Dampier, Haywood back for Mavs; Barea out

Basketball Betting Lines

03/10/2010 -

DALLAS (AP) -Centers Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood returned to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night against the New Jersey Nets.

Dampier missed the previous 12 games with a dislocated right middle finger. Haywood sat out two games with lower back tightness.

Dallas played long stretches of zone defense and used small forward Shawn Marion at center while its two big men were sidelined.

The Mavericks ruled guard Jose Juan Barea out with an injured left ankle sustained in Monday night's 113-93 victory at Minnesota. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle doesn't expect Barea's injury to be long-term.

Dallas remains without No. 2 scorer Jason Terry, who missed his fourth consecutive game after undergoing surgery to repair facial injuries.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Gamblong Basketball Betting News

<< Islanders C Schremp out for season
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders announced that center Rob Schremp will miss the remainder of the season. The forward injured his right knee during Tuesday's game against Philadelphia. The diagnosis is a torn m

<< Great West Conference Tournament Recaps
Orem, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Weiermiller scored 18 points and dished out four assists to lead Texas-Pan American to a 56-53 victory over Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the inaugural Great West Conference Tournament. Jared Maree ha

<< This Week in Auto Racing March 12 - 14
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While all three of NASCAR's national touring series take a break, the IZOD IndyCar Series and Formula One kick off their 2010 seasons this weekend. IndyCar will run on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil for the

<< Cardinals sign TE Becht, two others to one-year deals
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals inked tight ends Anthony Becht, Stephen Spach and defensive end Jeremy Clark to one-year contracts on Wednesday. Becht played in all 16 games for the Cards last season, including 10 s

<< Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Recaps
Shreveport, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Allen Smith scored 16 points as the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions took down the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, 69-66 in the first round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournam

Mountain West Conference Tournament Recaps >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grant Parker scored 15 points and Michael Lyons added 11 to help Air Force defeat Wyoming, 59-40, in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Lyons also grabbed five rebounds and han

IndyCar kicks off season with first-time trip to Brazil >>
Sao Paulo, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: IndyCar. Date: Sunday, March 14. Race: Sao Paulo Indy 300. Site: Streets of Sao Paulo. Track: 2.6-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit. Start Time: 11:00 a.m. (et). Laps: 75. Miles: 195. Television

Rams re-sign TE Fells >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams re-signed tight end Daniel Fells on Wednesday. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fells became a restricted free agent last Friday. The tight end caught 21

Ravens re-sign WR Mason >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have agreed in principle on terms of a two-year contract with veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason. Mason became an unrestricted free agent after his five-year contract with t

Bobcats handle Sixers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gerald Wallace led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting to push the Charlotte Bobcats past the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-87, at the Wachovia Center. Stephen Jackson added 24 points and 10 reb

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

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards