SEC action pits Gators against Vols

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators return to Gainesville looking to regain their swagger, as they play host to the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC action at the O'Connell Center.

Billy Donovan's Gators headed into this week with a seven-game win streak and a measuring stick on the docket with Tuesday's road game at top-ranked Kentucky. Unfortunately for Florida, it didn't quite measure up in a 78-58 loss to the Wildcats. Still, at 7-2 in conference play, the Gators are one of a few teams still within striking distance of Kentucky in the standings.

Cuonzo Martin's first season in Knoxville has certainly come with its ups and downs thus far. The team is an even 12-12 overall and one game under .500 in league play at 4-5. The real problem has come on the road, where Tennessee is still winless at 0-7. The Vols do enter this contest with a minor two-game win streak in tow, topping Georgia (73-62) and most recently South Carolina (69-57) at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Volunteers hold a 70-52 advantage in the all-time series. Florida had won four straight over Tennessee coming into this season, but it is the Volunteers seeking the regular-season sweep after opening SEC play with a 67-56 win over the Gators in Knoxville on January 7th.

The Volunteers have struggled with offensive consistency this season, as the numbers, like their overall record, are bland at best. Tennessee comes into this contest averaging a modest 68.6 ppg, doing so on .440 shooting. Guard Trae Golden is the team leader in the scoring column, but his 13.0 ppg isn't exactly the kind of numbers that scare many opponents. He also doubles as the team's primary distributor, doling out 4.6 apg. Jeronne Maymon (11.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg) has provided a presence in the paint and the recent addition of freshman Jarnell Stokes (8.9 ppg. 7.9 rpg) to the lineup has certainly helped take some of the low post burden off of Maymon's shoulders. However, Stokes is currently sidelined with a wrist injury.

Junior Skylar McBee made his presence felt in the team's 12-point win over South Carolina this week, as he hit four three-pointers en route to a career- high 18 points. Golden poured in 14 points in support, while Maymon added 12. Kenny Hall scored just four points in the win, but did grab 10 rebounds and block three shots. The Vols shot an impressive 50 percent from the floor, including 10-of-20 from beyond the arc, while holding South Carolina to a mere 33.9 percent effort.

Tennessee will be hard-pressed to match Florida's offensive firepower, especially after a poor showing in Lexington this week. The team managed a mere 58 points in the loss to the Wildcats, well below its current season averaging of 79.2 ppg. The Gators did manage to have three players finish in double figures in the lopsided loss, led by Kenny Boynton's 18 points. Fellow guard Bradley Beal added 14 points, while center Patric Young chipped in with 12.

The scoring output was certainly an anomaly and not the norm, as UF's scoring depth is vast, with all five starters averaging double digits. Boynton is the go-to-guy at the offensive end, averaging a hefty 17.6 ppg, fueled by his .440 accuracy from three-point range (81-of-184). Beal (14.3 ppg) and Erving Walker (12.1 ppg) add to the perimeter assault, with Walker pacing the team with almost five assists per game. Young (10.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is the top option up front, with forward Erik Murphy (10.0 ppg) providing a scoring touch both inside and out.

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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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