Spartans and Badgers meet in Big Ten tussle

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/02/2010 - Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Michigan State Spartans will attempt to remain perfect in Big Ten play when they pay a visit to the 16th- ranked Wisconsin Badgers, who are undefeated at home this season.

Michigan State is riding a 10-game win streak, as the club hasn't suffered a defeat since December 22nd. The Spartans haven't exactly been dominant in recent weeks, as their last six wins have come by single digits. They are 19-3 overall and are coming off a 79-70 decision over Northwestern.

As for Wisconsin, it had a modest two-game win streak halted with a 60-57 loss at Purdue last Thursday. The fact that the Badgers are just 2-4 at home and 12-0 at home illustrates how much more formidable they have been in Madison than in enemy territory. Wisconsin is 16-5 overall and 6-3 in conference.

Michigan State beat Wisconsin by a 54-47 final on January 6th, and the Spartans own a 68-58 series lead.

Through 22 outings, Michigan State is generating 76.5 ppg on 48.6 percent shooting from the floor, and the club is holding its opponents to 63.7 ppg on 39.5 percent field goal efficiency. The Spartans have been a dominant rebounding squad, ripping down 9.8 rpg more than the opposition on average. Kalin Lucas is netting 16.0 ppg to go along with 89 assists to pace Tom Izzo's squad, and Raymar Morgan checks in with 11.1 ppg. Rounding out a foursome of double-digit scorers are Durrell Summers (10.8 ppg) and Draymond Green (10.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg). Summers racked up 24 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over Northwestern on Saturday, and Lucas added 23 points. Delvon Roe netted 13 points for the Spartans, who shot 51.9 percent from the floor and earned a 37-27 rebounding advantage. A 22-13 edge in points from the foul line helped the cause as well.

Strong defense has been key to Wisconsin's success this season as expected, as the squad is holding foes to 57.1 ppg on 41 percent shooting from the floor. At the offensive end of the court, the Badgers are generating 68.1 ppg, and there are two active double-digit scorers in the fold. Trevon Hughes is netting 16.0 ppg, and Jason Bohannon provides 10.4 ppg. Wisconsin suffered a 37-25 rebounding disadvantage against Purdue last week, perhaps the most obvious contributing factor in the setback. The Badgers finished with 20 field goals in 50 minutes of action, an effort that simply wasn't good enough. Keaton Nankivil was the lone bright spot for Wisconsin, as he nailed 7-of-8 three-pointers en route to 25 points. The rest of the team combined to shoot 2-of-15 from behind the arc.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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