New York Knicks at Boston Celtics -13.5

The score at the end of the game read 104-59 in favor of the Boston Celtics. That’s a lead of almost 50 points! The NBA lines makers could’ve made it +40 for the New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics would’ve still covered the point spread.

In any case, the Boston Celtics recovered from their OT loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and get back on their winning ways with an exclamation point by thrashing the New York Knicks in a huge way.  The Boston Celtics only gave up 31 points in the first half, and only 28 in the second half, to keep the New York Knicks score at a very shocking 59, one of the worst ever final scores in an NBA game.

Boston Celtics found some spark through Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, who both contributd a game-high 21 points a piece, while all-star Kevin Garnett grabbed a game-high 11 boards and only scored 8 points. Well, it’s not like Garnett needed to score as the Celtics were firing on all cylinders. The Boston Celtics’ bench was equally impressive with Eddie House giving 15 points and rookie Glen Davis contributing 13 points.

The New York Knick were just horrible, shooting a horrible 30% from the field on 23 of 76 shooting. The only one to make double figures for the New York Knicks was substitute Nate Robinson, who scored 11. Otherwise, everyone else had a dismal day. New York Knicks forward Zach Randolph went 1-10 on the field while Eddy Curry went 2-11. In a word - ugly!

The Boston Celtics will hope to get number 2 on their win streak when they visit Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal and the Miami Heat on Friday, November 30, for a 207-08 NBA regular season game. After that, the Boston Celtics will host Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, December 2. The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics in overtime earlier this weekat the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio,  but the Boston Celtics hope to avenge that loss when the game is played in the Boston Garden.

To find out the NBA betting lines, NBA betting tips, or to place a bet on Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers and other games of the 2007 NBA regular season, then visit the Bodog sportsbook.

English Premier League club Liverpool turned on the pressure at Anfield Park against Portuguese Liga club FC Porto to come away with a 4-1 result and keep their hopes alive in their quest for a trip to the final round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres opened the scoring for the match with a goal on the 19th minute. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard swung in a corner which was headed by Fernando Torres past Porto goalkeeper Helton. On the 33rd minute, Porto were able to find an equaliser when Lisandro Lopez headed a cross from team mate Przemyslaw Kazmierczak past Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina.

The game then turned into an intense pace with both Liverpool and Porto looking to find a reward for all their attacking chances. It wasn’t until the 78th minute that Fernando Torres scored his 2nd goal of the match, breaking down the defense and rifling a strike into the Porto goal. On the 84th minute, Porto’s Milan Stepanov was penalized for a hand-ball, which resulted in a penalty kick that was converted by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. Three minutes later, Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard made another fine corner kick that was nodded in by the towering Liverpool substitute Peter Crouch to make the final score stand at 4-1.

Prior to the start of the match, FC Porto were Group A leaders with 8 points while Liverpool were 3rd in the group rankings with 4 points. French Ligue club Olympique Marseilles were in the second spot with 7 points while Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas were at the bottom of Group A with 3 points.

A 2-1 win by Besiktas over Marseilles imrpoves Besiktas points standing to 6 points while Marseilles are kept at 7 points after suffering that loss. Liverpool managed to add 3 points to improve their standings to 7 points while Porto still remain at the top with 8 points. So far, no one has yet qualified from Group A to advance to the Final Round of 16 of the Champions League. The final matchday on December 12 will decide who the top 2 qualifiers will be pending the results on the matches of Marseilles vs. Liverpool and Porto vs. Besiktas. It’s still anybody’s ball game, but definitely the winners will certainly advance!

To bet on Marseilles vs. Liverpool, Porto vs. Besiktas and other group stage qualifying matches of the UEFA Champions League, then visit the Bodog sportsbook.

NBA oddsmakers put the betting lines of the Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns game as: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns -4.5The Houston Rockets won the game cleanly by 6 points, and did not need the +4.5 points in order to cover the spread against the Phoenix Suns on their recent 2007-08 NBA regular season game.

The Houston Rockets were led by all-star center Yao Ming who had a game-high 31 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, to rack himself up yet another double-double. Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady added 18 points while Rockets’ guard Rafer “Skip-To-My-Lou” Alston scored 15 points.

