A tall order for the Spartans

By Jeff Haney

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

When Michigan State coach Tom Izzo addressed members of the media this week, a sizable portion of the discussion centered on how he plans to handle Connecticut’s 7-foot-3 center, Hasheem Thabeet, when the teams meet Saturday in the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament.

“Right now we’re adding a screen to our video room so we can get him on the whole thing,” Izzo told reporters. “The one we had, he doesn’t fit. We’ve had a ceiling level screen on there ...

“He’s big. I mean, he’s big. The bottom line is, if he gets it behind you, he’s dunking it.”

While Izzo was developing a game plan to counter Thabeet, Las Vegas oddsmakers were busy creating an over/under on the number of points Thabeet would score against the Spartans.

The total opened at over/under 13 1/2 points at the Las Vegas Hilton sports book.

The Thabeet bet is one of more than two dozen special propositions on the board at the Las Vegas Hilton linked to Saturday’s national semifinal games.

UConn is favored by 4 points against Michigan State with a total of 134 points, and North Carolina is favored by 7 or 7 1/2 against Villanova with a total of 159 or 159 1/2 in Las Vegas sports books.

So far in the tournament Thabeet, of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has scored 20 points in 20 minutes against Tennessee-Chattanooga; 6 points in 20 minutes against Texas A&M; 15 points in 36 minutes against Purdue; and 5 points in 26 minutes against Missouri.

Another featured prop has the over/under on combined points and assists by Kalin Lucas at 17 1/2.

Among other props likely to generate interest are the total points and rebounds by North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough (over/under 28 1/2) and the total points and assists by Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds (over/under 17 1/2).

All Lucky’s sports books in Nevada have yes/no wagering on the winner of the tournament, which allows gamblers to bet on or against each of the remaining four teams’ chances to win the tournament.

North Carolina is favored at minus 120 (risk $1.20 to net $1) to win the tournament, and it’s even money the Tar Heels will not win it.

The price on UConn winning it is plus 240, and minus 280 on the “no” side.

The odds on Villanova and Michigan State are identical, with each team listed at plus 700 to win it and minus 900 on the “no” side.

Derby watch

Two leading Kentucky Derby hopefuls meet in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby, with The Pamplemousse having been installed as a 9-5 morning-line favorite, just ahead of Pioneerof the Nile, the 2-1 second choice.

In Kentucky Derby future books, Pioneerof the Nile is about a 14-1 choice to win the run for the roses and the odds on The Pamplemousse are about 15-1.

An early set of head-to-head matchups in the Kentucky Derby also has Pioneerof the Nile favored at a price of minus 140 against The Pamplemousse, offered at a takeback of plus 110.

One wild card in Saturday’s race that could account for the slight discrepancy in the odds structure is the late entry Z Day, whose owners also own Pioneerof the Nile. The speculation is that Z Day will act as a “rabbit” whose early speed could press and potentially tire The Pamplemousse, a habitual front-runner.

Pioneerof the Nile and The Pamplemousse both have won their past three races. The Pamplemousse won the San Rafael and the Sham at Santa Anita.

Poker prop

After popular poker pro Scotty Nguyen vowed to win at least $4 million at this year’s World Series of Poker or retire from the game, the offshore betting operation Bodog released a proposition on whether Nguyen would reach his stated goal.

The odds opened at 25-1 that Nguyen will win $4 million or more at the World Series, according to Bodog. The bet takes into account Nguyen’s combined winnings in all World Series tournaments, not just the main event. It does not address whether Nguyen will actually quit poker, just the amount of his winnings.

It’s a “one-way” proposition, meaning no wagering is available on the “no” side.

In the 2008 World Series of Poker, Nguyen earned $1.99 million for winning the $50,000-entry HORSE, or mixed games, tournament. He earned another $50,508 for placing seventh in a no-limit Texas hold ’em six-handed event.

Watch a video of Nguyen discussing his promise at www.pokerlistings.com.