NBA Betting: Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz each sit one game below .500.

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Utah at Minnesota
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

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THE STORY: The Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz each sit one game below .500. Only one of them can go into the All-Star break even. The Timberwolves won three straight to reach .500 but were edged 103-101 in overtime at Denver on Monday. The Jazz were once one of the surprise teams in the Western Conference but are now on the verge of falling alone into the Northwest Division basement. Utah is 3-9 in February and has allowed an average of 100.8 points over that span.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest Plus (Jazz), FS North (Timberwolves)

ABOUT THE JAZZ (15-16): Utah beat Minnesota 108-98 on Jan. 21, pushing its record to 10-5. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson combined for 44 points and 21 rebounds in that one and C.J. Miles poured in 18 points off the bench. Things have fallen off quite a bit since. Millsap and Jefferson have been consistent performers in the frontcourt but the defense has been a problem. The Jazz’s only win in the last five games came at home to the lowly Washington Wizards, who still managed to put up 100 points in the 114-100 decision.


ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (16-17): Kevin Love has only had two games this season in which he did not record a double-double. One was a 15-point, eight-rebound performance at Utah, in which he shot 5 for 21 from the floor and 1 for 7 from 3-point range. Love had another off night on Monday, shooting 7 for 23, as Minnesota had its winning streak snapped. The Timberwolves shot 36 percent and were outrebounded for one of the few times, 57-50 at Denver. Minnesota has not been more than one game over .500 at any point this season and head West for a four-game road trip immediately following the All-Star break.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Utah has taken six of the last seven meetings.

2. Jazz guard Raja Bell (adductor) missed Monday’s game and will be a game-time decision Wednesday.

3. Love has averaged 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds in 13 career games against Utah.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 110, Jazz 99.  CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$

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NBA Basketball Betting: Golden State Warriors visit Phoenix Suns

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Golden State at Phoenix
When: 9:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Where: US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

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THE STORY: Home court has been the deciding factor in each of the first two meetings between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. That bodes well for Wednesday’s hosts as the Suns entertain the Warriors in the final game for both teams prior to the All-Star break. Phoenix opened this season’s head-to-head series with a convincing 102-91 triumph on Jan. 2, while the Warriors responded with a 102-96 triumph on Feb. 13. The Suns come in on a two-game winning streak following impressive home victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards. The Warriors beat the Clippers 104-97 Tuesday to halt a three-game losing skid.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Fox Sports Arizona

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (12-19): Big games from Monta Ellis usually mean bad news for Golden State. Ellis and the Warriors bucked that trend as the hot-shooting guard poured in a team-high 32 points in the narrow win. That improved Golden State to 2-6 in games in which Ellis scores 30 or more points. Ellis has been downright abysmal in two games against the Suns this season, averaging just 17 points – more than five below his season average – while connecting on just 11 of 36 shots from the field.

ABOUT THE SUNS (14-17): Phoenix appears content to ride out the remainder of the season with aging point guard Steve Nash on its roster. That seems to suit Nash just fine, as he continues to post some of the most incredible numbers ever generated by a 38-year-old. Nash leads the NBA at 11 assists per game, and he’s shooting a career-best 54.3 percent from the field. Despite his sensational statistics, Phoenix comes into the night four games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The winning team has averaged 113.5 points in the last 10 encounters.

2. Nash has recorded double-digit assist totals in 10 straight games.

PREDICTION: Suns 116, Warriors 111. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$

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Rihanna, Chris Brown Heading Towards Another Relationship?

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The story of music stars Rihanna and Chris Brown has taken many twists and turns throughout the years and it came to a head in 2009 when Brown was arrested on domestic abuse charges and was later found convicted on all counts. He managed to get a plea deal to avoid jail time but his career looked all but over while Rihanna continued to top the charts.

