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02/25/2010 - Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats inch closer and closer to their 44th SEC Championship, as they play host to the South Carolina Gamecocks this evening at Rupp Arena.
John Calipari's Wildcats have put themselves in the driver's seat in the conference with a thrilling 58-56 win at Vanderbilt this past weekend. The win over the Commodores was the seventh straight for UK, pushing the team to an impressive 11-1 in league play. Kentucky holds a two-game lead in the conference standings over Vanderbilt (9-3) with four games to play.
South Carolina is much farther down the conference ladder. The team has had its moments this year, but has struggled of late, losing three straight games, including a 63-55 setback at home to Tennessee on Saturday. The loss to the Vols leaves the Gamecocks at a mere 5-7 in league play. To make matters worse, USC has really had its problems on the road this season, winning just one time in nine true road games.
The Gamecocks' shining moment this season came on January 26th, as South Carolina handed Kentucky its only league loss to date, with a 68-62 decision in Columbia. USC has won the last three meetings overall, but UK still maintains a huge advantage in the all-time series at 41-10, including a 21-2 edge in games played in Lexington.
A 17-3 run late for Tennessee proved to be the difference, sending the Gamecocks to their third straight loss this past weekend. South Carolina struggled to find its shot, connecting on just 31.7 percent from the floor and a miserable .192 from behind the arc (5-of-26). Brandis Raley-Ross led the way with 16 points. Devan Downey added 15 points, but was just 4-of-18 from the floor overall. Lakeem Jackson chipped in with 10 points, but USC allowed the Volunteers to shoot .488 from the field and were outrebounded by Tennessee, 40-30. The Gamecocks are not a high-percentage team in terms of shooting the basketball. The team is delivering on a rather pedestrian 41.7 percent from the floor, leading to a bland 72.8 ppg. Downey is shooting just .401 from the field, but still leads the SEC in scoring at 22.7 ppg. The team lost Dominique Archie (14.4 ppg) to a knee injury in December and Mike Holmes (11.0 ppg) to disciplinary action in January, leaving more of a scoring burden on Downey and Raley-Ross (11.4 ppg).
The Wildcats are as dangerous as any team in the country because of their ability to win games at either end of the floor. If a shootout is called for, UK is more than capable of accommodating, averaging a hefty 80.4 ppg on .480 shooting. If a defensive battle breaks out, Kentucky is certainly up to the challenge, limiting foes to just 65.3 ppg and well under 40 percent shooting (.378). The team is led by a pair of freshmen who might be the best players at their respective positions in the country. John Wall is the straw that stirs the drink in Lexington, pacing the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) and the SEC in assists (6.3 apg). DeMarcus Cousins has been a force in the paint, averaging a double-double with 16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game (second in the SEC). Junior Patrick Patterson (14.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) is another top-notch asset in the frontcourt, while freshman Eric Bledsoe (10.7 ppg) gives the team yet another young threat from the perimeter. It was a stifling defensive effort in Nashville this past weekend, as Kentucky held Vanderbilt to an ugly .321 shooting, including just .100 from behind the arc (2-of-20), in addition to forcing the Commodores into 15 costly turnovers. Cousins led the way with 19 points. Wall and Patterson chipped in 13 points apiece, while Patterson completed a double-double with 13 rebounds. Wall hit a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left in the game and made a big defensive play to send his team to victory.
<< Badgers visit Hoosiers in Big Ten battle
Bloomington, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 17th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers invade
Assembly Hall in Bloomington tonight for a Big Ten Conference clash with the
Indiana Hoosiers.
Wisconsin has won two of its last three games to move to 20-7 overall
<< Zags can claim share of WCC title with win over Broncos
Spokane, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 18th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will attempt
to claim at least a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title
tonight, as they host the Santa Clara Broncos at the McCarthy Athletic Center
in Spokane, W
<< No. 16 Vanderbilt hosts Georgia in SEC action
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Georgia Bulldogs are still in search of
their first true road win of the season, but they are clearly underdogs
tonight against the 16th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores in SEC action.
Wins in two of the last
<< Zheng Jie ousted in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - China's Zheng Jie was a second-round
loser on Thursday at the Malaysian Open.
The third-seeded Zheng, a semifinalist last month at the Australian Open, was
beaten in straight sets by Taiwan's Kai-Ch
Eastern heavyweights collide as Cavs visit Celtics >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA has a light schedule Thursday, but one contest is a
matchup of Eastern Conference heavyweights. LeBron James and the Cleveland
Cavaliers will mosey into Boston tonight to take on the Celtics at TD Garden
and hope to e
Dantley set to mentor Nuggets against Warriors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Northwest Division-leading Denver Nuggets shoot for
their sixth straight win over the Golden State Warriors tonight, when the two
clubs get together at ORACLE Arena.
Denver is 3-0 against the Warriors this year and has
Bridge doesn't want to play for England >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City left back Wayne Bridge
has said he does not want to be considered for selection by England.
The news means that Fabio Capello will not be able to include the former
Southampton a
Steelers agree to three-year deal with Hampton >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to a
three-year contract with Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton.
Financial terms of the deal, which will run through 2012, were not disclosed,
but the Pittsburgh Pos
Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds
Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.
The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.
The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.
Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.
MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:
Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)
Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)
Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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