89th PGA Championship Preview
Golf Betting Lines
08/06/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Tiger Woods failed to win a major in one season was 2004. Sure, it's only three years ago, but since his historic Masters win in 1997, there have only been three seasons without a major for Woods.
We will be looking at another majorless campaign if Woods does not win the 89th PGA Championship, starting Thursday at Southern Hills.
He certainly seems poised for a good week. Amidst the final-round grouping hoopla surrounding Woods and Rory Sabbatini Sunday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Woods dominated. Maybe not dominated, but he humiliated not just Sabbatini, but the whole field and Firestone Country Club.
You get the feeling we could be in store for that this week. Aside from his outrageous performance at the WGC event, Woods is a firm believer in history. Majors are what drive the cart and the wagon has been somewhat derailed in the first three majors of '07.
Woods has held a share of the lead on Sunday at both the Masters and U.S. Open. We've become accustomed to Woods running away with it when he has the lead, but so far, 2007 has been a wash.
That gnaws at the greatest player in the game. Woods' pursuit of history (Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors) drives him to greatness, but Southern Hills may not be the best track for him.
Woods, who tied for 12th at Southern Hills during the 2001 U.S. Open, has one hole in his game and that is wayward tee shots. Southern Hills is full of twists and turns, so length will not be necessary for victory.
Not that the design eliminates Woods. There is not an architect out there that has sculpted a course at which Woods could not win. Southern Hills is no different, but the names you are looking for are average-length hitters with sharp iron play and patience.
Masters champion Zach Johnson fits that mold. As does British Open winner Padraig Harrington, but don't sleep on names like Scott Verplank, Luke Donald or Justin Leonard.
Nor should you forget about Angel Cabrera, the U.S. Open champion. Southern Hills hosted the USGA flagship just six years prior, so what's to say he couldn't contend on a similar track to Oakmont? How about the fact that Cabrera tied for seventh in 2001? Starting to look like he could be a perennial on this list.
Retief Goosen won the U.S. Open here six years ago, so obviously the South African would be a favorite. However he is mired in a horrific slump this year which has seen one top 10 on the PGA Tour.
Jim Furyk would be an ideal choice, but a back injury forced him to withdraw from Firestone. If he's healthy, and simply caught one of those "one-week" back injuries, he could compete.
Phil Mickelson has missed the cut in the last two majors and did not play well at the Bridgestone. Is his wrist 100 percent? Can he handle the conditions, which should rival the inner crust of the Earth's core?
Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and any other big-name guy could win here, but the PGA Championship has favored more of the run-of-the-mill player than has any other major championship.
How many had Shaun Micheel or Rich Beem in their office pool? Even further back in tournament history, names like Bob Tway, Jeff Sluman and Wayne Grady are etched on the Wanamaker Trophy.
Who could be that player this year? Joe Durant, Rod Pampling and Hunter Mahan all make a lot of sense. Lucas Glover is trying to hold onto that final automatic Presidents Cup spot. (Both teams are finalized after Sunday's final round.)
No matter what team you are trying to get on, or how many points you can accumulate for the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs, you have to get past Eldrick Woods.
Trying to get that last major of the year, Woods will be focused, and clearly his game is in shape. It gets boring picking him, but after an eight-shot win at a difficult course, wouldn't you?
Statesville, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Evernham is the latest Nextel Cup owner to take on a business partner. On Monday, Evernham Motorsports announced the creation of Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM), a partnership between the Gillett
<< Yankees release Mike Myers
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have released relief
pitcher Mike Myers.
Myers had a solid record of 3-0 with a 2.66 earned run average in 55 games
this season, but the veteran lefty struggled in the most import
<< Rockets' Alston arrested
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston was arrested
early Sunday morning for public intoxication and misdemeanor assault according
to police.
"We are aware of the situation and are attempting to get more details
<< Getting to 53: New England Patriots Roster Prediction
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
Below we take our stab at predicting how the 53-man roster of the 2007
New England Patriots will take shape:
QB (3): Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Vinny Testaverde
RB (5): Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath
<< New England Patriots 2007 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Patriots don't come off a Super Bowl
victory, nor were they the member of their conference to post a 14-2 record in
the 2006 regular season.
Those resume' items belong to the Indianapolis Colts and San Dieg
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Broncos rookie defensive end Jarvis Moss reportedly suffered a left knee injury in practice Monday. According to the Denver Post, the first round pick from Florida was carted off the field after hur
Chiefs ink WR Bowe >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to terms with
wide receiver Dwayne Bowe on a five-year contract Monday. Financial terms of
the deal were not disclosed.
Bowe, Kansas City's first-round selection in the 2
Report: Warriors to re-sign Barnes >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Golden State Warriors will
reportedly re-sign forward Matt Barnes to a contract extension Monday,
following the 6-foot-7, 226-pounder's breakout 2006-2007 season.
According to the San Francisco Chro
Santos, Silver Charm inducted into Racing Hall of Fame >>
Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jockey Jose Santos and former Kentucky
Derby winner Silver Charm were among the eight racing greats who were
inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame Monday. University
of Louisville b
Robby runs amok >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robby Gordon went well over the line on
Saturday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, and needs more of a
punishment than a one-race suspension.
The driver of the No. 55 Camping World Ford made fo
New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.
The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.
MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.
Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Odds
| Ottawa Senators Detroit Red Wings Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Philadelphia Flyers Calgary Flames New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Dallas Stars New York Rangers Nashville Predators Vancouver Canucks Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Atlanta Thrashers Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Columbus Blue Jackets St. Louis Blues Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks |
7-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 80-1 80-1 100-1 100-1 |
NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games
| Team Ottawa Senators Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Dallas Stars New York Rangers Minnesota Wild Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Canadiens Team Los Angeles Kings Tampa Bay Lightening Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers Columbus Blue Jackets New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks St. Louis Blues Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins |
Over/Under 108.5 106.5 104.5 104.5 103.5 101.5 100.5 99.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 95.5 94.5 93.5 92.5 Over/Under 91.5 91.5 91.5 89.5 89.5 88.5 88.5 86.5 84.5 82.5 80.5 72.5 72.5 72.5 71.5 |
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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?
The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
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