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Here we are, almost three years since Brown was charged, and his career seems to be doing fine and then some as he won a Grammy Award for “F.A.M.E.”, which took home the honors for Best R&B Album. The Grammys have been criticized for giving Brown an award given his past (ironically, the assault took place at a pre-Grammy party), but the one person it doesn’t seem to bother is Rihanna. Now, the two have been seen tweeting to each other and Brown sent Rihanna a birthday wish last week.

But the plot is getting thicker now as the two are working together; Rihanna is featured on the remix to Brown’s “Turn Up The Music”, while he returned the favor on a remix to her “Birthday Cake” song, both of which were released on the internet on Monday. Rihanna has stated that she has forgiven Brown for the assault and that she enjoys his music, and she is taking criticism from all corners.

The question “Will Rihanna and Chris Brown officially get back together as a couple in 2012” once seemed silly to even ask, but now, you have to wonder. The two obviously have some sort of connection that only they understand, even though it could be career-ending for Rihanna more so than Brown. When you consider their history, nothing that happens will be a surprise.

Bet Entertainment Props at Bovada Sportsbook right now and make your prediction as to whether Chris Brown and Rihanna will reconcile!

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Betting On North Carolina Virginia: NCAA College Basketball Betting

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The Virginia Cavaliers are still quite likely to make the NCAA Tournament, but a win at home against the North Carolina Tar Heels would make them a lock for the upcoming Big Dance.

North Carolina Tar Heels @ Virginia Cavaliers – Saturday, February 25
Sports betting line: No line

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Why North Carolina Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, it’s hard to avoid a very simple conclusion: North Carolina is likely to overwhelm Virginia on the glass. The Tar Heels have not been shooting the ball well from three-point range this season, but even when they miss, their big men – Tyler Zeller and John Henson – are frequently able to rebound the ball. On eight occasions this season, the Tar Heels have grabbed at least 20 offensive rebounds. That’s simply a ridiculous statistic, and it’s also an indication of the profound advantage the Heels have even when they miss shots.

Zeller and Henson own large wingspans and can pluck the ball over and against smaller, less athletic defenders. It’s true that Carolina’s perimeter players need to hit more threes, but even if Virginia slows this game down and plays at the pace it wants, the Tar Heels are still likely to win the rebounding battle; unless it turns the ball over a lot, North Carolina is in very good position to win this game in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Why Virginia Will Win

The college basketball betting experts who follow the Atlantic Coast Conference for a living know that Virginia has struggled recently; the Cavaliers enter this game without a winning record in the month of February. A hand injury has limited the effectiveness of leading scorer Mike Scott, and the Cavaliers have wilted at the offensive end of the floor. However, coach Tony Bennett – who has steadily improved the program in his tenure – regularly gets his team to play sound halfcourt defense, and that’s exactly what can counter North Carolina’s foremost strengths.

North Carolina wants to push the pace and get out in transition; that’s the style Tar Heel coach Roy Williams desires. Bennett, though, won’t let Williams engineer a racehorse game from the bench. Virginia will slow the tempo, pack in its defense, and make it hard for Tar Heel point guard Kendall Marshall to feed the ball to big man Tyler Zeller in the low post.

The only perimeter shooter Virginia has to worry about is Carolina two-guard Harrison Barnes. If Virginia can contain Barnes as a three-point shooter, the other four Cavs on the floor can make life difficult for Zeller and minimize the impact of North Carolina’s size and length near the basket. The ingredients exist for a Virginia upset, and they exist at the defensive end of the floor.

Who Will Win

It’s a nasty place for Virginia to be: Even if the Cavaliers play great defense, they have to protect the defensive backboard, and that’s very hard to do against North Carolina’s length. This game will probably be low-scoring and tailored to Tony Bennett’s tastes, but even then, North Carolina is likely to get 15 offensive rebounds and enough second-chance points to win a close game. Take the Tar Heels on the road.

