Knicks and Sixers meet for second time this week

Basketball Betting Lines

03/19/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks shoot for a second win over the Philadelphia 76ers in less than a week when the two Atlantic Division inhabitants face one another tonight at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks dealt the struggling Sixers a 94-84 defeat in Philadelphia on Monday behind 21 points from Danilo Gallinari and a 20-point, seven-assist effort out of rookie Toney Douglas. The win was New York's second in three meetings between the longtime rivals this season.

Philadelphia did sweep the four-game season series in 2008-09, however, and has enjoyed plenty of success when visiting the Big Apple in recent years. The 76ers have prevailed in three straight and five of their last six trips to Madison Square Garden, including a hard-fought 141-127 overtime decision on October 31.

Monday's setback to the Knicks had extended the 76ers' losing streak to five games, a slide the club was able to snap with Wednesday's 108-97 home victory over the hapless New Jersey Nets. The triumph was only Philadelphia's second in its last 12 overall outings.

Andre Iguodala netted 20 points and dished out eight assists for the Sixers, who jumped out to a 33-22 advantage after one quarter and led the rest of the way. The advantage grew to as many as 22 points after Jason Kapono buried a three-pointer with 4:25 to go.

"I thought we did a good job executing the game plan at both ends," said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. "We wanted to offensively establish Elton (Brando) and Andre, and Andre certainly stepped up and established himself early."

Brand finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for Philadelphia, which also received 19 points out of rookie Jrue Holiday.

The Knicks return home tonight after completing a five-game road trip with a 109-97 St. Patrick's Day loss at Boston. New York went 2-3 on the swing that was highlighted by Saturday's 128-94 rout of Dallas, which ended the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks' 13-game win streak.

Boston opened up a 32-19 lead after one quarter of Wednesday's game and went ahead by a 68-49 margin at the half before cruising the rest of the play.

"There were a lot of too's out there. They were too big, too quick, too good, and the road trip a little too long," said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni afterward. "I thought the effort was there. We tried to do it. We just weren't good enough."

David Lee was one bright spot for New York, with the All-Star forward racking up 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on the night.

Tonight's matchup begins a three-game homestand for the Knicks, with Houston and Denver also slated to visit the Garden in the coming days. New York is just 14-21 at home for the season but has won two of its last three tests as the host.

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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.