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09/14/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond -- the final race of the regular season -- the 12-driver field for the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" has been determined. The 2009 Chase features your usual cast of title contenders such as Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, and a class of newcomers featuring Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Vickers. But no one stands out as a clear-cut favorite to win this year's Sprint Cup Series championship.
JOHNSON'S BID FOR A RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE
Johnson enters the final 10 races of the season as the most experienced Chase contender. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has made the field every year since the playoff format began five years ago. In 2007 and '08, Johnson went on a late-summer surge by winning the last two races before the Chase began. That wasn't the case this year, as he finished 36th at Atlanta and 11th at Richmond.
Heading into New Hampshire next weekend, Johnson will begin his quest for a record fourth consecutive Cup championship in the third seed.
"I think it's anybody's championship right now," Johnson said. "I think it's really tough to really give this to anybody and really pick a favorite at this point. We just need to buckle down, put in ten good ones and work really hard."
Last year, Johnson tied Cale Yarborough's 30-year-old record of three titles in a row. Johnson and Matt Kenseth were the only drivers to qualify for the Chase each season, but Kenseth failed to make it this year after finishing 25th at Richmond. He ended up 38 points behind 12th-place Vickers.
COMEBACK CHASERS
Mark Martin and Ryan Newman made the Chase by overcoming a sluggish start to the season. Martin finished outside the top-30 in three of the first four races this year and held the 35th spot in points after the spring event at Atlanta. The 50-year-old driver staged a remarkable comeback by scoring four victories, which earned him the top-seed.
"I'm a really intense person," Martin said. "I'm really competitive, and I will give every ounce that I have at it just like I do every time. We'll see how it turns out. I'm proud to be driving for this race team. [Crew chief] Alan Gustafson is the key to all of the success I've had this year."
Martin's fourth-place finish at Richmond secured him a playoff spot for the fourth time in his career. He ran a partial schedule in the series from 2007-08. Martin, in his first season with Hendrick, has been running well lately, as he gears up for what is perhaps his best shot at winning the title for the first time.
Kyle Busch, who also has four wins this season, had an opportunity to share the first seed with Martin, but Busch came up eight points short of making the Chase.
Newman endured a rough early season as well. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver wrecked twice and blew an engine during Speedweeks at Daytona. He finished 36th in the Daytona 500, using a backup car intended for the following event at California. Newman sat 32nd in points after Atlanta in March, but gained enough momentum from there to put him in the Chase for the fourth time.
DRIVER/OWNER CHAMPIONSHIP?
Tony Stewart's remarkable first year as driver and owner continues with the two-time Cup champion beginning the Chase in the second seed. Stewart, with three wins this year, ended the regular season with a 179-point lead, but now finds himself 10 markers behind Martin.
"It's better than 12th," Stewart said. "The system I think is a good system. It's not devastating to leave [Richmond] and be second in the points after leading for so long. We all knew what the system is going in. It's a fair system."
Stewart has struggled lately, finishing outside the top-10 in each race since winning in early August at Watkins Glen.
NEWCOMERS
Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Vickers, unlikely Chase contenders at the start of the season, made the playoffs for the first time.
Montoya, in his third Cup year, has been one of the most consistent drivers lately, despite no wins so far for the season. Four of the final 10 races this year will be held on 1.5-mile tracks, and that could work in favor for Montoya, who recently has excelled on the intermediate tracks.
"We made it, we were good enough to be there and we showed everybody we had the potential," Montoya said. "At this point, I think we have got a car fast enough to go far."
Ten races ago, Vickers held the 17th spot in the rankings and trailed then 12th-place Montoya by 123 points. A victory last month at Michigan helped Vickers gain enough steam to squeak into the Chase.
"We have done it for the past ten weeks, so there's no reason we can't do it for the next ten weeks," Vickers said.
Vickers has been one of the most improved drivers in the series since he joined Red Bull Racing in its first season of Cup competition in 2007. Two years ago, Vickers was struggling to qualify for a race. Now he's battling for a championship.
