Rapids aim to continue Independence Day dominance

Soccer Betting Lines

07/03/2009 - Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Fire returns to Major League Soccer action for the first time in three weeks on Saturday when the club travels to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to meet the Colorado Rapids.

Chicago has been busy with its participation in the SuperLiga for the past few weeks, and although they were successful in advancing to the semifinals of the competition, not a lot has gone right for the club in league play recently.

The Fire has lost its last three games in MLS, dropping the club to fourth in the Eastern Conference, although they are still only two points back of East leaders D.C. United.

Head coach Denis Hamlett's side was also bounced from the U.S. Open Cup this past Tuesday, losing 1-0 to a USL2 side, the Wilmington Hammerheads.

The loss is the fifth in seven games in all competitions for the Fire, but things don't figure to get much easier on Saturday against the Rapids.

Colorado will be hosting a game on Independence Day for the 14th time, and judging by their 11-1-1 all-time record on the nation's birthday, Chicago had better be in top form.

The Rapids had their eight-game unbeaten streak snapped last time out in a 3-0 defeat at Seattle, but head coach Gary Smith believes that his team simply did not make the most of its chances.

"Seattle had seven shots and hit the target four times. We had six shots and hit the target twice," Smith said. "We missed a penalty at a very, very important time and we come in at 1-1 and are in the game. It still gives a nice foothold into the game. We never really took advantage of our possessions and opportunities."

Colorado enters Saturday's match in fourth place in the Western Conference, seven points back of leaders Houston, but the club will be missing a pair of key players due to international duty.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup will rob a number of teams of important contributors, and the Rapids are no exception.

The club will be missing midfielder Colin Clark and striker Omar Cummings, who have combined for nine goals and 11 assists so far this season, while leading scorer Conor Casey, who missed the team's past few games because of the Confederations Cup, could also be in action for the United States at some point during the tournament.

Chicago is without two players of their own due to international duty as defender Gonzalo Segares and midfielder Logan Pause will miss Saturday's match.

Loteryamerica Soccer Betting News


<< Mariners activate P Kelley off DL
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners activated rookie reliever Shawn Kelley from the 15-day disabled list on Friday. Kelley has been sidelined since May 6 with a strained oblique muscle in his left side. The right-han

<< Canucks ink former Red Wing Samuelsson to three-year deal
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks signed free agent right wing Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year contract on Friday. Per club policy, financial terms of the pact were not disclosed. The 32-year-old Swiss had

<< Echenique in front in France
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafa Echenique was in the news last week for his amazing double-eagle on the 72nd hole of the BMW International Open that almost snatched him the trophy. On Friday, he made the news for a different reason.

<< NL West: Dodgers welcome back Manny with road trip
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There's some sort of buzz going on right now in Los Angeles. Is Eric Karros making a return to the Dodgers? Did Juan Pierre embarrass himself by rapping in public again? Oh wait, Manny Ramirez is returning f

<< Sol's Abily claims WPS Player of Month
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Sol midfielder Camille Abily was selected as the WPS Player of the Month for June. The 24-year-old French international from Rennes had five goals in the month of June, helping the Sol to

Pavlyuchenko unsure over Spurs future >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is seeking talks over his future when he returns for the start of preseason training. Pavlyuchenko scored 14 goals in 32 games in his first season in the Pr

Wenger: Adebayor going nowhere >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsene Wenger is confident that Emmanuel Adebayor will start the new season as part of his Arsenal squad. The Togo striker has been mentioned as a possible transfer target for AC Milan for the second ye

Bremen hopeful of Pizarro stay >>
Bremen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Werder Bremen have confirmed their interest in re-signing Claudio Pizarro on a permanent basis. The Peruvian striker spent last season on loan at the Weserstadion from Chelsea and scored 26 goals in

All expected Haskell favorites at Monmouth >>
Oceanport, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two days after Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem arrived at Monmouth Park for next month's Haskell Invitational. Belmont Stakes champ Summer Bird settled into his stall at the Jersey shore track. With th

Sunderland rejects Ferdinand rumors >>
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has rejected suggestions that the Black Cats are willing to part with Anton Ferdinand this summer. Ferdinand had a mixed first season on Wearside following

Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup

September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com.  The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans. 

Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to  name a  few.  Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR.  They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.

The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer.  Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.

Ryder Cup Odds

Europe
Tie
USA
4-5
10-1
6-5


Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
Tiger Woods
Jim Furyk
Phil Mickelson
Chris DiMarco
David Toms
Stewart Cink
Chad Campbell
Scott Verplank
Zach Johnson
Vaughan Taylor
JJ Henry
Brett Wetterich
9-4
4-1
5-1
7-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
50-1


Ryder Cup Top European scorer
Sergio Garcia
Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Colin Montgomerie
Darren Clarke
David Howell
Lee Westwood
Paul Casey
Henrik Stenson
Jose Maria Olazabal
Paul McGinley
Robert Karlsson
5-1
5-1
6-1
13-2
8-1
9-1
9-1
11-1
12-1
12-1
20-1
25-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com

MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.