Sixers resume lengthy homestand against struggling Pistons

Basketball Betting Lines

01/28/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers will resume a season-long seven-game homestand tonight by welcoming the struggling Detroit Pistons to Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers improved to 2-1 on the residency Friday when Lou Williams scored 17 points to lead a balanced Philadelphia attack as the 76ers easily handled Charlotte, 89-72, leading wire-to-wire and by as many as 30 points.

Jrue Holiday celebrated his own bobblehead night by adding 15 points and Jodie Meeks contributed 14 for the Atlantic division-leading Sixers, who avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time this season. Thaddeus Young also reached double figures with 10 points off the bench.

"A very good win for us tonight from the standpoint of I really like the way we came out defensively and were very aggressive," said Sixers coach Doug Collins. "We really moved the ball well in that first half."

Philadelphia held the Bobcats to just 38.6 percent shooting and were able to rest many of their key contributors.

"To not have guys play heavy minutes is a real blessing," Collins said.

Centers Spencer Hawes (strained left Achilles) and Nikola Vucevic (hyperextended left knee/strained left quadriceps) remained out of the lineup for Philly. Hawes indicated he could play tonight but the team is likely targeting his return for Monday against Dwight Howard and the Magic. The rookie Vucevic, meanwhile, remains day-to-day.

Philadelphia, which is 9-2 this season at WFC, will finish its residency with games against much tougher competition: Orlando, Chicago and Miami.

The Pistons, who are opening up a four-game road trip tonight that will also feature visits to Milwaukee, New York and New Jersey, dropped their third straight on Friday, a 107-101 overtime loss to Atlanta in Auburn Hills.

Greg Monroe paced Detroit with 22 points and 11 boards while rookie Brandon Knight contributed 20 points and a career- high eight assists as the Pistons lost for the 13th time in 15 games. Jason Maxiell added a season-high 19 points off the bench in defeat.

"We take every loss personally, not just a close loss. I think every loss is a personal loss," Knight said. "You just don't favor one over the other, but this one will hurt a little bit more."

The banged-up Pistons were without guards Ben Gordon (sore left shoulder) and Will Bynum (sprained right foot) as well as forwards Tayshaun Prince (family issue) and Charlie Villanueva (sprained right ankle). None are expected back in Philadelphia tonight as Detroit attempts to improve on its dismal 1-8 road record.

The Sixers have won two of their last three games against the Pistons, including a 96-73 rout at the Wells Fargo Center back on Jan. 6 behind Meeks' 21 points.

Collins, however, thinks the Pistons are tougher than they seem.

"Detroit is better than its record," the coach said. "They have got good guards. They're a very good defensive team. We're going to have to play well to get that game tomorrow night."

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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