Smith leads Hawks past Pacers

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02/08/2012 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Smith had 28 points and 12 rebounds on Wednesday, leading the Hawks to a 97-87 win over the Pacers.

Atlanta had lost three in a row, but got 20 points and eight assists from Joe Johnson, 17 points from Kirk Hinrich and 13 from Tracy McGrady to close its four-game homestand with a victory.

Danny Granger scored 21 points to lead the Pacers, who had won five of six coming in. David West and Tyler Hansbrough added 15 points apiece while Roy Hibbert finished with 10 and 13 rebounds.

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<< Boston College upsets No. 15 Florida State
Chestnut Hill, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jordan Daniels netted a game-high 21 points to go with five assists as Boston College knocked off No. 15 Florida State, 64-60, on Wednesday. Matt Humphrey finished with 15 points and Ryan Anderso

<< Hurricanes roll past Tar Heels
Coral Gables, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shenise Johnson scored 19 points and Riquna Williams netted 17 to pace No. 6 Miami-Florida as it defeated No. 22 North Carolina, 61-37, at BankUnited Center on Wednesday. The Hurricanes (21-3, 10

<< Monroe leads Pistons over Nets
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Monroe had 20 points to go with 12 rebounds and four assists as the Detroit Pistons earned their second road win of the season with a 99-92 win over the New Jersey Nets. Jonas Jerebko scored 16 points to

<< Howard, Anderson lead Magic over Heat
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Anderson scored 27 points, Dwight Howard added 25 and both players had double-doubles to lead the Orlando Magic to a 102-89 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. The Magic made 17 three-pointers and

<< Cavaliers hang on to down Clippers
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In his first start of the season in place of the concussed Kyrie Irving, Ramon Sessions outplayed Chris Paul, scoring 24 points to go with 13 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers took down the Los Angeles

Kansas cruises past Baylor >>
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Withey scored a career-high 25 points as No. 7 Kansas rolled over sixth-ranked Baylor, 68-54, to take a share of first place in the Big 12. The teams entered the game in a tie for second place wit

Oilers become Red Wings' latest victim at Joe Louis Arena >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit just cannot be beaten at home this season. Goals in the third period by Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg helped the Red Wings extend their home winning streak to 18 games in a 4-2 win over

No. 22 Michigan takes care of Nebraska >>
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zack Novak had 14 points to lift No. 22 Michigan to a 62-46 win over Nebraska. Stu Douglass had 13 points and Trey Burke added 12 along with five rebounds and five assists for the Wolverines (18-7,

Bulls rout Hornets >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Boozer scored 18 points and the Chicago Bulls barely needed Derrick Rose in an easy 90-67 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night. The Hornets lost their seventh game in a row

Miller, Sabres blank Bruins >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Miller made 36 saves to record his third shutout of the season and 25th of his career as the Buffalo Sabres thumped the Boston Bruins, 6-0, at First Niagara Center. Jason Pominville netted a pair of go

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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