Wildcats and Gators collide in matchup of SEC's best
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/07/2012 - 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 squads.
Kentucky is currently in sole possession of first place in the SEC standings with a perfect 9-0 record in league play. Florida trails by just 1.5 games as it enters with a 7-1 mark in SEC action. This will be the 124th meeting in the all-time series. The Wildcats hold a 90-33 edge in the rivalry after winning the last two encounters, including a 70-54 victory in last season's SEC Conference Tournament Championship Game.
Florida won its seventh game in a row on Saturday as it picked up a 73-65 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores to improve to 19-4 overall. Head coach Billy Donovan saw his team play well on both ends of the floor in the victory over Vandy, as it knocked down 11-of-24 from three-point range and forced 17 turnovers to push past the Commodores. The Gators have found success on the offensive end by valuing the possession, as they are leading the SEC in assists (16.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5). Florida is averaging 80.1 ppg on the offensive end, which is ninth best in the nation.
Kenny Boynton is the go-to-guy for the Gators this season. The junior guard leads the team with 17.6 ppg and is a big time threat from beyond the arc with an average of 3.3 makes from three-point range per contest. Boynton has been excellent lately, as he has averaged 21 points per game while going 7-of-15 from long range in his past two games. Bradley Beal is second on the team in both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (6.1). Erving Walker is leading the SEC in assists (5.1) while Patric Young is pulling down a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game. Erik Murphy gets into the mix on the offensive end on a consistent basis as well.
Despite their impressive resume and roster, the Gators are facing one of the few teams in the nation they will be slated as underdogs against. Kentucky is ranked number one in the nation, reeling off 15-straight victories to arrive at a 23-1 overall record. This past weekend, Kentucky made light work of South Carolina, 86-52. Kentucky owns the nation's longest homecourt winning streak at 48 games. The Wildcats cruised to an 86-52 victory at South Carolina their last time out as they shot over 50 percent from the floor for the second straight game. Kentucky's just behind the Gators with a scoring average of 78.1 ppg.
UK's success is impressive considering its starting lineup consists of three freshmen and two sophomores. Anthony Davis has been a huge contributor to the Wildcats' success. The freshman center is leading the team in scoring (13.9), rebounding (10.1), and already set the school's single season blocks record with 116, which also leads the nation. The 6-10 youngster was once again unstoppable in the win over South Carolina, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots. While Davis claims ownership of the paint, Terrance Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague thrive around him. Lamb was excellent in the recent win, as he went 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point range on his way to 18 points.
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Super Bowl XLIV Odds
Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.
That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.
Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.
After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.
The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).
To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.
NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago BearS 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston TexaNS 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle SeahawkS 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Odds as of: 2/2/09
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.