Buckeyes meet Boilermakers in Big Ten battle
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/07/2012 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will try to keep sole possession of first place in the Big Ten Conference as they welcome the Purdue Boilermakers to Value City Arena for a league battle.
This will be the 166th meeting in the all-time series. Purdue holds an 83-82 lead in the rivalry after each team defended its home floor in last season's home and home series.
Head coach Matt Painter's Purdue team is 15-8 overall, and 5-5 in league play after a 78-61 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. The Boilermakers' lost for the third time in four tries as they shot an unimpressive 29.6 percent from the floor. Purdue has averaged only 68.5 points per game in Big Ten action so far, and it has allowed its league rivals to net 68.5 ppg. The Boilermakers have gone 0-4 against ranked opponents this season.
Robbie Hummel is pacing Purdue this season as he is the sixth leading scorer in the Big Ten with an averages of 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Hummel recorded a double-double his last time out, as he scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked five shots in the loss to Indiana. Lewis Jackson is the second leading scorer for the Boilermakers with an average of 9.9 ppg, and leads the team with 3.9 assists per game. Ryne Smith, Kelsey Barlow, and Terone Johnson are all solid contributors for Painter's squad.
Thad Matta's Buckeyes come in with an impressive 20-3 record after a crucial 58-52 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers their last time out. The victory improved the team's Big Ten record to 8-2. Ohio State has won five straight games, with all but one of the victories coming by double-digit margins. The Buckeyes have been sharp at both ends of the floor this season and exhibited their talents against Wisconsin by shooting 43.1 percent from the field and holding the Badgers to 40.0 percent shooting. Ohio State leads the Big Ten with a +21.0 scoring margin in league action.
Jared Sullinger leads the charge for Ohio State with averages of 17.4 ppg and 9.1 rpg. The star sophomore recorded a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds versus Wisconsin. Sullinger has now recorded 10 double-doubles this season. William Buford and Deshaun Thomas are both quality players for the Buckeyes as they each have averages just under 15 ppg. Buford has scored in double figures in six straight contests. Thomas has averaged 14 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the floor over his last two outings. Aaron Craft leads the Buckeyes in both assists (4.9) and steals (2.3).
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators have a tough task ahead of them, as they invade Rupp Arena this evening, to take on the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a battle between the Southeastern Conference's top two squ
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Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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