Posts filed under 'Sports News & Results'

NHL All-Star Game – Bet on the draft

The NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft will be held for the first time in NHL league history on Friday, January 28th 2011 in anticipation of the All-Star Game in Raleigh, Carolina two days later.

The fantasy draft is a new format for the NHL and one that has hockey fans excited about an All-Star game that has been growing stale for quite some time. The premise is simple and goes back to the schoolyard or backyard rink when teams were decided by two captains picking the players. The best player goes first, as captains pick players alternately.

Bodog have put together odds and betting lines on which player will be the first one taken and, also, who will be the last one drafted. Now, it is worth noting that the last selection must be a forward since all goalies and all defencemen have to be chosen before Round 15 of the draft.

The two team captains are Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, so they’re out of the running for both categories. In addition, two alternate captains for each team will be named later and will assist the captains in the selection process.

So let’s get to which player is likely to go first. There are two favourites, Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin, the reigning MVP of the league, and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, a fairly decent player himself. Both Sedin and Ovechkin are getting 4/1 odds to be selected first overall. After that it’s Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby at 5/1, followed by the Lightning’s star sniper, Steven Stamkos, at 7/1.

It will be interesting to see how the captains play this.

You have to think that if Lidstrom gets the first pick, which will be determined by a coin toss, that he might be tempted to look at his fellow Swedish countryman Sedin.

And if patriotism plays any part, Staal, a Canadian, might be pressured into picking Crosby first. Of course, Sid the Kid is widely considered the best player in the world, so it’s not like anyone would accuse Staal of favouritism.
As for Ovechkin, the Capitals’ sniper is suffering through a rather disappointing season to date. One of the most dangerous goal-scorers in the game today, the Russian superstar has failed to match the torrid pace of his previous campaigns.

Get all your 2011 NHL All-Star Game odds and make your hockey bets at Bovada.

Add comment January 25th, 2011

NFC Divisional Playoffs Will Have Tough Act To Follow

The NFL’s preliminary wild card round was a real doozy last weekend, taking a turn that nobody quite expected. Next up is the divisional playoffs, where those same first-week winners will try their luck on the road against the #1 and #2 conference seeded teams.

The Seattle Seahawks surprised the entire league with a 41-36 victory over the reigning champion New Orleans Saints just one week after becoming the first NFL team in league history to qualify for a playoff berth by leading their division with a losing record. Though they finished just 7-9 in regulation, the Seahawks now have 40/1 odds of winning the Super Bowl (but I don’t recommend it)

Pete Carroll and his team of overachievers will try to take the momentum of their historical wild card win and put it to good use against the Chicago Bears. The Bears finished the season with an 11-5 mark after getting out to a good start in 2010 and never looking back.

Chicago are 10 point favourites, just like the New Orleans Saints were last weekend, but this time the favourites are at home and I expect the Bear to win easily and cover the spread.

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Elsewhere in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers will look to try their luck against the first-place Atlanta Falcons. After downing the Philadelphia Eagles in an upset on Sunday, the team will hope that Aaron Rodgers’ recent return to health continues. Has Rodgers completely recovered from the two concussions he faced during the regular season?

Atlanta are slight favourites, not surprising given their 21-4 record SU in the last 25 home games, but this game is too close to call – especially if Green Bay bring their uncompromising defence to town. Atlanta won the regular season game between the two sides here by 20-17, and are giving up a -2.5 point start on the ATS betting line.

This time – it’s the playoffs – and this game is must-watch football !!

——–

Get all your NFL betting lines at Bovada Sportsbook.

Add comment January 13th, 2011

NCAA Bowl Games that Matter

The 2010 regular college football season is over, and the final BCS standings mean a national championship game that we’ve seen coming for weeks: No. 1 Auburn versus No. 2 Oregon.

TCU will try to make a non-AQ statement against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO. Many believe Wisconsin, which won consecutive Rose Bowls after the 1998 and 1999 seasons, is the nation’s best one-loss team. If TCU could knock the Badgers off, it would be a major victory for the non-AQ conferences.

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
#5 Wisconsin vs. #3 TCU
at Pasadena, Calif.
Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ESPN

In the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Oklahoma will square off with Connecticut, who are unranked in the BCS standings but representing the Big East. The Huskies lost to Michigan by 20 and Louisville shut them out 26-0 but they’re the best that the Big East has got this year.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Connecticut vs. #7 Oklahoma
at Glendale, Ariz.
U. of Phoenix Stadium Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D

Stanford is headed to South Florida to play resurgent Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl. More than a few folks believe the Cardinal are the nation’s best one-loss team. And the Hokies are riding an 11-game winning streak.

Discover Orange Bowl
#4 Stanford vs. #13 Virginia Tech
at Miami
Sun Life Stadium Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Ohio State will try to reverse its luck versus the SEC in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. The Big Ten would really like to beat the SEC in a BCS bowl game, particularly the Buckeyes, who are winless in nine bowl games versus the SEC.

Allstate Sugar Bowl
#6 Ohio State vs. #8 Arkansas
at New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome Jan. 4, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Two seemingly unstoppable offenses headlined by leading Heisman Trophy candidates: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and Oregon running back LaMichael James. Just 37 days to wait for this one …

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
#2 Oregon vs. #1 Auburn
at Glendale, Ariz.
U. of Phoenix Stadium Jan. 10, 8:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D

Add comment December 6th, 2010

Paddy Power has Chelsea as favourites to win 2010/11 EPL title

The latest English Premier League 2010/11 Outright Betting odds from Paddy Power have Chelsea as favourites to defend the title that they won last season.

Manchester United are second favourites despite a very quiet close season so far, and it’s the spending power of cross-town rivals Manchester City that has pushed the “citizens” into third spot despite only finishing 5th last season.

Arsenal are fourth favourites at 8.00 (7/1) with the bookmakers obviously still doubtful as to where the playing future of captain Cesc Fabregas lies, and as I think that Fabregas will be at Arsenal for this season at least – this price appeals.

Liverpool are in 5th after the departure of manager Rafa Benitez and the appointment of Roy Hodgson at a price of 13.00 (12/1) and that could represent a useful wager if Hodgson can hold on to his key players in Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

Tottenham are not fancied at all this season, despite finishing 4th last season, with Spurs dropping to 6th in favourtism, with the general thinking that the inaugural season in the Champions League might distract the North London side from domestic duties.

Full list of odds of the top eight teams from 2009/10 – with their position and points from last season in brackets.

2.62 Chelsea  (Champions in 2009/10 with 86 points)
3.25 Man Utd (Runners-up – 85 points)
6.00 Man City (5th place – 67 points)
8.00 Arsenal  (3rd place – 75 points)
13.00 Liverpool (7th place – 63 points)
34.00 Tottenham (4th place – 70 points)
34.00 Aston Villa (6th place – 64 points)
201.00 Everton  (8th place – 61 points)

Check out all the betting odds at Paddy Power

Add comment July 14th, 2010

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams win singles titles at Wimbledon

A spellbinding display of brutal hitting and raw speed from Rafael Nadal secured the Spaniard his second Wimbledon title with a straight sets victory over Tomas Berdych. 

Nadal, who has not lost at Wimbledon since the 2007 final, nullified the 1.95m Czech’s biggest weapons to storm to an eighth career grand slam and open up a big lead at the top of the world rankings.  

The 6-3 7-5 6-4 win completed a second French Open-Wimbledon double in three years for Nadal and took two hours and 13 minutes.

—–

Serena Williams again showed the gap between herself and the rest of the field when she retained her Wimbledon singles crown with a crushing 6-3 6-2 win over Russia’s Vera Zvonareva.

The victory, her fourth at the All England Club which took just 67 minutes, meant Williams overtook Billie Jean King with 13 grand slam singles titles to go sixth in the all-time list.

Add comment July 4th, 2010

Brazil bomb out – providing Dutch delight for some punters !

The Betfair World Cup winner market has lost its short-priced favourite as Brazil crashed out at the quarter-final stages at the hands of the Netherlands.

Robinho opened the scoring after being matched at 10.00 and it all looked like plain sailing for Dunga’s troops who traded at just 1.23 to win on the match odds market.

An uncharacteristic mistake from the normally reliable Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar gifted the Orange an equaliser before a Wesley Sneijder header from a corner shocked football fans and punters alike and proved enough to see the outsiders through, a task made easier after Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo was sent off for a stamp on Arjen Robben shortly after the second goal.

The Netherlands were matched at a high of 48.00 on the match odds market sfter fgallnig behind, and at 9.40 on the “to qualify” market ; while Sneijder was matched at 19.0 to be the match’s last scorer.

The Netherlands share favouritism with Spain to go all the way, at odds of 3.40, though backers of Brazil’s victors may consider themselves to be in a better position given that Spain still need to beat Paraguay if they are to make the final four.

Check out all the betting Exchange odds at Betfair

Add comment July 3rd, 2010

Berdych beat Federer at Wimbledon – but still an outsider with Ladbrokes

Top UK Bookmaker Ladbrokes make Andy Murray 2/1 (3.00) second favourite to win Wimbledon after he beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to reach the semi-finals.

Rafael Nadal who is favourite at 6/5 (2.20) to win the title, will meet Andy Murray in one semi-final on Friday in what bookies expect to be a record-breaking match with up to £5 million expected to be gambled on the contest.

Novak Djokovic claimed a simple win over Yen-Hsun Lu to reach the last four and he can be backed for Wimbledon glory at 9/2 (5.50) ahead of his clash against Tomas Berdych. Berdych beat six-time champion Roger Federer in four sets on Wednesday but is last in the betting at 11/2 (6.50) with Ladbrokes.

David Williams of Ladbrokes said: “The Murray versus Rafa match will be massive. The World Cup is playing second fiddle to Murraymania now that England are out of the Cup and the country hasn’t stopped backing Andy for glory all week.

We were beginning to panic before the quarters but now we’re really over-heating. If Murray goes on to win Wimbledon it’ll be the greatest ever day for tennis punters – and undoubtedly one of our worst.”

Check out all the Wimbledon odds at Ladbrokes now 

Bet on Wimbledon Tennis at Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes join bonus

 

 

Add comment June 30th, 2010

Golf Round-up – June 3rd through June 6th

Golf betting onlineHere’s “This Week in Golf”, a summary of the top golfing action courtesy of offshore sportsbook, Bookmaker.com.

PGA TOUR – THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT, Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio

The PGA Tour shifts from Hogan’s Alley, Colonial, to Jack’s Place, Muirfield Village, this week. Jack Nicklaus hosts The Memorial Tournament and he brings out the big names. Four of the top five players in the world are competing at Muirfield Village this week, as are eight of the top 10 on the PGA Tour money list. World No.1 Tiger Woods is scheduled to return to action this week after taking three weeks off with a neck injury, which caused him to withdraw during the final round of the Players Championship. Woods’ win at Muirfield last year was his fourth at this tournament. There will be seven other former winners in the field this week, including three- time champ Kenny Perry. All four reigning major champions are playing this week and are among 18 major winners in the field.Woods closed with rounds of 68-65 last year to beat 2002 champ Jim Furyk by a single stroke. Ernie Els, the 2004 winner, has played this tournament every year since 1994. When he won in 2004, he joined Nicklaus and Tom Watson as the only three players to win at Muirfield Village and win the British Open at Muirfield in Scotland. Els won six top-10 finishes and has missed the cut just once since 1994.

The Golf Channel will cover Thursday and Friday’s action before CBS takes over on the weekend. The PGA Tour heads to Memphis next week for the St. Jude Classic, where Brian Gay won last year by five strokes.

EUROPEAN TOUR CELTIC MANOR WALES OPEN, The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales

Jeppe Huldahl broke through for his first European Tour win at the Wales Open last year. Not only was it Huldahl’s first win, but it was the first time in over 40 tournaments that Huldahl even finished in the top 10. He went seven-under par on the weekend to earn a one-stroke win over Niclas Fasth. Last week’s winner Luke Donald headlines the field this week. Donald tops a solid field as many big names are playing here because Celtic Manor is also hosting the Ryder Cup in October. European team captain Colin Montgomerie is teeing it up this week along with 11 other players that have competed in at least one of the last four Ryder Cups for the European squad. Those 11 include – Donald, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Niclas Fasth, Soren Hansen, David Howell, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley, Phillip Price and Oliver Wilson.Along with Huldahl, there are five other past champions in the field — Scott Strange, Jimenez, Simon Khan, Paul Lawrie and McGinley.

The Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds. Michael Hoey picked up his first European Tour win last year at the Estoril Open de Portugal and is expected to defend his title in an event that is being played two months later than it was last year.

CHAMPIONS TOUR PRINCIPAL CHARITY CLASSIC, Glen Oaks Country Club, West Des Moines, Iowa

It took four extra holes last year, but Mark McNulty finally claimed his seventh victory on the Champions Tour. McNulty faced Fred Funk and Nick Price in the extra session. They all parred the first hole, before Price fell out with a par on the second extra hole. Funk and McNulty parred the third playoff hole, then McNulty birdied the fourth hole of the playoff to finally seal the win. For the third straight year and for the fifth time in the last six seasons, this event follows the season’s first major, the Senior PGA Championship. Tom Lehman earned his first Champions Tour major at the Senior PGA last weekend as Fred Couples and David Frost both made a mess of the first playoff hole. Lehman pulled out of this event after the win, but Couples and Frost are in the field this week to try and dethrone McNulty as the champion.

The Golf Channel has early evening coverage of all three rounds. After a two-week break, the Champions Tour heads to New York for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, where Lonnie Nielsen won last season with a tournament scoring record of 21-under 195.

NATIONWIDE TOUR MELWOOD PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY OPEN, The University of Maryland Golf Course, College Park, Maryland

Mathias Gronberg fired four rounds of 69 or better to finally earn his first win on the Nationwide Tour at The Country Club at Woodmore last year. Gronberg is in the field this week to defend his title and try to become the first player to win the same Nationwide Tour event in back-to-back years. After three years at The Country Club at Woodmore, the tournament shifts to the University of Maryland Golf Course this year. The University course will host the tournament for two years.Fred Funk, the Terrapins former head golf coach, is again serving as the honorary co-chair.

The Golf Channel will have over nine hours of coverage throughout the week. The Nationwide Tour is off next week, then returns the following week in Arkansas with the Fort Smith Classic, where Jason Enloe won last year.

CANADIAN TOUR TIMES COLONISST OPEN, Uplands Golf Club, Victoria, British Columbia

Byron Smith closed with rounds of 66-64 to earn a three-stroke win over Jim Rutledge and amateur Brady Johnson last year. For Smith, it was his third victory on the Canadian Tour. This is the tour’s first event since late April when it ended a three-event run in Colombia and Mexico.Rutledge, a local favorite, is coming off a tie for 45th at the Senior PGA Championship. The 50-year-old also shared third place at this event in 2008.After a three-week break, the Canadian Tour returns to action July 1st with the ATB Financial Classic, where Graham DeLaet won last year.

>>For more information on golf betting check out popular online sportsbook Bookmaker.com. Here’s a link to the latest review of Bookmaker.com Sportsbook at popular GoonersGuide.com.

Add comment May 31st, 2010

NFL Betting – Colts Will Breeze To Super Bowl

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts
NFC Championship Game
Sunday, 24th January 2010- Kickoff 3pm
Bookmaker Odds : Colts -7.5 

The Super Bowl line still has the Indianapolis Colts favored after two rounds of the playoffs and there is little reason to believe that it will change the rest of the way.

A lot of people are wondering if the Colts should have taken care of business – in other words, disposed of the New York Jets – when they had the chance back in Week 15 but the reality is that the Jets did the Colts a favor.

The Colts don’t have to face the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship and thanks to the Baltimore Ravens, they don’t have to face the New England Patriots either. Those have been the two toughest teams for the Colts. This game should be easier.

Last Week
The Colts were big favorites over the Baltimore Ravens and they took care of business rather easily. The Ravens brought their running game to town and left with it and their tail between their legs. Baltimore was extremely sloppy with the football, turning it over a few times and the end result was a 20-3 Colts win.

Meanwhile, the Jets were the biggest underdog on the board last week in San Diego and they were particularly impressive. For a second straight week, the Jets ran all over an opponent and played good defense. They won 17-14 but they really won on the strength of three Nate Kaeding missed field goals. In a three-point game, it’s hard to argue that the Jets didn’t get lucky.

This Week
The NFL odds don’t favor the Jets this week and for a third week in a row, they are an underdog. They upset the Cincinnati Bengals, then the San Diego Chargers, but doing the same to the No. 1 seed in the AFC will be their toughest test. For starters, the Jets are on the road for the third straight week and that’s always difficult. Fatigue tends to creep in when teams are forced to travel around so much.

The Colts have to do one thing to win this game: stop the Jets running attack. When teams are typically this one dimensional, they end up losing at these points in the season.

With Peyton Manning, a lethal passing game and an underrated defense, the Colts will be too much for the Jets.

NFL Pick : Take the INDIANAPOLIS Colts -7.5 to win and cover 

Add comment January 20th, 2010

Is the NFL starting to eye the rewards of online gambling ?

The National Football League (NFL) recently announced that it would allow advertising for Las Vegas casinos during the postseason playoff games, including the Super Bowl.

This is a significant change in attitude for an organization that has, in the past, come out harshly against gambling in all forms.  

The NFL is one of the main supporters of the UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, the hotly debated law that seeks to outlaw Internet poker and online casinos in the U.S.). In addition, the NFL is among the organizations that lobby most to ensure online gambling remains prohibited.

This is, of course, after ensuring that there are specific carveouts and exclusions for “fantasy football betting pools” which proliferate online and generate significant prize-money. The NFL promotes online gambling whenever IT gets a slice of the profits!

So perhaps the NFL is noticing the downturn in advertising revenue this season? Perhaps the NFL wants to cash in on the SuperBowl, the biggest advertising event in the United States?

For whatever reason the Associated Press (AP) are reporting that “Under the modified policy, tourist destinations that allow gambling, such as Las Vegas, Reno or Lake Tahoe in Nevada, will now be permitted to advertise during NFL games from Jan. 4, 2010, to Feb. 28, 2010”.

Is this a sign that the NFL is perhaps slowly leveraging itself to reap the profits in the event that online gambling becomes legal in the United States ?

Or is it perhaps just an other act of hypocrisy from one of the United States’ most powerful sporting bodies?

IF you’d like to explore online betting at a top quality bookmaker or offshore sportsbook then check out our Bookmaker and Sportsbook review directory.

Add comment January 6th, 2010

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