Bryant and Lakers hold off Heat

Basketball Betting Lines

01/16/2007 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant survived an off night, gutting out 25 points on 11-of-24 shooting and adding eight assists, and the LA Lakers held off the Miami Heat, 124-118, in overtime.

Brian Cook scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for LA, which had dropped two of three entering the game. Smush Parker scored 17 points, Maurice Evans scored 12, and Andrew Bynum and Vladimir Radmanovic contributed 11 points apiece as the Lakers won with a true team effort.

Dwyane Wade scored 35 points to lead the Heat, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Udonis Haslem scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, James Posey scored 16, and Antoine Walker added 13 points for Miami.

With the Heat trailing 121-118 in the extra session, Wade drove the lane and tried to get a pass off to the corner, but Parker stepped in front for the steal. Parker was immediately fouled, and hit two free throws with 16.1 seconds left in overtime that sealed the game, putting the Lakers up 123-118 as the team held on for the win.

LA led 108-101 late in regulation, but Miami scored seven straight, tying the game at 108-108 on a Jason Kapono trey with 1:58 left. A Bryant jumper gave LA a 110-108 lead, but Haslem threw down a dunk with 22.5 seconds left to tie the game at 110-110, and Bryant couldn't get a shot off on LA's final possession, sending the game to overtime.

Miami erased a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter, scoring 11 straight, with a Walker three putting the Heat up 87-85 with 23 seconds left. Radmanovic hit a trey in the final seconds of the quarter, though, and the Lakers regained the lead, 88-87, entering the final quarter.

The Lakers led 33-29 after one quarter of play, and maintained a slim 61-59 advantage at halftime.

Game Notes

LA shot 56 percent from behind the arc, sinking 14-of-25 three-pointers attempted...Miami had won four of the last five meetings in the series, including a 101-85 win over the Lakers in Miami on Christmas Day...Miami has lost four of five at LA...LA improved to 18-4 at home this season.

Casinoonlinewagering Basketball Betting News

<< Sharks down Avalanche
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrick Marleau notched a goal and two assists to help the San Jose Sharks to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche at HP Pavilion. Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton each notched a goal and an assis

<< Tar Heels hold off UConn
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LaToya Pringle scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds as second-ranked North Carolina held off No. 6 Connecticut, 82-76, at Carmichael Auditorium. Erlana Larkins added 15 points and

<< Nebraska's Jackson headed to the NFL
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson announced on Monday that he will forgo his senior year to make himself eligible for the NFL draft. Over his three-year career with the Huskers, Jackson r

<< No. 5 Kansas outlasts rival Missouri
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sherron Collins netted 23 points to lead the fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks past the Missouri Tigers, 80-77, at Allen Fieldhouse. Brandon Rush added 16 points and six boards for the Jayhawks (16-2,

<< Montreal Alouettes
Signed defensive tackle Devone Claybrooks and running back Morris Virgil.

Nadal, Nalbandian advance in stifling heat in Melbourne >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Nadal, the second-seeded player from Spain, and David Nalbandian, the eighth-seeded player from Argentina, survived first-round matches as temperatures soaring past 100 degrees

Sharapova beats opponent, heat in Aussie openers >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Maria Sharapova survived a scare and hung on to win in the first round at a scorchingly hot 2007 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday. With temperatures over 100 degrees play

St. Louis to host 2009 All-Star Game >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis' Busch Stadium has been chosen to host the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement at the annual St. Louis Baseball Writers Dinner on Monday.

Sharapova beats opponent, heat in Aussie opener >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Maria Sharapova survived a scare and hung on to win in the first round at a scorchingly-hot 2007 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday. With temperatures over 100 degrees, pla

Falcons swoop into Salt Lake City >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The victories are becoming a little tighter, but they still keep coming as the 13th-ranked Air Force Falcons hit the road to take on the Utah Runnin' Utes at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake Ci

SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards