Buckeyes battle Gauchos in first-round action in Milwaukee

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03/19/2010 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes square off against the 15th-seeded UC Santa Barbara Gauchos tonight in a Midwest Regional matchup of the NCAA Tournament at the Bradley Center. The winner will advance to the second round and face either Georgia Tech or Oklahoma State on Sunday.

The Buckeyes are in the midst of a terrific campaign, as they earned a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and then won the league tourney as well. Overall, OSU has posted 27 wins and is a serious contender to win this event. The program is making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance and owns a 37-20 all-time record. The Buckeyes advanced all the way to the finals in 2007, but were bounced in the first round last season.

As for the Gauchos, they were co-champs of the Big West Conference during the regular season and they earned the league's automatic bid by winning the conference tourney title last Saturday. UCSB is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 and the fourth time overall.

This is the third all-time meeting between OSU and UCSB, with the Buckeyes winning the prior two, including a 79-56 decision in the most recent clash in 1993.

The Gauchos are netting 68.2 ppg on 44.8 percent shooting from the floor and 37.9 percent from downtown this the season. Orlando Johnson, a 39.6 percent three-point shooter, heads the squad with 17.9 ppg and he also grabs 5.4 rpg to rank second in that department. James Nunnally provides a nice complement to Johnson and he checks in with 15.0 ppg and a team-high 5.7 rpg. James Powell chips in with 9.4 ppg mainly coming off the bench and he is a good three-point (.411) and free-throw (.917) shooter.

The Buckeyes are led by Evan Turner, a Player of the Year finalist that can do it all. Turner, the Big Ten Player of the Year, has carried OSU this season and leads the team with 20.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg and 4.1 apg. Providing some help for Turner is William Buford, who turns in 14.5 ppg and 3.1 apg. Jon Diebler tacks on 12.8 ppg and he is the team's top three-point option, shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. David Lighty is yet another weapon for the Buckeyes, as he contributes 12.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.8 apg.

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MySportsbook.com refunds all bets on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay from NFL week one.

(September 14) – Week one of NFL action saw three teams go scoreless for the first time since 1977.  Another four were unable to get a touchdown and almost half of the underdogs covered the spread. Those three teams saved bettors at MySportsbook.com from losing out completely, thanks to the company’s unique NFL Shutout Rule -- which ensures that if the team you backed goes scoreless, your wager is refunded.

Sportsbook refunded tens of thousands of dollars to customers who bet on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the three teams that stunk up the field so badly that their fans and backers never had a chance to get up from their couches and cheer.  In the spirit of the low scoring start to the season, odds makers at the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino have set odds on how many total shutouts there will be this season. 

MySportsbook.com has posted updated sports betting lines for week two of the season.  Ben Roethlisberger’s health status is still questionable, so Willie Parker will try to lead Pittsburgh again as they travel to Jacksonville as a one point favorite.  After beating up on his little brother last week, Peyton Manning will look to lead the Colts to victory against Houston. Indianapolis is a whopping 13.5 favorite in the match-up.

Seattle, last year’s highest scoring team, showed the power of their defense with their gritty 9-6 win in Motown over the ravenous Lions.  They take their act back home to the comforts of Qwest Field where they will face the resurgent Arizona Cardinals.  The Seahawks are favored by a touchdown. 

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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