Nets open homestand against Hornets

Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets open up a five-game homestand this evening when they welcome the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets to the Continental Airlines Arena.

However, the big question for the Nets is how many of those games star guard Jason Kidd will play in.

Kidd, the recent subject of trade rumors, has missed New Jersey's last two games because of a strained lower back that also kept him out of the All-Star Game. He is questionable for tonight's game.

However, New Jersey's rumored attempts to deal Kidd, who is averaging 14.3 points, eight rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, may lead it to keep him out of the lineup again tonight.

The Nets come out of the All-Star break 4 1/2 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the lead in the Atlantic Division. Those same Raptors sent the Nets into the break on a losing note after handing New Jersey a 120-109 loss last Wednesday.

Bostjan Nachbar poured in a career-best 26 points and also grabbed eight rebounds while Eddie House and Marcus Williams chipped 19 points apiece for the Nets, who have lost two in a row. Vince Carter had 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the loss, the sixth in nine games for New Jersey.

Carter did play in the exhibition tilt, and had seven points in the East's 153-132 setback.

New Jersey is 14-13 as the host this year and is currently two games out of a playoff spot. It will also host Sacramento, New York, Washington and Boston on the current stand.

The Nets have had recent success against the Hornets, having won six straight and eight of the last 11 in the series. They have also won three in a row at home.

New Jersey swept a pair of meetings last year with New Orleans, which hasn't captured a victory over the Nets since November of 2003. This is the first meeting between the clubs this year.

The Hornets, though, have been having success against the rest of the NBA. However, they came out of the break on Tuesday and suffered a 104-100 loss to Charlotte, just the club's fourth defeat in its last 13 games.

Despite the setback, New Orleans is just one-half game behind Minnesota for the eighth playoff spot in the West.

Chris Paul scored 20 points and tallied seven assists for the Hornets, while Tyson Chandler finished with 16 points and 20 boards. Desmond Mason added 17 points with six boards, and David West scored 16 points and racked in seven boards.

Paul represented the Hornets in the battle between the NBA's freshman and sophomore stars. The second-year Wake Forest product tallied 16 points with 17 assists and nine steals in the sophomore's 115-114 victory.

Tonight's tilt is the second of back-to-back road games for New Orleans, which has lost three of its last four on the road and is just 8-18 as the visitor. The team returns home on Friday to host Seattle.

Nikkanspots Basketball Betting News

<< Cavs, Raptors meet in Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers conclude a three-game road trip tonight when they travel to Toronto to battle the Raptors at Air Canada Centre. Cleveland has split the first two games of its trek so far. The Cavaliers were downe

<< Knicks visit Atlantic Division-rival Philadelphia
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers conclude their seven-game homestand tonight when they welcome the Atlantic Division rival New York Knicks to the Wachovia Center. The Sixers fell to 2-4 on their stand before the All-Star break when

<< Florida inches closer to SEC crown, as Gators host Gamecocks
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked Florida Gators have been knocked off their perch atop the college basketball world, at least temporarily, but they continue to rule the SEC and are heavy favorit

<< Louisville seeks 20th victory of the season
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Louisville Cardinals gun for their fourth straight win tonight, as they host the St. John's Red Storm in Big East play from Freedom Hall. The Cardinals moved into the Top-25 this

<< Streaking Commodores set to battle Bulldogs
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off one of the most memorable victories in recent memory for the program, the 17th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores hope to carry the momentum into tonight's SEC clash with the Mississ

Magic, Pistons play front end of home-and-home set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic open a home-and- home set tonight when the two teams square off at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit comes into the game on a winning note after holding on for an 84-83 win over t

Timberwolves open homestand vs. Bobcats >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves hope home is where the heart is when the struggling club opens up a five-game homestand this evening against the Charlotte Bobcats at the Target Center. The Timberwolves have lost six of their l

Celtics continue swing in Phoenix >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns welcome the NBA-worst Boston Celtics tonight to US Airways Center. This is the second and final meeting of the campaign between the squads. On December 8th, Shawn Marion poured i

Kobe, Lakers get back to work against Portland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All-Star Game MVP Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers return to the court tonight, as they welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to the Staples Center. Bryant scored 31 points, dished out six assists and had six steals to

Miami's Pat Riley returns to bench in Houston >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat welcome head coach Pat Riley back to the bench tonight when they travel to Houston to battle the Rockets at the Toyota Center. Riley announced before the Heat's 104-85 win over Portland last Tuesday he wo

2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.