Manhattan's Pickett going pro overseas

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

06/04/2010 - Riverdale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manhattan guard Rico Pickett will leave the school to pursue a professional career overseas, the school announced Friday.

Pickett was an All-MAAC selection last season as a junior, leading the conference with an average of 17.7 points per game. The 2009-10 season was the only one he spent at Manhattan, as he previously played for Alabama and Miami Dade College.

"I would like to thank everyone who helped me along the way at Manhattan College," said Pickett. "I spent one year at Manhattan, but I will always consider myself a member of the Jasper family. I would especially like to thank Coach Barry Rohrssen for his support and guidance. He will always be an extended family member to my family and me."

The school's release did not say where Pickett plans to play. He had entered his name into the NBA Draft, but withdrew it in May.

"We are supportive of his decision to pursue a professional career and fully understand this is what is best for him and his family at this time," Rohrssen said. "We wish Rico all the best in his future endeavors."

Mylinesheet NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Belmont Stakes - Bet on one of the "Dudes"
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Zito's Ice Box is the 3-1 morning line favorite for this Saturday's Belmont Stakes, but his come-from-the-clouds style might not be well-suited to the 1 1/2-mile race. Only one horse since 1998

<< Torrealba returns to Padres
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres reinstated catcher Yorvit Torrealba from the restricted list Friday. He was placed on the restricted list Monday to attend to personal matters. To make room, the Padres optioned ca

<< Nadal will battle Soderling in French Open final
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Four-time champion Rafael Nadal and last year's runner-up Robin Soderling will battle in Sunday's men's final at the French Open. The second-seeded former world No. 1 Nadal toppled 22nd-seeded Austria

<< New York riding high heading into Chivas USA fixture
Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York hosts Chivas USA on Saturday in Major League Soccer action, three days after one of the best results of the season. With the score tied a one against the Houston Dynamo deep into stoppage

<< Houston heads across the county to take on L.A.
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three days after suffering a heart wrenching last-second loss to Red Bull New York in Harrison, NJ, the Houston Dynamo travel across the country to take on the undefeated Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home

NL West: There's no need to freak out on Lincecum >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum loses back-to-back starts and the entire city of San Francisco goes into a panic. Oh my word, the two-time defending National League Cy Young honoree is mired in a slump and may need Life Alert for the rest

Cavaliers GM Ferry resigns >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry has resigned, the team announced. Ferry had been the team's GM since June 2005, and the Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, made the playoffs in every season durin

AL Central: The aftermath of the Call Heard 'Round the World >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball's latest, and perhaps most compelling, argument for more instant replay came during the ninth inning of Detroit's 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night. Tigers' right-hander Armando Galar

Trio of FBS transfers joins Georgia State >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Georgia State football program continues to stockpile FBS transfers, adding former Georgia Tech offensive linemen Joseph Gilbert and Clyde Yandell, and former Auburn tight end Bailey Woods, GSU head coach Bill

Fowler ties 36-hole record, Woods improves at Memorial >>
Dublin, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rickie Fowler fired a six-under 66 and matched the 36-hole scoring record Friday at the Memorial Tournament. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods secured his spot on the weekend after missing the cut his last time out.

SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards

Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards