14th-ranked Purdue takes on Penn State in Big Ten battle

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01/06/2009 - University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers will try to avoid an 0-2 start to Big Ten play tonight, as they square off against the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Boilermakers kicked off their Big Ten slate a week ago, dropping a 71-67 overtime decision to Illinois. It was the second overtime loss this season for Purdue, which fell to 0-5 in such games under head coach Matt Painter. With the setback, the Boilermakers saw their six-game win streak come to an end, as they dipped to 11-3 on the season.

As for PSU, it too comes into the contest on a low note, falling 65-61 at Wisconsin on Saturday. The loss snapped the team's five-game win streak and dropped it to 12-3 overall and a level 1-1 in league play. The Lions, who are 2-3 in their last five meetings against ranked teams, now return back home, where they have go a solid 9-1, including five straight wins.

The head-to-head to series, though, is led by Purdue, which holds a 20-9 advantage over PSU and has won the last four meetings.

The Boilermakers have really clamped down on defense this season, forcing 18.0 turnovers per game and holding foes to a mere 35.8 percent shooting from the floor. E'Twaun Moore has made his presence felt at both ends of the floor and he leads Purdue in scoring (14.6 ppg), to go with 21 steals. Robbie Hummel turns in 13.8 ppg and a team-high 8.1 rpg for Purdue, while JaJuan Johnson adds 12.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg to the mix. In the team's last game, Johnson recorded a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn't enough for Purdue in an overtime loss to Illinois. Moore logged a team-high 17 points, and Hummel snared 11 caroms in the setback. The Boilermakers did themselves in with poor shooting, connecting only 38.1 percent from the floor, 4-of-16 from long range and 15-of-27 at the foul line.

The Lions are shooting a solid 39.8 percent from three-point range for an average of 71.7 ppg, and they are also crashing the boards following any missed shots, outrebounding foes by 6.1 rpg. Talor Battle, a 42.6 percent shooter from long distance, has been outstanding for PSU and he leads the team in scoring (18.7 ppg), assists (5.1 apg) and steals (22). Stanley Pringle has provided a nice complement to him with 14.9 ppg, 3.3 apg and 19 steals, while Jamelle Cornley contributes 14.5 ppg and a team-high 7.1 rpg. On Saturday, Pringle poured in a career-high 26 points and doled out five assists, but the Lions just didn't have enough to upend Wisconsin. Cornley also had a big game with 20 points and seven rebounds, but Battle was held to only six points in the setback. Wisconsin held a 12-8 edge in free-throw points and a 26-16 advantage in points in the paint and that was good enough to hand PSU the loss.

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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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