Thunder make a stop in Houston

Basketball Betting Lines

02/15/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oklahoma City makes a quick trip down to south Texas on Wednesday to take on the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

The Thunder improved to an NBA-best 22-6 on Tuesday in OKC, topping Utah for the second time in four days, 111-85. Super sub James Harden scored 22 points and dished out five assists off the bench in that one to lead the Thunder.

Kevin Durant had 21 points and fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook added 16, while Serge Ibaka notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which won its seventh straight at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

"We wanted to play a little harder," Durant told the Thunder's website. "I think that was what we did. We kind of focused on that, and guys are playing hard and playing together. That's the ingredients for us to get a win."

Oklahoma City shot 54.5 percent from the field, while holding Utah to just 35.6 percent.

"We're at our best when we're playing defense and making them take tough shots," said Thunder head coach Scott Brooks, who will coach the Western Conference All-Stars later this month.

The Thunder, who will return to the Sooner State to kick off a five-game homestand after tonight's contest, have also been solid on the road, compiling a 12-5 mark including another win over the Jazz last Friday.

Houston, which is opening up a six-game homestand tonight, just completed a six-game road trip with a 3-3 mark but dropped the final two games on the trek, including a 93-83 setback in Memphis on Tuesday.

Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 24 points in that one and Courtney Lee added 13 points for the Rockets.

"They played harder than we did tonight," Houston head coach Kevin McHale said. "It took us a long time to get engaged in the type of game it was, which was going to be a grind-it-out one, as you could see (from) the first quarter. You can't ease into a game like that."

The Rockets, who will also host Minnesota, Utah, Memphis, Philadelphia and Toronto on its residency, are a solid 10-3 in Space City this season.

OKC has won four straight and six of seven overall vs. Houston.

Wwwlittlewoodspoker Basketball Betting News

<< Mavs host Nuggets in Big D
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dirk Nowitzki has finally started to heat up and the Dallas Mavericks will try to ride their superstar to a fifth straight victory when they host the Denver Nuggets tonight in Big D. Nowitzki had an uncharacteristicall

<< Hawks continue road trip at Phoenix
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta will resume a five-game road trip tonight in the desert when it takes on a Phoenix Suns team finishing up a tough three games in three nights stretch. The Hawks, who will also visit Portland, Chicago and New

<< Blazers take on Warriors without Aldridge
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers will be without All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge tonight when they square off with the surging Golden State Warriors in Oakland. Aldridge sprained his left ankle early in Portland's 124-

<< Wizards seek third straight road win against Clippers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards will try to extend a rare road winning streak when they face off with an LA Clippers team returning to SoCal for the first time in nearly two weeks. The Wizards have opened up a five-game t

<< New Yale football coach Reno finalizes staff
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - First-year Yale head football coach Tony Reno announced on Wednesday his nine-man assistant coaching staff, which has a combined 128 years of experience. Only defensive coordinator Rick Flanders returns from

Magic welcome 76ers to Amway Center >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic eye a third straight win this evening when they welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to Amway Center. Orlando has started to play its best basketball of the season, yet the last two games it hasn't had

Panthers give D Strachan one-year extension >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers signed defenseman Tyson Strachan to a one-year contract extension on Wednesday. Strachan has one goal and two assists in eight games this season for the Panthers. The 27-year-o

Cavs resume lengthy homestand vs. reeling Pacers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will play their fourth game on a lengthy nine-game homestand tonight, when they entertain the Central Division- rival Indiana Pacers from Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland is in the midst of the longes

Wildcats and Hoosiers mix it up in Big Ten action >>
Bloomington, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Big Ten Conference rivals square off in Bloomington this evening, as the Northwestern Wildcats have come calling on the 18th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Northwestern comes in sporting a 15-9 overall record, wh

Lions visit Gaels in pivotal WCC clash >>
Moraga, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Saint Mary's-CA Gaels put their perfect home record on the line for the final time this season, as they entertain the Lions of Loyola Marymount in a West Coast Conference clash tonight at McKeon Pav

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

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.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.