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Federer gains 23rd straight Grand Slam semifinalTennis Betting Lines01/27/2010 - Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roger Federer looked rattled after losing the first set of his Australian Open quarterfinal against Russian Nikolay Davydenko, but the legend of the super Swiss took over in a huge way and now the world's No. 1 player is into his 23rd consecutive Grand Slam semifinal. Federer's 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 victory on Wednesday over the No. 6 seed moved him into the final four with a matchup looming against either third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic or 10th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It was a match that had tremendous shifts of momentum. Federer initially had his hands full and was down two quick breaks in the first set, but turned it around in the second and third with an epic 13-game run to take command of the match. He then held on in a tenuous fourth set that lasted nearly an hour. The 28-year-old Federer is the men's all-time leader with 15 major titles and currently holds the Wimbledon and French Open crowns. With an injured Rafael Nadal being bounced out of the tournament, Federer has a shot at gaining his fourth Aussie Open title. He has been to the semifinals at every Grand Slam since being knocked out in the third round of the 2003 French Open. Davydenko had won the previous two meetings after losing the first 12 against Federer. He stunned Federer at the exclusive eight-player ATP World Tour Finals back in November, and also surprised the Swiss superstar at an Aussie Open tune-up event in Doha earlier this month. Davydenko, who had won his previous 13 matches, was in prime position for his first semifinal berth in Melbourne, but it all fell apart starting in the second set. A total of 17 unforced errors in the opening set came from Federer, who seemed taken aback by Davydenko's aggressive play, especially off the top-ranked player's serve. A bathroom break at the end of the first set didn't help Federer. He fell behind 3-1 in the second, but then saved a couple break points in the ensuing game and held serve. That started the run of 13 straight games won, during which Davydenko looked liked a player who was ranked outside the top 100 instead of a stalwart trying to reach his first Grand Slam final. Federer broke at love for a 5-3 lead and didn't give up a point in the ensuing service game to square the match. The third set was sheer domination for Federer. He had just two unforced errors to 14 for Davydenko during that set. By getting within 2-1 in the final set, Davydenko was able to win his first game in more than an hour. He then won three straight games for a 4-3 lead and saw a golden opportunity go awry by failing on three consecutive break point chances when Federer was down 0-40 in the eighth game. Davydenko was then broken for a 5-4 Federer lead, but the Russian bounced right back, fighting off a match point with a backhand winner. Another backhand passing shot tied it after 10 games. Davydenko saved three break points in the next game, including one on a challenge when replays showed Federer's return was long by just millimeters as tension filled the air at Rod Laver Arena. But on the fourth break point chance, Davydenko's forehand return clipped the top of the net and went long. Federer was then able to close the match with a dominating serve, finishing the encounter with a solid forehand winner. The victory ensures Federer will be ranked No. 1 next Monday, the 268th week on top, tying Jimmy Connors for the third-longest in history. Only Pete Sampras (286) and Ivan Lendl (270) have been No. 1 more weeks. The Tsonga-Djokovic quarterfinal is a rematch of the 2008 Aussie Open final, which was won by Djokovic.
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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview“You play to win the game!” Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy. The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line. The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2. Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway? Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year. Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years. Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant. Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success. The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones. Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings. Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record. This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots. First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!” The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTINGNCAA 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 "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. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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