Artest leads Rockets past Kings in return to Sacramento

Basketball Betting Lines

04/10/2009 - Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ron Artest scored 26 points in his first visit back to Sacramento since being traded from the Kings in the offseason, as Houston rolled through the second half in a 115-98 triumph.

Yao Ming added 20 points and nine rebounds, while Luis Scola added 15 points and eight boards for the Rockets. Von Wafer donated 13 points and Shane Battier recorded 12 points and five rebounds in the win, Houston's third in a row.

Houston moved a half-game in front of idle San Antonio for first place in the Southwest Division with the victory. The Rockets also moved a half-game in front of idle Portland and the Spurs for third place in the Western Conference.

Spencer Hawes led Sacramento with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Andres Nocioni and Francisco Garcia contributed 17 points apiece. Jason Thompson added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Beno Udrih added 12 for the Kings, who have dropped six straight.

The Kings held steady through two quarters, going toe-to-toe with the playoff- bound Rockets. Sacramento took a 33-30 edge into the second stanza and a 54-49 advantage into the locker room.

However, in the third quarter, the Kings struggled. Hawes opened the third- period scoring with a three-pointer for a 57-49 advantage, but Houston came back with a 19-6 scoring stretch. In that long shift in momentum, the Rockets reeled off nine straight points capped by an Artest jumper, Yao slam and Artest three for a 68-63 lead.

Nocioni's two free throws brought the home-standing Kings within 74-72, but Houston scored the next seven points. The Rockets outscored Sacramento, 36-20, in the period to take a double-digit advantage, 85-74, into the final 12 minutes.

The Rockets ran out to a 93-74 lead on two Scola free throws, and the rout was on. Sacramento drained treys on three straight possessions to get within 96-83, but never put a major dent in the deficit the rest of the way.

Game Notes

The Rockets also swept the Kings in a pair of games in Houston this season...Houston snapped a three-game road losing streak and improved to 20-7 without Tracy McGrady...Sacramento made just 44 percent of its shots, while Houston connected on 54 percent of its shots and 11-of-21 three- pointers...Artest played for Sacramento in the later half of the 2005-06 season and the next two campaigns. In 167 games, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

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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.