Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
02/04/2012 - Hamburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich fell two points off the pace of first-place Borussia Dortmund on Saturday after it was held to a 1-1 draw at the Imtech Arena by Hamburg.
Borussia Dortmund claimed sole possession of first place in the Bundesliga on Friday with a 2-0 win over Nurnberg, placing additional pressure on Bayern and Schalke in their Saturday contests.
But neither team was able to keep pace this week as they were both only able to produce one point for their efforts.
Bayern faced a difficult test at the Imtech Arena when Italian midfielder Jacopo Sala put Hamburg in front in the 23rd minute.
It took the visitors nearly 50 minutes to equalize, but the breakthrough finally came in the 71st minute through Ivica Olic.
The draw means that both teams have managed to take just four points from their last three games.
Bayern's once comfortable lead in Germany's top flight has vanished as it sits tied with Schalke for second place on 41 points.
Hamburg, meanwhile, improves to 23 points where it is tied with Stuttgart for 10th place in the Bundesliga.
Bayer Leverkusen 2, Stuttgart 2
Leverkusen, Germany - There was high drama at the BayArena on Saturday as Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart played to a 2-2 draw with both sides being reduced to 10 men.
Stefan Kiessling and Julian Schieber traded first-half goals as the two teams headed into the break tied at a goal apiece. Simon Rolfes then converted a penalty kick two minutes into a second period littered with yellow cards. Michal Kadlec was sent off for Bayer Leverkusen, as was Cristian Molinaro for Stuttgart. The visitors left it late to add even more drama to the affair, as Martin Harnik netted in second-half stoppage time to earn a share of the points.
Bayer Leverkusen has drawn two straight as it sits nine points adrift of a place in the top four, while Stuttgart snaps a four-game losing skid in league play to remain mid-table.
Hannover 1, Hertha Berlin 0
Berlin, Germany - Hannover won its second-straight Bundesliga match on Saturday, edging 10-man Hertha Berlin 1-0.
Mohammed Abdellaoue recorded the only goal of the game in the 68th minute, eight minutes before Sebastian Neumann was given his marching orders for picking up his second yellow card.
Hertha Berlin has lost three straight as it remains just two points above the relegation zone, while Hannover, unbeaten in its last seven Bundesliga contests, occupies seventh place on 30 points.
Schalke 1, Mainz 1
Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Schalke and Mainz traded goals on opposite sides of halftime as the two clubs played to a 1-1 draw at the Veltins-Arena on Saturday.
Mainz took the lead 14 minutes into the first half through Mohamed Zidan's first goal of the Bundesliga season, but Chinedu Obasi, on loan from Hoffenheim, equalized for Schalke 14 minutes into the second half.
It was a costly draw for Schalke as it falls two points behind Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund. Mainz, meanwhile, sits in 12th place on 22 points.
Hoffenheim 2, Augsburg 2
Sinsheim, Germany - Hoffenheim went back and forth at the Rhein-Neckar Arena on Saturday as the two sides came out even in a 2-2 draw.
Sascha Molders put the visitors in front in the 31st minute, but Hoffenheim responded immediately as Peniel Mlapa equalized seven minutes later. The second half saw Hoffenheim go in front after Roberto Firmino converted a penalty kick in the 52nd minute, but Augsburg was able to tie it up in the 72nd minute thanks to a goal from Sebastian Langkamp.
Hoffenheim has drawn three of its last four Bundesliga matches and sits eighth with 24 points, while Augsburg has drawn two straight to remain in the relegation zone on 17 points.
Wolfsburg 0, Monchengladbach 0
Wolfsburg, Germany - Wolfsburg and Monchengladbach produced a stalemate at Volkswagen Arena as they played to a 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Wolfsburg remains tied with Hoffenheim on 24 points while Monchengladbach misses out on the opportunity to move into second place as it stays fourth on 40 points.
<< Syracuse thumps St. John's as Boeheim ties Dean
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fab Melo returned to the Syracuse lineup after
a three-game absence and the sophomore center paid immediate dividends with 14
points, as the second-ranked Orange controlled the paint and rolled to a 95-70
victory
<< Georgetown cruises past South Florida
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Henry Sims had 13 points, nine rebounds and
five assists, as No. 14 Georgetown cruised past South Florida, 75-45, on
Saturday.
Otto Porter added 12 points and Jason Clark finished with 11 for the
<< Berdych, Monfils to meet for Montpellier title
Montpellier, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Berdych and Gael Monfils were
semifinal winners Saturday and will meet for the title at the Open Sud de
France tennis tournament.
The top-seeded Berdych had little trouble in a 6-3, 6
<< Serbs, Belgians even after first day at Fed Cup
Charleroi, Belgium (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Serbia and Belgium are even after the
first day of play at their Fed Cup quarterfinal.
Jelena Jankovic gave Serbia the first point on Saturday with a 7-5, 7-5 win
over Kirsten Flipkens, but Yanina
Irish down No. 15 Marquette for fourth straight win >>
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pat Connaughton drained five three-pointers
en route to a game-high 23 points, as Notre Dame earned its fourth straight
win and snapped Marquette's seven-game winning streak with a 76-59 victory
over th
Boynton helps Florida down Vanderbilt >>
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kenny Boynton scored 18 points, as No. 12
Florida earned a 73-65 win over No. 25 Vanderbilt in Saturday's hard-fought
SEC showdown.
Bradley Beal added 16 points and seven rebounds while Erving Walker
No. 6 Baylor holds off Oklahoma State >>
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Perry Jones III had 16 points and 11
rebounds as No. 6 Baylor survived to take a 64-60 win over Oklahoma State.
Pierre Jackson scored 16 points while Quincy Acy added 11 points and 12
rebounds
Pens edge Bruins for ninth win in 10 games >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves as the
Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Boston Bruins, 2-1, at TD Garden.
Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cooke tallied goals for the Penguins, winners in nine
of their last 10 ga
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting