Pitts seeks fifth straight 10-0 start

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

12/09/2006 - Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers have traveled to Buffalo for a non-conference clash with the Bulls.

Pittsburgh has won its first nine games and will attempt to move to 10-0 for the fifth consecutive season. Also worthy of mention is the fact that the squad has won 20 consecutive non-conference games dating back to 2005. The Panthers were most recently in action on Saturday when they posted a 73-56 decision over city rival Duquesne.

The Bulls are set to host the highest-ranked opponent ever at Alumni Arena, and considering that they are coming off a 17-point loss to Tulane, Pittsburgh represents a monumental challenge. Still, Buffalo, is a solid 6-3 overall, as they had won three in a row prior to the setback against the Green Wave.

Pittsburgh has won four of its five previous meetings with Buffalo, including four straight. The last meeting came during the 1994-95 campaign.

Every team that faces Pittsburgh knows that its top concern is containing center Aaron Gray. The seven-footer is scoring 16.6 ppg this season on 64.3 percent shooting from the floor, and he is also ripping down 10.8 rpg. Mike Cook adds some balance to the lineup with 11.6 ppg, as does Antonio Graves with his 10.0 ppg. The Panthers are posting 76.0 ppg on 51.8 percent shooting efficiency from the field, and they are limiting opponents to 59.2 ppg on 39.3 percent shooting. Gray was solid as usual in the win over Duquesne earlier this week, as he scored 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Mike Cook pitched in 11 points, while Sam Young and Tyrell Biggs contributed 10 points. The Panthers finished that tilt with 21 assists against 11 turnovers and limited the Dukes to 38.5 percent shooting from the floor.

There are a few obvious reasons that Buffalo fell to Tulane by a score of 80-63 last time out. First and foremost, the Bulls shot 30 percent from the floor, including a disappointing 4-of-16 from three-point range. They also turned the ball over 18 times. Yassin Idbihi scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the way in defeat, and Andy Robinson pitched in a career-high 18 points. Idbihi is averaging 14.3 ppg to go along with 8.9 rpg, and Eric Moore adds 12.4 ppg to the lineup. Parnell Smith is a solid contributor as well, as he is posting 10.6 ppg. The Bulldogs are netting 64.4 ppg on 39.3 percent shooting from the field, including 28.9 percent from three-point range, so there is obviously improvement to be made at the offensive end.

Rouelette NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Memphis seeks redemption in todays' tilt with Ole Miss
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off a rather lopsided loss to an intra-state rival, the 16th-ranked Memphis Tigers will attempt to get back on track by knocking off the Ole Miss Rebels in a non-league clash. Ole Miss

<< North Carolina overwhelming favorite versus High Point
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels return to action for the first time in a week, as they host the High Point Panthers in a non-conference showdown from the Smith Center in Chapel Hill. The

<< Duke puts perfect home mark on line against George Mason
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils welcome the George Mason Patriots to Durham for a non-conference clash this afternoon. George Mason made an improbable run to the 2006 Final Four, but sever

<< Yellow Jackets comes calling on Commodores
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the ACC and the Vanderbilt Commodores of the SEC will meet in Nashville today. Georgia Tech got off to a great start this season with wins in each

<< Buckeyes welcome Vikings to Columbus
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In what appears to be a sizeable non- conference mismatch, the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are set to host the Cleveland State Vikings. Don't expect Cleveland State to enter this game with muc

Wooden Classic features Top-10 matchup >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The John Wooden Classic in Anaheim will feature a top-10 matchup, as the sixth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies take on the top- ranked UCLA Bruins from the Honda Center. The Bruins have won all seven of thei

Road-weary Rockets face No. 12 Kansas >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 12th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks leave the friendly confines of the Allen Fieldhouse, but will take on the Toledo Rockets in familiar surroundings nonetheless, as the two teams will meet in the Kemper

Seeking perfection, Nevada takes on rival UNLV >>
Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bragging rights in the Silver State are on the line tonight as the 20th-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack welcome the UNLV Runnin' Rebels to the Lawlor Events Center in Reno. The Pack have run out to a perfect 7-

Surprising Shockers continue fast start against Wyoming >>
Casper, WY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-ranked Wichita State Shockers have earned their highest spot in the national poll since 1980-81, and they will attempt to avoid an upset in today's non-conference meeting with Wyoming

Wisconsin battles Marquette in Badger State bash >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In what may prove to be the day's best college basketball game, the 17th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles welcome the 11th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers to town for a non-conference clash. Wisconsin

Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

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