Grace tops stars for 2nd win in a row on European Tour
Golf Betting Lines
01/22/2012 - George, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Africa's Branden Grace toppled two of his home country's golfing icons, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, in a playoff Sunday to win the Volvo Golf Champions, his second win in a row on the European Tour.
Grace birdied the first playoff hole to best Els and Goosen. He earned his first tour victory a week ago at the Joburg Open and that got him into this exclusive event, reserved for European Tour players who won European Tour events in the last year.
Sunday's win at The Links at Fancourt had to be extra special for Grace considering he came through the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation. Perhaps even more amazing than two wins in the three events on the 2012 European Tour schedule, is that Grace came through tour Q School just last month.
Grace, a third-round co-leader, overcame a rocky start on Sunday that included a double-bogey at three and a bogey at four. He tallied five birdies the rest of the way for a two-under 71.
Els played the last 11 holes in five-under par and signed for a six-under 67 on Sunday. Goosen was alone in the lead until an errant drive at nine led to a double-bogey and he dropped a shot at 12. He rebounded with an eagle, three birdies, all in the last four holes, to shoot a three-under 70.
The trio finished regulation at 12-under 280 and headed back to the par-five closing hole at Fancourt.
Grace and Goosen both found the short grass off the tee at 18, but Els pulled his drive into the left rough. The Big Easy had to lay up with his second and both Grace and Goosen landed in the front right portion of the green.
Els' third stopped 15 feet from the flagstick, giving him a decent chance at birdie. Goosen stubbed his chip, while Grace lagged his eagle try close. Goosen failed to make birdie, and with Grace in close, the pressure belonged to Els.
His birdie putt stayed above ground and Grace tapped in for birdie and his second win in as many weeks and a healthy, albeit early, lead in the Race to Dubai.
"I'm really ecstatic," said Grace. "It's a dream come true to win such a big event - pretty much the best tournament I've played in so far."
Third-round co-leader Nicolas Colsaerts bogeyed the last to fall out of a possible playoff. He managed a one-under 72 and finished fourth at 11-under par.
Masters champion Charl Schwartzel also had a 72 on Sunday and came in fifth at minus-10.
European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal enjoyed a nice showing this week. The Hall of Famer shot an even-par 73 on Sunday and was sixth at eight- under 284.
"At certain moments in the round it looked a little bit like the old days," said Olazabal.
NOTES: This event was reserved not just for winners on last year's schedule, but also current tour members under the age of 50 with more than 10 victories are also invited...That is how Goosen and Olazabal got into the field...Next week is the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in the United Arab Emirates, where Martin Kaymer has won the last two years...Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Kaymer and Tiger Woods are expected to make their season debuts.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington's only two wins this season have come at home. The Wizards hope that trend continues today versus the Boston Celtics at the Verizon Center. They will close out a five-game homestand Sunday and fell to 1-3
<< Clippers entertain Raptors at Staples Center
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without two of their top playmakers when they wrap up a three-game homestand
this afternoon versus the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center.
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tonight versus the Milwaukee Bucks in the continuation of a five-game
homestand, Miami hasn't missed a beat without him.
Wade has missed the last three
<< Nets play host to Bobcats
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London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United kept itself within touching distance of first-place Manchester City on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat of Arsenal at the Emirates. City edged Tottenham earlier in the day to see the Cit
NFL Inactives (Sunday, January 22, 2012) >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The following is a list of inactive
players for today's AFC Championship Game.
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 3:00 P.M. (ET)
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Bayern Munich and Schalke for the Bundesliga lead on Sunday with a resounding
5-1 win over Hamburg at the Imtech Arena.
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PSV held to a draw by Utrecht >>
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jump ahead of first-place AZ Alkmaar as it was held to a 1-1 draw by Utrecht
at the Stadion Galgenwaard on Sunday.
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Indiana uses strong second half to top Penn State >>
Bloomington, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cody Zeller had 18 points on 7-of-8
shooting and tallied four blocks, leading 11th-ranked Indiana to a 73-54 win
over Penn State at Assembly Hall.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING
NCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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Betting the NFL preseason
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
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