12/02/2008 - Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Beasley made a veteran play in his rookie season, stepping front of an inbounds pass, getting fouled and draining the winning free throw with 3.6 seconds left in overtime, as Miami downed Golden State, 130-129, sending the Warriors to their seventh straight defeat.
It happened in stunning fashion, as Golden State appeared ready to win in both regulation and overtime. Udonis Haslem, who scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, put back a Beasley miss just before the buzzer to force overtime. Miami grabbed 21 offensive rebounds overall, and outrebounded the Warriors, 51-36.
Chris Quinn then hit a game-tying three out of the right corner before Beasley's steal and free throw. Jamal Crawford, who scored 40 points in his first home game as a member of the Warriors, saw his running floater roll off the rim at the horn.
Dwyane Wade scored a team-best 37 points to go along with 13 assists, Shawn Marion added 21 points and 15 rebounds and Beasley donated 19 points. The Heat are 2-2 on their road trip, which ends Wednesday in Utah.
Corey Maggette made 17-of-18 free throws to support his 29-point night, and Brandan Wright added 15 points. Andris Biedrins totaled 17 points and 15 rebounds in defeat.
Miami opened up a 30-27 lead after one stanza, but fell behind by the time 24 game minutes were in the books. A pair of Stephen Jackson free throws put the Warriors in front, 36-35, and the edge reached five points, 44-39, on a Crawford rare four-point play with 6:24 on the clock.
Crawford converted a more conventional three-point play for a 47-41 advantage with 5:59 to go and Wright's slam along with Crawford's floating runner capped a quick 7-0 stretch for a 51-41 edge with 5:08 remaining.
Quinn's jumper cut the deficit to 58-54, and the deficit remained at four points, 64-60, at the half.
The game seemed to reach a crescendo late in the fourth quarter. Wade's running jumper brought the Heat within 114-113 then Maggette made 1-of-2 free throws for a two-point edge with 1:12 on the clock.
Wade drove into the lane on the next possession, but Daequan Cook missed a good look at a trey after Wade kicked it out to the deep right elbow. After the Warriors failed to score, Beasley was blocked on a drive, but the made scramble came out to the Heat, who called timeout with 14.8 ticks to go .
Wade missed a three-point heave at the end of the shot clock, but Miami again got another chance when the ball bounced out of bounds off the Heat with 7.8 seconds left. Beasley missed a game-tying baseline jumper, but Haslem collected the rebound and laid the ball up and in just before the red light to send the game into overtime.
Haslem and Maggette exchanged buckets to start overtime, and Beasley's power move and conversion put the Heat up 119-117. C.J. Watson's deep two-pointer jumper again squared the contest, but Beasley powered inside again for a basket and the lead. Crawford floated a short jumper over Beasley to again tie the game, then Watson made a steal and tossed a pass to a streaking Maggette, who was fouled but made both for the lead with 1:57 to play.
Wade came off a high pick and buried a game-tying jumper, but Crawford answered moments later with a contested jumper from the left wing. Miami didn't convert on the other end, but Maggette failed to score. Quinn missed a go-ahead three and Beasley was stripped after corralling the offensive board.
Wade again toiled amongst the big men in the lane, but three defenders altered his shot, forcing an erratic attempt. Biedrins grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Maggette, who drained both for a 127-123 edge with 18.4 seconds left.
Miami's star took the ball to the rim, and Wade got the shooter's touch and buried the free throw after a foul with 15.1 seconds left. Crawford was immediately fouled and made both for a 129-126 edge with 13.5 seconds to play.
Wade missed a three, but Crawford rolled out of bounds with the ball. Quinn hit a three with 7.1 ticks to go, and Beasley stole the inbounds pass.
The rest is history, resulting in another Warriors' loss.
Game Notes
Golden State's defense has been a major concern, as it had given up 109.1 points per game (an NBA worst) entering Monday's game...Miami has won 13 of the last 18 matchups in the series...The Heat made 28-of-31 free throws, but Golden State was even better at 47-of-52...Wade had three blocks...Crawford also dished out seven assists.
<< Former NHLer Martin dies in drowning accident
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hubert "Pit" Martin, who spent 18 years in the
NHL with four clubs, including more than 10 seasons with the Chicago
Blackhawks, passed away Monday after a drowning incident in Canada.
The 64-year-ol
<< Avs use big second period and then hold off Wild
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Stastny had two goals and an assist, and
capped a Colorado scoring binge with the eventual game-winner late in a four-
goal second period as the Avalanche topped the Minnesota Wild, 6-5, at Xcel
Energy
<< A's don't offer arbitration to Thomas
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics declined to offer salary
arbitration to any of their four free agents, including designated hitter
Frank Thomas.
Left-handed pitcher Alan Embree, right-handed pitcher Keith Fou
<< Thabeet dominates as No. 2 UConn rolls past Delaware State
Storrs, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hasheem Thabeet had 10 points, 17 rebounds and
four blocked shots, as second-ranked Connecticut rolled past Delaware
State,
79-49.
Gavin Edwards scored 17 points in a reserve role, Jerome Dyson netted 15
Mariners' Ibanez offered arbitration >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Mariners left fielder Raul Ibanez
was offered salary arbitration by the team prior to Monday night's midnight
(et) deadline.
"With the deadline tonight, offering Raul arbitration keeps all of o
Phillies pass on arbitration for Burrell, Moyer >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pat Burrell era in Philadelphia took
one step toward its possible conclusion after the World Series champion
Phillies balked at offering he and 16-game winner Jamie Moyer arbitration
prior t
Mets' Perez offered arbitration >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez was offered
salary arbitration prior to the midnight (et) deadline Monday night.
The 27-year-old left-hander has until the conclusion of Sunday to accept the
arbitration of
Pulley, Guyton highlight MEAC All-Conference Team >>
Virginia Beach, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Carolina State running back Will
Ford was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive
Player of the Year and Morgan State's Jarrell Guyton earned the Defensive
Player of the Year
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
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