NBA Betting – Hornets head out west to face hot Nuggets

2010 Super Bowl odds are the big story in New Orleans right now with the Saints, but the Hornets have improved since the beginning of the year and could be ready to take over the city when NFL betting season is over. However, they’ll have their hands full when they take on Denver on the road on Saturday night.

Hornets vs Nuggets betting – Saturday, January 23, 9:00 PM ET

The Hornets will kick off a stretch to end January where they play five road games in six outings in Minnesota on Friday, but prior to the meeting with the Grizzlies, New Orleans had a very good 8-3 record in January after a slow start to the season. David West is starting to get on a roll, averaging 19.8 points in his last five games prior to Friday. Defense is essential to the Hornets’ sportsbook odds, as they’re 6-12 when the opponents score 100 points or more.

The Nuggets have dropped 100 points or more in their last six games, which, not coincidentally, has resulted in a six-game winning streak. Carmelo Anthony has averaged 27.8 points over his five games, but it’s a healthy Chauncey Billups that has Denver rolling. Billups has averaged 24.0 points in his last five games and he’s been hot since returning from a groin injury. We saw how Billups changed the Nuggets last year, and they’re a different team with him in the lineup.

US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) should favor Denver at home, where they are a brilliant 19-3. The Hornets have dropped their last four trips to Denver, and combined with the high altitude in Colorado and a 3-5 record in the second half of back-to-back games this season, it doesn’t look good for the Hornets. The matchup between Billups and New Orleans’ Chris Paul at the point position will be fun to watch, but the outside of Paul and West, there isn’t very much offense, and the Nuggets have plenty of weapons to run up and down the floor. Also, look for a big game from the Nuggets’ big-man trio of Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris “Birdman” Andersen. These guys are an underrated part of Denver’s success.

Bet on sports: Denver

NFL Betting – Saints look to stop Minnesota roll

The Super Bowl line for this week’s NFC championship matchup between New Orleans and Minnesota has fallen a bit since opening, and linesmakers are banking on a close game. Can the Saints prove them wrong to reach their first Super Bowl in franchise history?

Vikings vs Saints odds – Sunday, January 24, 6:40 PM ET

The Vikings stomped Dallas 34-3 at home to end the season 9-0 at the Metrodome, and they even threw in an unnecessary touchdown at the end of the game to shut up the Cowboys, who were talking earlier in the contest. Brett Favre was 15-of-24 for 234 yards and four touchdowns, and of course, his favorite target was Sidney Rice, who caught six passes for 141 yards and three touchdowns that were worth the price per head of admission by themselves. Defensively, the Vikings’ front four dominated, racking up for turnovers while sacking Dallas quarterback Tony Romo six times.

The Saints showed no signs of rust in a 45-14 romp over Arizona, as Drew Brees went 23-of-32 for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Reggie Bush was a force, putting up 217 all-purpose yards, including a 46-yard touchdown run and an 83-yard punt return for a score, and he ran with more purpose than he has, possibly, in his entire career. The defense gave up a 70-yard touchdown run on their first play from scrimmage, and then shut down a high-powered Arizona offense.

Bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) have the Saints as a 3.5-point favorite, falling at least a half-point in most sportsbooks, and this may be due to the powerful Minnesota offense, featuring Favre and Rice. The Saints made some big plays against the Cardinals, but they can still be burned. Look for safety Darren Sharper, who tied for the league lead in picks with nine and recovered a fumble against the Cardinals, to be watching Rice over the top because the lanky receiver burned Dallas all day long with big plays. Also, the biggest factor this week will be the crowd, and the Vikings know all about that. The Cowboys crumbled when the Vikings got the Metrdome behind them with big plays, and the Superdome is just as loud. How they handle the crowd will dictate how they play on Sunday, but it just seems like this is the Saints’ year.

NFL picks: Saints -3.5

NFL Betting – Colts out for revenge against Jets

As far as NFL betting underdogs go, the Jets have been an online betting player’s dream this year, picking up a pair of wins on the road. But this week, they face an Indianapolis team that has probably wanted to play them since the Jets gave the Colts their first loss of the year in Week 16.

Jets vs Colts betting – Sunday, January 24, 3:00 PM ET

Depending on who you talk to, the Jets beat San Diego 17-14 on the road, or the Chargers handed the game to New York. Either way, the Jets don’t care how it turned out, they’re in the AFC championship game by forcing a pair of turnovers, and running for 169 yards, led by Shonn Greene’s 123 yards, which included a gamebreaking 53-yarder in the fourth quarter. The Jets also needed Pro Bowl kicker Nate Kaeding to miss three field goals, although there was a 57-yarder at the end of the half that he wasn’t expected to make. Mark Sanchez went 12-of-23 for 100 yards and a pick, but he did throw a touchdown early in the fourth to give the Jets a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Colts forced four Baltimore turnovers in a dominating 20-3 win at home, and the week off looked like it really helped members of the Indy front seven, like ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, time to get healthy. They were all over the Ravens from the first whistle, and they shut down the Baltimore ground game, which put all the pressure on the Ravens’ sophomore pivot Joe Flacco, who was also hobbling with a hip injury. Peyton Manning was 30-of-44 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, and while he got no support from the running game, Super Bowl odds players shouldn’t be worried: the Colts haven’t had a ground attack all season.

US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) have the Colts as a 7.5-point favorite in this contest, and they were probably secretly rooting for the Jets to beat San Diego, so they could avenge their 29-15 loss in Week 16, when the Colts took out their starters with a five-point lead in the third quarter, and the Jets came back to win. The Colts should do what they did last week, which is stack the line against the Jets’ duo of Greene and Thomas Jones, and put the pressure on Sanchez’s rookie shoulders. Manning has dealt with Rex Ryan’s defenses before, when Ryan was with Baltimore, and the Colts’ timing offense is good enough to avoid their blitz schemes. It’s payback time.

NFL betting line pick: Indianapolis -7.5

Schumacher not to show the new Mercedes

The new model presented by the GP Mercedes team for the new season of Formula 1 debut as the team's second driver, Germany's Nico Rosberg, and not his compatriot Michael Schumacher, informed team boss Ross Brawn.

"Nico will be responsible for giving the first laps on the new car. It was the plan that we have always materialize before the return of Michael, "said Brawn.

Mercedes Grand Prix team will present next week in Stuttgart, but the new model of competition will run for the first time for the public on 1. St February in Valencia, where trials are started every team official to face new season.

The tournament begins March 14 with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Brawn admitted that Schumacher, the world seven times, will need "several races to be in place, but so is the favorite to win the championship, ahead of Jenson Button defending champion or former world champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

"If I had to bet on any of them, clearly opt for Michael," said Brawn, who worked with Schumi in the seven Serie A titles with Benetton and Ferrari teams.