Clippers continue dominance of Wizards

Basketball Betting Lines

02/16/2012 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Blake Griffin had 23 points and 15 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Washington Wizards for the seventh time in a row, 102-84, on Wednesday night.

Caron Butler added 21 points and Chris Paul scored 16 with nine assists in the win, including an alley-oop pass to DeAndre Jordan for a one-handed dunk that punctuated LA's ninth victory in 12 games overall.

John Wall had 18 points and 12 assists to lead Washington while JaVale McGee also scored 18, but the Wizards had a two-game winning streak snapped -- their first of the season.

Washington was trying to win three in a row for the first time since April 1-5 last season, but shot under 40 percent and trailed by as many as 20 points.

It was a lot closer early on, and LA needed to pull away in the fourth quarter for the win.

The Clippers clung to a 23-20 lead after the first quarter and a 50-47 edge at halftime despite playing a Wizards team in the midst of a five-game road trip.

"We didn't play well at the start and they did," said Paul. "We need to come out with more energy and that starts with me."

Griffin had two dunks to spark and 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter, including an alley-oop from Paul. The burst snapped a tie and gave LA a 74-66 lead going into the fourth.

The Wizards scored six of the first seven points in the final quarter, capped by a Wall jumper that drew them within three.

"Then, we couldn't hit a shot," said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. "This wasn't an 18-point game, we just ran out of gas."

Clippers guard Randy Foye scored all 10 of his points during a 13-4 run that put the game away, including a pair of three-pointers. It gave LA an 88-76 lead with under seven minutes remaining and it was never closer than nine the rest of the way.

"We knew they won two in a row and it was going to be a tough game," said Foye. "We had to come out and play as hard as we could."

Game Notes

The Wizards fell to 3-11 on the road this season...LA was coming off a 4-2 road trip and plays at Portland on Thursday night...The Clippers shot 42.2 percent and Washington shot 39.5 percent.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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