Butler keeps 20-game winning streak in perspective

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 -

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Every time Brad Stevens walks into Hinkle Fieldhouse, he peers into the rafters.

There he sees the overflowing banners listing conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances and quickly realizes what Butler has become: A national model for mid-major schools.

But even with all the attention and success, the third-year coach understands this NCAA tourney will be different for the blue-collar Bulldogs. His team is no longer a surprise, seeded fifth in the West Region, and takes the nation's longest winning streak, 20 games, into Thursday's first-round contest against UTEP.

``I've never been a part of anything like that, and I've been a part of some pretty special things here,'' Stevens said after win No. 20 brought his second Horizon League tourney title in three years.

Stevens and his players admit they're not thinking about 'The Streak' because there's so much work still to do.

They're motivated to make amends after last year's first-round exit - a 75-71 loss to LSU - despite playing with three freshmen starters and struggling late in the season.

Now, a year older, a year wiser and with a far stronger finish, Butler wants to recreate some of its postseason magic.

In 2003, the Bulldogs became the tournament darling after upsetting Louisville in the second round. They were also the biggest impediment to Florida's Final Four run in 2000 and the Gators' second national championship run in 2007.

And this year, the Bulldogs (28-4) have a resume that would make the nation's biggest programs proud.

- They are the only Division I team with a perfect conference record, last losing Dec. 22 at Alabama-Birmingham.

- They won a fourth straight league title by a record six games and nearly set a new record for victory margin in the conference title game. Second-seeded Wright State made its final basket to trim the margin to 25, the record is 26.

- Butler won eight of its last nine games by at least nine points, the only exception coming at Valparaiso when conference player of the year Gordon Hayward sat out with a sore back.

- Three of their four losses came to NCAA tourney teams - Clemson, Georgetown and Minnesota - none of them at home.

- Plus, the Bulldogs defeated three NCAA teams - Big Ten champion Ohio State, Metro Atlantic Athletic champ Siena and Xavier - and beat UCLA on its last trip to California.

But it's the final sprint that may go down as the Bulldogs' biggest achievement, thanks to an unwavering desire to keep improving.

``It's hard to even think about that (20 straight wins),'' junior center Matt Howard said. ``It's nowhere near where the Connecticut women are. Twenty games, that's a lot, but if you start dwelling on that, it can end real quick. We've just got to keep that focus to keep it going.''

At Butler, that's how you play basketball.

Glamourous titles and individual successes always take a backseat to what's best for the program.

Perhaps it's the reason Butler has never produced an NBA player.

Or why one of the nation's oldest gyms, which has hosted stars ranging from Oscar Robertson to Greg Oden, is best known for its Hollywood role in the movie ``Hoosiers.''

Or why all but the most avid basketball fans would struggle to name Howard and Hayward as the last two Horizon League players of the year.

If the Bulldogs have learned anything this season, it's this: Follow the blueprint.

``We've been through a lot, through wins, through losses,'' sophomore point guard Ronald Nored said. ``Everything hasn't been perfect, but we've been persistent and fought through everything.''

Whether it was the brutal nonconference schedule that took the Bulldogs from California to New York City, the early-season foul trouble that plagued Howard or all those conference teams that know how to defend Butler's offense, the Bulldogs figured out how to win with only one senior starter and one of the nation's youngest coaches.

The 33-year-old Stevens has rewritten the book on success. He has won 84 games, the most ever in his first three seasons breaking the previous record of 82 which was shared by Gonzaga's Mark Few and Nevada's Mark Fox, and he's done it the Butler Way.

Yet after making seven NCAA appearances since 2000, reaching the regional semifinals twice, winning the NIT Preseason Tip-Off title in November 2006, this year's winning streak may go down as Butler's biggest achievement of the decade.

Unless, of course, they win four more, make it back home to Indianapolis and get to hoist a Final Four banner.

``One of the things that's neat about this run is they've brought it every single night and in games where, quite frankly, people would really get on them if they lost, from the outside,'' Stevens said. ``They don't care. These guys just believe in doing the right things. I know this, when we get in the huddle and we're meeting at media timeouts and we're together, we believe in each other and we're going to try to put our best foot forward.''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.

Wwwstarluck NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Nadal, Murray, Roddick advance; Djokovic stunned at Indian Wells
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick were among the top seeds to move on, while No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic was sent packing in Wednesday's fourth-round action at the upset-plagued $4.5 million BNP Par

<< Clippers rally past Bucks to snap eight-game skid
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Kaman scored 20 points and the Los Angeles Clippers surged in the fourth quarter to snap an eight-game skid with a 101-93 win over the Bucks. Drew Gooden totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds for t

<< Warriors rally from 21 down to top Hornets
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Anthony Tolliver registered a career-high 30 points, as the Warriors rallied from down 21 late in the third quarter for a 131-121 triumph over the New Orleans Hornets. Monta Ellis scored 28 points and t

<< Wozniacki reaches Indian Wells semis
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Caroline Wozniacki gutted out a three-set victory late Wednesday to reach the semifinals at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open. The native of Denmark, who was last year's U.S. Open runner-up and entere

<< Rockies closer Street likely to start season on DL
Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street is likely to start the upcoming season on the disabled list due to a right shoulder injury. Street underwent an MRI Wednesday and has been experiencing sor

Pitt, Gibbs shooting for more in NCAA tournament >>
PITTSBURGH (AP) -Ashton Gibbs glanced at the statistics sheet following Pittsburgh's 50-45 loss to Notre Dame in the Big East tournament and didn't believe what he saw.The Panthers, forced into a slow-paced game by the Fighting Irish's deliberate of

Blues' playoff odds getting longer >>
ST. LOUIS (AP) -The St. Louis Blues are clinging to the hope of another miracle run to the playoffs. Time is running short, especially after the latest home-ice failure.The Blues are seven points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot with

Bucs sign S Sean Jones >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free agent safety Sean Jones to a two-year contract on Wednesday. Jones spent the 2009 season in Philadelphia and started nine games. He had 61 tackles, two interceptions and a sac

Magic visit Heat in possible playoff preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In-state rivals square off in the shadow of South Beach Thursday when the Miami Heat play host to the playoff-bound Orlando Magic. The Magic have been on a roll recently and are currently the second seed in the Eastern Con

Road-weary Hornets visit Nuggets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sole possession of second place in the Western Conference is on the line for the Denver Nuggets tonight as they get ready to host the reeking New Orleans Hornets. Denver is currently deadlocked with idle Dallas for the No.

MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds

With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season.  What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season.  Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all.  Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13).  Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two.  Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury.  Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven.  Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury.  Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons.  Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4.  Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1).  The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this.  No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.

Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend.  Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend.  With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.

MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:

Atlanta Hawks 1000-1

Boston Celtics 5000-1

Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1

Chicago Bulls 20-1

Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1

Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Denver Nuggets 25-1

Detroit Pistons 6-1

Golden State Warriors 250-1

Houston Rockets 12-1

Indiana Pacers 60-1

Los Angeles Clippers 45-1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1

Miami Heat 9-1

Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1

Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1

New Jersey Nets 50-1

New Orleans Hornets 150-1

New York Knicks 150-1

Orlando Magic 75-1

Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1

Phoenix Suns 5-2

Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1

Sacramento Kings 250-1

San Antonio Spurs 9-1

Seattle Sonics 5000-1

Toronto Raptors 35-1

Utah Jazz 20-1

Washington Wizards 25-1

About MySportsbook.com:


MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.