Jayhawks clash with Cowboys in Big 12 action

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks return to Lawrence following a two-game road trip, as they play host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Big 12 action from the Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas has been a model of consistency for over two decades. At 19-5 overall, the Jayhawks need one more win to post their 23rd straight 20-win campaign. The team is coming off an impressive 68-54 road win at Baylor this week, moving to 9-2 in conference play. KU's next league win will mark the 18th straight season the team has reached double figures in conference wins.

Consistency is not a word used to describe the Cowboys this season, as they come into this contest at an even 12-12 overall and 5-6 in-conference. OSU does enter this contest with wins in two of its last three games, including a tight 69-67 win this week against Iowa State.

Kansas holds a huge 104-53 edge in the all-time series with Oklahoma State and has won the last three meetings overall and 15 straight at the Allen Fieldhouse in the series.

The Cowboys are averaging a modest 66.8 ppg, while allowing almost the same (66.4 ppg). The result is a .500 record. The team has struggled in terms of shooting the ball, delivering on a meager .419 from the floor overall. Keiton Page leads three players in double figures with 14.2 ppg, but is shooting under 40 percent from the floor (.383), despite a team-high 57 three-pointers. Le'Bryan Nash is one of the better freshmen in the league, ranking second in scoring at 13.4 ppg. Markel Brown rounds out the top threats with his 10.3 ppg.

Nash drilled a jumper with under five seconds to play and then blocked a shot by Iowa State at the buzzer to lead the Cowboys to victory this week in Stillwater. Brown led four Cowboys in double figures with 19 points. Nash was right behind with 18, while Page and Brian Williams chipped in with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

A funny thing happened on the way to what was supposed to be a nail-biter in Waco, as the Jayhawks made light work of Baylor, shooting 51.1 percent from the floor. The team got a huge performance from an unlikely source, as center Jeff Withey erupted for a career-high 25 points. Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor had big games as well, with Robinson recording his 17th double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds and Taylor pouring in 19 points, fueled by a 4-of-7 showing from behind the arc.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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