Hawks welcome Pistons to Dixie

Basketball Betting Lines

03/13/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The playoff bound Atlanta Hawks return to the cozy confines of Philips Arena Saturday to take on a Detroit Pistons team headed for the NBA Draft Lottery.

The Hawks salvaged the finale of their recent three-game road trip on Thursday in Washington when Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score a team-high 29 points to lead Atlanta to a tight 105-99 victory over the lowly Wizards.

Joe Johnson and Al Horford each netted 18 points for the Hawks, who were coming off losses in Miami and New York. Mike Bibby chipped in with 16 points for the victors.

"He's been fantastic all year. He's been a big part of what we do," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said of Crawford. "We rely on him to score the ball, also play defense and help us rebound. He's made big shots for us, run our offense. He's put us in position where we are today."

The Hawks are now dead even with Boston for the third seed in the Eastern Conference and will try and improve on their stellar 25-7 home record tonight.

The Pistons, meanwhile, are also coming off a win over Washington in their most recent affair on Friday night. Will Bynum provided a spark with a career- best 20 assists in that one, helping Detroit beat the Wizards for a sixth straight time, 101-87, at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tayshaun Prince, Jonas Jerebko and Richard Hamilton all scored 18 to pace the Pistons. The three combined to shoot 24-of-45 for the game.

Ben Gordon chipped in 17 off the bench and Jason Maxiell tallied 12 points and 10 boards for the Pistons, who recorded just their second win in nine games.

"I thought Will Bynum did a great job of getting 20 assists," said Pistons coach John Kuester. "I think he really did a nice job of getting us into our offense."

Bynum was in the starting lineup for Rodney Stuckey, who missed his third straight game last night after collapsing on the bench during a loss in Cleveland on March 5. Extensive cardiac tests on Wednesday provided some good news and Stuckey, who is averaging a career-best 17.1 points per game, has been allowed to resume exercising but there is no timetable for his return to the floor.

Detroit snapped a three-game series losing streak with a 94-88 win in Auburn Hills back in November.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.


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