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
08/22/2007 - Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mexican international Cuauhtemoc Blanco has needed just three games to turn Chicago into a playoff contender.
Since joining Chicago in July, he has one goal and two assists during a three- game unbeaten streak. His presence in midfield has helped the Fire score five goals - or exactly how many they had in their previous nine games without him.
The Fire had only one win in 12 games before Blanco arrived, but have climbed to within four points of the eighth and final playoff spot in under a month.
But the surge has come thanks to wins over Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake, and a tie against Columbus. On Wednesday night, Chicago visits Eastern Conference rival Kansas City in the first of a home-and-home series.
Chicago may be getting its rival at a good time because Kansas City has lost two straight games - separated by 17 days - to New England. The Fire need to continue their recent hot streak to be considered a threat in playoff chase.
With Blanco directing the midfield, new acquisition Paulo Wanchope settling in at forward and forward Chris Rolfe finally healthy, it's now or never for the Fire, who could also debut Colombian defender Wilman Conde who signed Monday.
Wanchope is Costa Rica's all-time leading scorer and had one of two goals in the 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake last week. Wolfe leads the Fire in goals and assists despite missing 11 games with an ankle injury.
They started together for the first time in Chicago's last game and coach Juan Carlos Osorio is excited about the duo's potential.
"When you have the combination of a target man like Paulo, a real power who's very good at holding the ball up, and you combine that with Chris Rolfe's diagonal runs and him always trying to get in behind the defenders - we're very pleased with the way that has been working out for us," Osorio said.
Although it was in the first month of the season, Chicago has already beaten Kansas City without its new stars. Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett scored in a 2-1 win in April.
The Wizards still have Eddie Johnson, though. He has 12 goals this season and has been relatively quiet in his last few games. All Kansas City needs to get a spark is for Johnson to find the back of the net.
"We weren't sharp (on Sunday)," K.C. coach Curt Onalfo said. "I knew that it would take awhile for us to shake the rust off."
The only bonus for the Wizards is they don't have much time to dwell on the loss. With three days between games and a game at Chicago on Saturday, K.C. has to focus on this stretch or risk falling into a tight pack in the bottom of the playoff race
"It gives us a chance in three days to turn around and change things," Kansas City's Sasha Victorine said. "Right now, our rhythm is off, and we're still trying to figure out how we want to play and it's the last third of the season. We should have ourselves going in a peak right now.
"It's frustrating."
<< Braves place James on DL; recall Reyes
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves have placed starting
pitcher Chuck James on the 15-day disabled list and replaced him in the
rotation with Jo-Jo Reyes for Tuesday night's game against the Reds.
James is suf
<< Red Bulls refuel for key clash at United
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coach Bruce Arena is worried if New York
will have enough "gas back in the tank" for Wednesday's key showdown at D.C.
United.
New York won one of the best games in Major League Soccer history on Saturd
<< West Virginia suspends two players
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West Virginia football program suspended
defensive back Ellis Lankster and linebacker J.T. Thomas indefinitely on
Tuesday.
The pair were arrested over the weekend for transferring and receiving st
<< Skinner set to battle Hornaday Jr. and Kvapil at Bristol
Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - "Race leader Mike Skinner" is a phrase used
quite often this season. The driver of the No.5 Toyota truck has led at least
one lap in the last 19 races dating back to the Atlanta Motor Speedway in
October
Real Madrid midfielder returns to Italian Serie A >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid midfielder Emerson, a Brazilian,
is returning to the Italian Serie A with AC Milan.
Emerson, 31, played for Real last season but has spent most of his career in
the Serie A. Terms of the deal w
AC Milan signs Emerson from Real Madrid >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid midfielder Emerson, a Brazilian,
is returning to the Italian Serie A with AC Milan.
Emerson, 31, played for Real last season but has spent most of his career in
the Serie A. Terms of the deal w
Houston's Pence activated from DL >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros activated outfielder Hunter
Pence from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.
To make room for Pence, the club placed starting pitcher Jason Jennings on the
15-day disabled list with a torn flexo
Camacho hired for second tour with Benfica >>
Lisbon, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coach Jose Antonio Camacho is returning
to Benfica, the Portuguese club announced Tuesday.
Benfica fired Fernando Santos after the club opened the season with a 1-1 tie
with promoted Leixoes. Camacho h
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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