 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Celtics waive Wallace, paves way for retirementBasketball Betting Lines08/10/2010 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics on Tuesday waived forward Rasheed Wallace, paving the way for the veteran's retirement. Wallace, who will turn 36 in September, had two years remaining on his three- year, $18.9 million contract with the Celtics. "We would like to thank Rasheed for everything that he did for this team and organization last season," said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. "We would like to wish Rasheed and his family the best as they move on into the next phase of their lives. He will always be a member of the Celtics family." The 35-year-old came to the franchise as a free agent in July 2009. He played in 79 regular-season games with Boston last year, averaging 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest over 22.5 minutes per game. He was a key presence in the Celtics' drive for an 18th championship, one that was derailed in a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Known for his tenacious play and tendency to pick up numerous technical fouls, Wallace would end his career with 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game over 1,088 contests with five clubs. A native of Philadelphia who played for collegiate powerhouse North Carolina, Wallace was taken by Washington with the fourth overall pick in the 1995 draft, but spent just one season playing in the nation's capital before being traded to Portland. Wallace was with the Trail Blazers from 1996-2004 before he was traded to Atlanta. Just 10 days later, on February 19, 2004, Wallace was dealt to Detroit and he excelled for the Pistons, helping them to the championship later that year.
<< Real wants for more road success at Philadelphia
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake has just one loss in its last 14 matches and the defending Major League Soccer Cup champions could overtake the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference with two wins this week. L.A. seized c
<< N.Y., Henry set for huge match against Toronto
<< Rohanna shares medalist honors at Women's Amateur
<< Reds and Cardinals tempers flare
<< Mickelson battling arthritis
Federer, Soderling, Berdych move on; Roddick pulls out in Toronto >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third seed Roger Federer, French Open finalist Robin Soderling and Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych were second-round winners at the $2.43 million Roger Cup, an ATP Masters event. Former champion Andy Roddick pul
Mainz signs goalie Pieckenhagen to one-year deal >>
Stuttgart signs Audel from Valenciennes >>
Braves' Jones leaves game >>
Hellickson impressive again, Rays shut down Tigers >>
Horse Betting(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine). The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late. "You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest. "A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve." When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential: CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped. DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins. PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge. You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike. "You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders." Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of. (By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.) Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout." But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing." Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you." Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front." All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold. In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse. "Now," says Avello, "it's time for action." To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
Super Bowl XLIII Betting OddsSuper Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset. The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns. Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy. MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds: Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line) Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line) Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00. Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards |
|