The Phoenix Suns got good results from their all-stars with 2-time NBA MVP Steve Nash leading all Suns players with 29 points followed by Amare Stoudemire with 25 and Shawn Marion with 18 points.

The win by the Houston Rockets improves their NBA record to 9-7 while the Phoenix Suns NBA record is now 11-4. The Houston Rockets continue their road trip with their next stop against Baron Davis and the Golden State Warriors on November 29 followed by a game against Ron Artest and the Sacramento Kings on December 1.

The Phoenix Suns will be hosting Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic on Friday November 30 before going on the road for 5-games against Eddie Curry and the New York Knicks on December 2, against Jermaine O’Neal and the Indiana Pacers on December 4, against Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors on December 4, against Caron Butler and the Washington Wizards on December 7, and against Randy Foy and the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 7.

To bet on Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors, and other upcoming games of the 2007-08 NBA regular season, visit the Bodog sportsbook.

Inter Milan 3, Fenerbahce 0

Happy Birthday, Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini! 

Inter Milan head coach Roberto Mancini couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift from his players, who defeated Turkish League club Fenerbahce 3-0 loss at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan. Italian Serie A champions Inter Milan earn a qualification for the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, leading Group G with 12 points. Fenerbahce are in 2nd place of Group G with 8 points, but they still need to fend off PSV Eindhoven who have 7 points.

Inter Milan and Fenerbahce were off to a competitive start, keeping the scoreline level at 0-0 in the first half of the match. However, Inter Milan applied the pressure to the Fenerbahce defense, and were evetually to gain a goal on the 55th minute. Inter Milan’s Maxwell was able to cross to Inter Milan striker Julio Cruz who headed the ball past Fenerbahce keeper Volkan Demirel.

Inter Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic doubled the advantage on the 66th minute with team mate Christian Chivu firing the cross from the left side, and the unmarked Ibrahimovic had all the time to pick his spot and score his fifth UEFA Champions League goalof the season, being the first player in the league to reach that mark.

Inter Milan midfielder Luis Antonio Jimenez came off the bench and added a 3rd goal in injury time to cap off the celebrations at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, and celebrate a happy birthday for Inter Milan head coach Roberto Mancini.

The Italian Serie A Champions Inter Milan will challenge Fiorentina in their next fixture for an Italian Serie A regular season match. To bet on Inter Milan vs. Fiorentina and other matches of the Italian Serie A, then visit the Bodog Sportsbook.

3-0. It’s the lowest score ever recorded for Monday Night Football.

It’s not that the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Miami Dolphins suck, but then someone controlling the weather sent a heavy downpour that made playing conditions at Pittsburgh just totally crazy. Eventually, it was a lone Pittsburgh Steelers field goal that separated the teams and gave the Steelers the win, and the Dolphins their 11th loss of the season to have an awful 0-11 NFL record this 2007-08 NFL regular season. Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed kicked in the winning field goal late in the 4th quarter with 17 seconds to go.

Oddsmakers put the betting line of the Steelers-Dolphins NFL game as Miami Dolphins +16.5 at Pittsburgh Steelers.

So, Miami Dolphins bettors can at least be happy to celebrate the 3-0 result since it puts the Miami Dolphins on a win against the spread. The game wasn’t exciting in terms of touchdowns, but a win is a win in any sportsbook.

For Week 13 of the 2007-08 NFL regular season, the Miami Dolphins will be hosting the New York Jets. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be hosting the Cincinnati Bengals.

To find out more about NFL bets and tips, or to place a bet on New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers or other Week 13 NFL games, then visit the Bodog sportsbook.

“This is my house!” - Lebron James

Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers +4.5

Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Cavaliers win in overtime against NBA’s best team Boston Celtics 109-104. In OT,  Lebron James scored 11 points  of his game-high 38 points. Lebron James also added a game-high 13 assists  to record a double-double. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dwight Gooden put up 24 points and 13 boards, while Cavs’ center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 15 points and 14 boards, to round up the other double-double performers for the Cavaliers.

The Boston Celtics  were led by their all-star trio with Ray Allen scoring 29 points, Kevin Garnett with 19 points and Paul Pierce with 16 points.