CHASE VETERANS
Carl Edwards was voted by the media as the pre-season favorite to win this year's title, but Edwards surprisingly has yet to win a race this year after leading the series with nine victories in 2008. The Roush Fenway Racing driver finished second in last year's Chase, 69 points behind champion Johnson.
"This season is so much different than last season," Edwards said. "Right now, we have struggled a little bit as a group, Roush Fenway, so I feel like this is our opportunity to only be a few points behind the leader, kind of gather all of our energy and all of the things we have been working on and head into these last ten races full force."
Jeff Gordon is a four-time series champion, but has not won a title since the Chase format began in 2004. In past seasons, Gordon has not been consistent throughout the playoffs, and this year will probably be no different.
Denny Hamlin is coming off a huge win at Richmond, and it could serve as a springboard for his championship bid. Hamlin has been in the Chase each of his first four Cup seasons. If he continues to run strong, he just might be there fighting for the title in the season-finale at Homestead.
Hamlin, who holds the fourth seed, is the only Joe Gibbs Racing driver in this year's Chase.
After winning two races this season -- Sonoma and Atlanta -- Kasey Kahne put Richard Petty Motorsports in the playoffs. Kahne has rebounded nicely since finishing 14th and 19th in points the last two years. He will begin the Chase in the fifth spot.
Kurt Busch also improved significantly this season after an 18th-place finish in points last year. Busch's quest for a second title could be hampered with team distractions. Last Friday, Busch revealed that his crew chief Pat Tryson will leave Penske Racing at season's end. Tryson will serve as Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing next year.
Greg Biffle hung on to make it in the Chase for the second straight year, but Biffle could start off the playoffs the same way he did last year, winning at New Hampshire and Dover. He is winless so far this season, but he also began the '08 Chase with no victories to his credit. Biffle finished third in points last season.
This year's Chase should be as close and exciting as the battle to make the playoffs has been in the last 10 races. Any one of the drivers in the field could make things quite interesting during the next couple of months.
After New Hampshire, the Chase moves on to Dover, then Kansas, California, Charlotte, Martinsville, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and wraps up November 22 at Homestead.
<< Cunningham earns MLS record 12th Player of Week award
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted
Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 26, it was announced on
Monday.
Cunningham scored two goals and added two assists in the Hoops' 6-3 win o
<< Blake Griffin cleared to play with Clippers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Blake Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick in
this year's NBA Draft, was cleared to participate in Clippers' team activities
after suffering a shoulder strain in July's Las Vegas Summer League.
Despite injur
<< MSU's Pendland heads players of the week
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - McNeese State running back Toddrick
Pendland, Grambling defensive end Christian Anthony, Montana cornerback
Trumaine Johnson and Florida A&M special teams performer Leroy Vann have been
named The Sports N
<< Bears' Urlacher has surgery, out for season
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher
will miss the remainder of the 2009 season after undergoing surgery to repair
a dislocated wrist Monday.
Urlacher was hurt during the second quarter of Sunday's
With McNabb hurting, Eagles sign QB Garcia >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Following the rib injury to starting
quarterback Donovan McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles have added some insurance
by bringing back quarterback Jeff Garcia, who started for the team in McNabb's
absence
Golf Course Review - The Golf Club at Lansdowne >>
Lansdowne, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS AND STATS: Course Architect: Robert
Trent Jones Jr (1991), Redesign (2003-04). Year Opened: Summer, 1991.
Location: Lansdowne, Virginia. Slope: 145. Rating: 74.7. Par: 72. Yardage:
7,063.
Hole-by-Hole
Tigers P Rodney has suspension reduced >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball reduced the suspension
of Detroit Tigers pitcher Fernando Rodney from three games to two on Monday
for his actions following the team's win over Tampa Bay on September 4.
Immediately
Braves' Vazquez named NL Player of the Week >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves pitcher Javier Vazquez has been
named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending September
13.
Vazquez made two starts last week, going 2-0 with a robust 1.13 earned run
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.
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