Durant powers Thunder over Warriors

Basketball Betting Lines

01/28/2012 - Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Durant's double-double of a season-high 37 points and 14 rebounds powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors Friday night.

Russell Westbrook had a terrific all-around game with 28 points, 11 assists and seven steals for the Thunder, who own an NBA-best 16-3 record. Serge Ibaka also posted a double-double with a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, while James Harden contributed 19 points off the bench.

"Serge was big, the offensive rebounds and his baskets around the paint," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "He can guard small guys. That's the advantage that we do have. When we want to go with our big lineup, Serge can step out and guard smaller players because of his athletic ability and length he can cover three-point shooters."

Dorell Wright drained six shots from beyond the arc en route to a season-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Golden State, which has dropped four of its last five games. David Lee scored 19 points in defeat.

With 8:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, Klay Thompson's turnaround jumper trimmed the Warriors' deficit to 88-85. But Oklahoma City responded with a 12-1 surge, and Nick Collison completed a three-point play at the foul line to put the visitors up 111-96 with just over two minutes left.

"[The Thunder] scored 28 points in the last 5 1/2 minutes basically," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "They have a different motor. They're a different animal. We have to learn how to do that. We don't have the luxury to be able to turn it on when we want to. It's a good lesson for us."

Oklahoma City led by as many as 10 in the first quarter, but Golden State pulled even at 50 on a Monta Ellis free throw with 1:57 to play in the opening half. However, the Thunder closed out the second stanza on a 7-2 run, giving them the same five-point lead they owned after 12 minutes.

In the third quarter, Ellis hit a driving layup to draw the Warriors within one at 65-64. Oklahoma City, though, carried an 85-77 lead into the final frame.

Game Notes

Oklahoma City notched a season-high in points...Durant and Westbrook each committed seven of the Thunder's 22 turnovers...Stephen Curry had 15 points and six assists for Golden State, while Ellis added 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting...The Thunder snapped a two-game losing streak in Oakland...Oklahoma City held a 53-34 rebounding advantage and made 32 free throws to Golden State's 15...The Warriors shot 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from three-point range.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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