24th-ranked Bulldogs set sights on Cougars

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/02/2012 - Provo, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 24th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs continue their quest for the top spot in the West Coast Conference as they head to the Marriott Center to square off with the BYU Cougars.

This will be just the second meeting between the programs. The only other encounter took place in the 2011 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, where BYU ended the Zags' season with a decisive 89-67 victory.

Gonzaga responded to its first conference loss to rival Saint Mary's by winning its next four times out. Its latest conquest was a 74-62 win over the Portland Pilots on Thursday which improved its overall record to 17-3 and its WCC mark to a second-best 7-1. Head coach Mark Few led his team back into the top 25 this week after a two week absence.. The Bulldogs have been doing very well in league play so far, as they have outscored their opponents by 14.0 ppg in WCC action.

Elias Harris is the Zags' leading scorer (13.7 ppg) and rebounder (8.0 rpg). Harris recorded his second-straight double-double against Portland as he finished the contest with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Kevin Pangos has made a name for himself in his rookie season. Pangos is second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and has made 2.3 three-pointers per contest. Robert Sacre is making an impact in the middle as he is chipping in 11.6 ppg while grabbing 6.7 rpg. Gary Bell, Sam Dower, and David Stockton all are adding depth to the lineup to make the Bulldogs a very tough matchup.

Head coach Dave Rose has managed to continue winning in the post Jimmer Fredette Era. BYU enters tonight's contest at 18-6 with a 6-3 record in WCC action. The Cougars are coming off of an 80-66 loss to Saint Mary's, which was their second loss to the first place Gaels this season. BYU could not stop SMC's balanced offense as it allowed 55.8 percent shooting from the floor. BYU was held well under its average of 79 ppg in the contest. The Cougars also only dished out nine assists as a team in the loss, which is well under their fifth best nationally average of 17.9 apg. BYU leads the WCC with a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Bulldogs will have to find a way to stop BYU's four-headed monster which consists of Noah Hartsock, Brandon Davies, Matt Carlino, and Charles Abouo. Hartsock is second in the WCC in scoring with an average of 17.5 ppg after scoring 75 total points in his last four outings. Davies is chipping in 14.3 ppg and a team-best 7.9 rpg. Carlino is netting 12.4 ppg and a team-best 4.4 apg, while Abouo is another scoring threat and the second best rebounder for the Cougars.

Wwwkffl NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Gators and Gamecocks collide in Gainesville
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 12th-ranked Florida Gators put a five- game win streak on the line this evening, as the welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Gainesville for an SEC showdown at the O'Connell Center. Billy Donovan's G

<< No.10 Murray State meets SEMO in OVC action
Murray, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 10th-ranked Murray State Racers put their flawless record on the line this evening, when the team takes on the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks in a key Ohio Valley Conference matchup at the CFSB Center. S

<< Hokies battle Blue Devils in Blacksburg
Blacksburg, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils get back to conference business, as they travel to Blacksburg to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in an ACC matchup at Cassell Coliseum. The Blue Devils took a break from

<< Tressel headed back to Akron in non-coaching role
Akron, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel has been hired at the University of Akron in an administrative role. Tressel, who received a graduate degree from Akron in 1977, will not work in the athletic

<< Spurs entertain Hornets in Alamo City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs will resume a three-game homestand tonight versus the New Orleans Hornets at the AT&T Center. The Spurs have been nearly unstoppable at home and have opened 11-1 in the Alamo City for the sixth ti

Gaels and Toreros tangle in WCC affair >>
Moraga, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 18th-ranked Saint Mary's Gaels put an 11- game win streak on the line this evening, as they welcome the San Diego Toreros to Moraga for a West Coast Conference matchup at McKeon Pavilion. Randy Bennett's Gae

Stony Brook to visit Syracuse, Army >>
Stony Brook, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stony Brook will travel to FBS programs Syracuse and Army and play six home games as part of its 2012 football schedule. It will be the second straight year Stony Brook has scheduled two FBS opponents. The

Bombers extend contract of GM Mack >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday extended the contract of general manager Joe Mack through 2014. Mack began his current role as the head of football operations in 2010, returning to the club for wh

Bombers re-sign QB Pierce >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have re-signed veteran quarterback Buck Pierce. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed. "We are thrilled that we were able to get a deal done with Buck," said Blue Bomb

Tepper tabbed to head Buffalo defense >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University at Buffalo has named Lou Tepper as its defensive coordinator. Tepper has more than 35 years of Division I coaching experience, including a six-year run as head coach at Illinois. He guided

Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards