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Jankovic, Clijsters, Henin win; Schiavone exits WimbledonTennis Betting Lines06/21/2010 - Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1s Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were among Monday's first-round winners, while surprise French Open champion Francesca Schiavone exited the draw at The Championships, Wimbledon. The fourth-seeded former U.S. Open runner-up Jankovic was tested in a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory over promising British teenager Laura Robson, a lefthander with top-20 potential. Jankovic will face Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak in the round of 64. Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded Schiavone, who struggles mightily on grass, gave way to Russian Vera Dushevina 6-7 (0-7), 7-5, 6-1. Three weeks ago, Schiavone became the first Italian woman to reach and win a Grand Slam final, as she upset big-serving Aussie Samantha Stosur at Roland Garros. The eighth-seeded Clijsters needed just 65 minutes in a 6-0, 6-3 rout of Italy's Maria Elena Camerin. Clijsters is making her first appearance at the All England Club since 2006. The Belgian star came out of retirement last summer and won the U.S. Open, but she has never fared well in the London suburb, with a pair of semifinal finishes her best results. Up next for Clijsters will be Croat Karolina Sprem, who stunned Venus Williams in the second round here six years ago. A 17th-seeded Henin handled Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 6-3. This marks Henin's first appearance here in three years. The seven-time major champion retired from tennis in the spring of 2008 only to return at the beginning of this 2010 season. Henin was this year's Australian Open runner-up to reigning world No. 1 Serena Williams. The diminutive Belgian has won every major tournament with the exception of Wimbledon, where she finished as the runner-up in 2001 and 2006. Up next for the Belgian stalwart will be German Kristina Barrois. Eleventh-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli moved on by dusting German Julia Goerges in 6-4, 6-3 fashion on Day 1. Bartoli was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2007, but has been eliminated in the third round here each year since. Other winners Monday included Russians Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva and Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. The 12th-seeded Petrova topped Germany's Tatjana Malek 6-4, 6-3, while the 15th-seeded Wickmayer held off American Alison Riske 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 and the 21st-seeded Zvonareva earned a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives. Some other seeded winners were No. 26 Russian Alisa Kleybanova, No. 27 Russian Maria Kirilenko and No. 30 Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. Shvedova was a surprise French Open quarterfinalist three weeks ago.
<< Oklahoma City Thunder 2010 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The best young team in basketball will have a chance to add a few more pieces to the puzzle in the 2010 NBA Draft. The past three drafts have given Oklahoma City Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and
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Lakers celebrate 16th NBA championship >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A celebratory parade didn't seem plausible a week ago, with the Lakers having returned to Los Angeles after dropping Game 5 of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. The loss placed the defending champs in
Venus, Jankovic, Clijsters, Henin advance at Wimbledon >>
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Monterey is more than Pebble Beach >>
Horse Betting(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine). The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late. "You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest. "A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve." When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential: CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped. DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins. PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge. You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike. "You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders." Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of. (By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.) Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout." But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing." Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you." Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front." All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold. In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse. "Now," says Avello, "it's time for action." To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
Football Betting LinesThe 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite. Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense. Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively. A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season. Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back. Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick. And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker. For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below. 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1 Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1 Donald Brown (IND) 5/1 Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1 Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1 Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1 Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1 Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1 Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1 Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1 Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1 Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1 Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1 Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1 Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1 Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1 Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1 LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1 Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2 Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1 Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1 Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1 Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1 Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1 Jason Smith (STL) 40/1 Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1 Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1 Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1 Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2 Pat White (MIA) 30/1 Field (Any Other Player) 9/1 To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs. For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well. |
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