Free Contests at BetUS – Football and Basketball
Free Contests at BetUS – Football and Basketball
In the gambling world there is nothing like a free shot. Whether it’s a free bet or a free contest, you can’t go wrong when you have a chance to show off your expertise, win some cash or prizes and it doesn’t cost you a dime. Every year BetUS gives bettors a ton of “Betsson Gutschein Code” to allow them to show off and make some money.
Millsap rallies Jazz past Rockets in OT (AP)
The Utah Jazz understand how to finish games. It’s the starts that need some work. Paul Millsap scored 12 of his 27 points in overtime and the Jazz rallied from another double-digit deficit in a 103-99 win over the slumping Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Al Jefferson had 24 points and 13 rebounds and C.J.
Durant scores 40, Thunder beat Grizzlies (AP)
Kevin Durant’s big second half featured just the kind of performance the Oklahoma City Thunder needed in the closer’s role. Durant scored 28 of his 40 points after halftime, Russell Westbrook added 22 points and 11 assists, and the Thunder avenged a loss at Memphis earlier this week by beating the Grizzlies 109-100 on Saturday night.
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Orozco adds Winter Cup title to resume (AP)
Orozco adds Winter Cup title to resume (AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP)—The former Olympic champion is one and done. Paul Hamm struggled big-time Thursday in his first gymnastics meet in four years—a day that started poorly and got even worse after he left the gym. Hours after his below-par performance at the Winter Cup Challenge, a second round of gymnasts took to the floor and knocked Hamm to a tie for 48th place in the standings, denying him one of the 42 spots for Saturday’s finals. An unfathomable result for the man who used to be known as the world’s best gymnast, but is now simply another guy with a dream of making the London Olympics—and a lot of work in front of him to get there. “This has been one of my weaker performances of my career,” Hamm said. “It’s disappointing for sure. I’m not happy. I just have to be constructive here. It’s all I can really do.” The 2004 all-around Olympic champion fell off the pommel horse early, landed hard on the floor exercise late and mixed in more wobbles and bobbles than he usually throws out there in a year. Performing in four of six events, the 29-year-old from Wisconsin scored higher than 13.9 on only one of them—a frustrating day for an athlete not used to giving performances like this in public. “He came up to me and said, `Man, I don’t feel like myself today,”’ said Jonathan Horton, another past national champion, who has been training with Hamm for the last three weeks. Granted, this event is viewed by almost everyone in gymnastics as a warm-up for the more important stuff to come on the road to London. And Hamm has only been training for eight months since tearing up his right shoulder—injuries that have ended many a career in this sport. Still, after a day that fell well below his own lowered expectations, the man who used to define excellence found himself in spots that were once unthinkable. Not only did he miss the final 42, he now must wait to see if he’ll earn one of three wildcard spots on the 15-man national team to be named at the end of the weekend. Not making that team won’t eliminate him from contention for the Olympics, but it would deprive him of some funding opportunities and chances to compete for the U.S. in international events. Hamm said he would continue to train either way. “Paul, whether he makes the national team or doesn’t make the national team, he’s a big-picture guy,” said four-time national champion John Roethlisberger, who is on the men’s program committee. “I’m not going to say it doesn’t matter. But this is a step on the road. Tomorrow, for him, he’s going to go back in the gym. Maybe there will be a little more fire in his belly, but there’s fire in his belly already.” Save his high-flying vault—where he scored a 15.4 for his roundoff into a front flip with a full twist—this was not a pretty day. He opened the meet on the pommel horse and was the last competitor in the gym to go during the first rotation. The judges, slow on the draw, held him up for more than a minute, and when Hamm finally did get the green light, he grabbed onto the pommels for five, six, seven seconds, then jumped onto the horse and back into the world of competitive gymnastics. Less than 10 seconds later, though, he slipped and was back on the ground. “Pommel horse and parallel bars, I goofed up a skill early in the routines and that just kind of set me off on a bad path for the rest of it,” Hamm said. Leading after the first day was Chris Brooks, an alternate from the team that finished third at last year’s world championships. Next were John Orozco and reigning national champion Danell Leyva, both members of the bronze-medal team that has potential, Hamm says, to do even better this year in London. Horton worked on only one event, the pommel horse, and struggled to a score of 12.25. He’s overcoming a broken left foot and is scheduled to get the pins out next Tuesday. “It wasn’t a great routine today, but people saw my upgrades,” Horton said. “People with a trained eye see I’m swinging better pommel horse. The national coordinator and the national coaches see what I’m doing in training and I’m not behind at all.” Of course, training and competition are two different animals, and Hamm was the first to admit that. “Today, I just felt more fatigued than I usually would in competition,” he said. “Then on top of it, there’s the nervousness and all the other elements that might throw you off. It was enough to get you off track.” Hamm scored 13.9 on floor (good for ninth on the event), 13.05 on pommel horse (12th) and 13.4 on bars (17th). Through all the struggles, however, he did show glimmers of the kind of gymnast he can be—the kind of gymnast he has been inside the training gym for the last few months, if reports from his camp, along with his video Facebook posts, are to be believed. His flairs on the floor were as big and exciting as anyone’s, legs kicking high above his shoulders and bringing audible gasps from every corner of the small arena. And there are still the precise lines of his handstands, the explosiveness of his leaps, the businesslike attitude of everything he does, that bring back memories of the champion he once was—and hopes to be again. On this day, though, it was hard not to think back to four years ago. Back then, Hamm was returning from a lengthy break, hoping to defend his Olympic title. The quest began at the same meet, in the same city, in the same gym. He won that meet by a whopping 7.25 points. After the first day—a day in which he looked every bit the champion—Hamm was asked to grade himself. He gave himself an `A-minus.’ Same question, four years later: “Definitely in the `D’ range today,” he said. “I’m not happy. I’m frustrated. Today’s been very frustrating to me.”
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Bradshaw misses practice but should play (AP)
Bradshaw misses practice but should play (AP)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The New York Giants had perfect attendance for their first Super Bowl practice in Indiana. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, linebacker Jacquian Williams and receiver Hakeem Nicks all worked on a limited basis Wednesday at the University of Indianapolis. The Giants were loose during their 80-minute workout on at the Greyhounds’ FieldTurf practice field—the same type of surface they will play on Sunday against the New England Patriots. “This was a good, spirited, up-tempo practice,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “There are a few things we will clean up, obviously, and we want to be better tomorrow and build to our best work on Friday.” Bradshaw, who has been restricted to one practice a week with a broken bone in his right foot, was a surprise participant. Coughlin had said earlier in the day Bradshaw would not practice. However, the extra time off after the NFC title game win over San Francisco helped him get back on the field. Williams injured his right foot against the 49ers. Nicks hurt a shoulder in that game. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee) and cornerback Corey Webster (hamstring) also were limited. They have been nursing those injuries for weeks. All were observed by a pool reporter in the regular part of practice at close to full speed, though their practice reps were less than a typical full load. It seemed the Giants were eager to get back out on the field. They were boisterous after the pre-practice stretch and ran from drill to drill. “I saw that,” said Coughlin. “They’ve been excited about getting back to work for the first time in a few days.” Coughlin said Bradshaw told trainer Ronnie Barnes he “wants to be a part of this” and wanted to be out at the first practice. “I just hope he’s OK tomorrow,” said Coughlin. The Giants had to take buses 7 miles from their downtown hotel to the facility for the 4 p.m. practice. The players will have their final media session of the week Thursday at their hotel, then return to the university’s practice facility for another 4 p.m. practice. They also will practice here Friday and have a short walkthrough Saturday in their final prep work for Sunday’s game.
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NFC Conference Betting – Vikings at Saints
NFC Conference Betting – Vikings at Saints
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints Betting Odds – Game Pick Banner -Online Sports Bettingat Bodog Sportsbook NFL Football Game Picks Super Bowl 46 ATS Pick Super Bowl MVP Odds Weird Super Bowl 46 Prop Bets Giants at 49ers ATS Pick Ravens vs. Patriots Spread Pick Broncos vs. Patriots Spread Pick NY Giants vs. Green Bay ATS Pick Houston vs. Baltimore ATS Pick New Orleans vs. San Francisco ATS Pick Pittsburgh vs. Denver ATS Pick Atlanta vs. NY Giants ATS Pick Detroit vs. New Orleans ATS Pick Cincinnati vs. Houston ATS Pick Bettors Toolbox 2011 NFL Betting Trends 2011 Strength Of Schedule Free Office Football Picks NFL Handicapper’s Database Weather Forecasts NFL Future Odds AFC East Odds AFC West Odds AFC South Odds AFC North Odds NFC West Odds NFC East Odds NFC South Odds NFC North Odds Super Bowl Odds Rookie of the Year Odds Top Defensive Rookie Most Passing Yards Most Rushing Yards Most Receiving Yards NFL Handicapping Halftime Betting Tips Strategy for Wagering NFL Totals Sandwhich Game Handicapping Theory 8 Myths about Betting on Football NFL Key Numbers Halftime Betting Preseason Betting Football Gambling – How to Win Overlooked Handicapping Tools NFL Betting Basics
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Kvitova keeps semi loss in perspective (AP)
Kvitova keeps semi loss in perspective (AP)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Bob Bryan plays for his record 12th Grand Slam doubles title with his brother Mike on Saturday, but he’s advising wife Michelle not to watch on television at home in Miami. He doesn’t want her to go into labor until he’s back in the country. The couple is expecting the birth of their first child—a girl—and Michelle’s due date just happens to fall on the same day as the doubles final. “I’ve been telling her, ‘Don’t watch the matches, it will get your heart rate going and you might spit that baby out,”’ Bob Bryan said after the brothers’ tight semifinal win on Thursday. “She knows she’s a few days away from me coming home. She’s not going to risk it, not now.” Bryan almost caught an earlier flight back to Florida. The top-seeded brothers had to fight off a match point and rally from a 5-2 deficit in the third-set tiebreaker to beat Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania. “I think we maybe got a little lucky,” Mike Bryan said. “Played kind of our best tennis at the very end.” The brothers were coming off a tough, three-set quarterfinal win over Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland that didn’t finish until 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday because they followed the 4-hour-plus men’s singles quarterfinal between Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych at Rod Laver Arena. “It was tough to sleep last night because we were used to being up,” Mike Bryan said. The Americans now play the unseeded pairing of Leander Paes of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the final for a chance to make history. They’re currently level at 11 career Grand Slam titles with the Australian doubles team of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, known at home as the “Woodies.” “They’ve always seemed like they’ve been happy for us and our success,” Bob Bryan said. “They seem very secure with their own achievements and career. They’ve had an amazingly decorated history on the court.” Whatever happens on Saturday, Bob Bryan will be on the first flight out of Melbourne on Sunday morning. “(Michelle’s) been so happy and supportive of what we’re doing,” Bob Bryan said. “That makes it really easy.” ——— RANKINGS SHUFFLE: If Maria Sharapova wins the Australian Open title on Saturday, she’ll rise to the top of the women’s rankings for the fifth time in her career. The 24-year-old Russian has only been No. 1 for a total of 17 weeks in her lengthy career, but those stints at the top have come in three different seasons. Sharapova first reached No. 1 on Aug. 22, 2005, but lost it a week later to Lindsay Davenport. The Russian then moved back into the top spot on Sept. 12 and held it for six more weeks before Davenport supplanted her again. Sharapova returned to No. 1 for seven weeks after losing the Australian Open final to Serena Williams in 2007, and again for three weeks in May 2008 when then-No. 1 Justine Henin retired and took her name off the rankings. Sharapova must beat Victoria Azarenka in the final Saturday to get the ranking back; if Azarenka wins, she’ll become No. 1 for the first time in her career. Current No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who lost in the quarterfinals, will fall out of the top spot when the new rankings are released next week after spending 67 weeks as No. 1. She’s projected to fall to No. 4, behind Sharapova, Azarenka and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. Defending champion Kim Clijsters, meanwhile, is expected to fall from No. 14 to approximately No. 30-32 after her loss to Azarenka in the semifinals. ——— AUSTRALIA’S GOT TALENT: Bernard Tomic isn’t the only tennis phenom Australia is getting excited about. Luke Saville, the world’s top-ranked male junior player, advanced to the semifinals of the boys’ singles competition at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Kyle Edmund of Britain on Thursday. Saville, who turns 18 on Feb. 1, is aiming for his second junior Grand Slam title. He captured the Wimbledon junior crown last July and also made the 2011 Australian Open final. The 19-year-old Tomic, who made it to the fourth round of the men’s singles draw this year, was the last Australian champion in the boys’ event in 2008. Saville said after his match Thursday that he doesn’t feel any pressure coming in as the top seed. “Obviously everyone is kind of shooting for me now, trying to take me down, but from a young age I’ve kind of been top in Australia for my age group … so I’ve experienced that feeling of being the top dog,” he said. Saville plays 17-year-old Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic in the semifinals Friday. Pavlasek may have a famous face in his corner for the match— he’s dating Petra Kvitova, who lost in the women’s semifinals on Thursday. When asked if she’d stick around to watch her boyfriend play, Kvitova said, “Maybe tomorrow.”
