College Basketball Betting – Purdue-Michigan State Preview
With the football season finished, it’s time to focus on the hardwood as the spotlight now falls on college football and the build up to March Madness.
Two teams that could be a big factor when the tournament comes around are two Big Ten powerhouses: Michigan State and Purdue. Those two teams will get reacquainted on Tuesday in a Top 25 matchup that will take place at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Home court advantage could be key for the Spartans as they are 13-0 on their own court to this year.
Purdue Boilermakers @ Michigan State Spartans
Online Betting Odds: Michigan State -3
The Purdue Boilermakers went through a rough stretch earlier this year and they will be very familiar with what the Michigan State Spartans are currently enduring.
The Spartans have lost two straight games and right now, the top team in the Big Ten is slipping. They started the year 9-0, which is the best start in school history, then they followed it up with two straight losses, which has provided a reality check.
Sparty lost to Wisconsin in blowout fashion and then fell to Illinois as well. Now they are back at home and have some questions to answer.
The Spartans may be without the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Kalin Lucas, who has not coincidentally been injured in the last two games. Lucas sprained his ankle against Wisconsin and then didn’t play against Illinois. Those looking for betting tips should know that the Spartans head coach, Tom Izzo, suggested that Lucas will play on Tuesday, although he may not be 100%.
Meanwhile, Purdue also endured a rough stretch earlier this year but is playing very well right now. The Boilermaker lost three straight in early January but have bounced back with five straight wins. The trio of JaJuan Johnson, Robbie Hummel and E’Twaun Moore has been one of the best in the nation and they are always a load to deal with.
But there is a good reason to expect the Spartans to bounce back. First off, the Boilermakers haven’t won in East Lansing since 1998. Secondly, the Boilermakers tend to struggle when they lose the battle of the boards and Michigan State happens to be the best rebounding team in the Big Ten.
Look for the Spartans to bounce back with a big home win on Tuesday.
Bet College Basketball Pick: Michigan State -3
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Super Bowl XLIV sets ratings record
Two star quarterbacks and the great story of the city of New Orleans possibly having something finally happen good to it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina spurred record ratings for Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday night.
It was reportedly watched by 106.5 million U.S. people on CBS, surpassing the 1983 finale of “M-A-S-H” to become the most-watched program in American television history and the first sports telecast to exceed 100 million viewers. The “M-A-S-H” finale had 105.97 million viewers in an era when there were many fewer television sets, and the population of the United States is 31% larger than it was in 1983. So take this in context — but at the same time, there are also many more stations and things to watch than in ’83.
Overnight ratings show the game scored a 46.4 rating (percentage of homes surveyed in 56 selected markets) and a 68 share (percentage of TVs in use tuned to Super Bowl) in metered markets, up 10% from last year when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals with a last-minute touchdown.
Researchers predicted Sunday’s game could have a record audience because the economy would result in more people watching at home, rather than going out to bars, where their viewing wouldn’t count. In addition, the winter storm that hit parts of the East Coast the weekend prior to the game probably kept more viewers near their TVs than in years past.
In New Orleans, 82% of TV sets on were tuned to the game, the largest percentage of the major markets released by Nielsen. Indianapolis had 80% of the sets tuned to the game. The overall audience peaked at 50.6 rating and 71 share from 9:30 to 9:45 p.m. During that time period, roughly three out of every four sets in use in the U.S. were tuned to the game
Here are the Top 10 U.S. metered markets
1. New Orleans 56.3/82
2. Washington, D.C. 56.0/73
3. Nashville 54.4/73
4. Indianapolis 54.2/80
5. Columbus, Ohio 54.0/74
6. Dayton, Ohio 53.7/73
7. Norfolk, Va. 53.1/72
8. Knoxville, Tenn. 52.0/65
T9. West Palm Beach, Fla. 51.8/69
T9. Pittsburgh 51.8/67
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Camera flash and one lonely lady save tourist’s life
A German tourist was recently photographing at Sankt Peter-Ording in northern Germany, and ventured onto the frozen sea to capture the sunset. While out on the sea, he became disoriented and couldn’t locate the shore because of the snow.
