Sixers try to solve Heat in Philly

Basketball Betting Lines

02/03/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers may not possess the star power that Miami Heat bring to the court, but they have been every bit as good as their much-hyped counterparts in the early going this season.

Tonight, the Sixers eye a fifth straight win when they welcome Miami to the Wells Fargo Center.

Armed without a true superstar, Philadelphia continued to get help from everywhere on Wednesday against Chicago, as its bench sparked an 18-4 run in the opening quarter, giving it a lead it would not relinquish in a 98-82 win over the Bulls.

Andre Iguodala filled the stat sheet with 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals while Jrue Holiday added 17 points and five assists for the Sixers, who got 50 points from their reserves and held a commanding 75-55 lead after three quarters.

"That was a tremendous game our guys played," Philadelphia head coach Doug Collins said. "Defensively, we were so good. When you play against Derrick Rose you have to do everything in your power to try and keep him away from that basket and out of the paint."

Philadelphia may not have a player who averages 16 points per game, but it is a squad that has won by 10-plus points 14 times this season and is outscoring opponents by a league-best 11.6 ppg. It's a defensive-minded group that has held opponents below 90 points in four straight contests and 15 times of the season (14-1).

The Sixers, who will be concluding a seven-game stretch at home, have been even better in their building, where they are a terrific 12-2 on the season.

"Play the teams in front you," the coach recently said. "It doesn't matter if you get [wins] in April, February, March, doesn't matter. Win at home and that's what we've got to keep doing."

Miami, meanwhile, had a five-game winning streak stopped on Wednesday in a 105-97 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points, including 24 in the first quarter, but it was not enough for the Heat to avoid falling for only the second time in their last 10 games.

"We didn't execute our offense," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Our carelessness with the ball allowed them to get back in the game."

Miami has won its last eight regular season meetings over the Sixers, including a 113-89 win back on January 21.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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