Kobe, Lakers need to get their swagger back for stretch run

Basketball Betting Lines

03/02/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers (33-25) are currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoff race, 2 1/2 games behind No. 5 Houston and four games ahead of the seventh-seeded Denver Nuggets.

After a six-game losing streak, the Lakers have rebounded to win their last three games. Pacific Division rivals battle on Friday, as the streaking Lakers welcome the Sacramento Kings to the Staples Center.

It is the second of four meetings between the Kings and Lakers this season. On January 4th, superstar Kobe Bryant scored nine of his game-high 42 points in overtime to lift the Lakers over Sacramento, 132-128, at ARCO Arena.

The Lakers will host the Kings on April 1st, while Sacramento is scheduled to welcome the Lakers on April 18th to ARCO Arena. Sacramento has lost two straight after winning its last two at the Lakers. The Lakers have won two in a row in the series.

Los Angeles won two big games on the road. Bryant scored 21 of his 35 points at the free throw line, lifting the Lakers over the Utah Jazz, 102-94, on Monday at EnergySolutions Arena.

Smush Parker ended with 24 points and Lamar Odom had 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the win over Utah for the Lakers, who knocked off the Golden State Warriors, 102-85, last Sunday at ORACLE Arena.

On the injury front for the Lakers, center Andrew Bynum (flu) is probable for Friday's contest. Bynum is averaging 8.4 points and 6.5 rebounds in 58 games this season.

The Lakers are 20-9 as the host this season. After Friday's contest, they will embark on a four-game road trip at Phoenix, Minnesota, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. LA is 13-16 as the visitor in the campaign and has won five of its last nine as the visitor.

Bryant, who has scored 25 or more points in nine straight games, leads the Lakers in scoring (29.0 ppg) and assists (5.5 apg), while Odom, who is second on the team in scoring (16.2 ppg), is averaging a team-best 9.4 rebounds per game.

LA has scored over 100 points in six straight games.

The Lakers are scheduled to host 12 of their final 24 games this season.

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Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

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