No 4th quarter heroics for Kobe in Lakers' loss

Basketball Betting Lines

06/06/2010 -

LOS ANGELES (AP) -For once, the fourth quarter didn't belong to Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar picked up his fifth foul early in the final period, when Bryant's defensive matchup, Rajon Rondo, carried the Boston Celtics to a 103-94 victory Sunday night that tied the NBA finals at a game apiece.

Bryant finished with 21 points, six assists, five turnovers and four steals in the Lakers' first home loss of the postseason. They dropped to 9-1 at Staples Center.

Midway through the fourth, it looked as though Bryant was going to take over as he's done countless times in his career. He scored five points in a row to extend the Lakers' lead to 90-87 - their largest of the period.

But Rondo wasn't finished. He keyed a game-ending 16-4 run to help the Celtics tie the series. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Boston.

Bryant, meanwhile, began misfiring over the final 5 minutes. He missed a 3-pointer, then scored from long range after teammate Ron Artest's haphazard dribbling led to an ill-advised 3-pointer that came up empty.

Bryant missed again on a drive while double-teamed, then got stripped of the ball from behind by Rondo before missing another 3 in the closing seconds.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Offsmaker Basketball Betting News

<< Byfuglien powers Blackhawks to Game 5 win
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dustin Byfuglien finally broke out, scoring two goals and adding two assists, and the Chicago Blackhawks moved one step closer to a championship with a 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of the Sta

<< Allen's three-point display in Game 2 helps Celtics earn split in LA
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Allen set an NBA Finals record by making eight shots from beyond the arc on the way to a 32-point night, as the Celtics evened the championship series with a 103-94 Game 2 win over the Los Angeles

<< Ray Allen sets NBA Finals record for three-pointers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston guard Ray Allen set an NBA Finals record by sinking his eighth three-point shot of the game with 4:40 left in the third quarter Sunday night. Allen made his first seven three-point shots in the first

<< Blackhawks answer Flyers' attack to maintain large lead in Game 5
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dustin Byfuglien scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Finals with 4:15 left in the second period to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 5-2 lead over the Philadelphia Flyers after 40 minutes of play in a pivotal Gam

<< Allen hits seven from beyond arc, gives Celtics lead at half
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Allen made his first seven three-point shots in the first half on the way to an incredible 27-point effort, boosting the Celtics to a 54-48 advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers at halftime in Game 2 of th

Report: Nebraska, Missouri given deadline on future plans >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Austin American-Statesman is reporting that the Big 12 has given Nebraska and Missouri until Friday to decide whether or not they want to stay in the Big 12. The ultimatum was given by the conference p

Brewers avoid sweep with extra-inning win over Cardinals >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Corey Hart drove in the game-winning run with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly to push Milwaukee past St. Louis 4-3 to avoid a series sweep at Busch Stadium. Rookie Zach Braddock (1-0) earned his first major l

Celtics and Doc steal one from Lakers >>
LOS ANGELES (AP) -The beautiful people mostly stayed until the end, trading perplexed looks with each other courtside as if waiting for someone to come forward and offer them an explanation. The numbers simply didn't add up, either on Kobe Bryant's

Arizona State, Texas, Florida clinch Super Regional spots >>
Fullerton, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona State, Texas and Florida were among the teams advancing Sunday to the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals. The top-seeded Sun Devils advanced out of the Tempe Regional thanks to an 8-4 victory over Hawa

Chicago channels its inner bully >>
CHICAGO (AP) -It's clear by now who the real bullies are.The speedy, skillful Blackhawks can still make the game look easy - witness the second-period power-play goal on which four Chicago players strung together passes in rapid-fire succession befo

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.

Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship

(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.

MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts US credit cards needs.