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07/08/2010 - Bridgeview, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake got a first-half penalty kick goal from striker Robbie Findley, and goalkeeper Nick Rimando stretched his streak to 498 minutes without allowing a goal as the Utah club topped the Chicago Fire, 1-0, in Major League Soccer action at Toyota Park on Thursday night.
With the first half winding down with little offensive pressure from either side, Alvaro Saborio flicked a ball to Findley in the offensive third. The U.S. international then ripped a 25-yard shot off the post and the game remained scoreless in the 39th.
But just a minute later, Findley earned the penalty when he went to the turf after slight contact from Chicago defender C.J. Brown, which he slotted past goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra for his third goal of the season.
Chicago (4-5-5) was the better team in the second half, but was unable to break through the tough RSL defense or Rimando. Steven Kinney had the best chance for the Fire, but he headed a corner off the post in the 57th minute, his second hit post in the game.
RSL (9-3-3) will try to add to its current 10-game unbeaten run when it travels to take on FC Dallas on July 17, while Chicago's next MLS match is Aug. 1 at Los Angeles.
<< Schneider saves the day as Phils outlast Reds in extras
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Schneider blasted a game-winning
solo home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Phillies over the
Reds, 4-3, in the opener of a four-game series.
Jordan Smith (2-2), in his secon
<< Report: David Lee headed to Warriors in sign-and-trade
Bristol, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Golden State Warriors have reportedly
acquired forward David Lee in a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks.
The Warriors, according to a report on ESPN.com on Thursday, will send
forwards
<< Giants' Runzler leaves game with injury
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco Giants reliever Dan Runzler
left Thursday's game in Milwaukee with a dislocated left kneecap.
The 25-year-old left-hander will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the
severity of the i
<< Crawford leads Rays over Tribe
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carl Crawford hit a pair of two-run home
runs as Tampa Bay kept its hot streak going with a 5-2 decision over Cleveland
in the opener of a four-game set from Tropicana Field.
Carlos Pena also went deep f
Orioles score three in eighth to top Rangers >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Julio Lugo's RBI single capped an odd three-
run rally in the eighth inning and the Baltimore Orioles posted a 6-4 comeback
victory over the Texas Rangers in the opener of a four-game series.
Felix Pie and
Cavs owner says LeBron James quit in playoffs >>
CLEVELAND (AP) -Angered and betrayed by LeBron James' decision to leave for Miami, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert accused the NBA's MVP of quitting during the playoffs.Gilbert, who posted a letter to Cavs fans on the team's website shortly after James
LeBron James walks away from Cleveland for Miami >>
LeBron James walked away from the comforts of home to chase an NBA championship.Perhaps the most hysterically-hyped free agent in sports history, James announced Thursday night on national TV that he plans to leave Cleveland to join the Miami Heat f
Diamondbacks crush Marlins in series opener >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kelly Johnson went 4-for-5 and drove in three
runs to lead Arizona in a 10-4 rout of the Florida Marlins in the opener of a
four-game series.
Gerardo Parra also delivered four hits and scored twice for the
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
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The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
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