College Basketball Betting Pick: North Carolina

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NCAA Gambling: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Marquette Golden Eagles

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Rutgers at Marquette
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Where: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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THE STORY: Despite being hit hard by injuries in the frontcourt, No. 10 Marquette has positioned itself for a high NCAA Tournament seed by winning 10 of its last 11 games. The Golden Eagles have been riding a high-octane offense that ranks among the national leaders in scoring, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. Rutgers comes in with a five-game losing streak, including a bitterly fought 74-64 defeat against No. 2 Syracuse on Sunday. Marquette earned a 73-65 road win over the Scarlet Knights last season, their fifth straight triumph in the series.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big East Network, Sports32 (Milwaukee/Green Bay), MSG (New York City), WFMZ (Philadelphia), ESPN3.com

ABOUT RUTGERS (12-15, 4-10 Big East): The Scarlet Knights have remained competitive thanks in large part to a defense that still ranks among the league leaders in steals (8.4) and holds opponents to 64.7 points on 41.2 percent shooting from the floor. Rutgers has been turnover-prone on offense (14.7 per game) but makes up for it by forcing plenty of mistakes (15.8) at the other end. Six players average at least seven points apiece for the Scarlet Knights, led by freshman guard Eli Carter (13.4). Sophomore forward Gilvydas Biruta had 21 points in the loss to Syracuse.


ABOUT MARQUETTE (22-5, 11-3 Big East): The Golden Eagles, tied with Notre Dame for second place in the conference, have been getting by despite knee injuries to their top two centers — senior starter Chris Otule is out for the year, and sophomore Davante Gardner is still doubtful after missing the last five games. Marquette remains potent offensively, led by the outside-inside senior combo of guard Darius Johnson-Odom (18.6 points) and forward Jae Crowder (16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals).

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1. Marquette has been dominant on its home floor against Rutgers, winning their three games in Milwaukee by an average of 24.3 points.

2. The Golden Eagles have won at least 10 Big East games in six of their seven seasons since joining the league in 2005-06.

3. Marquette plays its next two games on the road against West Virginia (Feb. 24) and Cincinnati (Feb. 29) before returning home to wrap the regular season against Georgetown on March 3.

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NCAA Basketball Lines: Wichita State Shockers at Illinois State Red Birds

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Wichita St. at Illinois St.
When: 8:05 PM ET, Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Where: Redbird Arena, Normal, Illinois

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THE STORY: Wichita State prides itself on winning away from Koch Arena, and the 19th-ranked Shockers have a chance to clinch the Missouri Valley Conference title outright on the road against Illinois State. Wichita State will have a great shot if Joe Ragland comes anywhere close to duplicating his last performance. The senior point guard scored 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting in a 91-74 rout at Davidson on Saturday. The Redbirds, however, nearly rallied from a 23-point deficit in the first meeting Jan. 10. Ragland scored 15 points and Garrett Stutz and Toure’ Murry each hit free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal a 65-62 victory. Nic Moore scored 20 of his season-high 23 points in the second half for Illinois State. Wichita State has won the last four meetings. The Shockers ended a three-game losing streak in Normal, Ill., with a 65-61 victory last season.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Kansas 22 (Cox)

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (24-4, 14-2 Missouri Valley): The senior-laden Shockers are playing their best basketball as March rolls around. Wichita State has won 22 of 24, including six straight since a triple-overtime loss to Drake on Jan. 28. Stutz, a 7-foot senior, is the leading scorer, but Ragland has been red-hot, averaging 18.2 points over the last seven games. Ragland and the Shockers shot a scorching 80 percent (20 of 25) in the second half against a solid Davidson team. Murry broke out of an 11-for-31 slump by scoring 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting versus the Wildcats. The eighth-most efficient offense, according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings (1.18 points/per possession), ranks 18th in the nation in scoring (78.6) and eighth in field goal percentage (49.2. The Shockers also play lock-down defense (39.9 field goal percentage – 38th) and are 18th in rebounding margin (8.5).

ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE (17-11, 8-8 Missouri Valley): The Redbirds ended a two-game losing streak with a 79-75 victory over Oakland on Saturday. Jackie Carmichael scored 25 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 junior forward, who leads the MVC in rebounding (9.3) and is third in blocks (1.2), is averaging 18 points and 13.7 rebounds over the last four games. Junior guard Tyler Brown is the conference’s second-leading 3-point shooter (42.1), but has hit just three of his last 15 attempts and now faces the MVC’s stingiest perimeter defense (30.5 percent). The Redbirds boast the third-best field goal defense in the conference (41.4). They held the Shockers to 41.5 percent from the field in the first meeting.

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1. “We step into every day with the mindset that we’re road warriors,” –Ragland, on the Shockers’ 10-1 road record.

2. This is the highest the Shockers have been ranked since 2006, when they reached 16th. Wichita State is 8-3 against teams in the top 100 of the RPI.

3. The last five meetings have been decided by an average of 7.2 points.

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NBA Betting: Underdog Spurs Look for 12th Straight Win Tuesday at Trail Blazers

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The San Antonio Spurs just lost star swingman Manu Ginobili and backup center Tiago Splitter for two weeks apiece to various injuries. Yet San Antonio kept rolling along Monday night by winning 106-102 in Utah for the Spurs’ NBA-high 11th win in a row. San Antonio looks to make it a dozen tonight in Portland, not usually an easy place to win. And the Blazers are 4-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds.

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Both Ginobili and Splitter were hurt in Saturday’s win over the Clippers. Ginobili suffered an oblique injury, while Splitter has a calf strain. Tony Parker had 23 points and 11 assists on Monday to lead the Spurs, while Richard Jefferson hit a 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left — only his second field goal all night. It was San Antonio’s seventh straight road win on its nine-game Rodeo Trip. No NBA team ever has won every game of a road trip longer than seven games.

Portland looked terrible at the Lakers on Monday, falling 103-92. Los Angeles reeled off a 37-4 run after Raymond Felton’s game-opening 3-pointer for Portland. After scoring a franchise-low seven points in the first quarter, Portland got no closer than 10 points late in its fourth loss in six games.LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum scored 18 points apiece to lead Portland. Early in the day, the Blazers learned that Greg Oden, the one-time No. 1 overall pick, would officially miss the entire season (again) after undergoing yet another microfracture surgery on his left knee.

The Spurs defeated the Blazers 99-83 Jan. 13 in San Antonio as the Spurs held a 44-17 advantage in bench scoring and Parker finished with 20 points and nine assists. The Spurs’ win snapped a three-game Blazers winning streak in the series. The Blazers have won six in a row and hold a 45-26 edge in Portland, however.

San Antonio is 7-0 ATS in its past seven as a dog and 8-0 ATS in past eight vs. teams with a winning record. Blazers are 9-2 ATS in past 11 after a loss. San Antonio is 1-7 ATS in past eight in Portland.

Defy The Odds: Bet on the NBA at Bovada Sportsbook!

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Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields in UFC Welterweight Bout

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When Jake Shields first went to the UFC many MMA betting fans were licking their chops at his 14-fight win streak and elite wrestling skills. However, a 1-2 record since joining the organization has all but disintegrated fans’ hopes that he would be another UFC betting stud.

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Shields has slowly dropped down in the Welterweight rankings and will now need a win against Yoshihiro Akiyamathis weekend at UFC 144 to remain relevant in the division.

Akiyama is another fighter that was a big name in other organizations but has had a tough time since coming over to the UFC. The Japanese judo specialist won his first UFC fight but has since dropped three straight. Now he will drop down to Welterweight to face Shields, and will also need to win if he hopes to have any type of future within the organization.

Since both fighters are primarily grapplers Shields will have an edge as one of the top wrestlers in the division. The stand-up battle, if there is one at all, should be closely matched with a slight power edge going to Akiyama. However, if one fighter starts to get the best of it in a stand-up bout neither fighter will be able to take the matchup to the mat.

Keys to victory for Shields are simple: He needs to get the fight to the ground where he should dominate for either a unanimous decision or a submission victory. All he has to do is stay away from Akiyama’s power and wear him down with ground-and-pound. Akiyama will need to use his boxing skills to keep Shields at bay and out-strike the former Strikeforce Middleweight champion the wayGeorges St- Pierre was able to do last summer.

Get all your MMA odds for Saturday night’s UFC 144 card in Tokyo this week at Bovada.

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Golf Betting Odds: Donald Returns to Defend WGC-Accenture Match Play Crown

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World No. 1 Luke Donald of England returns to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona this week as the reigning champion of the WGC-Accenture Match Play championship in golf betting action that will run from Wednesday through until the final match on Sunday afternoon.

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As the top seed overall Donald will face the lowest-ranked player that qualifies for this event, to which only the top 64 golfers in the official world rankings are invited. Phil Mickelson and Paul Caseyare the only two players missing from the eligible field this week, which opened the door for South Africans George Coatzee and Ernie Els to compete at Dove Mountain.

Donald, who is listed at 14/1 odds to win this event as the top seed in the Bobby Jones bracket, will accordingly face Ernie Els (100/1) in his first match on Wednesday.

The other top seeds in the three remaining brackets include world No. 2 Rory McIlroy (11/1 odds) who will face George Coetzee (100/1) in the Gary Player bracket; world No. 3 Lee Westwood (18/1 odds) who will tangle with Nicolas Colsaerts (80/1) in the Sam Snead bracket; and world No. 4Martin Kaymer (22/1) who will play against Greg Chalmers (150/1) in the Ben Hogan bracket.

McIlroy and Tiger Woods are listed as the co-favorites ahead of Donald at 11/1 odds to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play title. Woods, who will take on Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (150/1) in his opening match on Wednesday, is grouped in the competitive San Snead bracket along with Westwood, Webb Simpson (28/1), and Bill Haas (33/1). Haas is coming off a PGA Tour victory ingolf betting results last week at the Northern Trust Open.

Cash in on 2012 golf odds, player props, and futures available right now at Bovada.

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Your Weekly Bovada Online Poker Tournament Report For February 21, 2012

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Every week, Bovada hosts thousands of online poker tournaments, ranging from single table events to their massive $100,000 guaranteed events There’s really no way we can cover all of them, but we do want to make sure you keep up with who won the biggest of the big games so you know how hot the action is there.

So, who took the top spot in this past Sunday’s $100,000 guaranteed online poker tournament? Mario S took first place this week, earning $21,703.50 for his victory. He was followed by Nils J($14,469.00) and Robert K, who rounded out the top trifecta while pocketing $11,018.70. Here are the rest of the final table results: Jared R ($8,069.25); Dane S ($5,787.60); Xin K ($4,340.70); Clayton G($3,227.70); Jeffrey M ($2,170.35) and Eric P ($1,446.90).

In addition to show-stopping Sunday events, Bovada hosts a series of regularly-scheduled big-money online poker tournaments for players, and here are the winners for last week!

• February 13 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Danny S
• February 14 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Sean G 
• February 15 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Aaron B 
• February 16 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Kyle O 
• February 17 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: David P 
• February 18 — $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack: Ryan L 
• February 19 — $15k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack: Brandon P 
• February 19 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Christopher A 
• February 19 — $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Mark H

Bovada’s guaranteed tournaments mean that there’s always a big cash pool and with more players getting in on the action every week, that means there’s more to be won! Play poker online at Bovada and get your share today!

Related Articles:
• Bovada’s Black Diamond Poker Open Continues, Offering Players Free Blackjack Chips And A Chance To Win Their Share Of $750,000
• Your Weekly Bovada Online Poker Tournament Report for February 14, 2012

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