Miners open C-USA Tournament play against Knights

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/11/2010 - Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Winners of 14th straight games, the top-seeded and 25th-ranked Texas El Paso Miners set their sites on a C-USA Tournament championship, starting with tonight's quarterfinal-round matchup against the ninth-seeded UCF Knights at the BOK Center. The survivor of this contest advances to the semifinals versus the winner of the Marshall/Tulsa clash.

The current winning streak ranks third in the nation and helped UTEP set a school-record for conference wins (15) on its way to the C-USA title. This is the program's first outright regular-season championship in 23 years, as the Miners suffered just one conference loss. UTEP is making its fifth appearance in the C-USA Tournament, first as a No.1 seed, and they are 3-4 in the event. The team has made it as far as the semifinals, including a recent 2008 showing.

As for the Knights, they were in action just last night, when they captured a 69-53 victory over eighth-seeded SMU. It was the second straight victory on a the heels of a four-game slide for UCF, which won for just the second time in this tourney.

The all-time series between UTEP and UCF is tied 3-3 after the Miners thrashed the Knights, 96-59, in the lone meeting during the regular season.

The Knights dropped in 54.2 percent of their attempts from the floor and 10- of-13 at the foul line, as they outlasted SMU last night. UCF controlled the boards, 27-19, as well as forcing 16 turnovers in the game. Taylor Young led the way with 15 points and four assists, while Isaac Sosa and A.J. Tyler scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. Tyler is the team's leading scorer at 10.4 ppg and he also pulls down 5.1 rpg for the season. Sosa nips at his heels with 10.2 ppg and he is the team's top three-point threat, hitting at a 42.5 percent clip.

UTEP has been effective at both ends of the court this season, as they are netting 75.9 ppg and shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, while holding foes to 64.1 ppg behind 38.8 percent shooting. Randy Culpepper leads the charge and the reigning C-USA Player of the Year heads the squad with 18.1 ppg and 52 seals. A 38.3 percent shooter, Culpepper topped the 30-point mark on three occasions on his way to All-Conference USA first-team honors. Derrick Caracter, a second-team all-league choice, is also a big part of this club and he produces 14.3 ppg, to go with a team-high 8.4 rpg. Jeremy Williams brings 10.3 ppg to the court, and Arnett Moultrie tacks on 9.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg.

Wwwbetinternet NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< TCU seeks upset of BYU in Mountain West quarterfinals
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A rematch of the regular-season finale has 14th-ranked and second-seeded BYU taking on the seventh-seeded TCU Horned Frogs in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Mountain West Conference Tournament tonight at the Thom

<< Falcons face tall task in Mountain West Tourney tilt with Lobos
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Less than 24 hours after picking up just their second win all-time in the Mountain West Conference Tournament, the Air Force Falcons are back on the hardwood of the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas as they

<< No. 1 Kansas begins Big 12 Tournament play against Texas Tech
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks are the top seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, and they are slated to do battle with the ninth-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders this afternoon in the quarterfinal round.

<< Cowboys tangle with Wildcats in Big 12 quarterfinals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Quarterfinal action of the Big 12 Conference Tournament pits the ninth-ranked and second-seeded Kansas State Wildcats against the seventh-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys. Awaiting the winner of this tilt is a

<< Redskins add TE Ryan
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Redskins agreed to terms with tight end Sean Ryan on Thursday. Details of the contract were not disclosed. Ryan appeared in 10 games, making eight starts, for Kansas City last season and ha

Longhorns and Bears meet in Big 12 Tournament >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Baylor Bears are seeded third in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, and they will begin action in the event tonight with a quarterfinal-round matchup against the sixth-seeded Texas Longhorns.

Vols open SEC Tournament against hapless Tigers >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are set to take on the LSU Tigers in the first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament. The winner of this contest will move on to face Ole Miss, the West Division's second seed,

Cornhuskers battle Red Raiders in Big 12 Tournament action >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 23rd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies are the fourth-seeded team in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, and they will play a quarterfinal-round game against the surprising 12th-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers today.

Mountaineers and Bearcats collide in quarterfinal action >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-seeded and seventh-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers begin their march towards a Big East Tournament title tonight, as they face off against the 11th-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats in the quarterfinals at M

Orange and Hoyas clash in Big East quarterfinals >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked and top-seeded Syracuse Orange make their much anticipated debut in the Big East Tournament today, as they lock up with the 22nd-ranked and eighth-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the quarterfinals at

MySportsbook.com, Online Sportsbook and Casino, is celebrating our 9th football season online since our launch in 1997. MySportsbook.com has experienced exponential growth, having taken over $8 billion in Sports and Casino Wagers since we opened our doors.

This year we will accept over $3 billion in wagers. Tens of thousands of winning wagers are created daily for the 300,000 people that have joined our website. In August of 2005, MySportsbook.com was acquired by Sportingbet, a UK company which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Combined, MySportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world's largest internet sportsbook company and one of the internet's most profitable companies. The acquisition has provided for added transparency and accountability to MySportsbook.com customers and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. Our business is audited by BDO Stoy Hayward, one of the largest auditing firms in London, and our accounts are published quarterly on the London Exchange. We encourage you to take a look around and truly hope you enjoy your experience.

Through advertising deals with the top handicapping sites in the world, MySportsbook.com reaches a global audience and is one of the most commonly visited gaming spots on the Internet.

MySportsbook.com offers the largest selection of casino games and sporting wagers on the Internet. We believe that an educated player is a more responsible gambler, thus we provide you with all of the latest news and handicapping information. MySportsbook.com is your ultimate destination for gaming information and wagering. You can start by signing up in the Casino or Sportsbook. Once you sign up you can use your same login in either the casino or Sportsbook. So do it now and start winning serious money Today!

If at any time you have a question, we have numerous people waiting to help you, so don't be afraid to call our customer service department. We do not take any telephone wagers but we can certainly answer any questions you may have about our service.

MySportsbook.com is officially licensed in Antigua as a preferred licensee recognized by the Directorate of offshore gaming of Antigua and Barbuda.

What more could you ask for from an Online Sportsbook?

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.