Local rivals duke it out in Durham

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/16/2012 - Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NC State Wolfpack will try to pick up a crucial victory tonight as they make the short trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium to battle the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils in an Atlantic Coast Conference battle.

Duke and NC State have met 235 times heading into tonight as the series dates back to 1912. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 138-97, including a 46-23 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke has won two straight and five of the last six in the rivalry. NC State has lost in its last 13 visits to Durham, and has been outscored by an average of 18.2 ppg during that span.

Mark Gottfried has done a remarkable job in his first season at the helm in Raleigh, as he has led the Wolfpack to an 18-7 overall record and a 7-3 mark in ACC action. NC State is trailing the conference leading North Carolina Tar Heels by 1.5 games, and would be tied for second place in the standings if it pulls off the upset today. The Wolfpack won their third game in a row a week ago, as they bested the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 61-52, on the road. The Yellow Jackets were unable to figure out a way to score against NC State, as they shot 32.2 percent from the field in the contest. The strong defensive showing was a breath of fresh air, as the Wolfpack have relied on their strong scoring offense (74.3 ppg, 3rd in ACC) for success.

NC State has a very balanced attack as five players average 11 points or more per game. Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie are both exceptional offensive players with averages of 13 ppg or better. C.J. Williams, Lorenzo Brown, and Richard Howell all get into the mix on a consistent basis. Howell if the fourth-best rebounder in the ACC with 9.2 boards per game. Williams led the team with 15 points in last week's win vs. Georgia Tech.

Coach K has put together yet another phenomenal season so far, as his Blue Devils come in with a 21-4 overall record and just a win away from being tied for the top spot in the ACC. After its thrilling victory over UNC on Feb. 8th in the Battle of Tobacco Road, Duke picked up its second straight victory with a 73-55 triumph over the Maryland Terrapins. Although the Blue Devils shot only 38.5 percent from the floor, they held a dominant 48-33 edge in the rebounding battle to glide past the Terps. Duke is second in the ACC in scoring offense with an average of 79.7 ppg, but it ranks 10th in the league in scoring defense with an allowed average of 69.1 ppg.

The Blue Devils have found leadership from their blue chip freshman Austin Rivers. The freshman guard paces the team with 15.0 ppg on 45 percent shooting from the field. Rivers had back-to-back 20-plus point outings before he netted 11 points versus Maryland on Saturday. Seth Curry scored a game-high 19 points against the Terrapins, while Mason Plumlee added a double-double of 16 points and 10 boards. Ryan Kelly and Andre Dawkins are additional highly capable contributors for Duke, which has made it one of the most feared teams in the nation.

Hovvers NCAA Basketball Betting News


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American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout

An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.

Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off.  Randy was not impressed though.  Paula thought he started off fantastic.  "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either. 

Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed.  Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact.  He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition. 

Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula.  Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.

Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next.  Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential.  Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell.  He sang "Careless Whisper".

22 year old Chris Richardson was up next.  He was listed with +1100 odds coming in.  He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great. 

Nick was boring and pitchy.  Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week.  Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition. 

Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds .  These of course were the early odds.  He was considered original for picking an "odd song".  He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night. 

Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good. 

Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds.  Great voice and a great sense of humor.  He's a real standout.  Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit.  Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig". 

Jared Cotter followed.  He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition.  The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good. 

22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next.  "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon.  Though the judges felt he performed okay.  Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.

Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition.  He was the last to perform.  He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start. 

Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys.  Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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