Lakers add Barnes, Ratliff
Basketball Betting Lines
07/22/2010 -
El Segundo, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers added depth to their
frontcourt by signing veterans Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff.
The Thursday move for Barnes to sign with the Lakers came just three days
after he posted a message on his Twitter account saying he was joining the
Toronto Raptors via sign-and-trade deal, but that fell apart.
Barnes sent another message from Twitter Thursday declaring that his signing
with the Lakers was official. "This is a dream come true!!!," Barnes wrote.
The Los Angeles Times reports Barnes received a two-year contract, but left
money on the table for a more lucrative offer from Cleveland. He'll reportedly
earn $3.6 million from the Lakers, but Yahoo! Sports reports Barnes could have
earned $7 million over the same period from the Cavaliers.
Barnes, 30, averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 81 games for the Magic
last season. He started 58 contests and averaged just under 26 minutes per
game.
In 444 career games over seven seasons with the Clippers, Kings, Knicks,
Sixers, Warriors, Suns and Magic, Barnes has averaged 7.3 points and 4.4
boards. He played college ball at UCLA.
The Times reports Ratliff's deal is for one year for the veteran's minimum of
$1.35 million.
The 37-year-old Ratliff, entering his 16th NBA season, averaged 5.1 points,
4.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in 28 games for the Charlotte Bobcats last
season. He started the season with San Antonio and averaged 1.6 points and 1.9
boards in 21 contests with the Spurs.
"I've had a long and very rewarding career, and joining a storied and
legendary franchise such as the Lakers adds an even more special element,"
Ratliff said. "I look forward to playing for Coach (Phil) Jackson and with
great players such as Kobe (Bryant), Derek (Fisher), Pau (Gasol), Lamar
(Odom), Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and all my other new teammates, and hopefully
to helping the Lakers win a third straight championship."
Originally selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1995 NBA
Draft (18th overall), Ratliff has twice been named to the NBA All-Defensive
Second Team (1999 and 2004) and has led the league in blocked shots three
times (2000-01, 2002-03 and 2003-04).
<< Lee finally wins with Texas; Rangers edge Angels
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cliff Lee pitched 8 1/3 solid frames for his
first win in a Texas uniform, leading the Rangers past the AL West rival
Angels, 3-2, in the first of four games.
In just his third start for Texas since
<< A-Rod moves one step closer to 600; Yankees down Royals
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez hit home run No. 599 and drove in
four runs total, and the Yankees defeated the Royals, 10-4, in the start to a
four-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Rodriguez hit his 16th homer of the season a
<< Chivas defender Bornstein out with knee injury
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chivas USA captain Jonathan Bornstein will be
sidelined two weeks with a knee injury suffered Sunday in the SuperLiga match
against the Houston Dynamo, the Major League Soccer club announced Thursday.
Bornst
<< Notre Dame-Miami to renew rivalry in 2012
Coral Gables, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Miami and the University
of Notre Dame football programs have agreed to play each other in 2012, 22
years after the schools last met.
The game will be played at Soldier Field in Chica
<< Phillies fire hitting coach Thompson
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies, who have
struggled at the plate and are seven games behind NL East-leading Atlanta,
fired hitting coach Milt Thompson Thursday night.
The move came hours after the
Henry scores in New York debut >>
Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thierry Henry scored in his debut for Red Bull
New York on Thursday in a 2-1 loss to English Premier League club Tottenham in
the Barclays Challenge at Red Bull Arena.
Henry scored in the 25th minute to hand N
Duval boots 7 FGs as Als rout Hamilton >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Montreal kicker Damon Duval tied a career-high
with seven field goals as he helped lead the Alouettes to a commanding 37-14
win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Percival Molson Stadium.
Duval finished the n
Cain, Giants blank Diamondbacks >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Cain fanned nine batters over eight
shutout innings and Buster Posey continued his hot hitting by going 2-for-4
with an RBI as the Giants blanked the Diamondbacks, 3-0, at Chase Field.
Cain (8-8
Broncos' Dumervil agrees to extension >>
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil has
agreed to a contract extension, just over a month after he signed his free
agent contract tender.
Terms of Dumervil's extension weren't disclosed, but source
Donovan's late goal helps Galaxy tie Earthquakes >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Landon Donovan scored in the 90th minute and the
Los Angeles Galaxy remained unbeaten at home in Major League Soccer with a 2-2
draw Thursday night against the San Jose Earthquakes at The Home Depot Center.
Edso
NCAA Football Betting
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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