UIC tabs Howard Moore as new head coach

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

08/20/2010 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Illinois at Chicago has named Howard Moore, a University of Wisconsin assistant coach, as the school's new head basketball coach.

The 37-year-old Moore, a native of Chicago, grew up a few blocks from the UIC campus. He served the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the Badgers, his alma mater, under Bo Ryan.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to coach at UIC, be back in my hometown, and continue the legacy and tradition of UIC basketball," Moore said. "I am deeply honored and humbled by the opportunity, and I vow to use every ounce of energy I have to get UIC back to the top of the Horizon League and competing for championships."

Moore replaces Jimmy Collins, who announced his retirement last month after 14 years at the school. He leaves as the all-time winningest coach in school history with a 218-208 record and guided the Flames to three NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2002, 2004) and one NIT bid (2003).

Wwjuno NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< A-Rod pulled from game after one at-bat
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez returned to the New York Yankees' lineup on Friday against Seattle, but was pulled for a pinch-hitter after just one at-bat. Rodriguez hadn't played in the last three games because of a strained le

<< Clemens gives interview a day following indictment
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Speaking publicly for the first time since being indicted by a federal grand jury for making false statements to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs, Roger Clemens said several times he is look

<< Manuel: Bay likely to be sidelined the rest of the year
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel indicated on Friday he does not expect Jason Bay to return to the team this season due to the concussion he suffered in late July. Bay has not resumed baseball activit

<< Stockton, Prouty join Grube for Seaforth lead
Seaforth, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brady Stockton fired an eight-under 63 and Brian Prouty shot a 64 Friday to join Rob Grube in the lead after two rounds of the Seaforth Country Classic. Grube, the 18-hole leader, had a 67 to end the

<< Johnson tops in qualifying at Bristol
Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmie Johnson picked up his first pole of the season by winning Friday's qualifying for the IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Johnson, who won at Bristol for the first time in Marc

Weibring two clear in Oregon >>
Sunriver, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.A. Weibring carded his second straight five- under 67 to take a two-stroke lead at the halfway point of the Tradition. Weibring completed 36 holes of the season's fourth major at 10-under-par 134. Tom Leh

Detroit's Galarraga baffles Indians again >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Armando Galarraga continued his mastery of the Indians with seven shutout innings, and the Detroit Tigers shut out Cleveland, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game set at Comerica Park. Galarraga (4-5), whose l

Branyan, Hernandez shine in Mariners' win over Yankees >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Russell Branyan supplied the power, belting two home runs, and Felix Hernandez resumed his dominance of the Yankees, as Seattle blanked New York, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game series. Branyan hit a

White Sox/Royals postponed >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Friday's game between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals was postponed after a lengthy rain delay stopped the game in the bottom of the first inning. Sean O'Sullivan started for the Royals an

Wilson stymies O's to halt Rangers' skid at four >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - C.J. Wilson and Neftali Feliz combined on a three-hitter and Mitch Moreland homered as Texas shut down Baltimore, 2-0, in the second meeting of a four-game set. Wilson (12-5) allowed three hits over 8 2

Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.

Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.