Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
06/22/2010 - Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The race to make the championship Chase in the Sprint Cup Series heats up this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, Danica Patrick makes her return to the Nationwide Series at New Hampshire, and Formula One is in Valencia, Spain for the European Grand Prix.
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series
Lenox Industrials Tool 301 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Loudon, NH
So much for his so-called season slump. Jimmie Johnson's recent downslide came to an end last Sunday at the Infineon Raceway road course in Northern California. The four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion finally notched his first road course win in 17 attempts.
Johnson began the season by winning three of the first five races, but within the past two months, he had fallen as far back as seventh in points after finishing 31st at Talladega, 36th at Darlington and 37th at Charlotte. Since Charlotte, Johnson has finished no worse than sixth, including a win at Sonoma, which has moved him up to second in the standings.
Denny Hamlin leads the series with five victories so far, while Johnson is next in line with four.
"At the beginning of the year, we were clicking them off," Johnson said. "Right now, Denny has been clicking them off. All that said, it's a long time until September."
The driver with the most wins after the September 11 race at Richmond will enter the championship Chase in the first seed. All 12 drivers who qualify for the playoffs -- the last 10 events of the season -- will have their point totals adjusted to 5,000. Each driver will then have 10 bonus points added for every race he won during the 26-event regular season.
This weekend's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire kicks off the "Race to the Chase," a 10-race stretch that precedes the Sprint Cup playoffs. So the scramble is on for many drivers to the secure a top-12 spot before the series returns to New Hampshire for the first Chase race on September 19.
Carl Edwards currently holds the coveted 12th position, but NASCAR fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. lurks behind in the 13th spot, as he trails Edwards by 57 points. Earnhardt Jr. has finished seventh and 11th in the last two races.
Edwards dropped two positions in points after a 29th-place run at Sonoma.
"We're trying to just lock ourselves into the Chase," Edwards said. "If we were farther up in points, we wouldn't be thinking about that, but the farther back you are, the more you think about it, and the earlier you think about it."
Heading into New Hampshire, 240 points separate ninth-place Greg Biffle from 20th-place Juan Pablo Montoya.
Biffle has performed well at the flat one-mile track in the past, with a victory here in September 2008. He finished ninth and 18th last year at New Hampshire.
"I think it's a good race track, and we're capable of finishing in the top-10 there or repeating our win from a few years ago," Biffle said. "That definitely could be in the cards."
Kevin Harvick enters New Hampshire with a 140-point lead over Johnson. Harvick has been consistent so far this season, recording 11 top-10 finishes in the first 16 races.
"We're fortunate to be where we are at in the points right now," Harvick said. "We're able to race hard every lap and really not have to worry about what's going on with the points."
Harvick is looking to improve at New Hampshire this time around. He finished 32nd and 34th here last year.
Joey Logano is the defending race winner. One year ago, Logano, in his rookie season, benefited from crew chief Greg Zipadelli's gutsy late-race pit strategy for his first Sprint Cup win in the rain-shortened race at New Hampshire.
Logano, who hails from Middletown, CT, overcame a one-lap deficit after cutting his left-rear tire in the late-stages of the race. He was the only driver who had yet to pit during the final round of green flag stops. Ryan Newman gave up the lead when he ran out of fuel and coasted into in the pits. That allowed Logano to take the top spot for the first time. He then conserved enough fuel before rain fell on the track.
NASCAR displayed the red flag 28 laps short of the 301-lap scheduled distance, with the race being called shortly after. Logano's first win came in his 20th start.
"It's a big deal for me to go back there," Logano said. "It's basically my home racetrack. I grew up a couple of hours away from there, well, about three hours...It was a cool place to get your first win."
Logano is currently 17th in points.
Forty-five teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.
Nationwide Series
New England 200 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Loudon, NH
She's back. After a four-month hiatus, Danica Patrick returns to the Nationwide Series this weekend at New Hampshire.
Of course, Patrick will be the center of attention at New Hampshire, as one of auto racing's most popular and widely marketable drivers is expected to make her fourth career Nationwide start. She is guaranteed a starting position in the 200-lap race since her No.7 JR Motorsports team currently sits 20th in owner points.
"I'm really looking forward to getting back to all the cool people that I've met, my friends and the team; they've been great," Patrick said. "I really like driving the cars. They're a lot of fun, and they are a different challenge than IndyCar, but I think some of things I learned over [in IndyCar], they have helped me over [in NASCAR]."
Patrick has spent the last four months focusing on her full-time IndyCar efforts. After struggling earlier in the IndyCar season, the 28-year-old driver has nicely rebounded with three straight top-10 finishes, including a second-place run earlier this month at Texas. She currently sits 11th in points.
This is an off-week for IndyCar before the series resumes on July 4 at the Watkins Glen, NY road course.
Before her foray into NASCAR, Patrick made her stock car racing debut with an impressive sixth-place finish in the February ARCA event at Daytona. One week later, she competed in the Nationwide season-opener at Daytona. Patrick finished 35th after being caught up in a multi-car pileup mid-way through the event.
At California, Patrick finished the 300-mile race without incident, but fell three laps behind with a 31st-place result. Her most recent Nationwide event came at Las Vegas, where she crashed early and wound up finishing 36th.
With its length at 1.058 miles, New Hampshire will become the shortest track that Patrick will run so far in her early stock car racing career.
