05/12/2008 -
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Utah Jazz are almost right where they want to be.
The only thing that could top tying the Western Conference semifinals against the Lakers would be if Game 5 was in Utah instead of Los Angeles. The home team has won all four games of the series and the Jazz would need to end that trend in order to advance.
``I think the pressure is on us a little bit. We've got to go out there and prove we can win there,'' point guard Deron Williams said at practice Monday. ``I think we have the confidence now to do that. We just have to come out and have a good start to the ballgame and hopefully that carries over for the rest of the game.''
Whoever wins Game 5 on Wednesday will be one victory away from clinching when the series returns to Utah on Friday.
The Jazz evened the series 2-2 on Sunday with a 123-115 overtime win at home. The Jazz needed two straight victories in Utah after falling behind the Lakers 2-0 when the series opened in Los Angeles.
``We have a good chance. We made the series 2-2 and kind of started over,'' forward Andrei Kirilenko said.
The Jazz feel they have some momentum now after giving the Lakers their first consecutive losses since late March, but one thing Utah is not counting on is Kobe Bryant's back bothering him the way it did Sunday.
Bryant said he had a back spasm early in the first quarter Sunday and was in pain the rest of the game. The Jazz said Monday they didn't notice much of a difference - Bryant still had 33 points and 10 assists - and expected the NBA's MVP to be at full strength in Game 5.
If the Lakers win on Wednesday, the remaining possibilities for the Jazz look pretty bleak.
Los Angeles would host Game 7 if the series goes that far. The Jazz would much rather win in on Wednesday and have a chance to clinch at home than lose Game 5 and have to win again in Utah to stay alive and force a final game.
A year ago, Utah won Game 7 at Houston in the first round, but being the road team when it's winner-take-all is not a good position to be in. The Jazz have played well on the road at times this season, just not against the Lakers.
The Lakers swept both regular season games against Utah in Los Angeles and opened the playoff series with two more home wins. The Jazz fell way behind in the first half of both games and were never able to recover.
``We still feel like in L.A. the first two games, we played three good quarters. We just didn't play four,'' forward Carlos Boozer said.
The Jazz have been an enigma all season, going 37-4 in the regular season, yet struggling on the road. They opened the playoffs with two wins at Houston in the first round and haven't won away from home since.
Utah shot 41 percent in the two games in Los Angeles, then 51 percent at home.
The Jazz will need to find a way to beat the Lakers in the Staples Center for the first time since January 2006 if they are going to win the series.
``Why not? We've done it in the past. We can do it,'' Kirilenko said.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Crew's Rogers wins MLS Player of Week award
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus Crew winger Robbie Rogers was voted
Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 7, it was announced on
Monday.
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<< Cubs send clear message with sweep
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circles its calendars in early May, but you can bet the Chicago Cubs had a
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Not only did Ar
<< Rays activate Glover
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays have activated
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<< Pacers pick up option on Graham
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers have picked up the
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Bryant says his sore back remains a problem >>
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -Kobe Bryant met the media Monday with a new companion - an electronic stimulating device hooked up to his sore lower back.Plans call for the two to spend a lot of time together for the next couple of days, or longer.The Los
Hudson, Braves shut down Bucs to earn split >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Hudson gave up just one unearned run
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Carmona tosses five-hit shutout for Indians >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fausto Carmona threw a five-hit shutout,
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BYU RB Tonga ruled academically ineligible >>
Provo, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - BYU senior running back Manase Tonga has been
ruled academically ineligible to compete during the 2008 season.
The announcement was made Monday by head football coach Bronco Mendenhall.
Tonga will redshirt
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.
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
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