Boilermakers visit Spartans in clash of ranked Big Ten foes

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/08/2009 - East Lansing, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a game that was supposed to be for the Big Ten title, the 19th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers battle the eighth-ranked Michigan State Spartans in a less meaningful matchup at the Breslin Center today. This game was designed for the top two teams in the conference to clash for the regular season championship, but it didn't work out that way. Instead, Purdue dropped a couple of games down the stretch and MSU used a four-game winning streak to win the outright title.

The Boilermakers meanwhile, still have something to play for, as they are trying to lock up sole possession of second place with a win today. Purdue could have accomplished that feat on Wednesday, but was instead knocked off by Northwestern, 64-61. Despite the loss, Purdue is already assured a first-round bye in the upcoming league tourney and that is certainly a positive.

As for MSU, it defeated Indiana, 64-59, on Tuesday to secure its fifth regular-season Big Ten Championship under head coach Tom Izzo and its firs outright title since 1999. The Spartans are a healthy 24-5 overall and 14-3 within the conference and are making a strong push towards a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

MSU and Purdue are meeting for the 106th time today, with the Boilermakers holding a 62-43 lead in the rivalry. The Boilermakers knocked off MSU, 72-54, earlier this season, but the Spartans have won the last eight meetings between the schools at the Breslin Center.

The Boilermakers made just 40.8 percent of their attempts from the floor compared to a 49.1 percent shooting performance by Northwestern, as they were upended on Wednesday. Purdue, which was outscored 36-26 in the second half, received 14 points from both E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant in the setback. JaJuan Johnson contributed 11 points, and Robbie Hummel had eight and six boards in the loss. On the season, Moore leads Purdue in scoring at 14.0 ppg and he is also grabbing 4.9 rpg and dishing out 2.9 apg. Johnson turns in 13.2 ppg and 5.9 rpg, while Hummel adds 12.4 ppg and a team-best 6.7 rpg to the lineup. As a whole, Purdue has thrived on defense, holding opponents to a mere 58.9 ppg and just 38.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Spartans knocked down 51.2 percent of their field goal tries and 5-of-11 three-point chances, as they clinched the outright title with a win over Indiana on Tuesday. MSU also went 15-of-22 at the foul line, in addition to holding a 29-22 edge on the glass. Kalin Lucas led the charge with 15 points and five assists, while Raymar Morgan had 14 points and seven rebounds. On the season, Lucas paces the Spartans in scoring at 14.6 ppg and he has also been in charge of setting up his teammates, handing out a team-best 4.6 apg. Morgan checks in with 11.4 ppg and 5.8 rpg for MSU, which is outrebounding foes by a healthy 9.8 rpg on the season.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back

With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.

"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."

Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .

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