Alabama challenges Kentucky in SEC Tournament quarterfinals

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats begin play in the 2010 SEC Tournament with a quarterfinal-round matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The winner of this game will move on to Saturday's semifinals to collide with either Ole Miss or Tennessee.

Alabama is the fourth seed from the SEC's West Division, and it appeared that the program's stay in this tournament would be short-lived after falling behind South Carolina by 18 points in the second half of yesterday's first- round game. To the surprise of everyone, the Tide mounted a furious comeback and escaped with a 66-63 victory. Alabama has won this tournament six times, the second most in the league, but the last crown was captured way back in 1991. Still, the Tide is 58-43 in this event and 17-14 overall this season.

The Wildcats have won this event 25 times and own a 111-22 record in SEC Tournament games. Still, they haven't cut down the nets since 2004 and haven't reached the title game since 2005. Kentucky is a stellar 29-2 overall under first-year head coach John Calipari, and the team won 14 of its 16 games versus SEC opponents during the regular season. The 'Cats are the top seed from the loaded East Division of the SEC.

During the regular season, Kentucky won its only meeting with Alabama by a 66-55 final, and the Wildcats own a commanding 99-35 advantage in the all-time series.

Alabama is generating 68.5 ppg this season while allowing 64.5 ppg to opponents. The Crimson Tide rely heavily on the talented duo of Mikhail Torrance and JaMychal Green. Torrance leads the club with 15.5 ppg, and he has dished out an impressive total of 160 assists. As for Green, he checks in with 14.1 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Yesterday, Torrance scored 17 points to lead Alabama, while Justin Knox added 16 points and seven rebounds against South Carolina. Green posted 10 points and seven boards for the Tide, who overcame 39.3 percent shooting from the floor on the strength of a 21-14 edge in points from the foul line. In the second half, 'Bama managed to limit the Gamecocks to 36.5 percent shooting, impressive to say the least.

Kentucky leads the conference in many statistical categories, including scoring offense (79.9 ppg), scoring margin (+14.4 ppg), field goal percentage (.478), field goal percentage defense (.382), rebounding margin (+9.1 rpg) and assists (14.9 apg). Freshman sensation John Wall, who was recently named the SEC Player of the Year, is scoring 17.0 ppg to go along with a league-best 6.2 apg, and fellow rookie star DeMarcus Cousins, the SEC Freshman of the Year, checks in with 15.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 1.8 bpg. Don't forget about veteran Patrick Patterson and his 15.0 ppg and 7.6 rpg. Eric Bledsoe, a third standout freshman, rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.4 ppg. Kentucky is holding opponents to 65.6 ppg on 38.3 percent shooting from the floor, so this is much more than an explosive offensive team. It is argued by many that Calipari possesses the most talented team in the nation, and it is hard to argue that point.

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.