Hoosier State rivals square off in West Lafayette

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - West Lafayette, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of in-state rivals jockeying for position in the competitive Big Ten Conference meet at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette this evening, as the 20th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers tangle with the Purdue Boilermakers.

Indiana was one of the top teams in the country through the first two months of the season, but the Hoosiers have come back to Earth since the start of conference play, logging a 5-6 mark against their Big Ten brethren. Still, at 17-6 overall, coach Tom Crean's club has enjoyed a solid season, and one that would be deemed even better if it can win tonight. IU is coming off a 68-56 loss at Michigan, which dropped its record in true road games this year to 3-5.

Purdue is a solid 15-7 on the season, and the team has won five of its first nine Big Ten bouts. The Boilermakers are 10-2 at home in 2011-12, and they will try to earn a little redemption following a 66-64 setback to visiting Michigan in their last game in front of the PU faithful. Coach Matt Painter's squad picked up a 58-56 win at Northwestern earlier this week for just its third win in the new year.

Purdue leads the all-time series with Indiana, 112-84, and the Boilermakers have won the last five meetings. It is their longest winning streak over the Hoosiers since capturing seven in a row from 1968-72.

Jordan Hulls drained four three-pointers in scoring 18 points, and Cody Zeller logged a double-double consisting of 11 points and 12 rebounds, but those efforts went for naught as Indiana dropped an eight-point decision to Michigan on Wednesday night. The Hoosiers shot 44.7 percent from the field, compared to 47.8 percent by the Wolverines, and the visitors were guilty of 14 turnovers while also suffering a 15-9 deficit in points from the foul line. UM outscored IU in the paint (24-18) and off turnovers (17-6), and the Maize and Blue had three players finish in double figures as the home team dropped nine three- pointers in the game. Zeller (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 32 blocked shots) continues to pace the club in scoring, rebounding and blocks, while Christian Watford (12.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Hulls (12.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Victor Oladipo (10.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) join him as members of Indiana's double-digit scorers' club. The team as a whole is putting up 78.5 ppg in hitting 49.9 percent of its total shots, which includes a 43.5 percent showing from three-point range, while at the same time permitting 65.9 ppg on typical shooting efforts of .426 overall and .332 from beyond the arc.

Purdue got 14 points from Terone Johnson, 12 from D.J. Byrd and 11 from Robbie Hummel, and needed every one of them as the Boilermakers slipped past Northwestern on the road earlier this week. Both teams shot 44.4 percent from the field, but the Wildcats committed 16 turnovers to just five for the Boilermakers, who won the game despite being outrebounded (37-23) and outscored at the foul line (8-4). Hummel (15.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 26 blocks) leads his team in the same categories Indiana's Zeller does his, and Lewis Jackson (10.2 ppg, 3.9 apg) is PU's only other double-digit scorer on the season. Ryne Smith (9.4 ppg) is close to joining the ranks, and he is the team's top three- point sniper (56-of-134, .418). As a collective unit, the Boilermakers are netting 70.9 ppg behind 43.7 percent field goal efficiency, which includes a 35.2 percent showing from downtown, while the opposition produces 62.8 ppg in hitting 42.5 percent of their total shots and 36.3 percent of their long-range bombs. Purdue takes very good care of the basketball, committing just 9.4 turnovers per game, compared to 14.3 tpg by its opponents.

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Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook

Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).

Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

Albert Pujols 5-1

Alex Rodriguez 12-1

Alfonso Soriano 15-1

Andruw Jones 25-1

Barry Bonds 50-1

Carlos Delgado 40-1

David Ortiz 8-1

Jermaine Dye 40-1

Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1

Lance Berkman 40-1

Manny Ramirez 20-1

Richie Sexson 40-1

Ryan Howard 6-1

Travis Hafner 20-1

Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

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