Irish set sights on Golden Eagles
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/04/2012 -
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles
continue their push towards the top of the Big East standings, as the begin a
two-game road trip this afternoon, taking on a dangerous Notre Dame team at
the Joyce Center.
Buzz Williams' Golden Eagles are soaring right now, winning seven straight
games after losing back-to-back decisions to Georgetown and Syracuse in early
January. The team is now sitting behind only the Orange (9-1) in the Big East
standings at 8-2. Marquette's winning ways continued on Tuesday with a 66-59
win over Seton Hall.
Mike Brey's Irish have fought through some adversity this season with the loss
of their top player (Tim Abromaitis), but have weathered the storm to remain
in the hunt in conference play. The Irish are tied for fourth in the Big East
at 6-3 and have won three straight games entering this contest, knocking off
Syracuse, Seton Hall and most recently Connecticut (50-48).
The Irish hold a commanding 79-36 lead in the all-time series with the Golden Eagles, but Marquette has won six of the 10 meetings since joining the Big
East in 2005.
Jae Crowder was the driving force in leading Marquette to its seventh straight
win, as he tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds in the seven-point win over Seton
Hall this week. Crowder, who was 6-of-11 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the
free-throw line, got double-digit help from guards Vander Blue and Darius
Johnson-Odom, who finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
One of the reasons for Marquette's win streak is its improved shooting of
late. The number have improved the team's overall output, as the Golden Eagles
are now averaging 76.1 ppg on a healthy .456 shooting. Johnson-Odum and
Crowder are a potent one-two punch. Johnson-Odom ranks third in the Big East
in scoring at 18.3 ppg. Crowder is seventh in the league at 16.6 ppg and leads
Marquette in rebounding (7.6 rpg). The two present problems for the opposition
out beyond the arc, combining for 95 of the team's 139 three-pointers to date.
No one else is averaging double figures at this time, but Davante Gardner (9.8
ppg) and Todd Mayo (9.0 ppg) aren't far off the mark.
With Abromaitis going down early on, the Irish have had to scramble at the
offensive end. There isn't a true go-to-guy now, but Brey has done a nice job
getting the right players on the floor. Eric Atkins leads the team in scoring
at 12.9 ppg and is actually shooting better from three-point range (.408) than
overall (.400). Jerian Grant runs the offense and is both a solid scorer (12.7
ppg) and deft distributor (4.8 apg). Jack Cooley provides balance with his
strong play down low. The 6-9 junior is averaging 10.7 ppg on nearly 60
percent shooting (.594) and leads the team and ranks seventh in the league in
rebounding at 8.4 caroms per contest.
The Irish trailed by three points at the half against the defending national
champs, but did what was needed after the break to scratch out a win in a low-
scoring game. Notre Dame didn't shoot the ball particularly well at a mere
.362 clip, but did knock down seven three-pointers compared to three for the
Huskies. Atkins led the way with 13 points in the win. Grant finished with 11
points and six assists, with just one turnover in 38 minutes of work. Scott
Martin chipped in with 10.
<< Marquee matchup pits Jayhawks against Tigers
Columbia, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The most anticipated game in the Big 12 has
finally arrived, as top-10 foes Kansas and Missouri collide in Columbia, with
positioning atop the conference standings at stake.
The eighth-ranked Jayhawks lead the
<< Sixth-ranked Bears battle Cowboys in Big 12 affair
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-ranked Baylor Bears will attempt
to stay within striking distance in the Big 12 Conference, as they invade
Stillwater this afternoon for a conference matchup with the Oklahoma State
Cowboys at Gallagh
<< Waves hope to crash down on 24th-ranked Bulldogs
Malibu, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Coast Conference foes meet in Malibu
tonight, as the 24th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs pay a visit to the Pepperdine
Waves.
Gonzaga was recently re-admitted into the AP Top-25 after winning four in a
row from J
<< Hoosier State rivals square off in West Lafayette
West Lafayette, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of in-state rivals jockeying for
position in the competitive Big Ten Conference meet at Mackey Arena in West
Lafayette this evening, as the 20th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers tangle with the
Purdue Boilerm
<< Bluejays go in search of 12th straight win
Cedar Rapids, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Creighton Bluejays take
aim at their 12th straight victory, as they fly into Cedar Rapids for today's
Missouri Valley Conference showdown with the Panthers of Northern Iowa.
Creighton picke
No.5 UNC takes on Maryland in College Park >>
College Park, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels
play their fourth road game in the last six outings, as they head to College
Park for an ACC showdown with the Maryland Terrapins.
Roy Williams' Tar Heels are sitt
Top-ranked Wildcats collide with Gamecocks in Columbia >>
Columbia, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams at opposite ends of the SEC spectrum
meet up in Columbia this evening, as the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats take on
the South Carolina Gamecocks at the Colonial Life Center.
John Calipari's Wildcats h
OVC action features 10th-ranked Racers at Skyhawks >>
Martin, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-ranked Murray State Racers will try to
remain the only unbeaten team in Division I as they head to Skyhawk Arena for
an Ohio Valley Conference battle with the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks.
This will be the
TCU seeks upset of No. 17 San Diego State >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sharing the top spot in the Mountain West
Conference standings with 11th-ranked UNLV, the 17th-ranked San Diego State
Aztecs try to keep moving in the right direction tonight as they host the TCU
Horned Frogs at
Rebels and Pokes duke it out in Mountain West showdown >>
Laramie, WY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tied with San Diego State atop the Mountain
West Conference standings, the 11th-ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels are again out
on the road this afternoon as they tangle with the Wyoming Cowboys at Arena
Auditorium in La
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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