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06/07/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2010 Triple Crown series provided little intrigue over the five weeks. No 'super horse' stepped forward for the races after the elimination of the injured Eskendereya.
Lookin At Lucky, 2009 champion two-year-old colt, was the 3-1 morning-line Kentucky Derby favorite, but drew the rail post which basically eliminated him from winning. Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy went out too fast and faltered.
Kentucky Derby champ Super Saver was the 5-2 program favorite for the Preakness after winning the Run for the Roses at 8-1. He failed to hit the board as Lookin At Lucky got the win.
Neither winner from the first two legs of the Triple Crown came to the Belmont Stakes. Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box was the tentative morning-line favorite at 3-1 with Preakness runner-up First Dude the 7-2 second choice.
Ice Box was never a factor in the race and First Dude finished third after being passed right before the wire by Fly Down. Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer got an excellent ride by Mike Smith who was aboard the colt for the first time.
Not a single horse started in all three Triple Crown races. After last year's excitement over 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird winning the Run for the Roses and filly Rachel Alexandra outlasting the gelding to capture the Preakness, only 45,243 people decided to come out to the Belmont Stakes.
"I think with the three different horses. Super Saver, Looking at Lucky, and Drosselmeyer today," WinStar Farm manager Elliott Walden said Saturday, "I think you can group all three of them together. It's hard to really differentiate between them until we get into the Haskell and the Travers and the Breeder's Cup Classic.
"I think the rest of the year will decide who the best is. As we sit here today, I've got to believe that we have two of the top three in Drosselmeyer and Super Saver and watching Super Saver train all week, being up here, he's doing great. I'm excited to see him get the opportunity to get back and redeem himself. We'll see. I can't really differentiate between any of the three. Bob Baffert's horse, Looking at Lucky is a very good horse as well. It's going to be an exciting second half of the year."
An oddity occurred during the running of the Belmont Stakes. Uptowncharlybrown finished fifth, but was disqualified to 12th. The chestnut colt, ridden by Rajiv Maragh, lost the eight-pound lead weight pad during the race to force the disqualification.
"It was a very strange situation," said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. "I've never had that happen to me, but I'm sure it has happened before."
Jockey Alex Solis went from being in a Long Island hospital on Saturday to making history on Sunday.
The veteran rider was briefly hospitalized for high blood pressure Saturday at Belmont Park where Solis was to ride Tanda in the Acorn Stakes. Tanda would finish third with Mike Smith riding.
"He went to the hospital and got a clean bill of health," said the jockey's agent Brian Beach. "He was OK when he got there, but right before the race after he had been on an Equicizer for a half-hour another doctor came in and Alex's blood pressure was up."
Solis was well enough to ride at Monmouth Park on Sunday. He guided Mandurah to a new world record for a one-mile turf race at the Jersey Shore track.
Mandurah went 1:31.23 over the firm course in a $55,500 starter handicap race. The old record of 1:31.41 was held by Mister Light, who set the mark on January 3, 2005 at Gulfstream Park as a six-year-old.
"He's a very talented horse," noted Mandurah's trainer Grant Forster "We thought he'd like the firm turf at Monmouth, which he did very well. We purchased him privately as a four-year-old and gelded him. He always trained well in the morning, but didn't show up in the afternoon. But over this winter we got him in some races and gained his confidence back."
Owned by Greene Colvin, the six-year-old gelding will continue on in the Malouf Auto Group Starter Series with a 1 1/16-mile race on Saturday, June 26.
<< Shea claims first Player of the Week award
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea was voted Major
League Soccer Player of the Week for week 11 of the 2010 MLS season.
Shea scored two goals for FC Dallas in the span of two minutes during their
2-0 victory
<< Brewers part ways with veteran P Suppan
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers released veteran right-
handed pitcher Jeff Suppan on Monday.
The 35-year-old came to Milwaukee via free agency in December 2006 after
spending the previous three seasons with St.
<< Rybarikova, Tanasugarn advance in Birmingham
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tenth-seeded reigning champion
Magdalena Rybarikova and Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn were among Monday's
winners at the $220,000 Aegon Classic, a grass-court Wimbledon tune-up.
Rybarikova
<< Lookin At Lucky tops final three-year-old poll
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky came
out in first again in the final NTRA Thoroughbred Three-Year-Old Poll of 2010.
The colt was followed by Kentucky Derby champ Super Saver and Belmont Stakes
winner
Amazing Nadal, surprising Schiavone shine in City of Light >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Order was somewhat restored with Rafael
Nadal titling in Paris, but the women's edition of the 2010 French Open failed
to make a whole lot of sense, considering Francesca Schiavone somehow won it
all on the c
Isaac Bruce to retire as a Ram >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams announced Monday they have
acquired Isaac Bruce, the franchise's all-time leading receiver, so he can
retire with the team.
Bruce spent the last two seasons with the San Francisco 49
Mariners put Sweeney on DL >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners made three roster moves
on Monday, including placing first baseman Mike Sweeney on the 15-day disabled
list.
Sweeney is battling lower back inflammation as the DL move was mad
Ravens cancel last week of OTAs in wake of rules violations >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have canceled their
last week of organized team activities after learning of violations in rules
governing offseason workouts.
In a statement released by the NFL and the Play
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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