Jackson, Warriors hold off Nuggets

Basketball Betting Lines

11/06/2008 - Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stephen Jackson scored a game-high 29 points and dished out seven assists, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 111-101 victory over the Nuggets in Denver's first game since the trade of Allen Iverson to Detroit.

The Nuggets on Monday traded Iverson to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheikh Samb. The new Denver players did not dress for Wednesday's matchup due to Billups' delay in having a physical, a process that is required for him to play.

Billups will be formally introduced as the newest member of the Nuggets in a press conference scheduled for 5 p.m.(et) on Thursday.

Brendan Wright added a career-high 18 points to go along with 13 rebounds for his first career double-double for the Warriors, who have won two of three after opening the season with two losses. Kelenna Azubuike added 22 points and eight rebounds, while Andris Biedrins tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds for his 12th consecutive double-double.

Carmelo Anthony had a team-high 28 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists, and Dahntay Jones scored 15 points for the Nuggets, who have lost three of four to begin the season. Nene recorded a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Kenyon Martin posted 11 points in defeat.

The Warriors headed into the fourth up 84-80, and Marco Belinelli hit a jumper to start off the final quarter for Golden State, giving them a six-point lead. But the Nuggets went on a 10-3 run, capped by J.R. Smith's three-pointer with 8:32 to play to go up 90-89.

The Warriors clawed back to score the next six points, going up five on Azubuike's layup with seven minutes left. With Denver down 101-96, Anthony hit a tough layup and made a free throw to complete the three point play and make it a two-point game with three minutes to go.

But Biedrins drove right by Nene on the ensuing possession and finished with an emphatic dunk to go up four. Jackson's jumper with 1:28 to go gave the Warriors an eight-point advantage, and the Nuggets didn't get closer than that the rest of the way.

Denver took an early 17-4 lead in the opening frame. Jones had a stretch where he scored seven points in 1:03, accounting for all of the game's scoring in that span. The Warriors finished the quarter on an 11-0 burst -- with Wright accounting for six of those points -- to cut the deficit to seven going into the second quarter.

Down 40-32 with 9:27 to play in the half, the Warriors battled back to take their first lead. Wright had six more points, as part of a 13-4 run, and Azubuike's four-foot jumper put Golden State ahead 45-44 just four minutes later.

The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the period, and Denver took a slim 59-58 lead into the break.

Denver and Golden State went back-and-forth in the third quarter, as there were a total of six lead changes in the frame. Jackson and Anthony each had nine points in the frame for the Warriors and Nuggets, respectively, as Golden State headed to the fourth up 84-80.

Game Notes

Despite the loss, Denver has won seven of the past 10 meetings between the clubs...The teams combined to shoot 4-of-31 from three-point range...The Nuggets committed 20 turnovers, compared to just 10 for the Warriors...Denver's Anthony Carter had a game-high 11 assists.

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

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