Knicks visit Atlantic Division-rival Philadelphia

Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers conclude their seven-game homestand tonight when they welcome the Atlantic Division rival New York Knicks to the Wachovia Center.

The Sixers fell to 2-4 on their stand before the All-Star break when they were defeated by the Washington Wizards, 92-85, last Wednesday. Kyle Korver led the 76ers with 18 points off the bench, while Andre Iguodala scored 14 points, handed out 13 helpers and grabbed eight rebounds.

Andre Miller and Rodney Carney each contributed 13 points and Samuel Dalembert donated 11 points with 17 rebounds as Philadelphia dropped its third straight contest.

Philadelphia is currently 9-15 at home this year, but will play its next two tilts on the road, starting with a game in Charlotte on Friday.

The Knicks were just in action on Tuesday when they recorded a 100-94 win over Orlando behind 20 points each by Jamal Crawford and Eddy Curry.

Quentin Richardson added 15 points and David Lee had 14 points and 16 boards for the Knicks, who have won four of their last six. Stephon Marbury also had 14 points.

The Knicks, who are 10-17 on the road this season, now find themselves just three games out of a playoff spot. The team will return home to host Milwaukee on Friday.

The teams have split two meetings so far this season. Philadelphia won the first matchup on December 23 before the Knicks snapped a four-game series losing streak with a 106-99 win on January 10.

The 76ers have won four in a row at home against the Knicks.

Sprtsline Basketball Betting News

<< Florida inches closer to SEC crown, as Gators host Gamecocks
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked Florida Gators have been knocked off their perch atop the college basketball world, at least temporarily, but they continue to rule the SEC and are heavy favorit

<< Louisville seeks 20th victory of the season
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Louisville Cardinals gun for their fourth straight win tonight, as they host the St. John's Red Storm in Big East play from Freedom Hall. The Cardinals moved into the Top-25 this

<< Streaking Commodores set to battle Bulldogs
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off one of the most memorable victories in recent memory for the program, the 17th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores hope to carry the momentum into tonight's SEC clash with the Mississ

<< Aggies meet Cowboys in Stillwater
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies have made the trip to Stillwater for a Big 12 Conference clash with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Texas A&M has won six of its last seven games to move

<< Salukis seek double-digit win streak in Terre Haute
Terre Haute, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Southern Illinois Salukis have achieved their highest ranking in program history, and they carry a wealth of momentum into tonight's Missouri Valley Confere

Cavs, Raptors meet in Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers conclude a three-game road trip tonight when they travel to Toronto to battle the Raptors at Air Canada Centre. Cleveland has split the first two games of its trek so far. The Cavaliers were downe

Nets open homestand against Hornets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets open up a five-game homestand this evening when they welcome the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets to the Continental Airlines Arena. However, the big question for the Nets is how many of those games s

Magic, Pistons play front end of home-and-home set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic open a home-and- home set tonight when the two teams square off at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit comes into the game on a winning note after holding on for an 84-83 win over t

Timberwolves open homestand vs. Bobcats >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves hope home is where the heart is when the struggling club opens up a five-game homestand this evening against the Charlotte Bobcats at the Target Center. The Timberwolves have lost six of their l

Celtics continue swing in Phoenix >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns welcome the NBA-worst Boston Celtics tonight to US Airways Center. This is the second and final meeting of the campaign between the squads. On December 8th, Shawn Marion poured i

MySportsbook.com is operated by Sportingbet, a UK gambling company which is publicly traded on the AIM on the London Stock Exchange.

Sportingbet easily forms the world's largest Internet gaming company, with a truly global outreach. This also provides added transparency and accountability to this online Sportsbook and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. MySportsbook offers betting lines on all major sporting events. Our staff of almost 400 people includes clerks ready 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to care for your needs.

MySportsbook's competent, experienced managerial staff and personnel are backed by a state-of-the art sports wagering software.

We offer a 15% sign-up bonus to new customers who use Neteller for deposit and 10% bonus for all other deposit methods. Casino clients can take advantage of a 5% cash back monthly. Clients are also eligible for a 5% re-up bonus on subsequent deposits and 10% cash back on NFL losses.* Our instant-play flash casino is no-download, just click and go to a wide range of games including online Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Baccarat, Roulette and Pai-Gow Poker, as well as a variety of slots and video poker games for the complete online casino Las Vegas experience.

My Sports book accepts all credit cards, online checks, Neteller, Firepay and bank wires. MySportsbook guarantees prompt, hassle-free payouts, as well as unparalleled individual attention from its acclaimed customer service department.

To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.