Lakers' Walton out at least another week

Basketball Betting Lines

02/12/2007 -

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton will be out at least through the All-Star break because of a sprained right ankle.

Walton was examined Monday by foot specialist Kenneth Jung at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic.

A CAT scan and MRI confirmed Walton's ankle is sprained and he will miss at least the next two games, team spokesman John Black said.

The earliest Walton could return is Feb. 21 against Portland. By then, he would have missed 11 games.

Walton landed on the foot of teammate Andrew Bynum in a 106-97 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 26. He is averaging 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Socceronlinechance Basketball Betting News

<< Jordan's influence leaves Bickerstaff's future in doubt
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Portland coach Nate McMillan chuckled when he walked into Charlotte's practice facility last week and saw no chairs or bleachers, items banned by Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff.``He hasn't changed,'' said

<< Hurricanes lift suspension of D Babchuk
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -The Carolina Hurricanes lifted the suspension of Anton Babchuk on Monday, allowing the defenseman to report immediately to the AHL affiliate in Albany.Babchuk was suspended indefinitely Feb. 7 when he failed to report to Albany a

<< Could struggling Duke slip from blueblood to bubble team?
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -Mike Krzyzewski had yet to establish himself as Coach K the last time he was on Duke's bench and the Blue Devils missed the NCAA tournament.That was in 1983, when he was merely a little-known third-year coach with a tough-to-spel

<< Man who hit Jackson with car during brawl convicted of battery
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -A man who hit former Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson with a car during an October fight outside a strip club was convicted Monday in a ruling by a judge.Deon Willford was convicted of felony battery and failure to stop at an

<< Staal's scoring surprises Penguins - and his big brother
PITTSBURGH (AP) -Eric Staal led the NHL in playoff scoring for Stanley Cup champion Carolina last season and, at age 22, is one of the league's best young players. By the end of this season, he might not be the leading scorer in his family.Jordan St

Nash pulls out of All-Star Game with shoulder injury >>
PHOENIX (AP) - Steve Nash has withdrawn from Sunday's All-Star game because of lingering inflammation in his right shoulder.The league's two-time defending MVP has missed the last 3 1/2 games because of the injury. The Phoenix Suns said Monday he wo

Foye cited for disorderly conduct, says he was stopping fight >>
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Randy Foye was cited early Monday for disorderly conduct after police found him in an SUV at a gas station while two of his family members fought outside.Foye and two others were released after receivi

NCAA: Oklahoma failed to monitor employment of athletes >>
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -The NCAA alleges Oklahoma failed to adequately monitor the employment of several athletes, including some football players who worked during the academic year.The NCAA's findings came in an investigation after Oklahoma self-repor

Eagles' Reid taking leave of absence >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Andy Reid is facing a crisis far tougher than a quarterback controversy or a disruptive player.The Philadelphia Eagles coach will leave the team for a month to deal with developments that have rocked his family the past two weeks

Walker and Blue Jays agree to minor league contract >>
TORONTO (AP) -Pitcher Pete Walker agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was invited to spring training.The 37-year-old right-hander had two stints on the disabled list last year, going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 23 game

MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football betting sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.

MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

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

Online Sportsbook Football Betting

The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.

New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).

The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.

Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.

Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.

The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.

Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.

The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.

Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.

However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).

The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.

Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.

In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.

Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.

Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.

MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.

MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.