Batum makes 9 three-pointers, Blazers down Nuggets

Basketball Betting Lines

02/05/2012 - Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There was nothing wrong with Nicolas Batum's left knee on Saturday.

Batum returned from a brief two-game absence and nailed a franchise record nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points as the Portland Trail Blazers routed the Denver Nuggets, 117-97.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and nine rebounds while Marcus Camby pulled down 20 boards for the Blazers, who moved to 11-1 at the Rose Garden this season.

Danilo Gallinari netted 20 points while Kosta Koufos finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets, who have lost four of their last five games.

Batum's three-pointer late in the first quarter capped a 10-4 Blazers run as the hosts took a 33-24 advantage before taking a 33-26 lead into the second.

Back-to-back Batum treys gave Portland its largest lead of the half, 50-34, with 7:24 to play in second.

But the Nuggets closed the stanza on a 10-2 run, cutting the margin to 59-53 heading into the locker room. Batum had five treys and 17 points in the first half.

The Blazers pulled away in the third quarter.

Koufos' reverse layup pulled the Nuggets within 68-63, but the Blazers responded with a 17-4 run to make it 85-67 with 1:20 to go in the third. Aldridge had eight points during the flurry, which Batum capped with his sixth three-pointer. Portland led, 85-71, after three.

Batum buried three more treys in the final quarter as the Blazers led by as many as 27, cruising to the easy win.

Game Notes

The Blazers scored 24 points off 17 Denver turnovers...Seven of Camby's rebounds were offensive boards...Gerald Wallace added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists for Portland...The Blazers were 15-of-33 from beyond the arc...Portland dished out 30 assists.

Gemcasino Basketball Betting News

<< San Diego State handles TCU
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamaal Franklin poured in a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 17 San Diego State handled TCU, 83-73, on Saturday. James Rahon netted 16 points to go with five reb

<< Pangos, Sacre lift No. 24 Gonzaga over Pepperdine
Malibu, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Pangos and Robert Sacre each scored 15 points, lifting the 24th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs over the Pepperdine Waves, 72-60. Guy Landry Edi added 13 points for the Bulldogs (18-4, 8-2 WCC), who bounc

<< Parker sets franchise assists record as Spurs down Thunder
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Parker exploded for a season-high 42 points and added nine assists to become the Spurs' all-time assists leader as San Antonio handled Oklahoma City 107-96 at AT&T Center on Saturday. Tim Du

<< Jazz take down Lakers
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Al Jefferson scored 18 points and Paul Millsap added 16 with each pulling down 13 rebounds in Utah's 96-87 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Josh Howard and Derrick Favors both had 12 points and En

<< Suns beat skidding Bobcats
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robin Lopez scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, as the Phoenix Suns handed the Charlotte Bobcats their 11th straight loss with a 95-89 victory. Michael Redd had 17 points in his first start

Kings down Warriors in OT >>
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Salmons scored 14, including the go- ahead three-pointer to start overtime, helping Sacramento to a 114-106 win over the Golden State Warriors. DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and a career-high

Nugent-Hopkins returns, carries Oilers to SO win over Red Wings >>
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins netted the game-winning goal in the sixth round of the shootout, sending the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Rexall Place. Nugent-Hopkins, who returned to th

Boeljon birdies last for victory in Australia >>
Queensland, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Christel Boeljon birdied the 72nd hole Sunday to polish off a come-from-behind victory at the Australian Ladies Masters. Boeljon posted her second straight four-under 68 and won by a single strok

Pratt wins playoff for Myanmar Open title >>
Yangon, Myanmar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Australia's Kieran Pratt birdied the second playoff hole Sunday to earn his first Asian Tour title at the Myanmar Open. Pratt bested Adam Blyth and Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the extra session at The Royal M

Lawrie pulls away for Qatar Masters title >>
Doha, Qatar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Lawrie staved off challenges from Jason Day and Sergio Garcia on Sunday to win the Qatar Masters in comfortable fashion. Lawrie, the second-round leader, fired a seven-under 65 on Sunday.

NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.