the RPI is simply one of several factors considered in the process.
``It's a useful tool, but not the only tool,'' he said. ``RPI is a general indicator of relative strength, but not a precise indicator of absolute strength.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Capitals recall G Cassivi >>
WASHINGTON (AP) -With Olie Kolzig out with a knee injury, the Washington Capitals recalled goalie Frederic Cassivi from Hershey of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.Kolzig was injured during practice Monday and will be sidelined at least three w
Riley announces plan to return to sideline >>
MIAMI (AP) -Pat Riley coached the Miami Heat in the season's first 30 games, and he's coming back for the final 30 matchups on the schedule.Riley announced Tuesday he'll return as coach of the Heat next week, following a six-week absence to address
The most popular sports to bet on are NFL and college football along with NBA and NCAA basketball. There are multiple betting opportunities within those sports, beginning with the basic wager on a game’s outcome (also called betting the side). College Football Point spreads are used in both football and basketball in an attempt to even the attractiveness of each team in a match-up. ( See our article detailing how and why point spreads are made)
But you could also simply bet on the money line, or straight-up winner of the game. Oddsmakers use the money line so that more money must be risked on the favorite or expected winner and less money on the underdog to balance the action on both sides. While money line gambling is an attractive option for football and basketball bettors who only care about picking a winner, it is the primary option for those bettors who enjoy wagering on MLB baseball and individual sports like boxing, tennis, golf and racing events such as NASCAR. ( More details on playing the Money Line)
Another bet across all major team sports including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey involves wagering on the amount of scoring in a game, called an Over/Under total. For example, the Over/Under total on Super Bowl XXXIX was 48, which means a bettor could wager whether there would be more or less than 48 points scored by both teams combined in the game.
The final score of Super Bowl XXXIX was 24-21; the scoring of both teams added up to 45, which means the game went Under . So Under bettors won, and Over bettors lost.
Sports gambling doesn’t end there. Betting sides and totals are the most common wagers available everywhere, but many sportsbooks also offer future bets on big upcoming events like who will win next year’s Super Bowl and what movie will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The main advantage of futures is that you can get appealing odds by betting far in advance. For example, with NFL futures you often can get much higher odds on a team by betting before the season even starts. A NFL future bet on a team to win the Super Bowl odds might be 20/1 in the preseason; but by midseason, their odds might decrease to 10/1 if they turn out to be legitimate championship contenders.
Involves one individual wager, whether it be on your team to cover the point spread, to win the game straight-up on the money line, or to go over/under the total.
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The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
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