Bluegrass State rivals square off at Freedom Hall

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

01/04/2009 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Non-conference rivals will collide at Freedom Hall this afternoon, as the 18th-ranked Louisville Cardinals battle the Kentucky Wildcats.

Expect Kentucky to play with a wealth of confidence this afternoon, as the team has won six straight games. The Wildcats, who are 11-3 overall, are coming off an 84-52 decision over Central Michigan on Monday. They have only played one true road game to date, and that tilt resulted in a 19-point loss to top-ranked North Carolina on November 18th.

As for Louisville, it has lost two of its last three games after a blistering 7-1 start to the season. On Wednesday, the Cardinals suffered a heartbreaking defeat against UNLV in a 56-55 final. The other losses came against Western Kentucky and Minnesota, surprising considering the lofty expectations of Rick Pitino's team entering this season.

Kentucky owns a 26-13 series lead over Louisville, including wins in three of the last four meetings with the Cardinals.

Kentucky relies heavily on the talents of two players, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson. Meeks, an explosive guard, is netting 24.1 ppg on the strength of his 43.2 percent shooting from three-point range. In a victory over Appalachian State in mid-December, Meeks poured in 46 points, proof of his enormous ability. As for Patterson, a power forward, he provides 19.3 ppg and 9.4 rpg. The big man is shooting a staggering 72.2 percent from the field and has blocked 30 shots. In the 32-point romp over Central Michigan last time out, Meeks posted 23 points on the strength of a 5-of-8 showing from behind the arc. As for Patterson, he finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Michael Porter and Josh Harrellson pitched in 12 points apiece for the Wildcats, who connected on 53.6 percent of their field goal attempts and racked up 22 assists. Defensively, they limited the overmatched Chippewas to 31 percent shooting from the floor.

The best player for Louisville so far this season has been freshman forward Samardo Samuels, who is averaging 14.7 ppg on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor. More than just a scorer, Samuels is pulling down 7.0 rpg as well. Earl Clark provides 13.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg for the Cardinals, who are getting 11.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg from Terrence Williams. One of the most versatile players in the Big East Conference, Williams is also dishing out 5.0 apg and tops the roster with 26 steals. Louisville is averaging 76.2 ppg this season while holding opponents to 59.0 ppg on 37.4 percent shooting from the field. In the one-point loss to UNLV, Preston Knowles paced the Cardinals with 11 points, while Samuels and Clark both scored 10 points. Contributing significantly to the loss was the fact that Louisville shot just 29.6 percent from the field.

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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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