Cavs, Raptors meet in Toronto

Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - (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 downed by Utah, 99-98, last Wednesday before posting a 114-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers the following day.

LeBron James poured in 38 points and hit the go-ahead jumper with just over three minutes left in the triumph. The All-Star went 10-of-16 from the field and feasted at the foul line with an 18-for-22 effort, as the Cavaliers won for the fourth time in five contests heading into the break.

James got little rest though as he netted 28 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists in the East's 153-132.

Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is expected to miss his third straight game tonight because of personal reasons. Guard Damon Jones (strep throat) is questionable.

Cleveland is 11-15 on the road this season is currently 2 1/2 games behind Detroit for the lead in the Central Division. The club returns home on Thursday to host the Bulls.

The Cavs have won five of six and eight of the last 11 against the Raptors. Cleveland has also claimed victory in four of its last six in Toronto.

The Raptors won their eighth straight home game last Wednesday when they knocked off the New Jersey Nets, 120-109. Chris Bosh had 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the win, and added 11 points and seven boards in Sunday's All-Star Game.

Morris Peterson added 18 points and seven boards while T.J. Ford netted 17 and dished out eight assists for the Raptors, who lead the Nets by 4 1/2 games in the Atlantic Division.

Overall, the Raptors have won 10 of their last 12 games and will play the middle tilt of a three-game homestand tonight. Toronto will host the Pacers on Friday at the Air Canada Centre, where the club is 19-7.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.