Kobe, Lakers get back to work against Portland

Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All-Star Game MVP Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers return to the court tonight, as they welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to the Staples Center.

Bryant scored 31 points, dished out six assists and had six steals to lead the West to an easy 153-132 win over the East in the 56th annual All-Star Game on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The All-Star break came at the right time for the Lakers, who lost five in a row heading into the mid-season classic. The Lakers are in second place in the Pacific Division, 10 1/2 games behind the division-leading Phoenix Suns.

A nine-time All-Star, Bryant leads the Lakers in scoring (28.8 ppg) and assists (5.5 apg). Forward Lamar Odom, who is second on the team in scoring (16.6 ppg), has grabbed a team-best 9.4 rebounds per game.

The Lakers are 19-8 as the host this season. They are scheduled to host the Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics on Friday in the finale of a four-game homestand.

Portland plays its second game since the All-Star break. On Tuesday, rookie Brandon Roy poured in 27 points and dished out seven assists as the Trail Blazers edged the Utah Jazz, 103-100, in the first game for both teams coming out of the All-Star break.

Zach Randolph scored 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the win over the Jazz for Portland, which snapped a two-game skid, but began the second half of the schedule with one more win than they had all of last season. Ime Udoka ended with 15 points, while Dan Dickau netted 11 and Jarrett Jack finished with 10 points and six assists for the Blazers.

The Trail Blazers, who have dropped two in a row as the visitor, are 10-18 on the road this season. They return home to host the Seattle SuperSonics on Monday at the Rose Garden.

This is the second of three meetings between the clubs this season. On November 8th, Randolph posted 36 points and 10 rebounds as the Trail Blazers started picked up a 101-90 victory over the Lakers at the Rose Garden.

Portland has lost three straight and nine of its last 10 at the Lakers. The Trail Blazers have won two of the last three contests in the series.

The Lakers are scheduled to host the Trail Blazers on March 16th at the Staples Center.

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Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.

Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.