Hill and Suns down Timberwolves

Basketball Betting Lines

04/11/2009 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grant Hill scored 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 110-97, at the Target Center.

Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley added 16 points apiece for the Suns, who have won four of their last six games. Shaquille O'Neal chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

Sebastian Telfair donated 21 points for Minnesota, which had its two-game winning streak snapped. Rodney Carney gave 17 points and Ryan Gomes 13 in defeat. Craig Smith had 11 points and Mike Miller 10 with nine boards and nine assists.

The Suns burned the T'Wolves to the tune of 31-8 after the first quarter and were up 57-43 at the break.

Minnesota got within 12 late in the third quarter on two free throws from Gomes, but Phoenix closed out the stanza with five straight points. Alando Tucker had a three-point play and Stromile Swift added a pair of free throws to make it 81-64 after three quarters.

Minnesota failed to pose a threat in the final frame.

Game Notes

Phoenix' Steve Nash ended with four points and seven assists and Robin Lopez had 11 boards and six points...The Suns closed out a four-game road trip at 2-2 and are 18-23 away from the desert this season...Phoenix will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign, and will close out the season with a two-game homestand versus the Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors...The Suns took the season series, 2-1...Minnesota will close out the season with a game at Dallas and then a home game against Sacramento...Phoenix had dropped 11 of its last 16 trips to the Twin Cities.

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

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