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02/28/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The surging Dallas Mavericks shoot for a season-high seventh straight win on Sunday when they welcome the New Orleans Hornets to Big D.
Jason Kidd's triple-double fueled a furious Maverick comeback in the fourth quarter to force overtime on Friday, as Dallas downed Atlanta, 111-103, at Philips Arena for its sixth straight triumph.
Kidd recorded 19 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds to help the visitors overcome a 15-point deficit and hand the Hawks only their seventh loss at home all season.
Dirk Nowitzki poured in a game-best 37 points on 15-of-26 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. His five points led the Mavs in overtime.
Kidd, meanwhile, hoisted three of his four three-pointers in the final minutes of regulation leading to extra time and made a heads-up play by drawing a technical on Hawks coach Mike Woodson to help turn the tide with 1:37 remaining.
Jason Terry chipped in 17 points and Shawn Marion 14 to help offset the absence of Caron Butler, who missed a second straight game after suffering an allergic reaction to a medication. Butler is expected to return tonight.
The game seemed to be in the Hawks' control after Jamal Crawford put in two free throws for an 86-71 lead with 8:23 to play, but Dallas chipped away and trailed 97-95 with 1:43 remaining when Kidd made an odd but prosperous decision. He raced upcourt following Mike Bibby's last shot and purposefully made contact with Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who was barking orders to his players close to the boundary line.
"I saw him on the court...we needed to get a point somehow. I don't know what the exact ruling is, but hey, he's in a suit and I had to ratchet up the pressure -- make the officials make something happen," Kidd explained. "For some odd reason it's a fashion thing for coaches to be out on the floor. For me, it was just see what the official was going to call."
The officials called a technical on Woodson for being on the court, and Nowitzki's free throw made it a one-point game. The Mavs kept possession and made the incident a four-point swing on Kidd's three from beyond the left elbow with the clock winding under a minute.
In the overtime, Dallas scored the first seven points and were up 106-99 with 1:06 to go following a debilitating three by Nowitzki.
The Hornets, meanwhile, are also coming off an impressive win on Friday when David West finished with 40 points and 10 rebounds, as New Orleans fought back from a big second-half deficit to take a 100-93 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Rookie Marcus Thornton added 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while fellow freshman Darren Collison had 16 points and seven assists for the Hornets, who trailed by as many as 18 in the third quarter.
But New Orleans held the Magic to 4-of-18 shooting and 13 points in the fourth quarter on the way to ending a two-game slide.
"It was just an outstanding finish to the game," Hornets head coach Jeff Bower said. "I'm really proud of our team, how they fought and turned a difficult game into a victory. What I was most proud about was the fact that we didn't give up on the game when we were behind and things weren't going our way."
Dallas, which last won seven straight from Dec. 29, 2007-Jan. 12, 2008, snapped a two-game skid to the Hornets with a 94-90 win in Big D on Dec. 14.
<< Raptors, Thunder clash in Oklahoma City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ever-improving Oklahoma City Thunder get back to work
on Sunday by hosting a Toronto Raptors team minus star forward Chris Bosh.
The Thunder got back to their winning ways on Friday when Kevin Durant led
seven Thunder
<< Reeling Heat visit Magic in Orlando
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's expected that Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade will opt out
of his contract this offseason and test the free agency waters.
Life without Wade isn't a scenario most in Miami want to contemplate but they
have gotten a taste
<< Salmons, Bucks shoot for another road win in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Salmons has been quite the tonic for a Milwaukee Bucks
team hoping to continue an amazing run on the road when they visit Dixie to
take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight.
The Bucks improved to 6-0 since acquiring Salmons f
<< Western powers meet in LA as Lakers host Nuggets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The two top teams in the Western Conference clash Sunday
when the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers host the Northwest
Division-leading Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.
While it's still early, LA and Denver certai
Shaq to have thumb examined again >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers announced Sunday that
center Shaquille O'Neal will travel to the National Hand Center in Baltimore
for additional evaluation on his injured right thumb.
An MRI taken Saturday confirm
Yankees sign Park to one-year contract >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees on Sunday agreed to a one-
year contract with pitcher Chan Ho Park.
The 36-year-old right-hander spent last season with the National League
champion Philadelphia Phillies and posted
Otto wins Vodacom by nine >>
Gauteng, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hennie Otto closed with a five-under
67 Sunday to cruise to a nine-stroke win at the Vodacom Championship.
Otto, who fired a course-record 11-under 61 in round two, completed the event
at 28-under-
Flyers place D Syvret on waivers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers placed
defenseman Danny Syvret on waivers. The move was confirmed Sunday by general
manager Paul Holmgren.
Syvret, who is still on the path to recovery from suffering
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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