City brushes Porto aside in Europa League
Soccer Betting Lines
02/22/2012 - Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City steam rolled over Porto at home on Wednesday, earning a 4-0 victory against the Portuguese side to advance to the Round of 16 of the Europa League.
Four different players got on the score sheet at the Etihad as Sergio Aguero gave the home side the lead by halftime before Edin Dzeko, David Silva, and David Pizarro all chipped in with second-half goals to seal the win.
It only took City 19 seconds to break through as the Citizens capitalized on a giveaway in midfield.
Yaya Toure intercepted a poor pass from the Porto defense and played a brilliant through ball to split the back line. Aguero latched on and slotted his effort to the far post to get the Citizens off to a dream start.
Aguero nearly grabbed a second goal in the 29th minute when he beat the offside trap, danced around Porto goalkeeper Helton, and chipped a shot over a covering defender, but the Argentine was denied by the crossbar as his effort rattled the frame and was cleared to safety.
A second goal eventually came through second-half substitute Dzeko, and it was Aguero who turned provider in the 76th minute.
The Argentine threaded a through ball at the perfect moment to find Dzeko and the lanky striker made no mistake with the finish, slipping a shot under Helton to put the nail in the coffin.
Silva added insult to injury for the visitors following another giveaway by the Porto defense. He one-timed a centering pass from Pizarro in the 84th minute into the back of the net after Helton was drawn out of position.
Pizarro quickly put an exclamation point at the end of the aggregate score, taking advantage of a failed clearance two minutes later and adding a fourth goal for City to make it a 6-1 win for the Citizens over both legs.
Manchester City will commence Europa League play on March 8 against the winner of the Legia Warsaw and Sporting Lisbon tie. Legia Warsaw and Sporting Lisbon are set to play their second leg matchup Thursday in Portugal, tied 2-2 on aggregate.
Goodyear, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians have signed veteran infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. Guzman, 33, did not play in 2011, reportedly due
<< Azarenka pulls out; Wozniacki advances in Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Victoria
Azarenka decided to pull out of the Dubai Duty Free Championships, citing a
left ankle injury, while former top-ranked star and reigning champion Caroline
Wozniac
<< Tribe inks Guzman to minor league deal
Goodyear, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians have signed veteran
infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league contract with an invitation to
major league spring training.
Guzman, 33, did not play in 2011, reportedly due
<< Recovering from Tommy John surgery, David Aardsma signs with Yanks
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have signed reliever David
Aardsma to a one-year contract with a club option for 2013.
The 30-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last July 22.
Prior to missing the 2011
<< Blokhin extends stay with Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oleg Blokhin will remain coach of Ukraine
beyond Euro 2012, it was announced by the Ukraine Football Federation on
Wednesday.
Blokhin led Ukraine to a place in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cu
Hannover, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hannover defender Emanuel Pogatetz has signed a new three-year contract with the club, it was confirmed on Wednesday. The Austria international's contract was due to expire at the end of the seas
Hradecka exits Memphis >>
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Czech Lucie Hradecka was
a second-round loser Wednesday at the $220,000 Memphis International tennis
event.
Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko came from behind to beat Hradecka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
on the
The Sixth Man: Lakers' strife was predictable >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Expectations in the NBA are often measured
on a sliding scale.
Most clubs would consider a 19-13 record that placed them a game behind the
division leaders with two days to go before the All-Star break a s
Nets' Williams has successful surgery, will miss season >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Jersey forward Shawne Williams had
successful left foot surgery on Wednesday, the Nets announced in a release.
He will miss the remainder of the 2011-12 season.
The surgery was performed by Dr
Coyotes obtain Vermette from Jackets >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday acquired
center Antoine Vermette from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a pair
of draft picks and goaltender Curtis McElhinney.
A three-time 20-goal scorer, Ver
Super Bowl 2009 Betting
Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard
Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship
(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.
MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts US credit cards needs.