Hawks and Hornets tangle in the Big Easy

Basketball Betting Lines

01/29/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hornets hope to build on their first win in over two weeks when they host the Atlanta Hawks in the Big Easy.

New Orleans tasted victory for the first time since Jan. 9 on Friday when Carl Landry netted a team-high 17 points as the Hornets rolled over the Orlando Magic, 93-67, to snap a nine-game losing streak.

Marco Belinelli had 15 points, Jason Smith scored 14 and Jarrett Jack added 11 with nine assists for NOLA, which is a Western Conference-worst 4-15 on the season.

"I can look at the stats sheet and point out a number of things, but when I'm in that locker room and in that huddle and the guys are supporting one another, out there fighting for one another and playing the way they played tonight, it makes the prospects in the future for our organization look bright," Hornets head coach Monty Williams said.

The win came on the heels of the team shutting down veteran center Chris Kaman in order to garner more playing time for Smith as well as Gustavo Ayon and Al- Farouq Aminu.

Kaman, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Chris Paul, was told he will no longer suit up for the Hornets as the team pursues a trade.

"We had a conversation with Chris and expressed that the Hornets are going to go in a different direction," general manager Dell Demps said. "Chris has been the ultimate professional during this process and we thank him for the way he has handled the situation."

The Hawks, meanwhile, improved to 2-1 on a five-game road trip Friday in Auburn Hills when Joe Johnson scored 30 points, including a game-tying three- pointer in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, to lead Atlanta to a 107-101 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Marvin Williams added 22 points and eight rebounds, while Josh Smith had 19 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks in the Hawks' third win in four games.

"We were relentless. We never gave up," said Johnson. "Even when things didn't look so bright for us, we hung in there, stayed with each other, stayed mentally tough, stayed with the game plan and were able to pull a big win out."

Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague was forced to leave the game against the Pistons late in the third quarter after rolling his ankle and is questionable for tonight's contest.

The Hornets have won three straight over the Hawks, including both meetings last season.

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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

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