No doubt, Patrick will have her hands full at New Hampshire.
"This will be the most sort of dramatic back and forth sort of stuff that I will be dealing with," Patrick said. "At the beginning of the season, it was a little bit more cut and dry. It was more NASCAR than IndyCar. Now, it's definitely going to be back and forth, but I have to say in the times that I have gone back and forth, I don't have any problem with it."
After New Hampshire, Patrick is scheduled to compete in nine more Nationwide races this season, with the next one on July 9 at Chicagoland.
Another big story at New Hampshire will be the possibility of a 24th different winner in as many Nationwide races here.
Last year, Kyle Busch made a late-race pass on his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano for the lead, and then held it to become the 23rd different winner at New Hampshire.
Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jason Keller, Joe Nemechek and Kenny Wallace are those drivers on the 43-team preliminary entry list for the New England 200 that have won at New Hampshire in the past.
Could one of these drivers become the first repeat winner, or could someone like Logano or points leader Brad Keselowski keep the streak alive at New Hampshire?
We'll find out on Saturday.
FORMULA ONE
European Grand Prix - Streets of Valencia - Valencia, Spain
After a thrilling race two weeks ago in Montreal, Canada, Formula One returns to its home continent this weekend with the European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia, Spain.
The European GP had been scheduled in August the past two years, but was moved to the last weekend in June for this year's F1 calendar.
Lewis Hamilton from McLaren won the Canadian GP and took over the world championship lead. Hamilton, the pole sitter, passed Red Bull's Mark Webber on lap 50 of the 70-lap event in Montreal. He beat his teammate Jenson Button at the finish by just 2.2 seconds for his second victory of the season. Hamilton won last month in Turkey.
"I'm really looking forward to racing in Valencia," Hamilton said. "I had a great attacking race there last year, but I've finished second for the past two seasons, so I feel like I have some unfinished business.
"I also think it's good for the championship to have a variety of circuits. We've just come from a fast, flowing road course in Canada to a tight street track in Valencia. Next month, we'll be at Silverstone [England] - one of the fastest tracks of the year and a circuit with incredible history."
Button overtook Fernando Alonso on the final lap to finish second in the Canadian GP.
Hamilton, the 2008 F1 titleholder, has now accumulated 109 points, compared to 106 for Button, the defending champion, and 103 for Webber.
After running the European GP on the Nurburgring road course in Germany for nine consecutive years, F1 moved the event to Valencia in 2008.
Alonso, in his first year with Ferrari, won the European GP in 2005 and '07, but the Spaniard has finished sixth and 20th in front of his home crowd the past two years.
"Obviously, it's the second home race for me after Barcelona, so I'm hoping to do well there, hoping to be on the podium," Alonso said. "I've never been on the podium in Valencia, so it will be a nice feeling in front of the crowd."
Alonso finished third in the Canadian GP. He kicked off this season by winning in Bahrain and then finished second in Barcelona in early May. Alonso is currently fourth in points (-15).
Rubens Barrichello from Williams is the defending European GP winner. Barrichello won a F1 grand prix for the first time in five years after he benefited from Hamilton's costly pit road mistake.
Hamilton looked as though he was on the way to victory, but he was delayed during his final pit stop when McLaren was not properly prepared for a tire change. Barrichello captured the lead, and then held off Hamilton for the remainder of the event to win since the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix.
"I have great memories of Valencia," said Barrichello, who teamed with Button at Brawn GP last year. "It was my tenth win, so it was great fun."
<< Mine That Bird 2010 debut getting closer
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Although no race has been confirmed, trainer
D. Wayne Lukas is actively preparing 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That
Bird for the gelding's first start of the year. The four-year-old had a six-
furlong
<< Coen to coach Brown quarterbacks
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brown University football coach Phil Estes
announced Tuesday that he has selected former Massachusetts standout
quarterback Liam Coen to be the Bears' quarterbacks coach.
Coen enjoyed a successful four-year
<< Bruins get Horton, Campbell from Florida
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have acquired forwards
Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell from the Florida Panthers in exchange for
defenseman Dennis Wideman, the Bruins' first-round pick in 2010 and a third-
round s
<< Orioles demote Tillman; designate Meredith for assignment
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have optioned pitcher
Chris Tillman back to Triple-A Norfolk and have designated pitcher Cla
Meredith for assignment.
Baltimore had to clear room on the 40-man roster for util
Rangers slugger Cruz activated from 2nd DL stint >>
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Texas Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz has been activated from the disabled list and is back in the lineup.Cruz is scheduled to bat sixth and play right field in Tuesday night's game against Pittsburgh. To make room for him on the
Alfonzo, Davila & Martin earn Week 12 honors >>
Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago wide receiver DEJUAN ALFONZO,
Arizona quarterback NICK DAVILA and Chicago defensive back
CHRIS MARTIN have been named the JLS Ironman, Russell Athletic
Offensive Player and Riddell Defensive Player of the We
Habs re-sign Plekanec to six-year deal >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens have reportedly
given forward Tomas Plekanec to a six-year contract on Tuesday.
The Montreal Gazette cited a report from TSN of Canada that said the deal is
worth $30 million.
Danica-mania returns to Nationwide at New Hampshire >>
Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, June
26. Race: New England 200. Site: New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Track: 1.058-
mile oval. Start time: 3:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 211.6. 2009 winner:
Kyle Busch.
My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting