LAST DAY AS POPE

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI is making history today, becoming the first pontiff to retire in nearly 600 years.

Only a handful of popes have ever done so.

The last was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism, a dispute among competing papal claimants. The most famous resignation was Pope Celestine V in 1294; Dante placed him in hell for it.

Benedict is saying farewell this morning to his closest advisers in Clementine Hall at the Apostolic Palace. Then shortly before 5 p.m., he will leave the palace for the last time as pope and fly by helicopter to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

Exactly at 8 p.m. ? when his resignation takes effect ? the doors at Castel Gandolfo will close and the papacy that began on April 19, 2005, will come to an end.

___Nicole Winfield ?http://twitter.com/nwinfield

___

"Pope Live" follows the events of the final day of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy as seen by journalists from The Associated Press around the world. It will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and other items of interest. Follow AP reporters on Twitter where available.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/last-day-pope-090320324.html

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Hollande to talk Syria settlement with Putin

MOSCOW (AP) ? French President Francois Hollande says he hopes to discuss political transition in war-torn Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, whose stance on Syria is crucial to peace settlement.

Speaking ahead of this meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday afternoon, Hollande told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that Putin's position on Syria can determine how soon peace will come to Syria.

Russia, the most influential backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has dismissed all settlement plans involving Assad's departure as the conflict in Syria has claimed more than 70,000 lives, according to the U.N.

Hollande said on Thursday that he is encouraged by the fact that Russia has acknowledged the influence of the Syrian opposition but would like to see Russia supporting talks on political transition in Syria.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-28-EU-Russia-Syria/id-ea63e99338fc4e5da04d813e0546ddc5

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PS4 APU ?by far the most powerful? AMD has produced | VG247

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 | 07:44 GMT

AMD global business manager John Taylor has said the accelerated processing unit in the PlayStation 4 is the best the company has ever produced.

?We have not built an APU quite like that for anyone else in the market,? Taylor told the Inquirer.

?It is by far the most powerful APU we have built to date.?

Taylor said the APU leverages new tech which will appear in AMD?s new generation A-series later this year, which will be sold directly to consumers.

?None that will quite be to that level of sheer number of cores, sheer number of teraflops,? he added.

The PlayStation 4 has an x86 APU, and that AMD will be selling similar tech directly to PC users shows just how PC-like the console?s architecture is ? but it?s worth remembering that the custom tech has been specially designed through a collaboration between the two companies, so you can?t just rebuild a PS4 in your basement.

Sony hasn?t released full tech specs, but the console has 8GB of RAM and can churn out over 1.8 teraflops of processing power.

Thanks, Dragon 246.

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/28/ps4-apu-by-far-the-most-powerful-amd-has-produced/

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Advanced breast cancer edges up in younger women - Herald Online

CHICAGO ? Advanced breast cancer has increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests. The disease is still uncommon among women younger than 40, and the small change has experts scratching their heads about possible reasons.

The results are potentially worrisome because young women's tumors tend to be more aggressive than older women's, and they're much less likely to get routine screening for the disease.

Still, that doesn't explain why there'd be an increase in advanced cases and the researchers and other experts say more work is needed to find answers.

It's likely that the increase has more than one cause, said Dr. Rebecca Johnson, the study's lead author and medical director of a teen and young adult cancer program at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"The change might be due to some sort of modifiable risk factor, like a lifestyle change" or exposure to some sort of cancer-linked substance, she said.

Johnson said the results translate to about 250 advanced cases diagnosed in women younger than 40 in the mid-1970s versus more than 800 in 2009. During those years, the number of women nationwide in that age range went from about 22 million to closer to 30 million - an increase that explains part of the study trend "but definitely not all of it," Johnson said.

Other experts said women delaying pregnancy might be a factor, partly because getting pregnant at an older age might cause an already growing tumor to spread more quickly in response to pregnancy hormones.

Obesity and having at least a drink or two daily have both been linked with breast cancer but research is inconclusive on other possible risk factors, including tobacco and chemicals in the environment. Whether any of these explains the slight increase in advanced disease in young women is unknown.

There was no increase in cancer at other stages in young women. There also was no increase in advanced disease among women older than 40.

Overall U.S. breast cancer rates have mostly fallen in more recent years, although there are signs they may have plateaued.

Some 17 years ago, Johnson was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, and that influenced her career choice to focus on the disease in younger women.

"Young women and their doctors need to understand that it can happen in young women," and get checked if symptoms appear, said Johnson, now 44. "People shouldn't just watch and wait."

The authors reviewed a U.S. government database of cancer cases from 1976 to 2009. They found that among women aged 25 to 39, breast cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body - advanced disease - increased from between 1 and 2 cases per 100,000 women to about 3 cases per 100,000 during that time span.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

About one in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, but only 1 in 173 will develop it by age 40. Risks increase with age and certain gene variations can raise the odds.

Routine screening with mammograms is recommended for older women but not those younger than 40.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer, said the results support anecdotal reports but that there's no reason to start screening all younger women since breast cancer is still so uncommon for them.

He said the study "is solid and interesting and certainly does raise questions as to why this is being observed." One of the most likely reasons is probably related to changes in childbearing practices, he said, adding that the trend "is clearly something to be followed."

Dr. Ann Partridge, chair of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory committee on breast cancer in young women, agreed but said it's also possible that doctors look harder for advanced disease in younger women than in older patients. More research is needed to make sure the phenomenon is real, said Partridge, director of a program for young women with breast cancer at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The study shouldn't cause alarm, she said. Still, Partridge said young women should be familiar with their breasts and see the doctor if they notice any lumps or other changes.

Software engineer Stephanie Carson discovered a large breast tumor that had already spread to her lungs; that diagnosis in 2003 was a huge shock.

"I was so clueless," she said. "I was just 29 and that was the last thing on my mind."

Carson, who lives near St. Louis, had a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments and she frequently has to try new drugs to keep the cancer at bay.

Because most breast cancer is diagnosed in early stages, there's a misconception that women are treated, and then get on with their lives, Carson said. She and her husband had to abandon hopes of having children, and she's on medical leave from her job.

"It changed the complete course of my life," she said. "But it's still a good life."

----

Online:

JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/index.htm

Source: http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/02/26/4649441/advanced-breast-cancer-edges-up.html

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Green Blog: Nature, Re-engineered to Meet Energy Needs

Thousands of inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs gathered in a suburban Washington convention center on Monday for the annual three-day meeting of ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects Agency ? Energy. It wasn?t quite the Oscars. At the registration desk, attendees received a goody bag that included a report on clean energy from the Pew Charitable Trusts and a refrigerator magnet that showed the periodic table of the elements.

But the breakout sessions held true to ARPA-E?s tradition: there were lots of swing-for-the-fence ideas. These included finding a high-efficiency, low-cost way to turn surplus natural gas into liquid fuel for cars and trucks, and identifying something to burn other than hydrocarbons so that carbon dioxide is not one of the byproducts.

One researcher proposed burning aluminum instead. One challenge is that the ?ashes,? or oxidized metal, would be hard to recycle back into aluminum without big releases of carbon dioxide.

ARPA-E is the Energy Department?s effort to imitate the better-known Pentagon arm known as the Defense Research Projects Agency, or Darpa. Darpa laid the groundwork for the Internet and still finances high-potential ideas in their early speculative stages in the expectation that a few will be major breakthroughs; ARPA-E tries to do the same in energy.

So far the agency has invested $770 million in 285 projects, ?and we?re proud of every single one of them,?? said Cheryl Martin, the agency?s deputy director, in opening remarks to several thousand attendees. Although most will never be commercialized, the strikeouts are not as important as the home runs.

One particularly ambitious idea presented on Monday was to re-engineer plants so that their leaves reflect rather than absorb more light. In an age of global climate change, with shifting rainfall patterns, changing reflectivity holds appeal. The technology would save water, which means saving energy because the water that the plants need often must be pumped. It could prove a way to help crops grow with less rainfall.

Some of those crops can be used to produce energy as well. And increasing the amount of light that bounces back into space would help to limit global warming.

The notion is that crops will absorb light in the visible spectrum yet reflect some of the infrared and ultraviolet light, which heats the leaves. ?Plants have a maximum efficiency of about 6 percent,?? said Robert Conrado, an agency scientist. And plants regulate their temperature much the way people do, by giving off water, which cools as it evaporates. ?All energy that is not able to be captured is dissipated as heat,?? he said. ?And that?s a lot of water.??

In a hot climate, a cornfield can give off the equivalent of eight inches of rainfall in a month, he said, and agricultural irrigation accounts for 81 percent of water use in this country. The proportion is even higher in poorer places, which have fewer dishwashers and washing machines.

And some of that energy would radiate back into space, reducing global warming, Dr. Conrado said.Whether butterfly wings or fruits, he said, ?nature has already evolved mechanisms for tailored light reflection.?

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/re-engineering-nature-to-meet-global-energy-needs/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Family on sinking boat: Coast Guard increases overnight search

A family who radioed for help from their sinking boat have abandoned ship. As night falls, the Coast Guard has announced plans to expand their search.

By Associated Press / February 25, 2013

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter prepares to rescue a fisherman in the Gulf of Alaska in 2010. The Coast Guard and California Air National Guard are using helicopters, boats, and other technologies to search for a family who abandoned their sinking boat yesterday.

Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis / US Coast Guard / AP / File

Enlarge

Crews planned to search by sea and air through the night Monday as they ramped up efforts to find a husband, wife and two young children who sent a series of distress calls saying their sailboat was sinking far off the Central California coast and they were fashioning a raft from a cooler and a life ring.

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The unidentified family had been sailing a small vessel Sunday west of?Monterey?Bay, where strong winds, cold water and big swells made for perilous conditions. Forecasters had issued a weekend advisory warning boaters of rough seas in the area.

The group ? which included two children under 8 ? made its first distress call late Sunday afternoon, Coast Guard Lt. Heather Lampert said. Investigators used the boat's radio signal and radar to determine the call came from an area about 60 miles west of?Monterey.

The boaters reported that their 29-foot sailboat was taking on water and the electronics were failing.

An hour later, the family members reported they had to abandon the boat and were trying to make a life raft out of a cooler and life-preserver ring, Lampert said. The Coast Guard then lost radio contact.

The agency looked for the family through the night and on Monday, with help from the California Air National Guard.

They planned to continue into Monday night, using lights from aircraft and boats, and other technologies to search the area.

"We will just saturate the search area with as many assets as we can, so we can hopefully rescue them," said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Mike Lutz.

The Coast Guard on Monday also released one of the family's recorded distress calls (http://bit.ly/W90cyv?), in hopes that it will lead to new information from the public that could help in the search. So far the agency has received no reports of missing persons in the case.

The agency believes the boat may have been called "Charmblow." In the crackling recording, a man's voice is heard saying, "Coast Guard, Coast Guard, we are abandoning ship. This is the (Charmblow), we are abandoning ship."

The agency has not identified the family, although investigators were able to determine from the broken distress calls that they were a husband and wife, their 4-year-old son and his cousin, Lampert said.

The family's location initially was reported farther north, but Lampert said investigators using the boat's radio signal and radar now believe the call came in west of?Monterey?Bay, which is about 100 miles south of San Francisco. The boat did not have a working GPS system.

The National Weather Service had issued an advisory throughout the weekend warning boaters of strong winds and rough seas around the San Francisco Bay Area. Water temperatures in the area typically are in the 40s and 50s, making long-term survival difficult.

Mariners "operating smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions," the advisory said.

Calls to harbors in California have failed to locate the boat, and database searches have come up empty too, Lampert said. The Coast Guard was expanding its search to Hawaii, the Seattle area and north into Canada.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/kf9v7uC_fgw/Family-on-sinking-boat-Coast-Guard-increases-overnight-search

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How would you sell your family on a Disney cruise ... - PassPorter.com

Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below. To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link. If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.

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Yesterday, 04:39 PM	? #1 (permalink)
? Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Cleveland OH Posts: 257	How would you sell your family on a Disney cruise? Hello all! I've just received word from my family that they want to take a cruise in 2015. I'm the planner and researcher in the family so it's been left up to me to do the dirty work. I'm also the disney fanatic and although they make fun of me I'm hoping to convert at least some family to disney. So my question is, how would you sell a disney cruise over the other cruise lines? I'm a cruise newbie but my uncle (instigated this idea) has cruised on princess cruise line and wants to use them again. How would you lure him over? Any help, hints, tricks, or advice is greatly appreciated. I'm starting by ordering a DCL DVD and I will order a passporter for DCL after I get our trip later this yet set. The people going on this cruise will be: me, 31 (all ages are at time of cruise) DBF 36 and DS 12, my dad 51 and his girlfriend 63, uncle 61, sister and brother in law 33 ad any future kiddos of theirs (we are really hoping they get pregnant soon!). We will probably go spring break 2015 or summer 2015 but we are flexible since DS won't be in high school yet. TIA everyone!
?

Yesterday, 05:54 PM	? #2 (permalink)
? Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 1,637	Tell them that since you've been elected to plan, you've decided to make it easy on yourself, you're going with DCL Seriously, I'd look for the various reviews of DCL done by Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast etc. and share them with your family. DCL always ranks way up there. I think DCL offers a great cruise experience. Quality all the way. The ships are beautiful. We've not been disappointed with the service or food on any of our cruises. I think DCL makes it easy with rotational dining and just the right amount of choices of activities, shopping opportunities etc. I appreciate not having to sort through too many choices while on vacation. The shows are broadway quality. There's plenty for adults to do on their own, for the families to do together and for the kiddos to do. One thing that I think is a positive is DCL only has 4 ships to look after, maintain, staff etc. There's also the few little details like the magical horn, being introduced when you board, the fireworks (unless you're doing AK), the unique dinner show in Animator's Palate, the rotational dining allows you to know your servers and them to know you. One thing we appreciate is no casinos on board. We also like the fact that DCL is a more family oriented cruise so that takes any "partiers" off. Most beverages are available to you 24/7 eliminating the need to figure out will you get the most use out of a soda card, coffee card, juice/tea card. I think you'll get lots of feedback here. Good luck, hope things go your way. __________________ My Previous Trips 4 M.K. visits 70s/80s, Epcot '88 & '90, M.K. June '04; M.K., A.K., Cont. March '05; M.K. June '05; Epcot, MGM, M.K. Yacht Club March '06; M.K., June '06; Wonder 4 nights, March '07; M.K., Grand Floridian, June '07; M.K., Epcot, Studios, Yacht Club, March '08, M.K. & A.K.L. June '08; the Wonder, March '09, the Poly June '09; G.F. March '10, W.L. '10; W.L. March '11; A.K.L. June '11; Alaska July 2011; W.L., March '12; GF, June '12; Fantasy/Western, March '13
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Yesterday, 08:39 PM	? #3 (permalink)
? Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 6,590	Quote: Tell them that since you've been elected to plan, you've decided to make it easy on yourself, you're going with DCL Seriously, I'd look for the various reviews of DCL done by Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast etc. and share them with your family. DCL always ranks way up there. I think DCL offers a great cruise experience. Quality all the way. The ships are beautiful. We've not been disappointed with the service or food on any of our cruises. I think DCL makes it easy with rotational dining and just the right amount of choices of activities, shopping opportunities etc. I appreciate not having to sort through too many choices while on vacation. The shows are broadway quality. There's plenty for adults to do on their own, for the families to do together and for the kiddos to do. One thing that I think is a positive is DCL only has 4 ships to look after, maintain, staff etc. There's also the few little details like the magical horn, being introduced when you board, the fireworks (unless you're doing AK), the unique dinner show in Animator's Palate, the rotational dining allows you to know your servers and them to know you. One thing we appreciate is no casinos on board. We also like the fact that DCL is a more family oriented cruise so that takes any "partiers" off. Most beverages are available to you 24/7 eliminating the need to figure out will you get the most use out of a soda card, coffee card, juice/tea card. I think you'll get lots of feedback here. Good luck, hope things go your way. We also like that that smoking areas are pretty defined and out, there really is something for everyone to do regardless of age (and you can do things together), the service is really second to none, and the food is fantastic. It really is worth the money. __________________ -Mary Ann - Mad for the Mouse My PassPorter Bookshelf
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Today, 01:35 AM	? #4 (permalink)
? Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Maidstone, Kent, UK Concierge Level: 7 Posts: 137,586	How ironic - I've just been covering persuasion skills in my management course. It's all straightforward, common sense stuff, but the basic idea is to look at what they might want and play to that, as everyone wants to know "what's in it for me?" Perhaps the adults would like the idea of being able to use the adult only areas? Perhaps the kids love the idea of characters being on board? If you can try and find things that will appeal to them, you'll have much more chance of success. Equally, if you can work out what barriers they might put up, then you can tackle those and come up with arguments to deal with them. For example, they might think Disney's expensive compared to other cruise lines (true) but if you can explain what you get on board Disney for the extra money, that might help to tackle that issue.... __________________ My PassPorter Bookshelf My Previous Trips 16 trips to WDW, including our honeymoon, four Christmases and my 30th and 35th birthdays, 5 to Disneyland in California including one Christmas there, 6 to Disneyland Paris, 1 to Hong Kong Disneyland, 1 to Tokyo Disney and 5 Disney cruises on the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy, including the inaugural cruise round the Med summer 2007, Alaska and my 40th birthday!
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Superbugs may have a soft spot, after all

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The overuse of antibiotics has created strains of bacteria resistant to medication, making the diseases they cause difficult to treat, or even deadly. But now a research team at the University of Rochester has identified a weakness in at least one superbug that scientists may be able to medically exploit.

Biologists Gloria Culver at Rochester and Keith Connolly, now at Harvard University, thought one key to stopping the bacteria may lie with proteins, so they studied the mechanism behind the development of bacterial ribosomes?the cell's protein-manufacturing machine.

"We targeted the ribosomes in our research because cells and organisms can't live if they don't make proteins, and they can't make proteins if their ribosomes aren't functioning properly." said Culver.

Culver and Connolly specifically worked with cultures of E. coli, a bacteria commonly found in the intestines. While E. coli is usually harmless, some strains are resistant to antibiotics and can cause serious food poisoning.

They discovered that two proteins already present in E. coli cells?RbfA and KsgA?need to be in balance with each other in order for ribosomes to function. If those proteins are present in the wrong concentrations, the ribosomes will not mature properly and will be unable to produce proteins, leading to the death of the cells. Their findings are being published this week in the journal Molecular Microbiology.

Culver said with the discovery that KsgA and RbfA.must be balanced for the cells to function properly, the next goal is to determine an effective way to disrupt that balance.

Crucially, RbfA does not exist in humans. "That may make it possible," Culver said," to kill E. coli without having a harmful effect on people."

Eric Brown, a professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., calls their work creative and scholarly. "Ribosome assembly represents a rich target for much needed antibacterial drugs to treat drug-resistant infections," said Brown, "and this work offers new and important insights into the process."

Culver explained the role the proteins play in ribosome maturation. A healthy ribosome is made up of two compartments?or subunits?that must come together only when each one is mature. An overabundance of RbfA hurries the process along, which could result in an ineffective structure. The job of the KsgA is to bind with the smaller of the compartments, preventing the formation of the ribosome until both parts are ready.

Culver says RbfA and KsgA belong to "the chicken or the egg" category of microbiology. While they're essential to the development of ribosomes, the ribosomes themselves are needed to create proteins, including the RbfA and KsgA. She calls it an ongoing and intriguing question for biologists.

###

University of Rochester: http://www.rochester.edu

Thanks to University of Rochester for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127026/Superbugs_may_have_a_soft_spot__after_all

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Christie signs NJ Internet gambling bill into law - KTTC Rochester ...

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Get ready for betting in your jammies, at work, from the kitchen table, or at the beach: New Jerseyans - and possibly many others - will soon be able to gamble over the Internet.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill Tuesday legalizing Internet gambling, hours after the state legislature passed a revised bill that made the changes he wanted. They included setting a 10-year trial period for online betting, and raising the taxes on the Atlantic City casinos' online winnings from 10 to 15 percent.

New Jersey became the third state in the nation to legalize gambling over the Internet. The lawmakers' votes and Christie's signature marked the largest expansion of legalized gambling in New Jersey since the first casino began operating in Atlantic City in 1978.

Nevada and Delaware have passed laws legalizing Internet betting, which also is going on offshore, untaxed and unregulated.

"This was a critical decision, and one that I did not make lightly," Christie said. "But with the proper regulatory framework and safeguards that I insisted on including in the bill, I am confident that we are offering a responsible yet exciting option that will make Atlantic City more competitive while also bringing financial benefits to New Jersey as a whole."

The idea is to help the struggling casinos by attracting new gamblers who are not now visiting the casinos. The comps, like free hotel rooms, show tickets, meals or other freebies, would be accrued from online play, but would have to be redeemed in person at a casino, presumably enticing a player to spend more money while there.

Tony Rodio, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, welcomed the new opportunities for his industry.

"The objectives for the continued stabilization, development and success of Atlantic City that Gov. Christie and our legislature has facilitated over the past couple of years have taken a significant step forward today with the passage of Internet gaming," he said.

The advent of Internet gambling is particularly good news for one of Atlantic City's most struggling casinos, The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel. It is in the process of being bought by the parent company of PokerStars, the world's largest poker web site.

"Our state leaders have stepped up, worked together and seized this moment," said Michael Frawley, the casino's chief operating officer. "New Jersey will be better for it as the benefits of I-gaming for our state are only beginning to be fully appreciated. We strongly believe that the economic development and reinvestment in Atlantic City, driven through I-gaming, will be remembered as a critical turning point for this proud town. We look forward to the renewed success this new law will surely bring."

The state is counting on that success, too. Budget figures released Tuesday by Christie envision contributions to the state's Casino Revenue Fund soaring from $235 million this year to $436 million next year, largely due to an influx of online gambling revenue.

But Donald Weinbaum, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, worried that expanding gambling options will increase the ranks of the estimated 350,000 New Jerseyans with a gambling problem. He also expressed concern about young, tech-savvy people developing gambling problems from playing online.

The bill will not take effect until the state Division of Gaming Enforcement sets a start date, sometime between three and nine months after the law is signed. Casino executives have estimated it could take six months to a year to get the system up and running.

It would allow the playing online, for money, of any game currently offered by Atlantic City's 12 casinos; online poker is expected to be a particularly popular option.

"I'm sure I'll experience it firsthand," said Jonathan Wanchalk, a Lancaster, Pa., business owner who said he frequently played poker online before a federal crackdown on offshore betting sites. "In college, I played poker a lot. It's basically where all my money came from. Especially with poker, when it was allowed and then it wasn't, I'm as curious as anyone else to see how it plays out."

Gamblers would have to set up online accounts with a particular casino, and could set daily limits on their play.

They also would be subject to the same per-hand limits as gamblers physically present in the casino. Casino executives say final rules have to be approved by the gambling enforcement division, but they expect the state to require gamblers to have to appear in person at a casino to open their accounts and verify their age, identity and other personal information. Payouts could be made remotely to a credit card account or bank account when a player cashes out, if the state approves such an arrangement, the executives said.

They conceivably could even gamble through social media sites, as long as the sites worked with casinos that have an online gambling license, according to state Sen. Raymond Lesniak.

Joe Brennan Jr., director of the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, said a new industry is ready to take off.

"We were always confident this day would come, because even after he vetoed the original iGaming bill, Gov. Christie immediately came back to us, to try and find a way to make this happen," Brennan said. "It took a little longer than we expected, but in the end, it was done right, and now it's time for Atlantic City to take this and run with it."

And the Poker Players Alliance hailed the law's enactment.

"New Jersey has gone 'all in,' " said John Pappas, executive director of the group, which claims 1 million members, 20,000 of which live in New Jersey. "Residents now will have access to a safe and regulated online gaming market, and the state will have a new source for revenue and job creation - something the federal government has failed to do thus far."

The bill allows gamblers in other states to place bets in New Jersey as long as regulators determine such activity is not prohibited by federal or any state's law. It even has provisions for allowing people in other countries to play, although federal law would have to be changed before that could happen, Lesniak said.

___

Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.kttc.com/story/21390315/christie-signs-nj-internet-gambling-bill-into-law

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Mississippi bigots freak out over local paper?s coverage of 1st gay wedding in county (Americablog)

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Budget Hotels Near Victoria Station

There are many budget hotels in London that provide bed and breakfast accommodation to the travellers. They have courteous and friendly staff that is dedicated to make your stay comfortable. These are located close to Victoria station, making it convenient for the travellers to visit different places easily.

If you are visiting London, it is a good idea to look for a hotel near Victoria station London. It is the capital of the country part of England and the United Kingdom. The city lies on the River Thames in south-east England on the island of Great Britain. London is one of the most important cultural, financial and commercial centres of the world and thus has the status of a world city. It is visited by numerous people daily for several purposes, ranging from tourism to education. Thus, there is always an extreme demand for accommodation options. The Victoria Station is a prominent area in London and has a lot of excellent hotels which can be perfect for you.

The best thing about the hotels in the Victoria Station area is the location. The station is a landmark and is connected to all parts of London. Also, you can travel to other parts of UK and other countries too by taking trains from the station. If you travel to London by a flight, you can reach the station very easily too. You can take a express train from the airport to reach the station directly. Another important reason which makes the hotels in this area so popular is the rents. The hotels in this area are rather cheap and travellers can choose from a lot of highly affordable options.

If you are a tourist, then there can be no better location of accommodation for you than the Victoria Station region. This is because some of the most interesting and popular tourist attractions of London are near the station. If you stay at a hotel near Victoria station London, you can reach the Big Ben very easily. The Big Ben is a bell situated in the tower of the Houses of Parliament. You can walk to the Big Ben easily from the Victoria Station. It would be a folly to visit London and miss this spectacular attraction. With a diameter of 25 feet, the Big Ben has been running accurately since its establishment in 1923 and alerts entire London of the time through its chimes.

Another excellent tourist attraction near the Victoria station is the Buckingham palace. On certain days, the tourists are allowed to see the beautiful Queen Elizabeth's state rooms. You can simply walk from your hotel to the Victoria Memorial and check out the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens. Apart from these, there are a lot of other major tourist attractions in London which can be reached very easily from hotels near the Victoria Station. These include the National Gallery, the Tower of London, the British Museum and the London Eye. Thus, by staying at a hotel in this region, you can access all parts of the city and can cover all the important tourist attractions within a very short span of time. So, if you want to make the most of your London trip, plan the details in advance and book a hotel near the Victoria station London.

About the Author:
The author of this article is associated with The Tudor Inn Hotel Victoria, a well-known budget hotel providing bed and breakfast accommodation to London visitors.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Budget-Hotels-Near-Victoria-Station/4454428

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New Atheism offers better philosophy, faith than religion

As science advanced over time, the God hypothesis became increasingly less necessary as a way to explain the occurrence of natural events. This caused religiosity to decline, especially among educated people. As secular states developed and freedom of expression emerged as a human right, criticism of religion ? both by philosophers and scientists ? became widespread.

In this sense, the so-called New Atheists movement ? led by Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens ? is not new. It was, however, started because of the way the power of religion started to be utilized ? the terrorist attacks of 9/11 wouldn?t have happened if it weren?t for blind faith in the concept of a rewarding afterlife.

The New Atheists present a modern supporting framework for individuals who are able to overcome the frightening concept of eternal punishment, which is often presented to them during a religious childhood. The movement also helps people realize that adages like ?anything is possible? or ?God works in mysterious ways? are merely shortcuts, ways of avoiding more intellectual explanations. Many books written by New Atheists provide excellent guidance out of the mazes and away from the traps of faith in its pure form.

However, despite recent attempts such as Dawkins? ?The Magic of Reality? and Harris? ?Free Will,? the New Atheists don?t have the same level of success they used to with laying the foundations of a fulfilling atheist life.

As it turns out, the pursuit of happiness is a journey far more complex than understanding the way the brain works. Throughout history, besides supernatural affairs, many aspects related to the self and life in society were taken care of by religion. It often provided valuable answers in the individual and collective realms, including the practice of meditation and the act of gathering to celebrate a common purpose.

As technology becomes increasingly powerful in a highly interconnected world and cultures clash on an unprecedented scale, it becomes too dangerous to leave guidance on these complicated topics to people who base their rationale on dogmas and supposedly sacred books from the ages of tribalism, dreams and entities that are indistinguishable from imaginary friends.

This gap has been recognized. We can see the emergence of interesting movements, such as secular humanism. Thinkers such as Alain de Botton are starting to approach the topic. Unfortunately, there is not yet a solid, structured proposal, and the average atheist is in great part left to find his way through life alone, having to learn and test alternatives by himself.

This is partly because the territory of the mind is largely unknown, and an honest, confident answer cannot be formulated yet. It is promising that New Atheists treat the topic carefully, but we need more people ? newer atheists ? to start thinking and acting toward that goal. Because, as the clich? goes, life is too short ? a fact we atheists are very aware of.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Feb. 25 print edition. Marcelo Cicconet is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

Source: http://nyunews.com/2013/02/25/cicconet-8/

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Nokia Lumia 720 unveiled: 4.3-inch ClearBlack display, 9mm thick, 6.7MP Carl Zeiss, wireless charging capable

Notice Vogue in that live tile up there? That's because Nokia's toning down its focus on imaging innovation at this year's MWC (remember the PureView 808?) for a hyper-targeted take on the mid-range: the Lumia 720. Made for über-social types prone to late night party shots, selfies and multimedia uploads, this 4.3-inch device builds on the polycarbonate unibody of its 920 elder, albeit in a much slimmer and smoother form factor. Measuring just 9mm in thickness and weighing 128 grams (4.5 ounces), the 720 also bears the distinction of being Nokia's most svelte Windows Phone 8 device to date. It also packs a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon CPU (the same as the Lumia 520), 512MB RAM, 800 x 480 ClearBlack display, 2,000mAh battery, NFC and an option for wireless charging (enabled by a separate snap-on cover) into the trendiest design the company could create.

To push that trendsetting message forward, Nokia's imbued the 720 with a dual camera setup that's ideal for the party circuit (e.g., lowlight shots and self-portraits). Up front, there's a 1.3-megapixel camera with wide-angle lens and a 6.7-megapixel rear shooter with f/1.9 lens on back, specifically crafted by Carl Zeiss labs to take in more light. And as a further lure for the vainglorious types that may pick it up, the 720 will also ship with a new digital lens pre-loaded: Glam Me.

As the name implies, this proprietary filter allows users to edit their images (whiten teeth, oversaturate colors, widen eyes, etc.) before sharing on social networking sites. In addition to that proprietary camera software perk, Nokia's also tacked-on its full suite of Here apps (Drive, Transit and Maps), as well as Nokia Music -- all exclusives to the Lumia line.

Nokia fans keen on a US release will have to sit and wait this one out (or opt for the Lumia 520 on T-Mobile). At present, the Lumia 720's only set to launch in Asia (specifically China) and parts of Europe in five colors (cyan, black, yellow, red and glossy white) for €249 (about $330 USD) this Q2 2013. Head on past the break for the official PR.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Nokia

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/gPJeGs_ydRk/

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Legal pot in Colo., Wash. poses growing dilemma

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) ? It may be called weed, but marijuana is legendarily hard to grow.

Now that the drug has been made legal in Washington and Colorado, growers face a dilemma. State-sanctioned gardening coaches can help folks cultivate tomatoes or zucchini, but both states have instructed them not to show people the best way to grow marijuana. The situation is similar in more than a dozen additional states that allow people to grow the drug with medical permission.

That's leaving some would-be marijuana gardeners looking to the private sector for help raising the temperamental plant.

"We can't go there," said Brian Clark, a spokesman for Washington State University in Pullman, which runs the state's extension services for gardening and agriculture. "It violates federal law, and we are a federally funded organization."

The issue came up because people are starting to ask master gardeners for help in growing cannabis, Clark said. Master gardeners are volunteers who work through state university systems to provide horticultural tips in their communities.

The situation is the same in Colorado, where Colorado State University in Fort Collins recently added a marijuana policy to its extension office, warning that any employee who provides growing assistance acts outside the scope of his or her job and "assumes personal liability for such action."

The growing predicament is just the latest quandary for these states that last year flouted federal drug law by removing criminal penalties for adults over 21 with small amounts of pot. In Washington, home-growing is banned, but it will be legal to grow pot commercially once state officials establish rules and regulations.

In Colorado, adults are allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants in their own homes, so long as they're in a locked location out of public view.

At least two Colorado entrepreneurs are taking advantage of that aspect of the law; they're offering growing classes that have attracted wannabe professional growers, current users looking to save money by growing their own pot and a few baby boomers who haven't grown pot in decades and don't feel comfortable going to a marijuana dispensary.

"We've been doing this on our own, but I wanted to learn to grow better," said Ginger Grinder, a medical marijuana patient from Portales, N.M., who drove to Denver for a "Marijuana 101" class she saw advertised online.

Grinder, a stay-at-home mom who suffers from lupus and fibromyalgia, joined about 20 other students earlier this month for a daylong crash course in growing the finicky marijuana plant.

Taught in a rented room at a public university, the course had students practicing on tomato plants because pot is prohibited on campus. The group took notes on fertilizer and fancy hydroponic growing systems, and snipped pieces of tomato plants to practice cloning, a common practice for nascent pot growers to start raising weed from a "mother" marijuana plant.

Ted Smith, a longtime instructor at an indoor gardening shop, led the class, and warned these gardeners that their task won't be easy. Marijuana is fickle, he said. It's prone to mildews and molds, picky about temperature and pH level, intolerant to tap water.

A precise schedule is also a must, Smith warned, with set light and dark cycles and watering at the same time each day. Unlike many house plants, Smith warned, marijuana left alone for a long weekend can curl and die.

"Just like the military ... they need to know when they're getting their water and chow," Smith said of the plants.

The class was the brainchild of Matt Jones, a 24-year-old Web developer who wanted to get into the marijuana business without raising or selling it himself. As a teenager, Jones once tried to grow pot himself in empty Home Depot paint buckets. He used tap water and overwatered, and the marijuana wilted and died.

"It was a disaster," he recalled. Jones organized the class and an online "THC University" for home growers, but his own thumb isn't green. Jones said he'll be buying his marijuana from professional growers.

The course showed would-be grower Cael Nodd, a 34-year-old stagehand in Denver, that marijuana gardening can be an intimidating prospect.

"It seems like there's going to be a sizable investment," he said. "I want something that really tastes good. Doesn't seem like it will be that easy."

___

Wyatt reported from Denver and can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/APkristenwyatt

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/legal-pot-colo-wash-poses-growing-dilemma-083405301.html

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SkiUp business networking at Sunapee March 16 | Escape Outside ...

Businesses interested in a bit of networking and skiing to benefit the New England Handicapped Sports Association should sign up for the Fourth Annual SkiUp Day at Mount Sunapee.

It is set for Saturday, March 16.

Bring your pickup, sun chairs, and snowboards and skis for the day, which is the day before St. Patrick's Day.But don't bother with packing lunch. There will be lots of free food.

Dan O'Halloran of New London's Colby Real Estate is the organizer of this networking event, which drew 220 last year for a day of outdoor skiing and tailgating fun with lots of food, music, giveaways and prizes.

"And the best part is that it is a fundraiser for NEHSA," O'Halloran noted.

The cost is $55 including skiing, all you can eat from local restaurants and food providers. It's $6 if you already have a season pass.

O'Halloran, who is a ski coach on weekends and competes in the local ski race league, said he has about 17 other local businesses who provide the core group to pull off the fundraiser.

"It grows every year," he said.

To sign up, go to nhskiup.com.

The first to sign up even get a T-shirt out of it. So bring your sun screen and look forward to a day of corn snow.

Source: http://www.wmur.com/escape-outside/SkiUp-business-networking-at-Sunapee-March-16/-/18282296/18985998/-/9mx5c0/-/index.html

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General Dynamics locks down Android, demos ultra-secure LG Optimus 3D Max

General Dynamics doesn't exactly make the sexiest gear in the world. But, it sure has this secure gadget thing on lockdown. The NSA contractor is moving to ensure that Android is as snoop proof as can be with its new GD Protected software. The heart of the system is a sandboxed virtual instance of Android that delivers the sort of security features demanded by governments and the military (and some particularly paranoid businesses). That isolated OS runs alongside a standard Android install that you can use for personal purposes, while keeping your sensitive data on the secure side -- not unlike BlackBerry Balance. There's two layers of encryption separating the virtual install from the standard one, along with hardware security provided by Fixmo. The company has worked with LG, the DoD and the USMC to build a customized version of the Optimus 3D Max to showcase how the software works. The device even has a dedicated button that lets you quickly and seamlessly switch between the personal and secure personas, indicated by green and red borders, respectively. If you're not really keen on equipping your foot soldiers with last year's mediocre LG handset (and have no need for super secure stereoscopic snapshots) then you'll probably be happy to hear that General Dynamics will be bringing GD Protected to the Galaxy S III as well. The platform has been integrated into Samsung's own security solution, dubbed KNOX, and will be available sometime in Q2 of this year. For a few more details, check out the video demo and PR after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Hkd8Akzg4Hk/

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NBA Arts and Crafts Handicapping Tip

College Basketball Gambling: Sunday's hot links

A few articles for Sunday's CBB action... UCLA scored 88 points last time out against Stanford. It was supposedly a result of a simplified offense. Cincinnati has lost four of five but is trying to remain positive. Purdue has struggled to score of late but Matt Painter is far more concerned about defense. Michigan used the week off to focus on defense. And today's total against Illinois got bet down from 138 to 134.5 Florida State plans to throw multiple players at Virginia Tech scoring machine Erick Green. Virginia has lost two straight and is in a revenge spot vs. Georgia Tech after losing 66-60 in Atlanta back in early February. The Cavaliers do however have Duke on deck. UCLA's Travis Wear (11.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) remains doubtful vs. USC. Boston College has won two of its last three -- finally turning a few close games into wins. The Eagles have ACC losses by 5, 3, 1, 5, 1 and 3. Tags: College Basketball

NBA Arts and Crafts Handicapping Tip

Submitted by Stat Intellegince Take a piece of graph paper, and turn it sideways so you?re looking at it like it?s the same shape as the screen on your laptop (short and wide like a cutting board as opposed to tall and skinny like notebook paper). Down the left side, right the names of the 30 NBA teams. I do it by divisions because it?s easier for me to think of the teams in clusters like that. You may prefer alphabetically because it?s easier to look for a certain team. Whatever. There should be at least 30 lines if you have a typical piece of graph paper. If you don?t?find one that has at least 30 lines so that each team will have a row going across. Now, across the top of the paper, write the days of the month. You?re building a calendar. There?s room in each little box to write a number. You should know what month it is?so you don?t have to write F22, F23, F24 if it?s February. Just the numbers should do unless you?re a calligrapher using a very thin pencil point (I write sloppily in pen). You?ve created a grid?with the NBA teams down the left side, and the dates for several weeks going across the top. Now, find a daily NBA schedule. I use the one at ESPN?s website. I?m sure there are plenty of others out there. If you subscribe to the Don Best schedule, you can just use your handy booklet. Use the schedule to fill out your grid. If Atlanta?s playing at Boston on the first day of the month, you put an X by Atlanta, and an X by Boston under the column with a 1. (If you?re starting this today, SUNDAY, you might as well make 24 your first number at the top of the grid?and go 24-25-26-27-28-1-2-3-4 because the month is about to turn). If you?re patient, I?d go back to the All-Star Break and pick it up from 19-20-21 because that?s when the new set of games began. If you want to include a bit more information in your grid, instead of using an X, put an R by the road team, and an H by the home team. If Atlanta was playing at Boston on the #1 day of the month, you?d have an R by in Atlanta?s row in the #1 column, and an H in Boston?s row under the #1 column. The important thing is that the box is filled on the right day?because THIS will allow you to see: *Back-to-back?s *Back-to-back?s that are also the fourth game in five nights or the fifth in seven *Road trips (if you?re using the R) *Extended breaks *Herky jerky stretches where teams are hopping back and forth from home to road (if you use H and R) Me, I use a yellow hi-liter for all the back-to-back spots, and then I draw oval circles around the 4-in-5 and 5-in-7 spots (and anything more brutal than that?which is how I could see a couple of months ago that San Antonio was in a fatigue sequence from Hell when Commissioner Stern inexplicably fined them for intelligently resting their key players). I?m not going to suggest to you that this is the secret key to unlocking the vault of NBA riches. But, it is important information to have if you?re serious about handicapping. It?s silly to NOT know who?s tired and who?s fresh. The more you study, the more you recognize which teams are able to handle fatigue stretches and which teams collapse. The more you start thinking about the big picture like a coach does, instead of just having knee-jerk reactions to the first pointspread you see in a game like too many gamblers do. ?That seems high,? or ?that seems low? changes when you know the fatigue dynamic. At the very least, you?ll trim off some poor risks from your portfolio. It?s better to go 4-3 than 6-6. Ideally, you?ll find some possibilities you hadn?t noticed before. ?There were three teams Saturday night who were playing back-to-back and their fourth game in five nights: Charlotte (+10) lost to Denver 113-99 Orlando (+5) lost to Cleveland 118-94 Detroit (+5) lost to Indiana 90-72 That?s 0-3 ATS as a group, with two double digit non-covers. Now?it was three Eastern Conference non-playoff teams?a subset that doesn?t set the world on fire even in the best of times. Still, a question like ?don?t you think the oddsmakers have already factored that into the line? was answered. Tough to properly gauge how big a hit tired teams will take. The market typically makes a generalized minimal adjustment for a back-to-back?but not team specific adjustments when larger tweaks are warranted. Again, I?m not suggesting you jump willy-nilly into fading any team in a back-to-back. I would strongly encourage you to pay more attention to this than you probably have been. You computer savvy youngsters who were laughing about using graph paper can probably throw something together this afternoon on your laptop while you?re half-watching a game on TV. If you handicap with pen and paper, there?s probably a Walmart down the street. For more blogs by Stat Intelligence, click here. Tags: NBA Stat Intelligence

Bracket Buster Betting Free Play: Albany Great Danes at Fairfield Stags

Submitted by Andrew LangeAlbany at Fairfield -8? Recommendation: #638 Fairfield In most cases, the handicap of Bracket Buster games is all about information and motivation. In the case of Albany, we find a team that isn?t exactly giddy about having to go on the road for a meaningless game. Here's what head coach Will Brown had to say about it... "All I am worried about right now is the America East," Brown said. "I am not going to risk anything for the BracketBuster. Our focus is the America East Conference tournament right now. I want to make sure we are healthy, rested and feel good about ourselves." He went on to add... ?I think it?s a great concept,? Brown said. ?It?s a great idea, but if you don?t play on TV, I would rather have the weekend off. I know a lot of coaches feel that way.? Brown said that starting guard Peter Hooley won't play and that he'll be open to the idea of playing more guys off the bench. The tricky part now becomes can we trust Fairfield laying -8? The Stags are playing good basketball, winning seven of their last eight. They've been off since Monday and don't play again until next Friday so at home they should have at least some focus for this contest. Plus it is senior day for a few players. Worth a shot laying the bigger price against a team that may not show up.? Tags: College Basketball Albany Great Danes Fairfield Stags Andrew Lange

NBA Gambling: New York Knicks Regressing and Passive

Submitted by Stat Intelligence Earlier this season, we invented the KRIB Index because the New York Knicks were playing like they had re-invented basketball (Knicks Re-Invent Basketball). They had a higher number of made treys than giveaways more than 30 games into the regular season?something nobody else in the league could do even one game deep into the season. Maybe you had to be a stathead to love it. But, Knicks fans certainly loved the pop and sizzle the team was showing on offense. Recently, that pop and sizzle are gone. The Knicks are regressing in those key offensive stats, and have grown passive on defense after an enthusiastic start. Recent games where the Knicks have played like KRAP: New York (-1.5) lost tonight to Toronto 100-98 New York (+4) lost to Indiana 125-91 New York (-8) lost to Toronto 92-88 New York (-3.5) lost to the LA Clippers 102-88 New York (-6) won at Minnesota 100-94 (push) New York (-4.5) lost at Washington 106-96 That?s 1-5 straight up, and 0-5-1 against market expectations over their last six games. They?ve been a .500 caliber team since Amare Stoudemire returned to uniform?after being about? 70% team while he was out. I don?t want to suggest it?s all his fault. The veterans may have reached a fatigue point. It?s certain that complacency set it on both sides of the ball after that great start. It?s all added up to a recent disaster. *Two double digit losses and and non-covers (by 17.5 and 30 points) against the playoff bound LA Clippers and Indiana Pacers. *A double digit loss and a 16-point miss against a Washington team that?s been performing at an Eastern Conference playoff caliber level statistically since John Wall returned. *A sweep at the hands of Toronto! Tonight was a revenge game, yet the team was still acting like every night?s a party and there?s no reason to exert yourself for 48 full minutes because that?s no fun. Madison Square Garden was a fun KRIB when the going was good. If the team doesn?t get serious on both sides of the ball soon, fans will be dealing with a lot of KRAP. Toronto 100, New York 98 2-Point Percentage: New York 53%, Toronto 45% 3-Point Shooting: New York 10/28, Toronto 7/18 Free Throws: New York 18/23, Toronto 23/28 1?s and 2?s: New York 68, Toronto 79 Rebounds: New York 42, Toronto 31 Turnovers: New York 16, Toronto 9 The stats looked worse than this before New York rallied to win the fourth quarter 28-21. New York?s recent defensive issues showed up again here with a low number of forced turnovers, and a loss at the free throw line. It was far from a defensive disaster?but the market expected about 95-96 points for the Raptors and they reached the century mark. We see once again a disastrous turnover night on offense. The great passing of the first 35 games or so has completely disappeared. This team doesn?t have the margin of error to live with 15-16 turnovers every time they take the floor. Big game again for Rudy Gay of the Raptors. He?s having fun in Toronto. I?m afraid that the media?s general refusal to acknowledge the superiority of the West over the East caused them to miss the degree that Gay would be stepping down in class. Since joining the Raptors, he?s played six games against Eastern Conference defenses?and is averaging 24 points per game. He only averaged 17.2 this year for Memphis against a West-heavy schedule. It?s like a decent American League pitcher getting traded to the National League in baseball. A couple other early games I wanted to run the numbers from? Houston 106, Brooklyn 96 2-Point Percentage: Houston 53%, Brooklyn 49% 3-Point Shooting: Houston 16/30, Brooklyn 10/30 Free Throws: Houston 8/12, Brooklyn 6/11 1?s and 2?s: Houston 58, Brooklyn 66 Rebounds: Houston 37, Brooklyn 41 Turnovers: Houston 16, Brooklyn 13 The Nets are still getting outclassed by teams who are over .500. And, this loss at home to a team from the West comes on the heels of recent losses to San Antonio and the LA Lakers on this floor. Those are far from embarrassing numbers up above from the Nets though. They won 1?s and 2?s, rebounding, and turnovers. Tough to win when your opponent is 16 of 30 on treys. Houston is making that spread attack work for them. You get the sense that a playoff opponent will come up with something to deal with it after repeated viewing. Not that anyone in the top four is relishing that challenge. Houston is 31-26 for the season now, 31-24-2 against market expectations. Don?t forget that they had that brutal fatigue stretch (a pair of 4-in-5?s in consecutive weeks) that really took the wind out of their sails. If you take out the 1-8 straight up, 0-9 market debacle from that fatigue period, you?re looking at a team that?s 30-18 straight up, 31-15-2 ATS when relatively or very fresh. Strong and significantly underrated. Washington 119, Denver 113 2-Point Percentage: Denver 59%, Washington 48% 3-Point Shooting: Denver 4/22, Washington 11/24 Free Throws: Denver 31/37, Washington 24/33 1?s and 2?s: Denver 101, Washington 86 Rebounds: Denver 36, Washington 49 Turnovers: Denver 11, Washington 18 How about Washington?! They do it again here, as they knock off one of the hottest teams in the league to maintain their recent pace of playoff caliber basketball. Washington is 20-7 ATS its last 27 games. They did stub their toe entering and coming out of the All-Star Break. So, it?s not like they?re automatic every night. But, this was a good sign that the whole thing wasn?t a mirage. I was starting to wonder after the losses to Detroit and Toronto. Though, the more you study the boxscore, the less exciting this win is. Tonight?s victory was keyed by great three-point shooting, mixed with poor three-point shooting from the Nuggets. That?s not great news if you?re a Wizards fan hoping this will continue. Washington allowed 59% on two-point shooting while turning the ball over 18 times. Not exactly textbook. The line may be catching up given that Denver was only -3 here. Washington was +7 in made treys but only won by two made treys (+21 points from behind the arc in a game they only won by six). Let?s keep an eye on this. Some red flags are starting to wave that the party is over, at least when Washington is playing teams who know what they?re doing. They may still offer value against tank job teams or mid-level guys that aren?t bringing peak intensity. Not going to stay up late to write up San Antonio/Golden State and Portland/Lakers. You avid fans are watching one (or both) of those games already. Back with you late Saturday afternoon and in the evening to crunch the numbers in major college action. Wanted to thank all of you who popped in yesterday for that lengthy piece on tips for the average gambler keyed by ESPN?sarticle on Haralabos Voulgaris. I was concerned it might have been too long. But, it turned out to be the most read (and re-tweeted) article here in the blog in quite some time. Off the charts. For more blogs by Stat Intelligence, click here. Tags: NBA New York Knicks Stat Intelligence

Nevada passes bill to legalize online gambling

In the race to legalize online gambling, Nevada just blew the doors off of New Jersey. "We could stick our head in the sand and say we don't want to participate, and theoretically, 49 other states would," he said. "We are ... maintaining our leadership position and putting the best rules in place as possible." ?Tags: NBA New York Knicks Stat Intelligence

College Basketball Gambling: ESPN Bracket Buster Power Ratings

Here are Sportsmemo Handicapper Rob Veno's Power Ratings for Friday and Saturday's ESPN Bracket Buster games. 2013 ESPN Bracket Buster Power Ratings Road Team Conference Home Team Conference Veno Power North Dakota State Summit Akron* MAC Akron -7.5 Stephen F. Austin Southland Long Beach State* Big West Long Beach -2 Iona MAAC Indiana State* MVC Indiana State -4 Eastern Kentucky OVC Valparaiso* Horizon Valparaiso -9 Canisius MAAC Vermont* America East Canisius -1 Pacific Big West Western Michigan* MAC Western Michigan -3 Montana Big Sky Davidson* So-Con Davidson -10 Northwestern State Southland Niagara* MAAC Niagara -5.5 Creighton MVC St. Mary's* West Coast St. Mary's -5 South Dakota State Summit Murray State* OVC Murray State -2.5 Denver WAC Northern Iowa* MVC Northern Iowa -5 Ohio MAC Belmont* OVC Belmont -7 Illinois State MVC Utah State WAC Utah State pk Loyola-Maryland MAAC Tennessee State OVC Tennessee State -3 Weber State Big Sky Oral Roberts Southland Weber State -4 Bradley MVC Illinois-Chicago Horizon Illinois-Chicago -0.5 Wisconsin-Green Bay Horizon Drake MVC UW-Green Bay -0.5 Central Michigan MAC Youngstown State Horizon Youngstown -11.5 Albany America East Fairfield MAAC Fairfield -6.5 Evansville MVC Wright State Horizon Wright State -3 Gardner-Webb Big South College of Charleston So-Con Charleston -11.5 Morehead State OVC Oakland Summit Oakland -7.5 UC Irvine Big West Texas-Arlington WAC Texas-Arlington -3.5 Kent State MAC Loyola-Chicago Horizon Loyola-Chicago -1 Jacksonville State OVC UNC Asheville Big South UNC Asheville -8 Charleston Southern Big South Rider MAAC Rider -4 McNeese State Southland Toledo MAC Toledo -10.5 Loyola Marymount West Coast Cal Poly Big West Cal Poly -8 Sacramento State Big Sky UC Santa Barbara Big West UC Santa Barbara -4.5 Missouri State MVC Eastern Michigan MAC Eastern Michigan -1 Miami (Ohio) MAC Southern Illinois MVC Southern Illinois -9.5 Manhattan MAAC Buffalo MAC Buffalo -4 Northern Arizona Big Sky Hawaii Big West N/A Ball State MAC Southeast Missouri State OVC SEMO -6.5 Northern Colorado Big Sky UC Davis Big West UC Davis -5.5 Southeastern Louisiana Southland Winthrop Big South SE Louisiana -2 Savannah State Mid-Eastern Campbell Big South Campbell -0.5 UMKC Summit Tennessee Tech OVC Tennessee Tech -11 Eastern Illinois OVC Northern Illinois MAC Northern Illinois -3.5 Morgan State Mid-Eastern High Point Big South High Point -9 Nicholls State Southland Texas-San Antonio WAC Texas-San Antonio -8.5 VMI Big South Marist MAAC Marist -9 SIU Edwardsville OVC Central Arkansas Southland SIU-Edwardsville -3.5 Coastal Carolina Big South Western Carolina So-Con Western Carolina pk Radford Big South Siena MAAC Siena -7.5 North Dakota Big Sky Nebraska-Omaha Summit North Dakota -3.5 South Dakota Summit Montana State Big Sky Montana State -5.5 Bowling Green MAC IPFW Summit IPFW -2.5 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Horizon IUPUI Summit UW-Milwaukee -1 Longwood Big South Tennessee Martin OVC Tennessee-Martin -9.5 Cal State Northridge Big West Southern Utah Big Sky Southern Utah -2 Texas State WAC Lamar Southland Texas State -1 Cal State Fullerton Big West Texas A&M- CC Southland Fullerton -4 St. Peter's MAAC Hampton Mid-Eastern Hampton -4.5 Idaho WAC Idaho State Big Sky Idaho -1 Sam Houston State Southland Eastern Washington Big Sky Eastern Washington -3.5 UC Riverside Big West Portland State Big Sky Portland State -5.5 Austin Peay OVC Liberty Big South Liberty -0.5 The Citadel So-Con Presbyterian Big South Presbyterian -4.5 ? Tags: College Basketball Rob Veno

NBA Handicapping: New York Knicks look to bounce back vs. Toronto

New York -1.5 at Toronto O/U 194 The New York Knicks try to bounce back tonight in Toronto after Wednesday's 125-91 blowout loss to Indiana. A database search dating back to 2007 shows that teams that lost by 30 points or more and were favored in their next game went 40-18 SU and 31-26-1 ATS (avg. line of -5). "They?re embarrassed and they should be," said Woodson. "There?s nothing pretty about how we played, Indiana did everything they were supposed to do on their floor and it was pretty much an embarrassment." Tags: NBA New York Knicks Toronto Raptors