With the air temperature below freezing and the risk of falling through the ice if he took a wrong step, he desperately began to use the flash on his camera to signal for help, hoping someone would somehow notice.
At the same time, a woman hundreds of miles away in southern Germany was watching the sunset on her computer through a live webcam feed of the popular tourist location. She noticed the flashes and contacted police, who then helped the man find his way back to shore by signaling to him with their car headlights.
Story thanks to Gizmodo.
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Michael Jackson’s doctor charged with manslaughter
Michael Jackson’s former doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter by prosecutors in Los Angeles, it has been confirmed.
Dr Conrad Murray is expected to deny the charges in court later. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Photographers and news cameras have begun to gather at the Los Angeles International Airport Courthouse in anticipation of his appearance.
Jackson died at his home last June at the age of 50.
His death was ruled as homicide, mainly caused by the anaesthetic Propofol.
A cocktail of drugs – including sedatives Midazolam and Diazepam, the painkiller Lidocaine and the stimulant Ephedrine – were also detected in his body, a coroner confirmed.
The prosecutors allege that Dr Murray “did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson”.
Members of Michael Jackson’s family have gone to the court where Dr Murray is expected to arrive shortly.
Legal fight
Dr Murray had been hired to be Jackson’s personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for his comeback concerts in London.
He told police he had been giving Jackson Propofol as part of his treatment for insomnia, according to an affidavit made public in August.
But he has always maintained he did not prescribe nor administer anything that should have killed the singer.
After a week of speculation over the manslaughter charge, Dr Murray had been expected to surrender to authorities last Friday.
But a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles district attorney said the office had decided to delay action until Monday.
The statement came after several days of negotiations, where Dr Murray’s lawyers tried to arrange for him to surrender to prosecutors in an attempt to avoid him being handcuffed and arrested.
Speaking before the charges were filed, the physician’s defence lawyer, Ed Chernoff, said the doctor was prepared for the legal battle ahead.
“We’ll make bail, we’ll plead not guilty and we’ll fight like hell,” he said.
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Heinz unveils new Dip & Squeeze ketchup packs
In its first packet makeover in 42 years, Heinz has unveiled a new dual-format design that can hold three times more sauce than its standard 9 gram package.
The company describes its new “Dip & Squeeze” as a “true packaging breakthrough.” The new packet — developed after more than two years of research — the new design has a base that’s more like a cup for dipping and also a tear-off end that’s perfect for squeezing. The “Dip & Squeeze” will alsoenable fast-food lovers to better dip while on the go while being cleaner.
Fucking genius, that’s all I have to say about it.
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Sri Lanka election loser Sarath Fonseka arrested
The defeated candidate in Sri Lanka’s presidential election, Gen Sarath Fonseka, has been arrested at his office in Colombo.
Gen Fonseka was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa last month by six million votes to four million.
Gen Fonseka rejected the results and vowed to challenge them in court.
The initial allegations brought by the government against Gen Fonseka, 59, were put simply as “committing military offences”.
The government had earlier been seeking legal advice on bringing a court martial on charges of plotting to overthrow the administration.
The BBC’s Charles Haviland in Colombo says he later learned from National Security Director-General Laxman Hulugalle that the charges against the general relate to the alleged violation of rules preventing the discussion of political matters while being a member of the military.
Mr Hulugalle said that military law still covered Gen Fonseka despite his retirement.
Gen Fonseka was in charge of Sri Lanka’s army when it defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels last year after a destructive civil war lasting more than a quarter of a century.
However, he fell out with President Rajapaksa soon after and the pair fought a bitter election campaign.
War crimes
Gen Fonseka’s wife confirmed to the BBC that her husband had been detained after the security presence around his office in Colombo had been stepped up during the day.
