08/30/2010 -
Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luis Fabiano pledged his future to Sevilla
through June 2013 on Monday when he signed a two-year contract extension,
which brings to an end any speculation about a move away from the club.
Fabiano's previous contract was set to run out in June 2011, but since joining
the club from FC Porto in 2005, he has developed into a prolific goalscorer
while helping Sevilla win two UEFA Cups, a pair of Copa del Rey titles, and
two European and Spanish Super Cups.
A number of big clubs across Europe were reportedly interested in the 29-year-
old Brazil international, but he is now focused on getting Sevilla back into
the Champions League.
"My first objective is to continue scoring goals," he told the club's official
website, "and after be in the Champions League next season and win a title,
which is very nice."
<< Wie up to seventh in world rankings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michelle Wie's victory Sunday at the
Canadian Women's Open vaulted the 20-year-old up to No. 7 in this week's world
rankings.
Wie, who collected her second LPGA Tour win, moved up five spots this wee
<< Ibrahimovic completes Milan move
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed
his season-long loan move to AC Milan on Monday after passing a medical.
Ibrahimovic will spend the upcoming season with Milan, which will then have
the option
<< Monty did fine, though Ryder Cup system is flawed
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Monty couldn't win.
There were five players vying for three spots on the European Ryder Cup team.
Technically, there might have been six golfers for three spots, after Colin
Montgomerie himself floated Ber
<< Ronaldo to miss three weeks with ankle injury
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is
expected to miss the next three weeks because of an ankle problem, the club
confirmed on Monday.
The 25-year-old Ronaldo sustained the injury in Real's 0-0 dr
<< Arizona Cardinals 2010 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Kurt Warner having ridden off into the glorious sunset
of retirement, the Arizona Cardinals were planning on once again handing Matt
Leinart the keys to the Porsche.
But as he has done twice before, Leinart is already
Baggies add Scharner on free transfer >>
West Bromwich, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich announced the signing
of Paul Scharner on a two-year contract on Monday.
The 30-year-old Scharner joined on a free transfer after leaving Wigan at the
end of last season, and Baggie
Kuchar up to 10th in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Kuchar's playoff victory Sunday over
Martin Laird at The Barclays vaulted Kuchar up to 10th in this week's world
golf rankings.
Kuchar jumped up 13 places to his highest-ever ranking.
Tiger Wo
Missouri running back charged with sexual assault >>
Columbia, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Suspended Missouri running back Derrick
Washington has been charged with deviate sexual assault.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that official charges were filed Monday.
Washington had been suspen
Silvestre joins Bremen on two-year deal >>
Bremen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Werder Bremen announced on Monday that the
club has completed the signing of French defender Mikael Silvestre on a free
transfer.
The 33-year-old Silvestre was left without a club after he departed Arsen
Richard's Kid joins top 10 with Pacific Classic win >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richard's Kid's second straight win of the
Pacific Classic catapulted him into 10th place in this week's NTRA National
Thoroughbred Poll. The five-year-old had not received one vote the previous
week.
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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