Sixers, Knicks meet in Philly

Basketball Betting Lines

03/15/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third place in the Atlantic Division is on the line tonight in Philadelphia.

Of course, third place doesn't mean all that much if you are entering the contest at 23-43 like the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

New York, however, is showing more signs of life than Philly and is coming off one of its most impressive wins of the season on Saturday when Bill Walker scored a career-high 23 points and the Knicks were an efficient 16-of-30 from beyond the arc, helping them snap Dallas' 13-game winning streak with a resounding 128-94 victory at American Airlines Center.

Walker went 5-of-8 from long distance, and Toney Douglas made all four of his three-point shots, on the way to a 21-point effort for New York, which posted its first victory over the Mavericks since January 11, 2006 at Madison Square Garden. Dallas had beaten New York eight consecutive times.

The Knicks, who beat the Mavs for just the second time in the last 17 encounters, also won at Dallas for the first time since December 16, 1999. Before Saturday, the Knicks had lost nine straight road games to Dallas. It was also the largest margin of victory for the Knicks over the Mavs.

The performance from three-point range for the Knicks was a sharp contrast to the putrid effort from the team exactly a week ago when they went an NBA record 0-of-18, on the way to a 20-point home loss to New Jersey.

Wilson Chandler tallied 22 points and Al Harrington chipped in 20 for New York, which shot 56.2 percent from the field. David Lee ended with 15 points, 14 boards and seven assists.

"When we can get a game where we can make shots and string them together, get three or four stops at a time," Harrington said. "We can beat anybody. We're just happy that we were able to bounce back from last night's debacle to win this one tonight."

The Sixers, meanwhile, seemed to have checked out on embattled coach Eddie Jordan and lost for the ninth time in 10 games on Sunday in Miami. Dwyane Wade poured in 38 points on 14-of-25 shooting in that one, pacing the Heat to a 104-91 wire-to-wire victory.

Jason Kapono led Philadelphia with 17 points, while Andre Iguodala went for 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds in the loss.

Thaddeus Young and Jrue Holiday had 14 and 12 points, respectively, in defeat.

"One-on-one is not the problem [guarding Wade]," Iguodala said. "It is the pick-and-rolls. He got into the teeth of the defense and got layups."

The Sixers and Knicks have split a pair of meetings so far this season with each club winning on the other's home floor.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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