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03/16/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The playoffs are likely a foregone conclusion for the Phoenix Suns, who resume a season-long seven-game homestand tonight against the Western Conference's worst team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Suns improved to 2-2 on their latest residency on Sunday when Amare Stoudemire scored 36 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and sank all 14 of his free throw attempts, as Phoenix ran past the New Orleans Hornets, 120-106.
Jason Richardson had 20 points, while Steve Nash tallied 13 points and 12 assists as the Suns won for the ninth time in 12 contests and moved a half- game ahead of San Antonio, into sixth place in the West.
More importantly, Phoenix is six games clear of ninth place Houston with 15 games to play and only a monumental collapse would keep the team from postseason action.
Jared Dudley also scored 13 points and Robin Lopez had 10 against the Hornets.
"We definitely wanted to set the tone early," Stoudemire said. "It was a very important game for us and we came out with the intensity from the start and we've just got to keep the momentum going and keep improving as a unit."
The hapless Wolves, meanwhile, dropped their ninth straight game in Sacramento on Sunday when Tyreke Evans came just shy of a triple double, finishing with 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, as the Kings routed Minnesota, 114-100.
Al Jefferson scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the dismal Timberwolves, who have lost 15 of 16 overall. Wayne Ellington came off the bench to add 15 points, while Ryan Gomes contributed 14 points in defeat.
"Those guys made a lot of good shots. They're a different team at home than versus being away. Tyreke Evans put together one of those great games and showed why he is a great player," Timberwolves center Ryan Hollins said.
Phoenix has won three straight over the Wolves, including a 120-112 win in the desert earlier this season.
<< Habs aim for sixth straight win versus playoff-hopeful Rangers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The streaking Montreal Canadiens will shoot for a sixth
straight victory tonight when they visit the New York Rangers in a battle
between Original Six clubs at Madison Square Garden.
The Canadiens and Rangers are both figh
<< Thrashers try to end skid in clash with Sabres
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers could be in much worse shape than
they are when it comes to the Eastern Conference playoff race. Still, the
club will not be able to improve their postseason chances until they end a
lengthy losing strea
<< Nuggets hope to have Karl back vs. Wizards
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets hope to have head coach George Karl back
on the bench tonight when the Western Conference power kicks off a three-game
homestand against the woeful Washington Wizards.
Karl announced last Friday that
<< Sliding Bulls make a stop in Memphis
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fading Chicago Bulls hope to put the brakes on season-
long seven-game skid and improve their standing in the Eastern Conference
playoff picture when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Chicago's losing
Panthers shoot for win against Ovechkin-less Caps >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Washington Capitals have already secured a
playoff spot, the Florida Panthers have been making a late push for the
postseason with their play as of late.
The resurgent Panthers aim for their first victory this se
Coyotes visit Tampa with shot at sixth straight win >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A flurry of recent moves have paid instant dividends for
the Phoenix Coyotes, who'll be trying to run their current winning streak to
six games in this evening's matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning from the St.
Pete Times Fo
Avs hope to continue dominance of Blues >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Strong play on the road this season has kept the St. Louis
Blues in contention for a postseason berth. The club hasn't been able to
achieve the same success at home, however, and it's had all kinds of trouble
when facing the
Oilers hoping to end longtime suffering in Minnesota >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last thing that the Edmonton Oilers need at this point
in the season is a trip to Minnesota. The road-weary club will try to snap its
12-game slide in the Twin Cities, where the Wild shoot for a third straight
victory ton
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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