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Let Rose rest for as long as he wantsBasketball Betting Lines02/15/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The compressed NBA schedule is much like those KFC Famous Bowls: Mix everything together in a condensed space and see how it tastes. But what if you're a buttermilk biscuit fan? Will it whet your appetite when it's layered with pieces of crispy chicken, mashed potatoes or sweet corn? One's favorite bite in the concoction is comparable to an NBA superstar and his significance to his team. Every sports fan with a pulse understands Derrick Rose is the soup du jour of the Chicago Bulls and the reigning MVP is a prime example of how the new 66-game schedule is beginning to take its toll on some of the league's finest players (Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups and Al Horford included). Rose has one of the quickest first steps off the dribble, but right now the centerpiece to the hoopsters in the Second City is at a crawl because back spasms have kept one of the NBA's most dynamic athletes taking up a chair in street clothes the last three games. An MRI on the former No. 1 overall pick's back revealed no structural damage and surprisingly the same can be said for Chicago's chemistry without its go-to guy on the floor. Quite frankly, the Bulls' success without Rose this season may be just an aberration. The Bulls are 2-1 in the past three games without him and 6-2 overall with Rose on the sidelines either because of a nagging left toe sprain or his back issue. Rose, however, said there's no pain in the toe as of late, but that could change when he steps onto the hardwood again. Known for his toughness and high threshold for pain, Rose said he will take his time before opting to return. "Right now, I shouldn't have any problems in the long run," Rose said. "This back thing should be behind me in a couple of days. I should be back out there in a couple of days. I'll take my time and be smart and make sure I'm stretching." Rose hasn't hired a specialist to help him privately at his home and is very thankful for the Bulls' concerned training staff. He's been stretching more than usual to alleviate tightness and did see a chiropractor to get some tips on the healing process and find a solution to the problem. The 6-foot-3, 190- pound Memphis product was told by the team's management to take his time in regards to his health and head coach Tom Thibodeau noted that it's not just Rose's decision to resume playing. "There are a lot of people weighing in on it. We have a great medical staff, a great training staff. Their input is critical," Thibodeau said. "His input is critical. We're certainly not going to do anything to jeopardize him being hurt." Thibodeau's assessment couldn't be more accurate, but Chicago is actually playing well right now and owns the best record in the Eastern Conference at 24-7, including a spicy 10-1 record at the United Center. It could be a few days or possibly weeks (ouch!) before Rose resumes play, and missing the All-Star Game on Feb. 26 in Orlando could be an actuality depending on how the healing process continues. As for now, the Bulls are rolling along with C.J. Watson running the point. Watson may bring a watery taste to center stage and is averaging 13 points in his last three starts. His season average is 10.4 points per game. It would be nice for Bulls guard Richard Hamilton to get healthy from a right thigh injury which has sidelined him for nine straight games. He recently dealt with a death in his family and is back with the team. In another move to suppress the loss of Rose, Chicago signed journeyman Mike James to a 10-day contract. While there's arguably no man who could replace Rose on the floor in Chicago besides maybe Magic Johnson or John Stockton -- two retired superstar guards -- James is just another body at Thibodeau's disposal. James shared his sentiments on what Rose means to this team. "Great guy, humble, one of the best basketball players in the game," James said of Rose. "Hopefully, he can get his body back to 100 percent. Well, you'll never be 100 percent, but at least 99.9. He's definitely needed by this team and he brings a whole new dimension to the game when he's on the court." For the Bulls' sake, they hope Rose can take the floor soon with a clean bill of health. For now, however, Chicago's backcourt will remain bland at best.
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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later. While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better. For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory. 1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season. 2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped. How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number. Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules. Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically. How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games). Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition. Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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