Cavs and Bucks clash at the 'Q'

Basketball Betting Lines

02/10/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving probably won't play again tonight after suffering a concussion earlier this week, but Ramon Sessions will be there to pick up the slack.

Sessions filled in nicely for Irving the previous time out and looks for an encore performance versus the Milwaukee Bucks tonight from Quicken Loans Arena. Irving, the first overall pick in last summer's NBA Draft, did not play in Wednesday's 99-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers and Sessions recorded season highs in points and assists with 24 and 13, respectively. Sessions is averaging 11.8 points, 8.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds in his last five games.

Irving, who is day-to-day, suffered a concussion after being kneed in the head during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 107-91 loss to the Miami Heat. He experienced headaches after the game that worsened over the course of the night and during pregame activities prior to Wednesday's contest.

"Obviously you could feel sorry for yourself and say one of our best players is out and go in the tank, or you could respond like we did," said Cleveland head coach Byron Scott.

Antawn Jamison finished with 27 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland, which won for the fourth time in the past 12 games and opened a franchise-record nine-game homestand on a winning note. The Cavs' homestand is tied for the third longest in NBA history and they are 5-5 at the Q this season. Cleveland will also host the 76ers, Pacers, Heat, Kings, Pistons, Hornets and Celtics.

Over his last three games, Jamison is averaging 23.7 points and 8.7 boards.

Milwaukee will wrap up a quick two-game road trip Friday in the Forest City and was able to halt a three-game losing streak with a 105-99 victory at Toronto on Wednesday.

Carlos Delfino scored a season-high 25 points to lead six players in double figures, while Drew Gooden had his fifth double-double of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks. Mike Dunleavy added 18 points, Stephen Jackson had 17, Brandon Jennings scored 11 and Luc Mbah a Moute netted 10 in a winning cause. Jennings is posting just 7.3 ppg in his last three contests.

"We got out to a good start in the first half. Got a little behind defensively in the second half," said Gooden. "Carlos did a job picking up for us where Mike left off in the first half."

Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova did not play with back spasms and is listed as questionable for tonight's game. After visiting the Cavs at Quicken Loans Arena, Milwaukee will head to Brew City for a three-game homestand versus Orlando, Miami and New Orleans.

Gooden has scored 20-plus points in three straight games, averaging 23 points per game over that stretch. Milwaukee is only 4-10 as the guest this season.

Milwaukee and Cleveland are meeting for the first time since the Bucks took three of four meetings a year ago. The Cavs have still won 16 of the last 23 matchups with the Bucks, who are just 2-14 in the last 16 trips to the Q.

Wwwwincity Basketball Betting News


<< Heat visit nation's capital to take on Wizards
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After getting their six-game road trip off to a poor start, the Miami Heat will dust themselves off for tonight's showdown against the lowly Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center. The Heat had won three straight and 11

<< Clippers resume road trip vs. 76ers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers will close out a seven-game stretch that head coach Doug Collins dubbed as "Death Row" when they entertain the upstart Los Angeles Clippers tonight from Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers are 4-2 on the

<< Thunder conclude road trip in Utah
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oklahoma City will attempt to wrap up a five-game road trip on a winning note tonight when Kevin Durant and Company visit Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz. The Western Conference-leading Thunder dropped to 2-2 o

<< First meets worst when Bulls visit Bobcats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two streaks will be on the line this evening at Time Warner Cable Arena, as the Chicago Bulls go after their fifth straight win, while the Charlotte Bobcats attempt to avoid matching the longest losing streak in franchise his

<< Harvard battles Penn in pivotal Ivy League tussle
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Harvard Crimson will try to maintain their spot atop the Ivy League standings, as they head to Philadelphia to take on the Penn Quakers tonight at The Palestra. Harvard is enjoying the best

Nets and Pistons finish home-and-home set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-year center Greg Monroe is starting to heat up for a Detroit Pistons team riding a season-high three-game winning streak and is aiming for his fourth straight double-double tonight versus the New Jersey Nets in the bac

Red Wings shoot for 19th straight home win vs. Ducks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Forgive the Red Wings if they are looking past the Ducks and towards this weekend when they could have a chance at matching the longest home winning streak in NHL history. After all, wins over Anaheim at Joe Louis Arena ar

Pacers battle Grizzlies on Beale Street >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The much-improved Indiana Pacers hope to salvage the back- end of a brief two-game road trip tonight when they square off with the Memphis Grizzlies on Beale Street. Indiana is coming off a 97-98 loss in Atlant

Mavs visit Love, Timberwolves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves will have Kevin Love back in the lineup tonight versus the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center after serving a two-game suspension for stomping on Houston's Luis Scola during the third quarter of Satu

Magic welcome Hawks to central Florida >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic try to stay hot tonight when they welcome the Atlanta Hawks to the Amway Center. This, of course, is the first meeting between these Southeast Division rivals since Atlanta knocked the Magic out of last

El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting : USC's reward: Top spot in Top 25

NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.

No. 1 always seems to fit USC.

Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.

Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.

Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.

"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."

Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.

"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."

The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.

"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."

Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.

"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"

USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.

"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."

While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.

As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.

But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.

Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.

The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.

The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.

The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.

No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.

Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.

Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.

The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.

South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.

The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.

Get free Sports Betting lines RSS feeds from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com