Butler takes Horizon League crown in rout

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/09/2010 - Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack each scored 14 points, as the 12th-ranked Butler Bulldogs officially punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a 70-45 victory over Wright State in the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game.

Howard also pulled down nine rebounds for the Bulldogs (28-4), who were appearing in their fifth straight conference title game. The win gave Butler its sixth Horizon League championship.

Zach Hahn donated 11 points off the bench for the Bulldogs, who finished a perfect 15-0 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season. The last time Butler went unbeaten at home was during the 2002-03 season.

N'Gai Evans finished with 13 points for the Raiders (20-12), who beat Detroit in the semifinals. Cory Cooperwood and Vaughn Duggins each chipped in nine points in defeat.

Wright State's lone conference title came in 2007 when it beat Butler.

Ahead 9-7 early on, the Bulldogs went on a brief 8-2 spurt to gain some breathing room. Mack's three-pointer capped the flurry, giving Butler a 17-9 lead with less than 12 1/2 minutes remaining.

A Howard three-point play and pair of Ronald Nored free throws put the Bulldogs ahead 32-21 with 4 1/2 minutes to go. The score was 42-28 at the half.

After trading baskets to start the second half, Butler turned the game into a rout by scoring 11 straight points. Gordon Hayward's jumper and layup extended the Bulldogs' lead to 55-30 with 14 minutes to play.

Shawn Vanzant made a pair of foul shots with 2 1/2 minutes left to make it a 69-39 contest.

Game Notes

The Bulldogs beat Milwaukee in the semis...Wright State was the second seed in this tourney...Butler shot 52.2 percent from the field, while the Raiders made just 34.6 percent of their shots...The Bulldogs own a 23-15 edge over Wright State in the all-time series...With the win, Butler tied former league member Xavier for most Horizon League Tournament titles...Butler is 30-2 at home over the past two seasons, and the Bulldogs have won 72 of their last 78 Hinkle Fieldhouse contests...The Bulldogs are now tied with Detroit for all-time Horizon League Tournament wins with 28.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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