With title hopes once again, Heat and Riley looking to forget last season

Basketball Betting Lines

10/30/2007 -

MIAMI (AP) -A year ago, Shaquille O'Neal said his motivation for the coming season was a fifth championship ring and bringing a second consecutive title to Miami.

Nice thought.

Didn't come close to happening.

Injuries, dissension and tumult derailed the Heat's title defense quickly, and the defending champs were bounced from the playoffs without winning a single game in their first-round series against the Chicago Bulls.

``We came back with an indifference like no indifference that I've ever had as a coach on a team,'' Heat coach Pat Riley said. ``A team that did very little in a lot of ways to try to repeat, other than talk about it, and frankly didn't care about a lot of things. But was that born out of being a world champion and trying to take it to the hilt?''

He'll soon find out.

With O'Neal and 2006 finals MVP Dwyane Wade set to lead, newly acquired Ricky Davis theoretically ready to become the team's third scoring option, a motivated Alonzo Mourning in his final year before retirement and a much-healthier Jason Williams in a contract year at point guard, the Heat expect to be title contenders again.

To get there, though, they'll have to show that last season's dismal 44-38 mark - in a year where O'Neal, Wade and Riley all missed significant time and the team never had everyone healthy at the same time - was nothing more than an aberration.

``I still want No. 5,'' O'Neal said. ``More than ever.''

So Riley set out to change the culture in Miami.

He had players on the practice floor at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of training camp, the first of the master motivator's numerous ploys designed to give his team a fresh attitude and rid it of the apparent championship hangover that lingered throughout last season.

``If you don't win, nothing else matters,'' O'Neal said. ``So the object here is to win.''

And if the Heat are to do that, the 7-foot-1 cornerstone will have to lead them early.

This season is starting much the same way last year ended, with Miami fighting off injuries. The team went through an 0-7 preseason partly because at least a dozen players got hurt for at least a portion of camp, and Wade (knee, shoulder surgeries) isn't expected to be on the floor for at least a couple more weeks.

``You have to be mentally tough,'' Wade said. ``I'm one of those guys who's mentally tough and understand that things happen and it's not always easy. When things are looking bad, the way you react, that shows your character and what you can deal with in life. I hit a couple rough spots, but I'm going to keep coming back.''

Until he does, the offense will run primarily through O'Neal.

He'll have some help.

Not wanting to have this team beset by the slow start that helped doom last year's club, Riley pulled off a surprising trade, unloading enigmatic Antoine Walker and two lightly used backups, Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien, to Minnesota in exchange for Davis and center Mark Blount.

Davis is athletic and quick, a proven scorer who will likely have Riley's trust from the outset. And that's why Walker is gone; he clashed with Riley on conditioning issues last season and again in camp this year, never being the ideal fit for the Miami system.

``Pat has his rules and we all know what they are,'' O'Neal said.

It'll take more than following Riley's rules of conditioning to get back to title form. The road in the Eastern Conference seems decidedly tougher than what Miami navigated to win the '06 title.

Defending East champion Cleveland still has LeBron James. Boston is a popular choice in the East after it landed Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and James Posey - from Miami - to play alongside Paul Pierce. Detroit is still a front-runner and Orlando likely improved its team by signing Rashard Lewis and hiring former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy.

Among that group, Miami - even with Wade, O'Neal and Riley - is almost an afterthought. But if the underdog role truly exists, then the Heat will embrace it.

``That's the fun of life. Everyone's thinking they know what they're talking about,'' Wade said. ``None of us knows what's going to happen. No one knows what's going to happen. I mean, it can look dark one day and bright as the light the next. So that's the excitement of playing the game.''

The start may be brutal. Miami plays Detroit, defending champion San Antonio and Phoenix in the season's first nine days, has a five-games-in-seven-nights stint midway through November and plays 13 of its first 21 games away from home.

If they survive that stretch, then get Wade back at his optimum level, Riley believes the Heat could be firmly back in the title chase.

``Once we have all hands on deck,'' Riley said, ``we're going to be a team that is going to have to be contended with.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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

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

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

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Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

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

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Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

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Pro Football Odds : NFC SOUTH BETTING ODDS

NFL Sports Betting

NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.

Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.

There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.

Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.

The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.

NFL Betting

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