The Boston Celtics still have the best NBA record so far this 2007-08 NBA regular season with 11-2. The Cleveland Cavaliers improve their record to 9-6, and are on a 4-game win streak.

Apart from winning the game, the Cleveland Cavaliers were also winners on the betting line, not needing the +4.5 point advantage given by the handicappers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers next game will be on the road against Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons  on November 28, followed by a visit to Chris Bosh and the Toronot Raptors on November 30. After that, Lebron James will go up against the Boston Celtics again, but will have to try and win on the road at the Boston Garden on December 2.

Meanwhile, The Boston Celtics will first host Eddie Curry and the New York Knicks on November 29 before visiting Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’ Neal and the rest of the Miami Heat on November 30, and then gaining a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 2. Hopefully,  the Celtics can avenge their loss to the Cavs when they host them at the Boston Garden.

To find out more about NBA bets and tips, or to place a bet on Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks and other upcoming games of the 2007-08 NBA regular season, then visit the Bodog sportsbook.

The 2010 World Cup qualifying draw was held and some interesting matchups will take place. The United States has a first-round bye before they play the winner of an opening-round series between Barbados and Dominica. The U.S. team will be heavily favored to make the semifinals, where they will probably face Cuba. Cuba will play the winner of the Aruba-Antigua and Barbuda opening series.

Mexico leads CONCACAF Group Two and will play the winner of Belize vs. St. Kitts and Nevis in the second round. Six teams will make the CONCACAF finals, with the top three in round-robin play during that round moving into the World Cup field. The fourth-place team from the regional finals will play the fifth-place club from South America for another spot in the tournament.

In Europe it will be Croatia and England in the same group. “Everyone in Croatia was saying ‘Give us England again,’ but I wanted to avoid England,” said Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, “It is a very, very hard draw because they are by far the best team from the second pot. The only team I wanted to avoid was England. We are not afraid of them, but they have got a terrific team and brilliant players. They should jell and they are going to jell.” Other soccer betting teams in the World Cup Group 6 are Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra.

Italy has an easy grouping of Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro. “Bulgaria, Ireland, Georgia and Montenegro are countries that do not have a great soccer tradition, but they are difficult teams,” Italy coach Roberto Donadoni said. “On paper, Bulgaria could be the one that competes with us for qualification. Like all countries from the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro is a stubborn team. Let’s not even talk about Ireland. We are familiar with Georgia, having faced them in qualifying for the European Championship.”

Germany has Russia, Finland and Wales in their group. France is in a tough group with Romania and Serbia. Only the winners of each of the nine European groups are guaranteed spots in the finals. The eight best runners-up will move on to playoffs for the other four spots. Greece has Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg in Group Two.

The Asian part of the draw has the five winners and five runners-up moving to another stage of group games to decide four Asian qualifiers for the tournament. Host South Africa doesn’t have to qualify, but was still in the draw because it qualifies for the African Cup of Nations. Five African group winners will advance to the championship.

Australia and China were not happy with the World Cup 2010 qualifying draw as they were put together with Iraq and Qatar in a “group of death”.
Only the first and second in each group from the third round make it to the fourth and final round which means one of those three will not advance. “It is one of the toughest groups but at the same time we have enough information of these countries so we can prepare well,” said Australia’s coach Rob Baan.

China’s manager Wei Shaohui said the grouping was “the worst in the history of the China team.” He does not believe the group is impossible.

“I don’t accept the idea of a ‘group of death’ — one can only say the China team is facing a lot of difficulties,” he said. “I believe our team members will see this as a force of motivation.”

Japan has qualified for the last three World Cups and will take on Bahrain, Oman and Thailand in Group 2 when qualifying starts on February 6. Japan Football Association official Junji Ogura said they were very pleased with the draw. “We have experience against Oman and Bahrain so they are very familiar to us and we are very lucky. This draw is very good for us,” he said.

South Korea has qualified for the past six World Cups and will face arch-rivals North Korea in Group 3. The good news for South Korea is that the other two in their group are Jordan and Turkmenistan.

Saudi Arabia looks to have an easy group as they face Uzbekistan, Lebanon and Singapore. Another grouping has Iran the favorite against Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Syria.

The winners and runners up from each group move to round four where they will be split into two groups of five with the first and second placed teams qualifying for South Africa.