Big East foes meet in Milwaukee

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/19/2007 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off a heart-breaking loss, the Villanova Wildcats will try to help their NCAA Tournament chances with a victory over the 12th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles in Big East Conference action.

On Saturday, Villanova hosted Georgetown, and the result was a 58-55 setback. That loss halted a four-game win streak for the Wildcats, who are an even 6-6 in league play. On a more positive note, they are 18-8 overall and have recorded several quality victories.

Marquette has hit a slump at the worst possible time, as it has lost three straight games to fall to 21-7 overall and 8-5 in conference. Like the Wildcats, the Golden Eagles lost in dramatic fashion on Saturday, as Louisville hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to claim a 61-59 victory.

Villanova recorded a 72-67 victory over Marquette last season to increase its lead to 6-3 in the all-time series.

Villanova is scoring 73.3 ppg this season while limiting opponents to 63.7 ppg on 41.8 percent shooting from the floor. An obvious key to the Wildcats' success is that they are outrebounding foes by 6.5 rpg. Also, they have forced almost 450 turnovers. Curtis Sumpter paces the club with 17.2 ppg and 6.9 rpg, while Mike Nardi is contributing 13.4 ppg to go along with 11 assists. Scottie Reynolds has dished out 110 assists, and he rounds out the trio of double-digit scorers with 12.0 ppg. Reynolds scored 18 points against Georgetown on Saturday, but the standout freshman missed a three-pointer at the end of regulation that would have forced overtime. Sumpter tallied 15 points for the Wildcats, who connected on only 34.6 percent of their field goal attempts in the clash.

Jerel McNeal scored only 18 points for Marquette in the painful loss to Louisville. Unfortunately, the Golden Eagles did not have another double-digit scorer in the contest. They earned a 30-22 rebounding advantage and held a 15-6 edge in points from the foul line. Still, Marquette lost the game because it permitted the Cardinals to connect on 53.3 percent of their field goal attempts. Dominic James is the leading scorer for the Golden Eagles with 15.1 ppg, and he has dished out 4.6 apg to go along with 55 steals. Unfortunately, he has struggled in recent weeks, dropping his shooting efficiency to 40 percent for the season. McNeal is netting 14.6 ppg, and he has logged 74 steals. Wesley Matthews adds 11.9 ppg for Marquette, which is limiting foes to just 63.1 ppg.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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