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03/13/2010 - Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shooting for their third championship in the last four years and the fourth overall, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels are into the title game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament today and will face the San Diego State Aztecs for the right to head to the NCAA Tournament.
Several bubbles burst around the nation on Friday as it became evident that the MWC would be sending no less than three programs to the NCAA Tournament, assuming the selection committee doesn't refuse admission to a pair of teams ranked in the top-15.
UNLV, the third seed in the 11th annual MWC Tournament and the host school for this year's event, gained access to the championship round on Friday night when it defeated the 14th-ranked and second-seeded BYU Cougars for the second time this season with a 70-66 triumph at the Thomas & Mack Center. The victory was the sixth in a row for UNLV, owners of a conference-record four tourney titles. The Rebels defeated sixth-seeded Utah in the quarterfinals by a score of 73-61.
As for the fourth-seeded Aztecs, it was assumed that they would be one of the last teams to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament based on their success this entire season, but now the squad can leave no doubt if it can take care of business in the desert today. Losers in last year's championship game to Utah by a score of 52-50, SDSU took care of eighth-ranked and top- seeded New Mexico on Friday with a 72-69 triumph. SDSU barely made it through the quarterfinals with a 72-71 win against Colorado State on Thursday.
With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, the Rebels own a 32-16 advantage over SDSU, even though it was the Aztecs who posted a 68-58 win in the most recent meeting four weeks ago at Viejas Arena when UNLV was ranked 23rd in the nation. This game also represents a rematch of the 2002 MWC Tournament title game when SDSU captured a 78-75 win over UNLV.
Billy White was the star of the show for the Aztecs in their win over New Mexico on Friday as he tallied a game-high 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, helping the program to shoot an impressive 51.9 percent from the floor. Even more impressive was the fact that the Aztecs hit on 10-of-16 shots beyond the arc and 8-of-9 at the free-throw line, considering the squad is one of the worst in the nation at the charity stripe. Kawhi Leonard, one of the top newcomers to the league this year, accounted for 15 points and 12 rebounds. Leonard remains the top scorer on the season for the squad with his 12.7 ppg. White is putting up 11.3 ppg for the group this season. As balanced a scoring attack as any school in the MWC, San Diego State has two other double-digit scorers in Malcolm Thomas (11.1 ppg) and D.J. Gay (10.3 ppg) as the group outscores opponents by nearly nine points per outing.
Leading by as many as 11 points in the second half yesterday, the Rebels nearly saw their chances of making it to the next round go up in smoke as that advantage dwindled to just a single point before the squad pulled out the unexpected win. Tre'Von Willis, who made a number of crucial free throws down the stretch for the hometown favorites, finished a perfect 6-of-6 at the stripe for his 18 points, while Chace Stanback tacked on 17 and Brice Massamba another 13 points and six rebounds off the bench for the victors. The defense allowed all-conference star Jimmer Fredette to come up with 30 points, but for the most part the rest of the Cougars were shut down. Willis has been the go- to guy on offense for the Rebels all season with his team-leading 17.5 ppg, thanks in large part to his 159-of-186 shooting at the free-throw line, helping the Rebels to make good on 72 percent at the stripe in 2009-10. Stanback is putting up 10.8 ppg and clearing a team-high 5.8 rpg, while it is the responsibility of Oscar Bellfield (9.1 ppg, 152 assists) to get the ball into the hands of the right people at the right time.
<< Bears set sights on Bulldogs in MEAC title game
Winston-Salem, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Back in the title game of the Mid-Eastern
Athletic Conference Tournament for the third straight year, the Morgan State
Bears try to repeat as champions this afternoon as they tangle with South
Carolina State
<< Bobcats battle Zips for Mid-American Conference crown
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Looking to claim their second consecutive
Mid-American Conference Tournament title, the third-seeded Akron Zips will
take the floor this evening against the ninth-seeded Ohio University Bobcats
at the Quicken Lo
<< Big Ten semifinals feature Buckeyes against Illini
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Semifinal round action in the Big Ten
Conference Tournament will begin this afternoon when the top-seeded Ohio State
Buckeyes battle the fifth-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini at Conseco
Fieldhouse.
The Fi
<< Jayhawks and Wildcats collide for Big 12 title
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bitter rivals meet in this evening's Big 12
Tournament Championship game, as the second-seeded and ninth-ranked Kansas
State Wildcats take aim at the top-seeded and No.1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks at
the Sprint Ce
Spiders attempt to snare Musketeers in A-10 semifinals >>
Atlantic City, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-seeded and 24th-ranked Xavier
Musketeers do battle with the third-seeded Richmond Spiders in the semifinal
round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament today at Boardwalk Hall. The winner of
this game will
Tigers and Golden Lions collide for SWAC crown >>
Bossier City, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southwestern Athletic Conference
Tournament Championship game will take place this evening at the CenturyTel
Center, when the second-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions battle the
fifth-seeded Texas S
Utah State and New Mexico State battle for WAC supremacy >>
Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Utah State tries to make it back-to-
back Western Athletic Conference Tournament titles tonight as the squad
clashes with the New Mexico State Aggies in the 27th-annual event at the
Lawlor Events Center in
49ers aim for record fifth Big West title against top-seeded Gauchos >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Long Beach State tries to raise its total of
Big West Conference Tournament titles to a record five, as the 49ers clash
with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the championship round of the 35th-annual
event at Anahe
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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