Orange and Hoyas clash in Big East quarterfinals

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/11/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked and top-seeded Syracuse Orange make their much anticipated debut in the Big East Tournament today, as they lock up with the 22nd-ranked and eighth-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. The survivor of this battle will move on to meet either Marquette or Villanova in the semifinals on Friday.

Syracuse is coming off a simply remarkable campaign, establishing a new school-record for regular-season victories (28) and conference wins (15). On its way to the program's first outright Big East title since 1990-91, the Orange also earned a No.1 ranking for the first time in two decades. Although the team's stay atop the national rankings only lasted a week following a loss to Louisville in its finale, Syracuse still enters the postseason with a firm grip on a No.1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. The Orange, which earned a double-bye with its finish, is one of the most decorated teams in the Big East Tournament, winning 45 games and five titles.

The only team that has won more games than Syracuse in the Big East Tournament is today's opponent. The Hoyas notched their tourney-record 47th win in the second round yesterday, posting a 69-49 win over ninth-seeded South Florida. The win improved Georgetown to 21-9 overall and moved it one step closer to a record eighth championship in this event.

As far as the all-time series is concerned, Syracuse claims a 46-37 advantage over Georgetown and that includes two wins during the regular season. The two teams have split 12 prior encounters in the Big East Tournament as well.

The Hoyas knocked down 45.8 percent of their attempts from the floor and 7- of-14 from long range, as they pushed past USF yesterday. Greg Monroe and Jason Clark each tallied 16 points in the win, while Chris Wright logged 15 points and six boards. Austin Freeman though, was limited to just eight points, well off his regular-season average of 17.3 ppg. Monroe, a first-team all-league choice, ranks second to Freeman in scoring at 16.0 ppg and the 6-11 center also pulls in a team-high 9.5 rpg. Wright and Clark are two other options for Georgetown, as they check in with 14.2 and 10.5 ppg, respectively.

Syracuse can light up the scoreboard against anyone, entering the postseason with a hardy 81.4 ppg average behind an electric 51.5 percent shooting from the floor. Wes Johnson, who sat out last season after transferring from Iowa State, is one of the most versatile players around and he paces the Orange with 15.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg. A 38.1 percent three-point shooter, who also ranks second with 58 blocks and 52 steals, Johnson was recently tabbed as the Big East Player of the Year. Getting the ball to Johnson is Andy Rautins, who distributes a team-high 4.8 apg. Rautins, a second-team all-league pick, also leads the team in steals (64) to go with 11.6 ppg. Kris Joseph is another important player for the Orange, as provides 11.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg coming off the bench. He was recognized for his success with the Big East Sixth Man award.

Wwwsunsentinel NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Mountaineers and Bearcats collide in quarterfinal action
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-seeded and seventh-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers begin their march towards a Big East Tournament title tonight, as they face off against the 11th-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats in the quarterfinals at M

<< Cornhuskers battle Red Raiders in Big 12 Tournament action
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 23rd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies are the fourth-seeded team in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, and they will play a quarterfinal-round game against the surprising 12th-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers today.

<< Vols open SEC Tournament against hapless Tigers
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are set to take on the LSU Tigers in the first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament. The winner of this contest will move on to face Ole Miss, the West Division's second seed,

<< Longhorns and Bears meet in Big 12 Tournament
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Baylor Bears are seeded third in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, and they will begin action in the event tonight with a quarterfinal-round matchup against the sixth-seeded Texas Longhorns.

<< Miners open C-USA Tournament play against Knights
Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Winners of 14th straight games, the top-seeded and 25th-ranked Texas El Paso Miners set their sites on a C-USA Tournament championship, starting with tonight's quarterfinal-round matchup against the ninth-seeded UCF

Wildcats and Golden Eagles square off in Big East Tourney >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams that have a history of playing close games meet in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament today, as the fifth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles battle the fourth-seeded and 10th-ranked Villanova

Surging Irish set sights on Panthers in tournament play >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a surprising regular-season showing, the 16th-ranked and second-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers now begin their run in the Big East Tournament tonight against the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the

Thrashers try to end slide in Columbus >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers will be out to halt a poorly-timed three-game losing streak in tonight's matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets from Nationwide Arena. Atlanta had put itself in the Eastern Conference playoff mix with

Report: Roberts out at St. John's >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Norm Roberts is reportedly out as head coach at St. John's after six seasons with the Red Storm. The New York Post cited sources within the university as saying Roberts won't be back for the 2010-11 season.

Habs hope to stay hot against Oilers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens continue their push for a postseason berth when the surging club continues its current homestand with tonight's bout against the Edmonton Oilers from the Bell Centre. Montreal has won its last three

MySportsbook.com offers Blackjack contest and $10,000.00 in Free Prize money!

Every month MySportsbook.com's casino host, Jack Black, gives away $10,000.00 in free casino prize money. To Enter - All you have to do is play at least 10 hands (total) of Blackjack on one of the specified dates of the blackjack contest. The online casino host randomly hands out free bonuses ranging from $50 - $500, and one lucky player who will receive a free $2,500.00 bonus.

"We have been running this monthly free blackjack contest to our active mebers for 5 years now, and the players just love it," says Jack Black, online casino host at MySportsbook.com. "And why wouldn't they love a free chance to win some extra online blackjack cash."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.

FOOTBALL TRASH TALK

NFL Football Trash Talk

Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).

Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.

Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).

Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.

Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.

The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.

What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.

Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.

But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.

In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.