Earthquakes hope to shake up West against L.A.
Soccer Betting Lines
07/21/2010 -
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Jose slumped into the World Cup break last
month on a three-game winless streak, but the Earthquakes have resembled their
early-season form since Major League Soccer resumed in late June.
In addition to two ties and a win in its last three MLS games, San Jose took a
break from league play to post an impressive draw against England's Tottenham.
"I'm very impressed with them," Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp said on the MLS
website after the 0-0 draw on Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium.
The Earthquakes (6-4-4) visit the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday night at The
Home Depot Center, and midfielder Bobby Convey believes San Jose has no reason
to fear the MLS overall leader.
"Obviously, L.A. is one of the best teams in the league right now. If we can
play against [Tottenham], I don't see why we shouldn't be able to play against
L.A.," Convey, second in MLS with eight assists, said on the MLS website.
San Jose is fifth in the Western Conference, 17 points behind Los Angeles, but
has played fewer matches than every team in the division. The Earthquakes have
played three fewer matches than L.A., and can make another statement in league
play this week.
Coach Frank Yallop has guided the Earthquakes to 22 points already, just eight
less than all of last season in 16 more matches. San Jose has played well away
from home so far, posting a 3-2-2 mark - identical to its home record.
Yallop was extremely pleased with the performance against Tottenham, and hopes
San Jose builds on the result against L.A.
"Obviously this is preseason for [Tottenham] and we know that, but I think a
few years ago you see teams get beat in these types of matches. We're not easy
to beat now," Yallop said on the league's website.
L.A. (12-2-3) has set the standard this season in MLS under Bruce Arena, going
unbeaten at home in seven matches to accumulate the best record in the league.
The Galaxy even survived a stretch without stars Landon Donovan, who leads MLS
with 10 assists, and Edson Buddle, who leads MLS with 11 goals. Both were with
the United States for the World Cup.
L.A. won just one of four matches from June 9 to July 10, the last a 2-0 loss
to the New England Revolution, but Donovan and Buddle both scored Sunday night
as the Galaxy rebounded with a 2-1 win at D.C. United.
"You're going to lose games along the way, and the way you respond in the next
game is important," Arena said. "Our response was really good."
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Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves officially
announced the signing of guard Luke Ridnour on Wednesday.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Ridnour agreed to a four-year deal
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Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Kentucky Derby winner Mine That
Bird put in a one-mile workout Wednesday morning at Saratoga Race Course. The
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next mo
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Cardiff, Wales (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Champions League will follow the Europa
League's lead and have two extra assistant referees for the 2010-11 and
2011-12 campaigns.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has sta
<< Marlins designate Robertson, put Hayes on DL
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins designated Nate Robertson for
assignment Wednesday, a day after the starter struggled against the Colorado
Rockies.
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London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French teenager Francis Coquelin has signed
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Sabres reach 2-year deal with RW Patrick Kaleta >>
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -Right wing Patrick Kaleta gave up an opportunity to go to arbitration by agreeing to a two-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres.Terms were not immediately available, but Kaleta was expected to earn a raise over the $522,000 he m
Sixers sign C Battie >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers added some depth to
the front court by signing veteran center Tony Battie on Wednesday.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
"We see Tony Battie as a player who can come in
Mets extend partnership with Triple-A Buffalo through 2012 >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets and the Triple-A Buffalo
Bisons announced a two-year extension of their player development partnership
through the 2012 season.
The Bisons began their affiliation with the Mets in 2009 a
Blues re-sign Perron >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues have re-signed
forward David Perron to a two-year contract.
The 22-year-old netted a career-high 20 goals last season and added 27 assists
while playing in all 82 games.
Duri
Sabres sign Kaleta, avoid arbitration >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms
with winger Patrick Kaleta on a two-year contract.
Kaleta had been scheduled for an arbitration hearing later this month.
The 24-year-old scored a career-high
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
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NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.
That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.
A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."
It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.
The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.
So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."
Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
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