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<< T'Wolves C Hollins suspended
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Timberwolves center Ryan Hollins has been suspended by the NBA for two games without pay after an incident on Monday. The third-year pro punched Dallas' DeShawn Stevenson and struck Dirk Nowitzki

<< Hurricanes agree to terms with Lawson
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with former Notre Dame defenseman Kyle Lawson on a two-year, entry-level deal.Lawson, selected in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, recently completed his senior season for the Iris

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EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli faces a burglary charge in connection with a theft at a campus fraternity house in late January.The Lane Country District Attorney's office says Masoli and former Oregon receiver Garrett Embry ha

Great West Conference Tournament Recaps >>
Orem, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Weiermiller scored 18 points and dished out four assists to lead Texas-Pan American to a 56-53 victory over Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the inaugural Great West Conference Tournament. Jared Maree ha

Islanders C Schremp out for season >>
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders announced that center Rob Schremp will miss the remainder of the season. The forward injured his right knee during Tuesday's game against Philadelphia. The diagnosis is a torn m

Dampier, Haywood back for Mavs; Barea out >>
DALLAS (AP) -Centers Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood returned to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night against the New Jersey Nets.Dampier missed the previous 12 games with a dislocated right middle finger. Haywood sat out two games with lower b

Mountain West Conference Tournament Recaps >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grant Parker scored 15 points and Michael Lyons added 11 to help Air Force defeat Wyoming, 59-40, in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Lyons also grabbed five rebounds and han

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

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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