Brooks sinks winning shot as Rockets stop Nuggets

Basketball Betting Lines

03/15/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Brooks scored 31 points and drained the game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets over the Denver Nuggets, 125-123 at the Toyota Center.

Kevin Martin added 29 points and Luis Scola chipped in 23 to go with 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who have won three straight to tie a season-high.

Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 45 along with 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who lost for the first time in seven games. Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith each netted 17 as the Nuggets led for most of the contest, but couldn't hold on late.

Nene aided Denver with 15 points and 10 boards, while Johan Petro scored 11 to go with 10 rebounds in defeat.

Brooks netted the game-winner after Anthony tied the game at 123 on an easy layup with 20.8 seconds left. Anthony had a decent look at a three as time expired, but came up short of the rim.

The Nuggets mounted a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter, capped by an Anthony jumper with just over 10 minutes left in the game. Houston hung tough and finally took the lead with under a minute left as Scola went down the lane unguarded and converted on a three-point play to give the Rockets a 122-121 edge with 41.1 seconds left. Brooks then went 1-of-2 from the foul line to set up the finish.

Houston jumped out to a 13-6 edge after a Martin jumper with 8:44 remaining in the first. The Rockets upped the lead to double digits on a Brooks bank shot with just over four minutes left.

Arron Afflalo trimmed the deficit to seven on a layup with under a minute to go, but Kyle Lowery drained two free throws to give Houston the 38-29 lead after one period.

In the second, Denver whittled the lead down to 44-38, but the Rockets continued to drive and score, upping the edge to 16 on a Lowry bucket with just under six minutes left in the half. Anthony drained a jumper as the first half expired, but Houston still possessed a 68-57 advantage.

Denver pulled within 77-75 on two Nene foul shots with 6:34 left in the third and finally tied the contest on a Billups layup two minutes later. The Nuggets took their first lead of the night at 86-85 on an Anthony three with just over four minutes remaining in the third.

The Nuggets led by as many as three in the frame and finished the quarter with a 95-93 edge.

Game Notes

Brooks finished the game with nine assists and has made a three in 38 straight games...Anthony was 3-of-5 from three-point range after having made just 1-of-12 over his last five games...Anthony is now ninth on the all-time games played list in Denver with 499...Nuggets coach George Carl missed his fourth straight game due to undergoing treatment for throat and neck cancer...Houston next plays on Wednesday at home against Memphis...Denver next plays on Tuesday at home against Washington.

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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)
5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.

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.