06/21/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's NBA Draft saw a couple of big men, Blake Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet, go 1-2 before it became all about the backcourt, specifically the point guard position.

The league was infiltrated in 2009-10 by a whole host of quarterbacks with some serious upside. Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings and Minnesota's Jonny Flynn, along with the Hornets' Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday of the Sixers, all look like long-time starters. Denver's Ty Lawson also showed enough to suggest he may also be handling a team relatively soon.

Meanwhile, Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State's Stephen Curry proved to be upper-echelon combo guards in their rookie seasons, and perhaps the most ballyhooed backcourt prospect of them all, Spain's Ricky Rubio, never even made it over from Europe after being selected by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick.

The frontcourt was a different story. Griffin was last season's No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angles Clippers but missed his entire rookie season with a stress fracture in his left knee. Thabeet, the second pick by Memphis, showed little in his first season on Beale Street, while another lottery pick, Arizona forward Jordan Hill, ended up being a bust in New York and was shipped to Houston.

This year, things have taken a 180. The depth in the backcourt figures to fall off the table after Kentucky point guard John Wall and Ohio State swingman Evan Turner go 1-2. However, there are plenty of legitimate prospects up front, starting with Kentucky center DeMarcus Cousins, Georgia Tech power forward Derrick Favors and Syracuse small forward Wesley Johnson.

Let's take a look with The Sportsbook Betting Lines's 2010 NBA Mock Draft, version 2.0:

1. - Washington Wizards - John Wall (Kentucky), Point Guard (6-3, 195) - Wall combines rare speed with the ball, along with the size and athleticism to be an elite player very early in his career. He needs to improve his jumper but could be a quicker version of Derrick Rose.

2. - Philadelphia 76ers - Evan Turner (Ohio State), Combo Guard (6-7, 215) - The Sixers jumped up from six to No. 2 in the lottery and lucked out with a virtually mistake-proof pick in Turner, the college player of the year. Turner has a tremendous feel for the game and is an extremely efficient offensive player in the mold of Portland's Brandon Roy. He should team with Holiday to give the Sixers a top-tier backcourt for the next decade or so.

3. - New Jersey Nets - Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech), Power Forward (6-9, 245) - The Nets will have the first real decision in the draft. I think Cousins has a bigger upside than either Favors or Johnson, but New Jersey already has an All-Star type center in Brook Lopez so look for them to go with Favors, a prototypical four in the mold of Kenyon Martin.

4. - Minnesota Timberwolves - Wesley Johnson (Syracuse), Small Forward (6-7, 205) - The Wolves' annual hard luck in the lottery continued this year, as the team fell from the second spot to No. 4 and will have to make a decision between Cousins and Johnson. My guess is the Wolves take the safe bet and that's Johnson, a silky-smooth small forward with a big wingspan and a nice jumper.

5. - Sacramento Kings - DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky), Center (6-11, 280) - Last year Sacramento fell from No. 1 to four in the lottery and lucked out by snaring Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, a player that should be the cornerstone of the franchise. The Kings reportedly asked Evans his opinion on who the pick should be this season and Tyreke wasn't shy about professing his desire to play with Cousins. The Sacramento brass reportedly thinks Georgetown big man Greg Monroe is a safer pick but in the end, I think Cousins' upside is the difference.

6. - Golden State Warriors - Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest), Combo Forward (6-8, 220) - There is a significant drop after the top five players on the board so Golden State ended up being the biggest loser in the lottery, falling from four to six. Aminu, however, has elite physical tools and a nice upside but he's a bit of a tweener and needs to add strength.

7. - Detroit Pistons - Cole Aldrich (Kansas), Center (6-11, 250) - Since Ben Wallace and Kwame Brown were the big men in the Motor City last year, you have to think Joe Dumars goes with Aldrich, a legitimate center with top-tier rebounding and defensive skills. He is limited offensively, however.

8. - Los Angeles Clippers - Luke Babbitt (Nevada), Combo Forward (6-8, 220) - The next grouping of players features more than a few power forwards and centers. Since the Clippers have Chris Kaman in the pivot and will have Griffin coming back next year at the four, they would probably like a small forward but Aminu will be off the board, so expect them to reach for Nevada's Luke Babbitt, a high-energy player with some offensive skill.

9. - Utah Jazz - Ed Davis (North Carolina), Power Forward (6-9, 225) - The rich get richer, as Utah uses the New York Knicks' pick to select the Tar Heels power forward as insurance for the injured Mehmet Okur and free agent power forward Carlos Boozer.

10. - Indiana Pacers - Greg Monroe (Georgetown), Power Forward/Center (6-10, 245) - The Pacers need a point guard badly and are reportedly shopping this pick with the intent of landing Lawson from Denver or Collison from New Orleans. Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe would be a reach here so if they are forced to stay put, getting Danny Granger a long, athletic running mate like Monroe, a lefty with the skills of a much smaller player, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for the Pacers.

11. - New Orleans Hornets - Ekpe Udoh (Baylor), Power Forward (6-10, 235) - Udoh has the wingspan of a 7-foot-4 player and should develop into an elite shot-blocker early in his career as well as an exceptional offensive rebounder, two attributes the Hornets desperately need.

12. - Memphis Grizzlies - Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Combo Forward (6-8, 235) - Patterson seems like a good choice here. The Kentucky junior has the ability to move between the three and four, meaning he can play with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph as well as provide insurance in case Randolph is involved in more off-the-floor nonsense.

