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03/05/2010 - Logrono, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time reigning champion Spain and visiting Switzerland are tied at 1-1 following Friday's opening singles in a first-round Davis Cup battle in Logrono.
Stanislas Wawrinka gave the Swiss a 1-0 lead with a marathon 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Nicolas Almagro. The grueling match lasted just under four hours.
Ferrer then leveled the tie for Spain with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 victory over Marco Chiudinelli in a best-of-five tilt on red clay at the Plaza de Toros de la Ribera.
Saturday's pivotal doubles bout will pit a Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Tommy Robredo against a Swiss tandem of Wawrinka and Yves Allegro, while Sunday's reverse singles currently call for Ferrer to face Wawrinka and Almagro to meet Chiudinelli.
Switzerland is playing without world No. 1 superstar Roger Federer, while Spain does not have its great star, Rafael Nadal, in the lineup. Federer had previously announced that he would not play this week, while the former No. 1 oft-injured Nadal is out with a bad knee.
Fernando Verdasco and former top-ranked star Juan Carlos Ferrero also made themselves unavailable for the hosts this week because of injuries.
Spain is captained by former French Open champ Albert Costa, while the Swiss are led by Severin Luthi.
The Spaniards are 4-1 all-time against the Swiss, in a series that dates back to 1946.
Spain beat the Czech Republic in last year's final and won four Davis Cup titles in the 2000s, including two straight to close out the decade. The Spaniards are unbeaten in 18 home ties stretching back to 1999.
The Spain-Switzerland winner will face the France-Germany victor in the quarterfinals in July.
<< Eagles give Weaver three-year pact
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to
terms with fullback Leonard Weaver on a three-year contract.
Terms were not disclosed by the club, but the Philadelphia Daily News reported
it to be worth $11
<< No spending spree yet in free agency
NEW YORK (AP) -With the salary cap gone the way of the drop kick, NFL teams began the free agency period Friday with lots of moves.The only thing missing was the megadeal, although the Chicago Bears appeared to be closing in on one with defensive en
<< Three-Year-Olds Regain Spotlight on Saturday
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With last week's cancellation of the Sham
Stakes at Santa Anita, there will be two graded three-year-old prep races this
Saturday as that event joins the Gotham Stakes over in New York.
Eight of the 10 ear
<< Celtic surprised over Brown appeal
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic have spoken of their 'amazement'
after they failed with an appeal to have Scott Brown's Old Firm red card
rescinded.
The 24-year-old midfielder was dismissed after clashing with Gers strike
Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Recaps >>
Richmond, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - RaShawn Polk posted 20 points with four
rebounds as Towson cruised past UNC-Wilmington, 91-74, in first-round action
of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
Troy Franklin scored 18 points
Lady Vols rout Ole Miss in SEC quarters >>
Duluth, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alyssia Brewer scored 21 points and Angie
Bjorklund added 16 with five assists, as fourth-ranked Tennessee claimed a
76-51 victory over Ole Miss in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
Alicia Man
Arsenal out to win one for Ramsey >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The injury suffered by Arsenal midfielder
Aaron Ramsey is still fresh in the mind of many of his teammates, who are
getting set to host Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The promising tee
Chargers make Cromartie deal official; bring back Wilson, Boone >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Chargers made it official on
Friday and announced the trade of cornerback Antonio Cromartie to the New York
Jets.
San Diego will receive an undisclosed 2011 draft pick in return.
In addit
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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