Mavs host Blazers in Big D

Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas will kick off a three-game homestand tonight by welcoming the Portland Trail Blazers to American Airlines Center.

The reigning NBA champion Mavericks have won two straight after an uncharacteristic three-game skid, including Friday's 104-97 win in Minneapolis against the Timberwolves.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 33 points in that one while Jason Terry added 16 points. Vince Carter had 12 and Jason Kidd returned from a six-game absence due to a calf injury to hand out 10 assists.

"He's a big part of our heart and soul," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of Kidd. "When we're without him, we can win some games but we're not the same team."

After tonight's game vs. Portland, the Mavs, who are 9-5 in Big D, will finish their residency against the Clippers and Nuggets. Dallas, which has lost two in a row at home, hasn't dropped three straight on its floor since a four-game hiccup to begin the 2008-09 season.

The Blazers, meanwhile, got a rare road win Friday over hapless New Orleans. Jamal Crawford dropped a season-high 31 points and added a game-high eight assists off the bench, as Portland pulled away from the Hornets, 94-86.

Raymond Felton added 18 points, while Gerald Wallace and LaMarcus Aldridge each contributed 14 for the Blazers, who stopped a two-game skid and improved to 4-9 as the visitor, although two of those victories are against the hapless Hornets.

"Sometimes it's not about how you win, but the fact that you win," Portland head coach Nate McMillan said. "New Orleans played hard and they scrapped and played a good game. We did the things we needed to do down the stretch."

The Blazers have lost five consecutive and 20 of their last 25 in North Texas, including all three games there during last year's Western Conference quarterfinals.

Wwwmlsnet Basketball Betting News

<< Howard, Magic visit Milwaukee
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard and the Magic visit Brew City and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday hoping to bounce back from their second overtime loss this week. Orlando, which also fell to the Clippers on Monday in OT, lost to the Hawks i

<< Kings and Suns square off in Sac-Town
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After unseating the Western Conference-best Oklahoma City Thunder, the Sacramento Kings hope to keep the momentum going this evening versus the Pacific Division-rival Phoenix Suns at Power Balance Pavilion. The Kings recor

<< Blue Devils take on Terps in Durham
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off their biggest win of the season, the 10th-ranked Duke Blue Devils return to Cameron Indoor Stadium, as they play host to the Maryland Terrapins in ACC action this afternoon. Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Dev

<< No.1 Kentucky takes act on the road
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats put their unblemished SEC record in harm's way this evening in Nashville, as they take on the dangerous Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gym. John Calipari's Wildcats are you

<< Top-10 collision on tap in Columbia
Columbia, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-10 foes square off in a crucial Big 12 affair, as the fourth-ranked Missouri Tigers welcome the sixth-ranked Baylor Bears to Mizzou Arena this afternoon. Frank Haith's first season in Columbia has been hig

Wichita State visits Creighton in MVC showdown >>
Omaha, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in the Missouri Valley Conference square off in Omaha this evening, as the Wichita State Shockers have come calling on the 17th-ranked Creighton Bluejays. Both teams are 21-4 on the year, with W

Mountain West showdown pits Aztecs against Rebels >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second half of the Mountain West Conference schedule kicks off today with a clash of the titans in the desert, as the 14th-ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels play host to the 13th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs at th

Jayhawks clash with Cowboys in Big 12 action >>
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks return to Lawrence following a two-game road trip, as they play host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Big 12 action from the Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas has been a model of cons

SEC action pits Gators against Vols >>
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators return to Gainesville looking to regain their swagger, as they play host to the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC action at the O'Connell Center. Billy Donovan's Gators headed int

Second-ranked Orange host Huskies in Big East affair >>
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With their sights still set on a Big East crown, the second-ranked Syracuse Orange welcome the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies to the Carrier Dome this afternoon. The Orange won their fourth st

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.