Panthers come to Big Apple to battle Red Storm
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
02/27/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Big East Conference foes square off at New York's famed Madison Square Garden this afternoon, as the 12th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers come calling on the St. John's Red Storm.
Pitt had a four-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night at Notre Dame, as the Panthers fell in a 68-53 final. As a result, the team currently sits at 21-7 overall and 10-5 in conference. The Panthers, who have won at least 20 games, including 10 in the Big East, for a league-leading ninth straight year, are playing their final three games of the regular season, taking on the Red Storm here, followed by home bouts with Providence and Rutgers in the next week. Pitt is 5-4 in true road games in 2009-10.
St. John's is 15-12 on the year, but just 5-10 in the Big East. The Red Storm dropped a 63-61 overtime decision to visiting Marquette on Wednesday night, and they are now 10-6 at home. St. John's will close the regular season with a pair of road games this coming week -- at Syracuse on Tuesday followed by next Saturday's tilt at DePaul.
St. John's owns a 33-20 advantage in the all-time series with Pittsburgh, but the Panthers have won the last four meetings, and seven of the last nine encounters overall. The two teams met in the Steel City back on January 28th with Pitt notching a 63-53 victory.
Pittsburgh boasts four double-digit scorers on the roster, with Ashton Gibbs and his 16.2 ppg leading the way. A true gunner, Gibbs has attempted 100 more shots than his closest teammate, and his average would be even better if not for a .388 field goal percentage. He has been sensational at the free-throw line however, converting 119-of-134 (.888) attempts. Brad Wanamaker (12.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.4 apg), Gilbert Brown (10.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Jermaine Dixon (10.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg) round out the offensive-minded quartet for Pitt, which is netting 68.1 ppg while allowing just 61.6 ppg. The Panthers are permitting the opposition to shoot just 39.8 percent from the floor and own a +6.0 rebounding margin. Dixon scored 13 points and Gibbs added 11 more, but Notre Dame put four players in double figures, shot 50.0 percent from the floor and outscored the Panthers at the foul line, 14-3, while outrebounding them 34-25 in Wednesday's 15-point win for the Fighting Irish.
The Red Storm led by four at the half against Marquette on Wednesday night, but couldn't hold on as the Golden Eagles took the game to overtime where they prevailed in a 63-61 final. D.J. Kennedy scored 20 points to pace St. John's, while Dwight Hardy was the only other player to reach double digits, chipping in 12 points in 26 minutes of action off the bench. The Red Storm shot just under 42 percent from the floor in the game, while Marquette was limited to 34.4 percent. A total of 15 turnovers and a dismal 4-of-14 showing from three- point range played a significant role in the setback. Through 27 games, Kennedy paces the club in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg) and steals (32), while Hardy checks in as the only double-digit scorer at the moment, netting 10.6 ppg despite coming off the pine in 25 games. The Red Storm are scoring 66.7 ppg while yielding 64.8 ppg, and they own marginal advantages in both rebounding (+2.0) and turnovers (+1.0).
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FOOTBALL BETTING
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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