Nuggets target a win vs. visiting Rockets

Basketball Betting Lines

02/06/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The suddenly shaky Denver Nuggets will try to avoid a season-high third straight loss tonight when they welcome the Houston Rockets to Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets, who are opening up a three-game homestand, have dropped four of five overall after Saturday's 117-97 setback in Portland. Danilo Gallinari netted 20 points while Kosta Koufos finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds in that one for Denver.

"They're one of the best home teams in basketball. The times we played them, they're a top-five team. They've played great," Nuggets head coach George Karl said of the Blazers.

Denver, which is 7-4 in the Rockies this season, will also host Dallas and Golden State on its residency.

The Rockets, who are resuming a six-game road trip tonight, have also hit the skids a bit recently, losing for the third time in four games on Saturday in the opener of the trek in Minnesota, 100-91.

Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry scored 24 points apiece for the Rockets and Patrick Patterson had 14 off the bench in that one as the Timberwolves snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Rockets at home and won for only the third time in the last 18 meetings overall.

"We just started out with no defensive intensity," Houston coach Kevin McHale told the team's website. "We can't be a pretty team, we can't be a team that just goes out there and plays easy; we've got to be a team that's going to go out there and fight like we did when we got mad."

The Rockets are just 3-8 on the road and will also visit Portland, Phoenix, Golden State and Memphis before returning to South Texas.

These two teams split four meetings a season ago, with Houston winning the last two.

Wwfreearcade Basketball Betting News

<< Giddy up: Spurs begin Rodeo Road Trip in Memphis
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Antonio opens up its annual Rodeo Road Trip tonight in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Since 2003, the Spurs have been forced on an extended trek for much of February since the AT&T Center hosts the ann

<< Cousins leads Kings into New Orleans
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - DeMarcus Cousins hopes to build on one of his best games as a professional when the Sacramento Kings shoot for a season-high third straight victory tonight in the Big Easy against the New Orleans Hornets. Cousins h

<< Leafs hope to extend win streak in clash with surging Oilers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to post a third straight shutout when they host the surging Edmonton Oilers in an interconference clash tonight at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs have received terrific goaltending from

<< Big 12 brawl pits Missouri against Oklahoma
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Missouri Tigers set their sights on continued success as they head to the Lloyd Noble Center for a Big 12 Conference battle with the Oklahoma Sooners this evening. This will be the 209th meeting in the all-t

<< Marquette and DePaul meet in Big East action
Rosemont, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off a humbling loss, the Marquette Golden Eagles will try to bounce back tonight against the DePaul Blue Demons in a Big East Conference battle at Allstate Arena. This will be the 111th meeting in the a

Thunder invade Portland's Rose Garden >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West's best faces a tough test tonight as Oklahoma City resumes a five-game road trip against a Portland team that has been dominant in Rip City. The Thunder are an NBA-best 18-5 despite losing the opener of their

Flames try for rare win in Anaheim >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames took care of business at home on Friday before hitting the road for a few games. The task gets a little daunting right off the bat tonight as they aim for their first victory against the Ducks at Anaheim in

Howard-less Red Wings aim for win in Phoenix >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Not having their starting goaltender over the weekend did little to help Detroit shake off its road issues. However, a trip to Phoenix just might do the trick. The Red Wings look to record a sweep of their season series wi

Pachuca erases three-goal deficit to stun Toluca >>
Toluca, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mauro Cejas converted a penalty kick in the 90th minute as Pachuca rallied from three goals behind to stun Toluca, 4-3, on Sunday in Mexico's Clausura. Toluca built a three-goal lead after 17 minutes on an

Clippers resume road trip in Orlando >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A possible trade destination for Dwight Howard is Los Angeles with the revamped Clippers. For now, however, Howard is still property of the Orlando Magic, who will open a three-game homestand tonight versus the Clippers at Am

You've come to the right place if you're searching for a great legal online sportsbook ! The sportsbooks featured on this page accept sports wagers for the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA, Tennis, Soccer, Auto-Racing, Golf, Boxing, Horseracing, and many more. Using the information displayed on this page, you'll be able to make a wise-decision when selecting an online sportsbook and wagering service.

If you've never wagered at an online sportsbook before, you will find the process of starting to be straightforward. First, you choose a sportsbook from the list provided below. We feature the top sportsbooks on the web, with rankings based on company size, reputation, security, web site usability, and payment options. Once you've chosen the betting site that's right for you, the next step is online registration. You'll need to provide some basic information to create your account and receive a username and password. At this time, you'll also select a payment option. The books reviewed accept Visa, Mastercard, BankWire, and several others. Once you have an account created with the Sportsbook, you're ready to start wagering. You'll want to get familiar with their website and contact their Customer Service department if you have any questions.

Also, make sure you read the terms and conditions, which is usually located at the bottom of the homepage. The terms and conditions will outline all of the rules and regulations for the sportsbook. Once you are comfortable with the website and fully understand all of the rules, you are ready to start betting on your favorite sports teams or even on some hot current events!

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.