Mavs hope to force Game 7 with Spurs

Basketball Betting Lines

04/29/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks were the NBA's best road team this season. Now, Rick Carlisle's club will have to find a way to win one more game away from Big D tonight in order to save its season and force a deciding Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

The second-seeded Mavs staved off elimination on Tuesday in Dallas when Caron Butler poured in a playoff career-best 35 points to go with 11 rebounds in a convincing 103-81 Game 5 win over the Spurs.

Butler was the offense's focal point, hitting 12-of-24 shots and 8-of-9 from the free throw line for the Mavs, who will have to duplicate their season- ending three-game win streak against the Spurs to move into the conference semis.

Dallas is facing long odds as only eight teams in NBA history have responded from a 3-1 series deficit to advance. At least a pair of Mavs know what it takes, however. Carlisle (Detroit, 2003) and forward Shawn Marion (Phoenix, 2006) were a part of the two most recent teams to pull off a comeback when down 3-1.

Dirk Nowitzki chipped in with 15 points and nine rebounds in Game 5 for Dallas, which was an NBA-best 27-14 as the visitor during the regular season but lost Games 3 and 4 last week in the Alamo City. Jason Terry added 12 points, while Jason Kidd and Marion each had 10.

"Our guys aren't going to mail it in," said Carlisle. "There is a lot of pride on the line in every game. The series isn't over, even though a lot of people are assuming that it is. It's pretty obvious that it's going to be defense and the ability to get the ball in transition, where good things happen for us."

Tony Parker came off the bench and tallied 18 points, 17 in the first half on Tuesday for the Spurs, who had won the previous three games in this series. San Antonio, which shot a putrid 35.9 percent from the field, got 12 points from George Hill and 11 from Tim Duncan in defeat.

"It was a case of (Dallas coming out) with the mental and physical toughness," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. "Our starting group wasn't very good in either category. It was disappointing how we came out mentally. Closing out a series -- that game is always the most difficult game of the season, that's for sure."

Since the NBA went to best-of-seven first round format in 2003, a No. 7 seed has never topped a second seed. Meanwhile, San Antonio has succeeded in its last four chances to finish off a playoff opponent on its home floor. The last time the Spurs let a team escape elimination in south Texas was in 2006, against these very same Mavericks.

These two rivals have met in the playoffs four times previously, including last season. The Spurs won sets in 2001 and 2003 before Dallas bounced back to win a pair of series in 2006 and 2009. Last season, the Mavs took down San Antonio in the quarterfinals in just five games.

If necessary, Game 7 will be back in Dallas on Saturday.

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NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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