Big 12 showdown pits Tigers against Jayhawks

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/01/2009 - Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 11th-ranked Missouri Tigers and the 15th- ranked Kansas Jayhawks will battle in a Big 12 Conference showdown with major title implications.

Missouri head coach Mike Anderson deserves consideration for national coach of the year honors, as his team was just 16-16 a year ago. Right now, the Tigers are 24-4 overall, and a victory today would give the school a dozen Big 12 wins for the first time ever. Missouri is currently riding a seven-game win streak that includes Wednesday's 94-74 triumph over Kansas State.

Considering the fact that Kansas is 12-1 in conference action, first place is on the line today. The Jayhawks have recorded four straight wins to move to 12-1 in Big 12 action, and they knocked off Oklahoma in the most recent outing last Monday in an 87-78 final. What makes KU's success particularly impressive is that all five starters are gone from the team that captured the national title less than a year ago.

Missouri defeated Kansas in a 62-60 final last month, but the Jayhawks own a 166-94 edge in the all-time series.

Missouri boasts an outstanding duo that consists of DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. Carroll is scoring 17.1 ppg this season on the strength of his 57.1 percent shooting from the field, and he is pulling down 7.1 rpg. As for Lyons, he checks in with 14.3 ppg on 50.4 percent field goal efficiency. Thanks largely to the efforts of those two players, the Tigers are generating 82.6 ppg while limiting foes to 65.4 ppg on 40.8 percent shooting from the floor. In the 20-point romp over Kansas State on Wednesday, Carroll led a balanced attack with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Lyons and Laurence Bowers added 16 points apiece, while J.T. Tiller posted 15 points and six assists. Missouri played tremendous team defense, limiting the Wildcats to 37.3 percent shooting while forcing 21 turnovers.

The only current member of the Kansas team that made a consistent and significant contribution to last year's national title run is Sherron Collins, and he now takes a back seat to no one. Collins is scoring 18.3 ppg for Bill Self's squad, and he is dishing out 4.9 apg as well. Cole Aldrich pitches in 15.0 ppg, and he is pulling down 10.7 rpg to complement his 71 blocks. Aldrich, who is just a sophomore, is shooting 61.4 percent from the field. Those two players help Kansas post 77.4 ppg, and outstanding team defense has limiting opponents to 64.8 ppg. Both Collins and Tyshawn Taylor exploded for 26 points in the victory over Oklahoma on Monday. Aldrich was a force in that tilt was well, as he racked up 15 points and 20 rebounds without Oklahoma standout Blake Griffin in the lineup due to injury. A 28-19 edge in points from the foul line and 16 forced turnovers helped lead the way to the win.

Wwwinetbet NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Illini host Spartans in clash of ranked Big Ten foes
Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the top teams in the Big Ten Conference will collide this afternoon, as the 20th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini host the ninth-ranked Michigan State Spartans at Assembly Hall. The Spartans currently s

<< Brodeur, Devils host rival Flyers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Brodeur will get his third start in four days since returning from a 50-game absence when his first-place New Jersey Devils host the rival Philadelphia Flyers in today's Atlantic Division clash at Prudential Center.

<< Ajax doubles up on Utrecht for third straight win
Utrecht, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ajax won its third successive game in the Eredivisie on Sunday as Gregory Van der Wiel and Jan Vertonghen scored goals in each half to give the Amsterdam side a 2-0 win over Utrecht at the Stadion

<< Spurs and Blazers tangle in Portland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers return to the Rose Garden Sunday for the first of a two-game homestand when they host the Southwest Division- leading San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers, who are 2 1/2 games behind the Denver Nuggets

<< Lakers shoot for season sweep of Suns
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers hope to build on their massive Pacific Division lead Sunday and finish off a season sweep of the second place Suns in Phoenix at US Airways Center. The Lakers, who routed Phoenix in LA, 132-106, on S

First-place Caps welcome Panthers for Southeast showdown >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place Washington Capitals will aim for a third straight victory when they welcome the Florida Panthers for today's Southeast Division showdown at Verizon Center. The Capitals have 85 points on the year and are 15

Blackhawks try to end slide in home test against Kings >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks will try to avoid their longest losing streak of the season when they welcome the Los Angeles Kings for today's battle at the United Center. The Blackhawks have lost three straight for the third time

Golden Eagles visit Cardinals in pivotal Big East battle >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams still in the thick of the Big East title race clash at Freedom Hall today, as the eighth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles tussle with the sixth-ranked Louisville Cardinals. The Eagles' title hopes to

Nationals GM Bowden resigns >>
Viera, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Nationals senior vice president and general manager Jim Bowden resigned from his position Sunday morning. No immediate replacement was named. In a statement, Bowden said false allegations

Pens try to stay hot in Dallas >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will shoot for their first three- game winning streak since mid-November when they visit the Dallas Stars for this afternoon's interconference matchup at American Airlines Center. The Penguins, who

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.