Anthony leads Nuggets past Blazers

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03/08/2010 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carmelo Anthony posted 30 points to lead Denver to a 118-106 victory over Portland in a Northwest Division battle.

J.R. Smith chipped in 22 points, and Chauncey Billups ended with 21, as the Nuggets shot 58.9 percent from the field to cap a 3-0 homestand.

Nene donated 14 points and seven rebounds for the victors.

Jerryd Bayless scored 24 points to lead the Trail Blazers, who received 19 points from Andre Miller and 16 from LaMarcus Aldridge. Portland had won five of six coming into the game.

Brandon Roy made just 3-of-14 from the floor for 12 points in defeat.

"Every time we would get it under 10, we would turn the ball over, miss some free throws or just something to allow them to get their momentum back," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said.

Bayless hit from behind the arc and converted a three-point play to pull the visitors within 90-83 two minutes into the fourth quarter, but Denver answered with the next eight points.

Johan Petro ended the flurry with two free throws for a 15-point margin, and the Nuggets coasted from there.

"To beat a team like [Portland] with basically having an 8-to-10 point lead most of the night is a great win for us," Nuggets head coach George Karl said.

Denver scored the final nine points of the first quarter to pump its lead to 34-21. A Billups layup capped an 11-2 run with a layup for a 61-41 cushion with less than two minutes in the opening half.

The halftime score was 66-49, and the Trail Blazers were still down 89-75 going into the final stanza.

Game Notes

Anthony has scored 30-plus points in his last three games...Portland's Marcus Camby sat out due to an ankle injury, while Denver was without Kenyon Martin (knee) for a second straight game...Arron Afflalo had 13 points, and Petro had 10 rebounds and six points for Denver...Rudy Fernandez tallied 14 points for the Blazers.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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