Wisconsin battles Marquette in Badger State bash

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12/09/2006 - 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 has won four straight games to improve to 8-1 overall, and the most recent victory came over Winthrop on Monday by an 82-79 final in overtime. The only loss for the squad came against Missouri State by a 66-64 final in a neutral site affair, and today's tilt marks the first true road game of the season for the Badgers.

Marquette won eight straight games to open the season, but the club was then shocked at home by North Dakota State, 64-60, in the championship game of its own Blue & Gold Classic. Fortunately, the Golden Eagles were able to get back on track with a win over Delaware State on Tuesday by a 65-48 final. While many of the team's games have come against weak non-conference opponents, Marquette did make a major statement with back-to-back wins over Texas Tech and Duke.

Wisconsin holds a 61-51 edge in the all-time series with Marquette, including a 77-63 triumph over the Golden Eagles last season.

Wisconsin is scoring 76.7 ppg this season while limiting opponents to 59.8 ppg. The top offensive performer for the Badgers is Alando Tucker, who figures to contend for Big Ten Player of the Year honors. Tucker is scoring 19.3 ppg, and the coaches have to be happy to see the historically poor free throw shooter improve significantly this season. Kammron Taylor is a solid second scoring option for the Badgers, as he is posting 11.9 ppg, and Brian Butch adds 10.3 ppg and 6.1 rpg to the mix. In the narrow overtime victory over Winthrop on Monday, Tucker and Michael Flowers posted 21 points apiece. As for Butch he hit 7-of-11 shots from the floor en route to 17 points, and he grabbed nine rebounds as well. Wisconsin earned a commanding 40-18 rebounding advantage in the tilt, including a 21-4 edge on the offensive glass. The Badgers also outscored Winthrop 24-6 from the foul line, the most obvious reason that they were able to overcome a 15-of-25 three-point effort by the opposition.

Marquette connected on 50 percent of its field goal attempts against Delaware State, including a stellar 9-of-14 effort from three-point range. Defensively, the Golden Eagles limited the Hornets to 34.8 percent shooting, and those positives enabled Tom Crean's club to overcome a 10-of-19 showing from the foul line and a 31-28 rebounding disadvantage. Four of the five Marquette starters reached double figures in scoring, and Jerel McNeal led the way with 16 points while Wesley Matthews pitched in 15 points. As for Dan Fitzgerald and Dominic James, both tallied 13 points in the win. James is scoring a team- high 17.0 ppg this season, and McNeal adds 13.9 ppg to the mix despite the fact that he has struggled with his shooting. Matthews is posting 12.0 ppg for the Golden Eagles, who are netting 75.0 ppg while limiting the opposition to 60.4 ppg.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

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