PSG resumes Ligue 1 play without Pastore
Soccer Betting Lines
01/27/2012 - Brest, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PSG has continued its spending spree with the signings of Brazilian defenders Alex and Maxwell, but will be without its most expensive addition, Javier Pastore, on Saturday at Brest.
Pastore, acquired for approximately $55 million in the summer from Palermo, is out three to four weeks with a muscle tear suffered last Friday in the Coupe de France.
Maxwell was signed earlier this month from Barcelona, and Alex followed him to Paris on Friday from Chelsea. The latest additions push the club's signings to around $125 million under their new Qatari owners.
With a three-point cushion over Montpellier atop Ligue 1, PSG has used its new players to emerge as the dominant team in France. But a tricky trip to Brest - which has not lost at home - awaits this weekend.
"Everywhere we go this year, people are waiting for us," said PSG midfielder Clement Chantome. "They are unbeaten at home so we know what to expect."
PSG was eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue and the Europa League, leaving a Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France crown as the remaining targets.
With Carlo Ancelotti perfect since taking over with a pair of Coupe de France wins and one Ligue 1 win, the pressure will be on PSG not only to remain atop the standings and advance in the Coupe, but to excel week-to-week.
"What's really new about PSG is that now we're an ambitious club that wants to go all out to win titles," said Chantome. "What has arrived at the club is a very promising potential. I'm ambitious, I know what's expected of me and all I want is to get out there and win titles with this club."
PSG has not lost in its last eight in all competitions, so Brest will have one huge mountain to climb this weekend to remain unbeaten at home.
Montpellier visits Nice on Saturday, when defending champions and third-place Lille hosts St. Etienne. Auxerre hosts Nancy, Lorient hosts Sochaux, Lyon hosts Dijon, and Toulouse hosts Caen in Saturday's other matches.
On Sunday, Evian hosts Bordeaux, Valenciennes hosts Ajaccio, and Rennes hosts Marseille in a battle of top-six clubs.
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers signed free-agent veteran center Francisco Elson on Friday. The signing provides the Sixers depth in the frontcourt as Spencer Hawes and rookie Nikola Vucevic have battled inj
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Nicks missed practice for a second straight day Friday because of a sprained
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Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Southern California head coach Kevin
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Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Foyt will miss this weekend's Rolex
24 at Daytona after being hospitalized due to complications from recent knee
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Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami Dolphins new head coach Joe Philbin chose his coaching staff on Friday, naming Mike Sherman as offensive coordinator and Kevin Coyle as defensive coordinator. Sherman has spent the last four years as the
Browns hire Childress as OC >>
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Cremins taking medical leave of absence >>
Charleston, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - College of Charleston men's basketball coach
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Stanley alone in front at Farmers Insurance Open >>
La Jolla, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Stanley posted a four-under 68 Friday to
take sole possession of the lead after the second round of the Farmers
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Stanley, a first-round co-leader, finished 36 holes at 14-under 130
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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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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