Lakers owner still enjoying Hall of Fame induction

Basketball Betting Lines

08/17/2010 -

BELL GARDENS, Calif. (AP) -Relishing the afterglow of being inducted into the Hall of Fame last week, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss was candid, funny and reflective when sharing his thoughts on his life, his team and the Miami Heat.

Buss, a poker aficionado who plays an average of six times a month, discussed the topics before hosting the Mariani/Buss Charity Open poker tournament at the Bicycle Casino on Tuesday.

He has been the one smart enough to spend the requisite money to acquire the talent required to be successful.

Since he took ownership in 1979, the storied franchise has won 10 NBA titles including this year's that ended by beating the archrival Boston Celtics.

This summer, the Lakers signed point guard Steve Blake, wing Matt Barnes and center Theo Ratliff, additions Buss thinks will help the team three-peat.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Horswracing Basketball Betting News

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Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies on Tuesday placed right-handed pitcher Taylor Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list and recalled righty Jhoulys Chacin from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Buchholz had previously been

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Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets took another step towards distancing themselves from embattled closer Francisco Rodriguez on Tuesday, placing him on the disqualified list. The move came immediately followin

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Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricky Nolasco threw six shutout frames and drove in two runs to lead Florida to a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh in the second meeting of a four-game set. Nolasco (14-8) allowed five hits, walked one and st

Buchholz strong on mound, Kalish hits slam as Red Sox blank Angels >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clay Buchholz turned in seven scoreless innings and Ryan Kalish hit his first career grand slam as Boston downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game set from Fenway Park.

Oswalt, Rollins lift Phillies over Giants >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Oswalt pitched seven solid innings and Jimmy Rollins drove in three runs, as Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies downed the San Francisco Giants, 9-3, in the opener of an important three-g

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Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Tuiasosopo, not originally in the starting lineup, hit a three-run homer and added a run-scoring double to back a strong 7 2/3-inning outing from Luke French, as the Seattle Mariners downed the Bal

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.