Third-ranked Orange clash with Bearcats in Big East battle
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/07/2010 -
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Off to their best start ever, the third-
ranked Syracuse Orange take their show on the road today to tangle with the
Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big East clash at Fifth Third Arena.
On Tuesday, the Orange squashed Providence, 85-68, to improve to a healthy
22-1 overall, marking the best start to a season in program history. Winners
of nine straight, Syracuse is tied with Villanova atop the Big East standings
at 9-1. Furthermore, the Orange have been impressive on the road this season,
going a perfect 8-0 in games played away from home.
As for the Bearcats, they are seeking another victory against a ranked
opponent, having gone 3-1 against Top 25 foes this season. Cincinnati could
use another quality win, as it has fallen in two of its past three outings,
including an 83-65 setback at Notre Dame on Thursday. Now at 5-5 within the
conference, the Bearcats return home, where they have been tough on opponents
and own an 11-1 record.
This is just the seventh all-time meeting between Syracuse and Cincinnati on
the hardwood, with the Orange holding a 4-2 edge in the series.
The Orange opened the second half with a 22-5 run, as they turned a 37-34
halftime advantage into an 85-68 victory over Providence earlier in the week.
Syracuse shot an efficient 57.6 percent from the floor and that is not
surprising for a club that is hitting on 53.1 percent of its field goals on
the season. Kris Joseph led the attack with a career-best 23 points off the
bench, while Arinze Onuaku added a season-high 20 points. Wes Johnson had an
off night with just eight points and five boards, but he is still the go-to-
guy for this club, leading the Orange with 16.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg for the
season. Joseph, who has started just one game, is next with 11.0 ppg and he is
averaging 16.8 ppg over his last four games. Onuaku and Andy Rautins chip in
10.3 ppg apiece, with Rautins also dishing off a team-high 4.9 apg.
The Bearcats shot a lackluster 38.2 percent from the floor, including a poor
7-of-28 effort from long distance, as they were handled by Notre Dame on
Thursday. Cincinnati, a normally strong rebounding team, also lost the battle
on the boards 41-32. Larry Davis guided the squad in defeat with 12 points on
4-of-8 three-pointers, while Deonta Vaughn had 11 points and six helpers.
Lance Stephenson tacked on eight points and he remains the team's leading
scorer on the season with an average of 12.0 ppg. Vaughn puts forth 11.9 ppg
and a team-high 3.6 apg, while Yancy Gates adds 10.5 ppg and a team-best 6.6
rpg to the mix.
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NFL Football Betting Online
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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