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
08/27/2010 - Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes travel across the country to take on Red Bull New York at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night in Major League Soccer action.
The 'Quakes (8-6-5) are coming off a 1-0 win over the league-leading Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend, the club's fourth straight 1-0 MLS result, the last two of which were wins.
San Jose is hoping to get its offense going on Saturday. Its 22 goals are tied for the lowest scored in the Western table, and fourth lowest in the entire league.
"We definitely need to start finishing those chances when we can," 'Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski told mlssoccer.com. "Otherwise, it will come back to bite us."
New York, on the other hand, is coming off a decisive 4-1 win at Toronto FC last weekend that snapped a three-game stretch where it had scored just one goal.
With new designated player signings Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry shining in the win, the club is starting to look like it could be a serious contender for the MLS Cup crown.
"I don't think we're ready for that quite yet," new York defender Chris Albright told MLSsoccer.com. "We still have a tough road ahead of us. We have San Jose this Saturday, and Salt Lake a couple times and I think they're as good as team in the league right now. Plus, [we play] Los Angeles on the road. I don't think we're 'there' quite yet."
The key will be getting the two new signings into form as soon as possible.
"I think they just have to play games, games, games, games," New York coach Hans Backe said of Henry and Marquez. "You always [hope] that if they play games and don't pick up injuries, [then] they can go 90."
San Jose is also trying to get a new designated player fit. Newly signed Brazilian forward Geovanni made his MLS debut last weekend, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute.
Not expected to play on Saturday for San Jose is midfielder Andre Luiz, forward Eduardo and defenders Chris Leitch, Ike Opara and Ramiro Corrales because of injuries.
New York (10-7-4) expects to be without midfielders Giorgi Chirgadze, Luke Sassano, Brian Nielsen and Irving Garcia, and defender Jeremy Hall.
<< Atletico downs Inter to claim UEFA Super Cup
Fontvieille, Monaco (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atletico Madrid captured the UEFA Super
Cup on Friday at the Stade Louis II with second-half goals from Jose Antonio
Reyes and Sergio Aguero in a 2-0 win over Inter Milan.
Reyes put the Europa Leagu
<< Woods struggles Friday at The Barclays
Paramus, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One day removed from his best round of the
year, Tiger Woods struggled to a two-over 73 Friday and fell five shots off
the lead at The Barclays.
Woods, the first-round leader after six-under 65 on Thurs
<< Alouettes QB Calvillo rules self out for B.C. game
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony
Calvillo will not play on September 3 against the British Columbia Lions.
TSN of Canada and CFL.ca both reported on Friday that Calvillo ruled himself
out for
<< Kaiserslautern shocks Bayern Munich
Kaiserslautern, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ivo Ilicevic and Srdjan Lakic
scored in a one-minute span late in the first half and Kaiserslautern shocked
Bayern Munich, 2-0, on Friday at Fritz Walter Stadium.
Ilicevic scored in the 36th
West Brom signs Fortune from Celtic >>
West Bromwich, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich acquired stikrer Marc-
Antoine Fortune on Friday from Scottish club Celtic.
Fortune played at West Brom earlier in his career while on loan from Nancy and
returns to the Premier League
Reds place P Leake on DL >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Mike
Leake on the 15-day disabled list Friday with right shoulder fatigue.
Leake, whose move is retroactive to August 25, has an 8-4 record with a 4.23
earned run
Blackpool signs Varney on season-long loan >>
Blackpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Blackpool signed striker Luke Varney on
a season-long loan deal from Derby County on Friday.
Blackpool has the option to sign the 27-year-old on a permanent basis at the
end of the deal.
"He is a
Newcastle signs Ivory Coast midfielder Tiote >>
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newcastle signed Ivory Coast defensive
midfielder Cheick Tiote from Dutch side FC Twente on Friday.
The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international passed a physical and the deal
was sealed after he
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.
Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting 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