Gen Fonseka’s secretary, Senaka de Silva, was also said to have been arrested.
Gen Fonseka was meeting a number of politicians who had supported his candidacy.
The Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem told Reuters news agency: “He was dragged away in a very disgraceful manner in front of our own eyes.”
Mr Hakeem said the action was “authoritarian and vindictive”.
A spokesman for the People’s Liberation Front told Agence France-Presse: “The general refused to be taken away. They grabbed him and virtually carried him away after threatening the others. There must have been over 100 soldiers.”
The politicians at the meeting said the military police had given no reasons as they made the arrest.
Mr Hakeem said Gen Fonseka had complained that because he was no longer in the military he should not have been arrested by military police.
Earlier in the day, Gen Fonseka had said he was prepared to give evidence in international courts on any war crimes charges brought in relation to the civil war.
“I am definitely going to reveal what I know, what I was told and what I heard. Anyone who has committed war crimes should definitely be brought into the courts,” Gen Fonseka said.
Our correspondent, Charles Haviland, says the arrest was dramatic but not unexpected and there must now by questions about whether this is the start of a bigger clampdown on the opposition.
After the election, the government had accused Gen Fonseka of divulging sensitive information to the public, and of plotting both a coup and to assassinate the president and his family.
Gen Fonseka has vehemently denied the charges.
He said he feared an assassination attempt against him and had been told that airports would not allow him to leave the country.
Analysts had predicted a closely fought election contest between the two architects of the government’s victory over the Tamil Tigers.
But in the end President Rajapaksa won the vote comfortably – capturing 57% of the vote, while Sarath Fonseka won 40%.
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News Of The World sued over fake Brangelina split story
Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have filed suit against a British tabloid that published a report claiming the pair recently called it quits after five years of dating.
Brangelina, as the couple are known, have begun legal proceedings against News Group Newspapers Ltd following the false allegations about their relationship. On Jan. 24, The News of the World reported that the couple had signed a separation deal to divide their multimillion dollar fortune and agreed to share custody of their six children.
But Brad and Angie, who have three adopted and three biological children, deny the claims.
Keith Schilling of Schillings, the couple’s London lawyers, said the paper failed to meet “reasonable demands” for a retraction and an apology, so the couple has decided to take things to court.
“The News of the World has failed to meet our clients’ reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets. We have advised them to bring proceedings which they have now done…..”
On Sunday, Pitt, 46, and Jolie, 34, attended the Super Bowl in Miami with their young son Maddox. The family watched the game together from a private box at Sun Life Stadium.
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Danica Patrick to make NASCAR debut Saturday at Daytona
Fresh off a pretty impressive sixth-place finish on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in an ARCA race, Danica Patrick has decided she will make her NASCAR debut on Saturday at DIS in the circuit’s Nationwide race – bet on it at WagerWeb.com.
Patrick was originally scheduled to debut on Feb. 20 at the Nationwide race in California, but that’s been bumped up to this week’s DRIVE4COPD 300 season-opener at Daytona because she felt so comfortable in the ARCA race — she started 12th in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 and finished sixth, including a late rally from 23rd position all the way to the front pack in just under 20 laps. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who initially was against Patrick beginning her limited Nationwide schedule at Daytona, didn’t hesitate to give a yes vote after the ARCA event.
“Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do,” Patrick said in a statement. “The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing.”
This week’s Nationwide race will have several top-tier drivers participating in it. They are pros at knowing how to use the draft in a high-speed restrictor-plate event in which the cars are bumping and banging on every lap. If you want to compare the Nationwide circuit to ARCA, it’s probably like calling the Nationwide series about the Triple-A level of minor-league baseball and ARCA being a Single-A level.
“I think Danica proved to everyone that she can compete in stock cars at a high level, and right now seat time is extremely important,” said Kelley Earnhardt, general manager of JR Motorsports, a team she owns with brother Dale Jr. “She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious.
“It’s pretty much a [Sprint] Cup race,” Kelley Earnhardt continued. “So many Cup drivers will be in it, Dale [Earnhardt] Jr., Tony Stewart and many others. She knows how important it is for her to have the respect of the other drivers.”
Patrick is now scheduled to be in 13 Nationwide races this season. She will drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet on Saturday. Her teammate, Dale Jr., will drive the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet. One thing is certain: The Nationwide series will get more publicity this weekend than it ever has before.
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Tiger won’t be back at Match Play
Tiger Woods might be out of the sex clinic, but don’t look for him to play in the WGC-Match Play Championship next weekend as had been rumored.
Steve Williams, Woods’ caddie, denied a report out of Australia that Tiger would make his season debut at the Match Play for the second year in a row.
“The stories stating Tiger will return at the match play have no truth to them,” Williams told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Tiger would have until Friday at 5 p.m. ET to commit to the tournament. Woods, a three-time winner of the Match Play, made his comeback after an almost nine-month layoff from reconstructive knee surgery last year at the Arizona event. But at the time, he was obligated to Accenture, one of his major sponsors and also the title sponsor of the tournament.
Think the networks are counting the days until he returns? Last year, the ratings for events televised by CBS and NBC last year with Woods playing were 93 percent higher than for the events he didn’t play.
But there are reports as to when Tiger will return to the public eye. TMZ.com is reporting that Woods will play in the in the Tavistock Cup at Isleworth, Fla., March 22-23. This event takes place in Tiger’s exclusive neighborhood and is a competition between pros at neighboring golf clubs – many PGA Tour players live in the Orlando area. It’s obviously an unofficial event – it does have a $3.5 million purse — but would be a decent warm-up event for Tiger with the Masters two weeks later. Plus the crowds could be very limited and controlled. It’s expected the Tavistock Cup would be shown by the Golf Channel, which is also based in Orlando.
Tiger’s wife Elin has agreed to give him “one more chance.” Her change of heart comes after she visited Tiger’s doctors to seek advice as to whether she should leave or stay with him after she told Tiger that “You have six months to prove you won’t cheat again to save our marriage.”
And the doctors convinced her that her husband has made “remarkable progress.”
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Monday NBA: Spurs (29-20) at Lakers (39-13)
Will Kobe Bryant play Monday night when the Lakers host one of their most heated rivals, the Spurs? That’s the big question for the TNT nightcap, with L.A. currently a 4-point betting favorite on WagerWeb.com’s NBA odds.
Kobe sat out Saturday night’s win in Portland because of a sprained left ankle – he had played in 235 consecutive games before taking a seat. There is talk the Lakers may just sit him all week and have him skip the All-Star Game to get fully healthy, but officially Kobe is listed as questionable tonight. If Bryant were to take off tonight and Wednesday night’s game at Utah and not play in the All-Star Game Sunday, he would get 10 days off to rest his ankle. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said it is up to Kobe whether or not he plays in the two games this week.
L.A. starting center Andrew Bynum also is ailing – he sat out the second half Saturday because of a right hip bruise, and he’s also dealing with swelling in his knee. He is being called “more doubtful” that Kobe to play tonight. Bynum is averaging 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
The Spurs enter tonight off one of their best efforts, a 98-81 win over the Clippers on Saturday. San Antonio held the Clippers to 10 points in the first quarter and 27 in the first half, and forcing them into 21 turnovers. It was the fewest points the Spurs had allowed all season.
Since moving into a starting role 10 games ago, Spurs guard George Hill has averaged 17.1 points per game on 51 percent shooting from the field.
These two teams have met once so far this year, a 20 point Spurs home win Jan. 12. Bryant was unable to finish that game because of back spasms. Lakers star forward Pau Gasol didn’t play in that game. The Spurs are 2-7 against L.A. when Gasol plays and are just 1-5 ATS in the past six meetings overall with the Lakers.
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