Sports Betting Podcast 2-22-2013 with Handicappers Rob Veno and Erin Rynning

Tags: College Basketball NBA Rob Veno Erin Rynning

ESPN's Chad Millman discusses the New Jersey sports betting case

Here's a link to Chad Millman's recent Behind the Bets Podcast with NorthJersey.com's John Brennan. A great listen as the two discuss the New Jersey sports betting case.Tags: College Basketball NBA Rob Veno Erin Rynning

NBA Gambling: Kobe says Lakers will make playoffs, odds say different

Portland at LA Lakers -9 O/U 202.5 Despite being three games below .500, Kobe Bryant seems to feel the Lakers are a lock to make the postseason. They are currently 3.5 games behind Houston for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. According to John Hollinger's numbers, the Lakers have a 32.7% chance of reaching the postseason. One sportsbook had the Lakers -150 to miss the playoffs. "It's not a question of if we make the playoffs. We will," Bryant told Sports Illustrated. "And when we get there, I have no fear of anyone ? Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver ? whoever. I have zero nervousness about that." ?Tags: NBA Los Angeles Lakers Portland Trail Blazers

NBA Handicapping: Bettors come in on Heat and Clippers for tonight's TNT doubleheader

TNT's NBA doubleheader features two good matchups with Miami traveling to Chicago and San Antonio in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. Note that LA hasn't played since last Thursday. According to Bookmaker, 80% of bets have been placed on Miami -3.5 while just over 67% have come in on the Clippers. Over 75% of wagers were made on the Spurs-Clippers OVER, while 56% preferred the UNDER in Miami-Chicago. ? Tags: NBA Miami Heat Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs Los Angeles Clippers

NBA Gambling News: Portland Trail Blazers continue to slide

The Portland Trail Blazers just worked themselves out of the Western Conference playoff hunt after losing six straight (0-6 ATS). When asked about their struggles, a few players pulled out the lack of trust card.?Now if by lack of trust they mean their defense has been horrible (108.7 ppg allowed last six games) then yes, trust has been a major issue. Portland?travels to LA to take on the Lakers tomorrow night. "We're not trusting each other," Wesley Matthews surmised. "I feel like lately we haven't been trusting each other," Aldridge concluded, "or overly helping each other on defense." "Our transition defense has gotten a little worse. That was one of the Achilles' heels early in the season," coach Terry Stotts said after Wednesday's practice. "Our pick-and-roll defense has been inconsistent. We have good stretches, but it's not as consistent as we need it to be." ? Tags: NBA Portland Trail Blazers

Alf Musketa's WGC Accenture Matchplay Handicapping Primer?

Submitted by Alf MusketaSnow in the Arizona desert has dominated the headlines early in the WGC Accenture Matchplay Tournament. The PGA Tour will be pressured to get the event finished on time. Next week's PGA Tour stop is across the country in Florida for the Honda Classic, where both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have committed to play. The delays due to the weather are both good and bad for golf handicappers. Good because we know the conditions will be soft, the course will be longer, and the greens will be more receptive and that will favor longer hitters off the tee and players that will fire at the flags consistently and aggressively. This group includes Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Rickie Fowler, and Bo Van Pelt to name a few. The bad aspect of the delays is that the sportsbooks may miss posting matchups in between rounds. There are six matches that are already on the back nine of the first round and after a brief break for lunch, which are usually only 30 minutes, they?ll be right back out on the golf course for the next round. Sportsbooks, especially here in Las Vegas, are notoriously late at putting up any kind of golf matchups and props. Online matchups for future matchplay rounds will be the way to go.? ?? One thing to look for when watching for potential bets in the next round is putting. If a player is making everything inside eight to ten feet, making those key strokes to tie his opponent on a hole, keeping the match score ahead like we saw with Luke Donald a couple of years ago, that is the way to win at matchplay. Also, aggressiveness is something that I want with my wagers ? players with the guts to shoot for the pins, especially when they trail. Smart aggressive play will get the job done.? ?? I was at this event on Monday and Tuesday to scout the players and talk to a few contacts. What I was looking for were players that struggled on the range and putting green. This field is the best in the world with the top 64 present sans Brandt Snedeker and Phil Mickelson, but there are several players that do not belong here due to weak Tours and competition that they play on that qualified them via World Ranking points. Some of which include Marcus Fraser, David Lynn, Hiroyuki Fujita, Chris Wood, and Shane Lowry. These players and a few others squeaked in this tournament playing European, Australasian and Japan golf Tours. If they played the deep and talented PGA Tour some of them wouldn't be able to keep their cards. Tags: PGA Alf Musketa

College Basketball Betting Free Play: Georgia Bulldogs at Arkansas Razorbacks

Submitted by Teddy CoversGeorgia +11 at Arkansas O/U 131.5? Recommendation: Georgia Arkansas is in a miserable spot tonight.? They?re coming off a lucky, somewhat fraudulent win over Missouri in their last game, outscoring the Tigers 7-1 in the last 28 seconds to steal a two-point victory.? On deck for the Razorbacks?? A trip to Florida to take on the revenge minded Gators.? In between is this game against Georgia as double-digit favorites.? Even head coach Mike Anderson is worried about his team?s ability to focus tonight.? ?I know after Missouri everybody is patting them on the back and saying, ?Great, great win!?? While focus is a major issue for the home favorite, we?re catching the road underdog in a spot where their hunger is very real.? Three different extremely controversial calls went against the Bulldogs in the final minutes of regulation against Ole Miss on Saturday, as they lost an eight-point lead late, eventually losing in overtime to the Rebels. But even in that defeat, Georgia showed why they are a bet-on team in hostile environments.? Prior to the OT loss at Ole Miss, they had won their previous three SEC road games at Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas A&M.? Head coach Mark Fox: ?We have been pretty stable away from home.? I think our defense has been pretty consistent all year and that has been a great stabilizer for us. One of the keys to winning away from home is trying to slow that home team down.? Georgia also has one significant matchup edge against the Razorbacks ? rebounding!? Anderson: ??They outrebounded Ole Miss by 15. That?s something that really caught my eye. Ole Miss is a very good rebounding basketball team. We will have our work cut out for us?They?re a team that will shoot it and go get it. Their guards rebound the basketball.? Over the last five games, Georgia has averaged a +6 margin on the boards, while Arkansas has averaged a -8 rebounding differential.? Expect those extra possessions for the Bulldogs to work in our favor tonight!? ? Tags: College Basketball Georgia Bulldogs Arkansas Razorbacks Teddy Covers

Meet the D3 women's hoops team that got screwed by sports betting haters, the NCAA

Even though no one is allowed to make a legal sports bet in the state of the New Jersey, Montclair State, a D3 women's basketball team, won't be able to host a postseason tournament game because of some ridiculous NCAA ruling. The NCAA must not have received the memo that sportsbooks and local bookies aren?t really into taking action on small school women's hoops. ?Look at the big picture here,? she said. ?This is supposed to be about the experience of the student athlete. They worked hard all season to give themselves the best chance to win, a chance to play in front of their own fans in what would be a great moment for the whole community. ?To take that away from them? It is, quite frankly, a disservice to the kids, to the faculty, to the entire university.? Tags: College Basketball Georgia Bulldogs Arkansas Razorbacks Teddy Covers

Sports Betting Podcast 2-21-2013 with Handicappers Sammy P and Ian Cameron

Tags: NHL College Basketball Sammy P Ian Cameron

MLB Handicapping: Season O/U Wins and Market Expectations

Taking a look at Pinnacle's MLB Season Over/Wins for the upcoming season. We threw in last year's win totals and the differential to get a gauge on early market expectations. Toronto (+16), Boston (+14) and the Chicago Cubs (+11.5) are projected to be the biggest gainers. Baltimore (-14.5), Oakland (-9.5), and the New York Yankees (-7) the biggest decliners. 2013 MLB Season Over/Under Wins - Pinnacle TEAM 2013 Season O/U 2012 Wins Difference ARIZONA 82.5un-124 81 +1.5 ATLANTA 87.5ov-114 94 -6.5 BALTIMORE 78.5un-110 93 -14.5 BOSTON 83un-111 69 +14 CHICAGO CUBS 72.5ov-125 61 +11.5 CHICAGO WS 81 85 -4 CINCINNATI 91un-112 97 -6 CLEVELAND 77.5 68 +9.5 COLORADO 70.5ov-123 64 +6.5 DETROIT 92.5ov-113 88 +4.5 HOUSTON 59.5un-118 55 +4.5 KANSAS CITY 77.5 72 +5.5 LA ANGELS 91.5ov-113 89 +2.5 LA DODGERS 91.5 86 +5.5 MIAMI 63ov-129 69 -6 MILWAUKEE 81 83 -2 MINNESOTA 67.5ov-125 66 +1.5 NY METS 75un-111 74 +1 NY YANKEES 88ov-109 95 -7 OAKLAND 84.5 94 -9.5 PHILADELPHIA 84ov-113 81 +3 PITTSBURGH 77 79 -2 SAN DIEGO 74.5 76 -1.5 SAN FRANCISCO 88 94 -6 SEATTLE 77.5 75 +2.5 ST. LOUIS 86 88 -2 TAMPA BAY 86 90 -4 TEXAS 86.5ov-111 93 -6.5 TORONTO 89ov-125 73 +16 WASHINGTON 92un-117 98 -6 Tags: MLB

College Basketball Betting Update: Can BYU finally cover against a quality opponent?

BYU at St. Mary's -8 O/U 150 Quick update of our BYU Stinks Against Good Teams blog. We last posted following the Cougars' home loss to St. Mary's. Since then BYU went on the road and got blasted by Gonzaga 83-63 as 10-point underdogs. They also lost outright to San Diego and San Francisco and have covered only one game this month (1-4 ATS). Tonight they're catching +8 against the Gaels. College Basketball Betting: BYU's struggles against strong competition continue Last night, BYU lost on a buzzer beater to St. Mary's, 70-69. It marked yet another failed attempt for the Cougars to pick up a marquee victory. Over the last two seasons, BYU has had an incredibly difficult time stepping up in class. Check out the results against St. Mary's and Gonzaga... BYU -5 vs. St. Mary's - 70-69 Loss? BYU +2.5 vs. Gonzaga - 77-58 Loss? BYU +6.5 at Gonzaga - 74-63 Loss? BYU -3.5 vs. Gonzaga - 83-73 Win? BYU -2.5 vs. St. Mary's - 80-66 Loss? BYU +4 at St. Mary's - 98-82 Loss That's 1-5 SU/ATS. And if we include better than average power conference teams, there are even more failures. 2012-13? BYU -2 vs. Florida State - 88-70 Loss? BYU +3 vs. Notre Dame - 78-68 Loss? BYU +4 at Iowa State - 83-62 Loss? BYU +7 at Baylor - 79-64 Loss 2011-12? BYU +5 vs. Marquette - 88-68 Loss? BYU -4 vs. Baylor - 86-83 Loss? BYU +7.5 vs. Wisconsin - 73-56 Loss If we stretch the parameters a little, there were SU/ATS wins against Oregon (infant stages of Dana Altman's first season) and at Virginia Tech (Hokies finished 16-17). Still, BYU's track record against strong competition is downright awful. In those 13 aforementioned games, BYU has exactly ONE win and ONE spread cover. And if you look at the line history, all of those games were competitively lined yet 10 of the 12 losses were by double-digits. The Cougars still have three regular season games remaining against St. Mary's and Gonzaga. Tags: College Basketball BYU Cougars St. Mary's Gaels

College Basketball Handicapping: Finding ways to score the key for Cincinnati

Cincinnati -1 at Connecticut O/U 126.5 You know how some beat writers or SIDs will point out that Team A is 34-1 when scoring 100 points or more ? or some silly stat that is ridiculously obvious. Here's one that isn't. Most of you are aware that Cincinnati isn't a great offensive team. The Bearcats rank 10th in the Big East in offensive efficiency (0.98 ppp) and 14th in effective field goal percentage (44.1%).So it stands to reason that when Cinci does have success it often manages to match or exceed those numbers. But Cinci has proven it doesn't need to shoot lights out or be ultra-efficient to win. Amazingly this team is a perfect 19-0 when it scores 61 points (!!!) or more. The scary thing is the Bearcats have seven losses. Tonight's opponent UConn has held four of its 12 Big East opponents to below 60 points in regulation. ? Tags: College Basketball Cincinnati Bearcats UConn Huskies

NCAA Basketball Gambling: California has had Oregon's number

California at Oregon -5 O/U 138 February 9, 2008 was the last time Oregon defeated California. Since that time, the Golden Bears have ripped off 10 straight (7-3 ATS) vs. the Ducks. In this year?s first meeting in Berkeley, Oregon outshot Cal 47.6% to 35.6% but without point guard Dominic Artis (who won't play again tonight) the Ducks committed 22 turnovers and lost 58-54. ?The first year, they were just flat better than us,? Altman said of games against Cal in his three seasons. ?Last year we had chance at their place, we just didn?t get it done. ?This year we had a chance at their place and didn?t get it done. We?ve had our chances.? ?Tags: College Basketball California Golden Bears Oregon Ducks

College Basketball Betting Trends: Temple Owls like to make things close

Temple has quite a streak?in play?heading into tomorrow night's game against La Salle. The Owls have?participated in?five straight games decided by exactly one point. They are 3-2 SU/ATS in those contests ? all three wins came as underdogs. "We've been in every game, although there are games where you could say we didn't put enough space between," Dunphy said. "As a coach, if you've been it long enough, you have different personalities that go along with each team. We haven't been able to get any great separation, and yet, there's another side to these guys that there hasn't been any quit. I'm equal parts frustrated and proud [of the streak]." ?Tags: College Basketball Temple Owls La Salle Explorers

NCAA Basketball Gambling Update: Minnesota's Williams downgraded to doubtful

Minnesota at Ohio State -6 O/U 125.5 According to Sports Options, Minnesota's Rodney Williams (11.4 ppg) was downgraded to doubtful for tonight's game against Ohio State. We got mixed reports on Twitter ? everything from questionable to doubtful to game time decision to out. Earlier this afternoon, the betting markets came in fairly strong on Ohio State as the line climbed from -5.5 to -6.5. There has been some buyback over the last hour with the Buckeyes now -6 at most offshore sportsbooks. It's actually a significant blow if he doesn?t suit up considering the Golden Gophers' offensive struggles of late (53.4 ppg last five game in regulation). ?Obviously he?s a focal point of our offense,? Mbakwe said about Williams. ?But we have a lot of guys who can step up and lead the team.? ?We need to not only get our points but bump it up to his production [level] to fill in that gap,? Eliason said. College Basketball Handicapping: Minnesota and Ohio State limp into Wednesday's matchup Minnesota at Ohio State -5.5 O/U 126 It's a lot easier handicap a game when one team comes in off a horrific performance rather than two. Such is the case with tonight?s Minnesota-Ohio State matchup. The Buckeyes were destroyed by Wisconsin, 71-49, in Madison. The Golden Gophers were just as bad as a 16-point lead somehow turned into a 21-point loss at Iowa. Needless to say, the key word from both camps following their defeats was "embarrassed." "I think I can speak for the team, we are embarrassed," Smith said. "We not only embarrassed ourselves, we embarrassed our coaching staff, our university, our school president and our fans. We embarrassed everybody. We didn't answer the call. We didn't do anything we're known to do. We kind of abandoned everything?our principles, offensively and defensively." "I told them it was embarrassing," Smith said. "It really is. It was like we had never seen the zone, we'd never practiced against it. I didn't know what to tell them." ? Tags: College Basketball Minnesota Golden Gophers Ohio State Buckeyes

College Basketball Betting: Kansas Jayhawks thinking revenge, backflip

Tags: College Basketball Kansas Jayhawks Oklahoma State Cowboys

NBA Handicapping: Dallas Mavericks in favorable spot vs. Orlando Magic

Orlando at Dallas -11.5 O/U 206 Article on Dallas' propensity for slow starts. Rick Carlisle said the Mavericks have the league's?worst point differential the first six minutes of the game. What Dallas has been successful with is beating teams at home who are on the second night of back-to-backs. In that situation they are 11-2 SU and 9-4 ATS (7-0 SU/ATS streak). Tonight's opponent Orlando lost at home to Charlotte last night. ?We?ve struggled all year with starting games,? coach Rick Carlisle said. ?In fact, we?re the worst team in the league in the first six minutes of the game. It?s a challenge we got to take on.? ?Tags: NBA Dallas Mavericks Orlando Magic

College Basketball Gambling Free Pick: Washington State Cougars at Arizona State Sun Devils

Submitted by Teddy CoversWashington State at Arizona State -6.5 ? Recommendation: Arizona State I posted a free play winner in support of Arizona State in their last game; an outright Sun Devils upset win as 7.5 point underdogs at Colorado.? And there?s absolutely no reason to do anything different in regards to Herb Sendek?s squad tonight; an undervalued commodity for months now. Arizona State has hit 67% against the spread over their last 18 lined ballgames dating back to the beginning of December, including a 75% ATS mark as favorites of 6.5 points or higher ? exactly the pointspread that we find them in tonight.? It all starts with point guard Jahii Carson, averaging more than 19 points per game in his last ten contests. But Carson isn?t doing it by himself.?? 7-2 center Jordan Bachynski is blocking nearly four shots per game, a true low post defensive dominator.? Carrick Felix has already been named the PAC-12 Player of the Week three times this year; a double-double machine. Evan Gordon and Jonathan Gilling are perimeter sharpshooters, combining to hit?4.5 three pointers per game.? And they?ve gotten even better since combo guard Chris Colvin?s return to the lineup following a modest injury absence; their best scorer off the bench. Washington State can?t match Arizona State?s talent or execution levels on either end of the floor.? The Cougars have covered only twice in their last eight tries on the highway; just 2-5 ATS as underdogs of five points or more this year ? not a team to support when stepping up in class.? They?re coming off a particularly disheartening overtime defeat against Oregon in their last game, simply playing out the stretch of yet another disappointing campaign.? Don?t expect a step-up effort tonight!? Tags: College Basketball Arizona State Sun Devils Washington State Cougars Teddy Covers

Source: http://www.sportsmemo.com/blogs/view/?name=NBA-Arts-and-Crafts-Handicapping-Tip&blog_id=12133

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