Bulldogs hope to cool off red-hot Raiders

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

01/08/2009 - Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Butler Bulldogs are once again the favorites to capture the Horizon League title, and they will play host to the Wright State Raiders this evening.

Wright State opened the season with six consecutive defeats and appeared to be on its way to a horrendous season. Surprisingly, however, the Raiders have turned things around, as they have won eight of their last nine contests, including six in a row, to move to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in HL action. On Saturday, Wright State held off Youngstown State in a 60-59 final.

Butler has won 14 consecutive Horizon League regular-season games dating back to last year. The Bulldogs hope to improve to 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2002-03, and they are 6-0 at home. On Saturday, they posted a 75-62 decision over Valparaiso.

Butler owns a narrow 17-15 series lead over Wright State, and the teams split a pair of meetings last season.

Vaughn Duggins is the leading scorer for Wright State with 11.8 ppg, and Cory Cooperwood checks in with 10.7 ppg. The Raiders are generating only 58.3 ppg on 39.9 percent shooting from the floor, so they are far from explosive at the offensive end. Fortunately, they have thrived on defense by limiting foes to 56.7 ppg. Wright State connected on only 30.8 percent of its field goal attempts in the first half against Youngstown State, including a 2-of-10 showing from three-point range. The Raiders trailed by 13 points at the break, but were able to knock down 57.1 percent of their shots from the floor over the final 20 minutes to claim the come-from-behind victory. Cooperwood, Todd Brown and Cooper Land scored 11 points apiece to lead the way in the triumph.

Butler is a tremendous defensive team, as it is yielding just 57.2 ppg on 39.1 percent shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs are generating 69.4 ppg, and there are three starters averaging double figures in scoring. Matt Howard paces the club with 14.0 ppg, and he is pulling down 6.8 rpg. Shelvin Mack is posting 13.3 ppg, and Gordon Hayward provides 12.9 ppg. Against Valparaiso on Saturday, Howard tallied 16 points on the strength of his 4-of-4 effort from the floor and 8-of-9 showing from the foul line. Willie Veasley and Gordon Hayward both scored 15 points, and Hayward also pulled down 13 rebounds. Mack contributed 14 points for the Bulldogs, who shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half after a 38.5 percent performance in the first half.

Offsmaker NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Verdasco, Mathieu reach Brisbane semis
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco and unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu notched quarterfinal victories Thursday at the ATP World Tour's season-opening Brisbane Interna

<< Smoltz heading to Boston
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with right-hander John Smoltz, who had spent his entire big league career with Atlanta. A report on MLB.com stated that Smoltz called many

<< Dementieva reaches Auckland semis; Wozniacki ousted
Auckland, New Zealand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Elena Dementieva cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win Thursday over Israel's Shahar Peer to reach the semifinals of the WTA Tour's season-opening $220,000 ASB Classic. Dementieva, who won three s

<< Mauresmo tops Ivanovic at Brisbane
Brisbane, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amelie Mauresmo defeated top-ranked Ana Ivanovic to advance to the semifinals of the $220,000 Brisbane International, a season-opening event on the WTA Tour. Mauresmo posted a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 vi

<< Tomlinson dealing with groin tear; Gates sits with ankle sprain
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson acknowledged what had been rumored prior to San Diego's AFC wild card win against Indianapolis last Saturday -- that the star is dealing with a torn tendon

Cilic, Karlovic advance; Moya tumbles out of Chennai >>
Chennai, India (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tall seeded Croats Marin Cilic and Ivo Karlovic were among Thursday's second-round winners, while former world No. 1 Carlos Moya came up a loser at the $450,000 Chennai Open, an ATP World Tour season-

Gophers try to bury Hawkeyes in Iowa City >>
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Iowa Hawkeyes play host to the 22nd- ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Big Ten Conference clash tonight in Iowa City. Tubby Smith has clearly turned the Minnesota program around, as his team has won 1

Xavier opens Atlantic 10 schedule against Saint Louis >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Xavier Musketeers and the Saint Louis Billikens begin Atlantic 10 play this evening, as they square off at the Cintas Center. Sean Miller's Musketeers opened the season with nine straight win

20th-ranked Sun Devils set sights on Beavers >>
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils return to the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena this evening, as they welcome the Oregon State Beavers to Tempe for a Pac-10 tussle. Herb Sendek's Sun Devils are a pe

Mavs aim to continue dominance over Knicks in Dallas >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA schedule can be a fickle mistress. One day it can lift your spirits and the next you are picking up the pieces after a devastating loss. Just ask Mike D'Antoni and the New York Knicks. Two days after their most

NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.