Bobcats continue push towards postseason, host Clippers

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03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats aim to maintain their recent winning ways and further solidify their postseason hopes in tonight's clash with a Los Angeles Clippers team that'll be seeking to end a five-game slide when it pays a visit to Time Warner Cable Arena.

Charlotte has never reached the playoffs or had a winning season since entering the NBA in 2004-05, but a current stretch of four straight victories has put the club at 32-31 and into a tie with Toronto and Miami for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Three of those wins have come at home, where the Bobcats have amassed an excellent 23-8 record this season.

The team's latest win occurred on the road, however, a 102-87 triumph over sagging Philadelphia on Wednesday. Charlotte built a comfortable 62-44 lead at intermission and was up by as much as 29 points in the second half.

"I didn't love our finish, but [the 76ers] had a lot to do with it," head coach Larry Brown told the Bobcats' official site afterward. "But all-in-all, on a back-to-back [set of games] and how we've struggled on the road, this was a big win for us."

Gerald Wallace led six Charlotte scorers in double figures with 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting, with Stephen Jackson amassing 24 points and 10 rebounds on the evening.

The Bobcats will be trying to win five in a row for the first time since a six-game tear from January 9-20. They've taken four of their last five meetings with the Clippers, although Los Angeles' only victory during that span was a 98-94 decision at the Staples Center on February 22.

The Clippers have gone just 2-7 since that game, however, and had their present skid extended with Wednesday's 108-97 defeat at Miami. The loss kept Los Angeles winless on a five-game road trip that concludes Saturday in San Antonio.

Rasual Butler poured in 31 points for the Clippers and knocked down back-to- back three-pointers that brought his team within 75-70 midway through the third quarter. However, the Heat countered with a 15-2 run to extend the margin back to double digits, and Los Angeles never got closer than nine points down the rest of the way.

"[The Heat] came out and shot the ball really well," Clippers head coach Kim Hughes said. "We missed a ton of layups and struggled with easy looks."

Los Angeles, now 7-26 on the road this season and losers of eight straight as the visitor, received 16 points from Chris Kaman and 12 out of Steve Blake in Wednesday's setback. The Clippers haven't prevailed in an enemy arena since a 90-82 win over Chicago on February 2.

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MySportsbook.com favors Bears, Bengals, Chargers and Colts to remain perfect

LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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