13. - Toronto Raptors - Daniel Orton (Kentucky), Power Forward (6-10, 255) - The Raptors figure to lose Chris Bosh in the offseason so they will need a big man and Orton has a significant upside. He's already got the NBA body and has impressive length but his offensive game needs a lot of work despite a very soft touch that is rare among young bigs today. If Orton ends up slipping from here, he won't get by Oklahoma City at 21.

14. - Houston Rockets - Hassan Whiteside (Marshall), Center (7-0, 240) - Houston has the final lottery pick and takes some insurance for the oft- injured Yao Ming. Whiteside is coming out after his freshman season so he needs some seasoning but will be an imposing physical presence once he grows into his body. Meanwhile, Whiteside has already been working out in Houston with former Rocket great Hakeem Olajuwon.

15. - Milwaukee Bucks - Larry Sanders (VCU), Power Forward (6-10, 235) - Sanders was scheduled to work out for the Blazers but his agent nixed it, and some think he got a guarantee from the Bucks that he will be selected here if available. The Bucks added an impressive quarterback last year in Jennings, and Sanders is the type of athlete that will fit right into what the team is trying to accomplish. Scott Skiles seems to be enamored with his length and ability to help on the defensive end and the boards.

16. - Minnesota Timberwolves - Xavier Henry (Kansas), Shooting Guard (6-6, 220) - Henry, the Kansas freshman, is a physical specimen that is tailor-made for the NBA game and a young team playing the Triangle Offense like Minnesota.

17. - Chicago Bulls - Damion James (Texas), Small Forward (6-7, 230) - The Bulls want to win now and may make the big push for LeBron James. I see them going the "best available" route and that might be "the other" James, the rare senior that figures as a first-round pick. James excels in transition and is an exceptional rebounder and defender for his size.

18. - Miami Heat - Gordon Hayward (Butler), Small Forward (6-8, 210) - Dwyane Wade is the first order of business in South Beach. If Miami gets its superstar back, they could use a weak-side shooter with a high basketball IQ like Hayward to take advantage of the double-teams Wade often gets.

19. - Boston Celtics - Avery Bradley (Texas), Shooting Guard (6-2, 175) - This is a pretty high pick for a team that made a serious run at the NBA title. Since Ray Allen will likely move on in the offseason, the C's can take a flyer on Bradley, an undersized freshman that is a pure shooter and scorer.

20. - San Antonio Spurs - Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky), Combo Guard (6-0, 195) - The tread is wearing thin on both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. George Hill could be a difference-maker down the line but the Spurs could use another active body in the backcourt and Bledsoe, while not quite ready, can play both positions and has a solid upside.

21. - Oklahoma City Thunder - Solomon Alabi (Florida State), Center (7-1, 240) - The Thunder are very skilled on the wings and in the backcourt so they should be looking for another big body and the raw Nigerian big man with a defensive upside is a nice value pick here.

22. - Portland Trail Blazers - James Anderson (Oklahoma State), Shooting Guard (6-6, 195) - Anderson is slight but tough and could be the best pure shooter in this year's draft. Chad Buchanan, the Blazers' director of college scouting, recently said there would likely be "two really solid catch-and- shoot guys" that could help the team at 22 and that definition fits Anderson to a tee. A reach would be Jon Scheyer from Duke.

23. - Minnesota Timberwolves - Paul George (Fresno State), Combo Forward (6-8, 210) - George is a rangy guy that can handle the ball very well for a wing player and run the floor. Anybody who can put the ball in the basket should be considered by the Wolves.

24. - Atlanta Hawks - Armon Johnson (Nevada), Combo Guard (6-3, 190) - With Joe Johnson likely moving on and Mike Bibby getting a bit long in the tooth, Johnson, a lefty combo guard with decent size, seems like a nice fit. Johnson should be a 10-to-15 minute guy to give Bibby a blow early on with the ability to turn into a starter down the line. "Realistically, at that area in the draft, you are looking at the best available player," new Hawks coach Larry Drew said.

25. - Memphis Grizzlies - Elliott Williams (Memphis), Shooting Guard (6-4, 180) - The Grizz will have already selected at No. 12 and also have the 28th pick, so you can assume that there will be some wheeling and dealing at some point. But for this exercise, they stay put and take the local product, a versatile southpaw guard with upper-echelon athleticism.

26. - Oklahoma City Thunder - Devin Ebanks (West Virginia), Small Forward (6-7, 205) - Ebanks is an active wing player that can get after people defensively and has a nice touch around the basket.

27. - New Jersey Nets - Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati), Shooting Guard (6-5, 210) - A tough, athletic freshman with an NBA-ready body. His power and quickness could cause a lot of trouble on the blocks in a few years.

28. - Memphis Grizzlies - Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Power Forward (6-9, 235) - Lawal is a big guy with great length that can play minutes at both center and power forward.

29. - Orlando Magic - Stanley Robinson (UConn), Combo Forward (6-8, 220) - Normally, I would expect the Magic to take a European player and leave him overseas but a poor performance against Boston means they will take a talent. Robinson can run the floor and finish, but lacks a top-tier jumper.

30. - Washington Wizards - Dominique Jones (South Florida), Shooting Guard (6-4, 215) - The Wizards finish the first round by getting Wall a running mate in Jones. a powerfully-built combo guard with a nice offensive game.

54. - Los Angeles Clippers - Latavious Williams (NBADL), Combo Forward (6-8, 210)

59. - Orlando Magic - Tyren Johnson (Louisiana-Lafayette), Small Forward (6-8, 205)

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Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards

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Colts give the ‘D’ its due