Felton, Bobcats hold off Hornets

Basketball Betting Lines

11/07/2008 - Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Raymond Felton had 20 points, including two huge free throws late in the game, to help the Bobcats edge the Hornets, 92-89, in a thriller from Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Jason Richardson also had 20 points for the Bobcats, who snapped a two-game skid. Emeka Okafor had 10 points to match his 10 rebounds. D.J. Augustin had 11 points off the bench.

Chris Paul had 20 points, 10 assists and six steals for the Hornets, who have let two in a row slip away. Peja Stojakovic also had 20 points and seven rebounds, while David West and James Posey gave 11 points each.

Four points from Paul, three from Posey and a layup by Rasual Butler gave the Hornets the lead, 73-68, with about eight minutes left in regulation.

Moments later, two free throws from Augustin and a jumper from Matt Carroll made it a one-point game, 76-75, with 6:01 showing on the clock.

West interjected with a jumper, but 10 straight points from Charlotte gave the Bobcats an 85-78 lead. Augustin started it off with a bucket and closed it out with a three-pointer with 2:52 showing on the clock.

"We got to the free throw line and we made shots," Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. "We got 30 points off turnovers against a good defensive team. It was a great win for us."

Paul answered with a jumper, Stojakovic drained a three before Gerald Wallace made two free throws for Charlotte. Butler then hit from behind the arc to bring the Hornets within 87-86 with under a minute left to play.

Richardson then went 1-of-2 from the line, before a bad pass from Paul led to two more from the line by Richardson, making it 90-86 with 16.9 ticks left.

The Hornets called a timeout and Stojakovic nailed a three-pointer 2.3 seconds later, and New Orleans was within one point.

Paul was then forced to foul Felton on the ensuing possession, and he hit both shots to give Charlotte a 92-89 edge.

The Hornets had one last shot to tie it up, but Stojakovic missed. Posey, though, grabbed the rebound and dished it to Paul, whose three-pointer caromed off the back of the iron to end the contest.

"The good thing is it's early in the season, we can find different ways to counter that," Paul said. "Other guys are going to have to attack to keep teams honest."

The Hornets had a 28-26 lead after the first quarter, but Charlotte took a 47-35 lead at the break.

Down by 14 midway through the third, five points from Morris Peterson and a three-pointer from Stojakovic brought the visitors within 57-51 with 5:55 left in the stanza.

The teams battled, and Charlotte cut it to within five points, 66-61, heading into the final 12 minutes.

Game Notes

The Bobcats allowed just seven points in the second quarter, which is a franchise low...Charlotte went 29-of-31 (94 percent) from the line, against 14-of-19 (74 percent) for New Orleans...On the injury front for the Hornets, forward Melvin Ely (dental) did not dress...New Orleans won both meetings with the Bobcats a year ago and had won six of the last seven matchups in this series. The Hornets also had won two of their last three trips to Charlotte coming in.

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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. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.