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Flames win seventh straight at home (AP)
Flames win seventh straight at home (AP)
CALGARY, Alberta (AP)—Curtis Glencross had a goal and three assists, Jarome Iginla added a goal and two assists, and the Calgary Flames beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3 Tuesday night. Jay Bouwmeester had a goal and an assist for Calgary, while Cory Sarich, T.J. Brodie and Lee Stempniak also scored as Calgary won its seventh straight at home and improved to 9-0-1 in the last 10 at Scotiabank Saddledome. Miikka Kiprusoff made 35 saves, including 20 in the third period to preserve the Flames’ win, and Olli Jokinen and Mikael Backlund had two assists each. Adam Henrique and Ilya Kovalchuk each had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who snapped a two-game winning streak. Patrick Elias also scored and Zach Parise had two assists. Martin Brodeur started in goal for the Devils, but was pulled at the 7:32 mark of the opening frame after allowing two goals on five shots. Johan Hedberg made just five saves on nine shots in a relief appearance and ended up taking the loss. New Jersey outshot Calgary 38-14. Bouwmeester gave the Flames a 1-0 lead at 5:54 of the first when his wrist shot through traffic found its way into the net behind Brodeur. It was Bouwmeester’s first goal in 39 games. Less than two minutes later, Sarich skated across the blue line and fired a slap shot over Brodeur’s blocker and into the top corner. It was Sarich’s first goal since March 23, and ended the veteran defenseman’s 33-game goal-scoring drought. Hedberg replaced Brodeur after that and didn’t fare much better as he let in the first shot he faced. Olli Jokinen fed a nice backhanded cross-crease pass over to Glencross, who snapped a quick shot off Hedberg’s skate and into the net. Brodie then rifled a point shot past Hedberg on a Calgary power play to give the Flames a 4-0 lead through one period. After Kovalchuk scored his team-leading 16th goal for the Devils with 5:12 to go in the second, Stempniak wired a shot from the slot through Hedberg’s legs to put the Flames back up by four. With the Devils short-handed late in the second, they pulled to 5-2 when Henrique finished off a 2-on-1 by converting a feed from Parise. The Devils continued to press in the third period and were rewarded when Elias one-timed a pass from Kovalchuk by Kiprusoff during a New Jersey power play. It took the Flames nearly nine minutes to get their first shot of the third period, but Iginla made the shot count as he fought for possession of the puck in the slot before snapping a shot past Hedberg. NOTES: Stempniak, acquired by Calgary in the offseason from Phoenix in exchange for Daymond Langkow, played in his 500th career NHL game. … Calgary F Rene Bourque served the third game of his five-game suspension for elbowing Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom to the head during a 3-1 road loss to the Capitals on Jan. 3. … Iginla fought Henrique in the first period. According to hockeyfights.com, it was the first fight of Henrique’s career and Iginla’s 52nd in the regular season.
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