11/18/2008 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets got some good news on injuries to standouts Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and Ron Artest.
McGrady practiced with the Rockets Tuesday, one day after leaving with a knee injury in the third quarter of a 100-89 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Artest came out in the final minute after twisting his ankle driving to the hoop, and Yao also sprained his ankle. The pair did not practice on Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle, but the newspaper reports both players believe they won't miss any playing time.
McGrady, who scored eight points in a little over 17 minutes before leaving, aggravated his surgically repaired left knee early in the second half and did not return. The seven-time All-Star did not retreat to the locker room, however, and stayed on the bench for the remainder of the game. On Tuesday, he was back at practice, and his scheduled MRI was canceled.
Artest ended with 17 points and 11 rebounds but went down clutching his right ankle after a drive through the lane late in the game. Artest limped off the floor with help from team trainers and joined McGrady on the bench for the remainder of the tilt.
Also Tuesday, forward Shane Battier practiced with the Rockets for the first time this season. Battier has been sidelined due to offseason foot surgery.
<< Price's 46 saves not enough as 'Canes nip Habs
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Whitney's power-play goal in the third
period proved to be the game-winner, and Cam Ward was strong with 28 saves, as
the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, at RBC Center.
Sergei
<< Granger leads Indiana over reeling Hawks
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Granger had a game-high 34 points,
leading the Indiana Pacers over the Atlanta Hawks, 113-96.
Granger shot 13-of-18 from the field -- including 4-of-5 from long distance to
pace Indiana, which sna
<< Turkoglu leads Magic over Raptors in Orlando
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hedo Turkoglu scored 16 of his 22 points in the
fourth quarter, pacing the surging Magic to a 103-90 victory over the Toronto
Raptors.
Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis also finished with 22 points for Orla
<< Nowitzki, Dallas cruise past Bobcats
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dirk Nowitzki poured in 32 points and
grabbed nine rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks remained perfect all-time
against the Bobcats with a 100-83 win over Charlotte.
Josh Howard scored 21 point
Wild snap Pittsburgh's six-game win streak in shootout >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marek Zidlicky netted the game-winning
shootout tally and Niklas Backstrom made 24 saves while halting each of
Pittsburgh's three shootout attempts as the Minnesota Wild topped the
Penguin
Hawks' Horford leaves game vs. Pacers >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford left
Tuesday's 113-96 defeat against the Indiana Pacers with an apparent ankle
injury.
The injury occurred with 4:45 left in the opening period. Horford was taken to
the l
Celtics win without Garnett, top Knicks again >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Pierce scored 22 points and hauled in
eight rebounds to lead the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics in a 110-101 victory
over the Knicks.
Garnett sat out after being suspended for hitting Milwaukee's
Longhorns run over Green Wave >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Damion James notched a game-high 16 points and
grabbed eight rebounds as the seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns cruised to a
76-51 victory over the Tulane Green Wave.
A.J. Abrams netted 15 points while Justin
Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
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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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