Artest leads Rockets past Kings in return to Sacramento

Basketball Betting Lines

04/10/2009 - Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ron Artest scored 26 points in his first visit back to Sacramento since being traded from the Kings in the offseason, as Houston rolled through the second half in a 115-98 triumph.

Yao Ming added 20 points and nine rebounds, while Luis Scola added 15 points and eight boards for the Rockets. Von Wafer donated 13 points and Shane Battier recorded 12 points and five rebounds in the win, Houston's third in a row.

Houston moved a half-game in front of idle San Antonio for first place in the Southwest Division with the victory. The Rockets also moved a half-game in front of idle Portland and the Spurs for third place in the Western Conference.

Spencer Hawes led Sacramento with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Andres Nocioni and Francisco Garcia contributed 17 points apiece. Jason Thompson added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Beno Udrih added 12 for the Kings, who have dropped six straight.

The Kings held steady through two quarters, going toe-to-toe with the playoff- bound Rockets. Sacramento took a 33-30 edge into the second stanza and a 54-49 advantage into the locker room.

However, in the third quarter, the Kings struggled. Hawes opened the third- period scoring with a three-pointer for a 57-49 advantage, but Houston came back with a 19-6 scoring stretch. In that long shift in momentum, the Rockets reeled off nine straight points capped by an Artest jumper, Yao slam and Artest three for a 68-63 lead.

Nocioni's two free throws brought the home-standing Kings within 74-72, but Houston scored the next seven points. The Rockets outscored Sacramento, 36-20, in the period to take a double-digit advantage, 85-74, into the final 12 minutes.

The Rockets ran out to a 93-74 lead on two Scola free throws, and the rout was on. Sacramento drained treys on three straight possessions to get within 96-83, but never put a major dent in the deficit the rest of the way.

Game Notes

The Rockets also swept the Kings in a pair of games in Houston this season...Houston snapped a three-game road losing streak and improved to 20-7 without Tracy McGrady...Sacramento made just 44 percent of its shots, while Houston connected on 54 percent of its shots and 11-of-21 three- pointers...Artest played for Sacramento in the later half of the 2005-06 season and the next two campaigns. In 167 games, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting - Super Bowl 2009

Super Bowl 2009, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go.

MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points.

Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game.

Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again.

After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes.

Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at.

Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds.

If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time.

Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now.

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