 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Five World Cup coaches to watchSoccer Betting Lines05/26/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There is no grander stage on which to make a name for yourself than the World Cup, whether it is as a player or a coach. A successful campaign can lead to a lucrative job offer, or it can cement a reputation for coming up big when it matters most. On the flip side, underachieving in the World Cup will cost a coach his job, and likely lead to a number of lower-profile offers for years to come - just ask former France head coach Roger Lemerre. With that in mind, here are five men who have a chance to either enhance their legacy, or do irreparable damage to it in the coming weeks. JAVIER AGUIRRE (MEXICO): Aguirre has been down this road before. Back in 2002 he was handed the job of rescuing Mexico's faltering qualifying bid, and came through. He then led El Tri to the top of a tough group that included Italy, Croatia and Ecuador before they bowed out in the second round to the United States. The USA loss obviously wasn't well-received, but after a few successful stints in Spain on the club level with Osasuna and Atletico Madrid, the Mexican federation once again summoned Aguirre to save their sagging World Cup hopes. Aguirre's team proceeded to win five of its last six games in qualifying, and with as strong a team as Mexico has seen in years, he will be expected to improve upon his last World Cup result. Mexico is one of only four teams to qualify for the knockout round in each of the past four World Cups, but they haven't been able to get past that next hurdle. France looms as the biggest threat to Mexico in Group A, but a failure to win the group will likely mean a second-round match with Argentina, which could spell the end of Mexico's tournament at the same spot as the previous four World Cups. DIEGO MARADONA (ARGENTINA): Even to this day, the name Maradona is synonymous with greatness. He was one of the best players the world has ever seen, and despite numerous off-the-field transgressions, which include drug addiction and tax trouble, he is still the most beloved figure in Argentina. Blessed with a loaded roster that includes all-world talents Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, among others, Argentina is expected to make a deep run in this summer's competition. But what happens to the legend of Maradona if he fails miserably? Argentina had quite a tough time just getting to South Africa as they finished fourth in the CONMEBOL region, and while Maradona knows what it is like to reach the final of the World Cup as a player, it is another thing entirely to lead a team there as a coach. He may have helped the country win its last World Cup in 1986, but he sorely lacks big-time coaching experience and you wouldn't favor him trying to match tactics with the likes of Fabio Capello at England or Italy's Marcello Lippi. Great players don't often make great coaches, and if Maradona fails to produce the kind of results this roster says he should, his god-like status may be in jeopardy. SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON (IVORY COAST): Eriksson will be taking part in his third consecutive World Cup as a manager, but after leading England to successive quarterfinal appearances he endured a brief and disastrous stint in charge of Mexico before joining the Ivory Coast just a few months ago. The Swede brings plenty of experience to the position after coaching on the club level in England, Italy and Portugal and claiming the 1982 UEFA Cup title with Swedish side Goteborg in the early part of his career. But Eriksson received criticism in England for failing to take the Three Lions further than the last eight, while he was sacked after less than a year in charge of Mexico as his team struggled early in qualifying. Now, Eriksson will be trying to restore a reputation for underachieving on the national team level with a talented Ivory Coast team that was the trendy pick of many to become the first African side to reach the semifinals. The team has plenty of talent with players like Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Yaya Toure, but a tough group that includes Brazil and Portugal as well as the fact that Eriksson has had precious little time to make his mark on the team could spell an early exit. And another disappointing campaign from an Eriksson-led team. MARCELO BIELSA (CHILE): It has been eight years since Bielsa was in charge of the Argentina side that failed to escape the group stage in the 2002 World Cup, and this summer's tournament will offer him a chance at redemption. The 54-year-old has developed a reputation for being a great tactical manager based on his intensive film study, and he will be trying to enhance his already sizeable popularity by helping Chile reach the second round in its first World Cup appearance in 12 years. Bielsa's side played an attractive attacking style in qualifying, scoring 32 goals in 18 matches, and outside of group favorite Spain, Chile will be competing with Switzerland and Honduras for a spot in the next round. Chile has reached the knockout round twice in seven previous World Cup appearances and if they are to get to their third, Bielsa's tactics and leadership will be a big reason why. The team does not possess an overabundance of talent, but they do have an incredibly dedicated coach who is determined to erase the memory of 2002. RADOMIR ANTIC (SERBIA): After leading Serbia to its first-ever appearance in the World Cup, Antic is in position to make more history by taking the team past the group stage. Serbia is in one of the toughest groups in the tournament with Germany, Australia and Ghana, but it has proven to be a side that is capable of competing with the world's best after finishing ahead of France in qualifying. Antic has gotten the best out of his players since taking the job in 2008, posting a 15-4-1 mark, and his team will be tested every step of the way with three tough games in the group stage. His resume is impressive with stints at Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid among others, including a league and cup double with Atletico in 1996. Those high-profile jobs should prepare him for the pressure of the World Cup, but his lack of recent experience is a big question mark. Since a brief two-month spell in charge of Celta Vigo in 2004, Antic took the next four years off before taking over Serbia. His ability to coach is not in doubt, but he must be on top of his game if he wants to avoid a short stay in South Africa.
<< World Cup 2010 Preview: Familiar face leading Algeria
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Algeria is gearing up for its third-ever World Cup with a familiar face leading the way. Coach Rabah Saadane, who also coached the team 24 years ago in its last World Cup appearance in Mexico, is at t
<< Ladies Classic to be night race in 2010
<< World Cup 2010 Preview: Chile a dark horse in South Africa
<< Magic's Rashard Lewis playing with viral infection
<< Super Bowl may get name for Giants-Jets stadium
Senators re-sign G Mike Brodeur >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators re-signed goaltender Mike Brodeur to a one-year, two-way contract Wednesday. Brodeur appeared in three games for Ottawa last season, his first time seeing action in the NHL. In those ga
Rangers sign Norwegian forward >>
Mihajlovic in line for Inter post >>
U.S. names final 23 man roster >>
Guidolin confirmed as new Udinese boss >>
Sportsbooks to bet on footballRecently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it. He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games. "Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote. He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games. Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk. Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible. Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines. Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy. With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season. Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas). And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.) The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors. While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger. Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under. One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it. Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami. What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5. That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well. MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple. "The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money. "At the end of the day, we liked the home team." So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams. In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish. MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover. The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing. Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed. MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash. To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
|
