Wizards close out trip in Jersey

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02/27/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southeast Division-leading Washington Wizards wrap up a three-game road trip when they visit the New Jersey Nets tonight at Continental Airlines Arena.

Washington is 0-2 on the swing. On Sunday, Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves downed the Wizards, 98-94, at the Target Center.

DeShawn Stevenson registered 21 points in the loss for the Wizards, who have lost two straight and four of their last seven games overall. All-Star Gilbert Arenas ended with 20 points for Washington, which shot 7-of-29 from beyond the arc.

On the injury front for Washington, All-Star forward Caron Butler (lower back spasms) is questionable for tonight's contest. Butler did not play against Minnesota and is averaging 20.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 53 games this season.

The Wizards are 10-16 on the road this season. After tonight's game, they will return home for a four-game homestand versus Miami, Atlanta, Golden State and Toronto.

New Jersey, which plays the fourth of a five-game homestand, enters tonight's contest on a two-game winning streak. Vince Carter poured in 40 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished out eight assists as the Nets defeated the New York Knicks, 101-92, on Sunday at Continental Airlines Arena.

Mikki Moore added 19 points in the win for the Nets, who have won five of their last eight games overall. Bostjan Nachbar finished with 15 points and 10 boards, while Jason Kidd contributed 11 points and 14 assists in the victory.

The Nets are 16-14 at home this season. They will host the Boston Celtics on Saturday in the finale of the current homestand.

This is the second meeting of the campaign between the clubs. On November 12th, Carter hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime and scored six points in the extra session as the Nets pulled out a 105-93 win over Washington at the Verizon Center.

Washington has lost two straight and 10 of its last 11 at New Jersey. The Nets have won two in a row in the series.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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