Bulls, Heat set to battle in Miami

Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of teams battling for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference square off tonight at Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena, where the surging Heat continue an important homestand by taking on the slumping Chicago Bulls.

Although only 1 1/2 games separate these clubs in the East standings, the Heat and Bulls have been going in opposite directions as of late. Miami posted its fourth win in its last five outings with Wednesday's 108-97 verdict over the Los Angeles Clippers, while Chicago's current losing streak reached a season- worst six games in last night's 111-82 defeat at Orlando.

The Bulls' slide has dropped them into ninth place in the conference race, with the Heat tied with Toronto and Charlotte for the final three postseason berths at the moment.

Miami has an opportunity to enhance its playoff chances with a six-game home stretch that began with Wednesday's victory over the Clippers. The Heat have won their last four tilts as the host, improving to 18-14 at AmericanAirlines Arena for the season.

"We've been playing better at home," said Miami's Dwyane Wade after Wednesday's game. "That's what we all wish we would've done all year, but we can't live in the past."

Wade led the way against Los Angeles with 27 points and eight assists, with Jermaine O'Neal contributing 19 points and nine rebounds to the win and Michael Beasley adding 15 points for Miami.

Chicago's losing streak is its longest since a six-gamer from November 14-24, 2006. Injuries have played a large part in the team's recent nose dive, and the Bulls suffered another significant one when point guard Derrick Rose had to exit last night's contest after one quarter due to a sprained left wrist.

Rose, averaging a team-best 20.4 points and 5.7 assists per game this season, could very well join two other key Chicago players on the sidelines tonight. Luol Deng is expected to miss a second straight night because of a strained calf, while fellow forward Joakim Noah is out indefinitely with a plantar fasciitis injury to his left foot.

Deng is second on the team with an average of 18.0 points per game and Noah leads Chicago in rebounding (11.4 rpg).

Rookie James Johnson led shorthanded Chicago with 13 points in Thursday's defeat, with Hakim Warrick and Taj Gibson each finishing with 12 points on the night.

Having Rose potentially unavailable doesn't figure to help the Bulls improve upon a 12-20 road record for the season. Chicago will be playing the second test of a critical four-game trip that also includes stops in Memphis and Dallas.

The Bulls have also lost in four straight visits to Miami, including a 95-87 decision on November 1. Chicago did get a measure of revenge with a 95-91 win over the Heat in the Windy City on February 6, in which Deng scored 25 points and Rose netted 24.

Miami may possibly be without bench player Dorell Wright for tonight's matchup after the 24-year-old was arrested Thursday morning for driving under the influence and having a suspended license.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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