Bayern holds off Lyon to claim top spot in group

Soccer Betting Lines

12/10/2008 - Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miroslav Klose's first-half double helped Bayern Munich down Lyon, 3-2 at the Stade Gerland on Wednesday in Champions League Group F play.

Both sides entered the match having already secured passage into the knockout round, leaving the group winner as the only issue left to be decided.

The German side came out firing and went ahead 3-0 after 37 minutes. Klose scored 11 minutes into the match and Franck Ribery added a second goal in the 34th minute, with Klose adding to his tally three minutes later.

However, the home side responded with a goal from Sidney Govou shortly after the restart and another from Karim Benzema with 22 minutes to play, although they failed to find a third which allows Bayern to claim the group's top spot.

Lyon came out strong in the opening 10 minutes but the French champions found themselves a goal down in the 11th minute when a loose ball fell into the path of Klose 15 yards from goal and he lashed a shot past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

The lead was doubled when Luca Toni played a nice ball down the left wing for Ribery, who got into the box and fired inside the far post before a Klose header from close range three minutes later made it 3-0 at the break.

Ederson forced a diving stop from Bayern's Michael Rensing, but Govou was on hand to clean up the rebound, while Benzema continued his good form in the Champions League by tallying his fifth goal of the competition in the 68th minute.

The hosts final chance came with 10 minutes to play when Fred's header towards the far post was knocked to safety by Rensing, preserving the win.

Fiorentina did enough to claim the UEFA Cup spot from the group as Alberto Gilardino's goal in the 66th minute gave the Italian side a 1-0 win over Steaua Bucurest.

FC Porto pulled off a surprising 2-0 win over Arsenal to grab the top spot from Group G, while Dynamo Kyiv got a 1-0 win over Fenerbahce on Roman Eremenko's first-half goal. Porto trailed Arsenal by two points entering the day, but the Portuguese side was able to pass the Gunners as Bruno Alves scored seven minutes before halftime and Lisandro Lopez added a second goal shortly after the break, making Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's 700th game in charge of the club a forgettable one.

Juande Ramos made a good impression in his first game in charge of Real Madrid as he led the team to a 3-0 win over UEFA Cup-bound Zenit St Petersburg. Raul scored a goal in each half with Arjen Robben scoring between the two. Juventus needed only a draw to clinch first place in the group, and Claudio Ranieri's men did just that, playing to a 0-0 deadlock with last-place BATE Borisov.

Manchester United will go through to the next round as Group E winners despite being held to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford by AaB because second-place Villarreal suffered a 2-0 defeat at Celtic. Shaun Maloney and Aiden McGeady both scored first-half goals for the Hoops, who failed to advance past the group stage for the first time in three years. The Danish side was already assured of a spot in the UEFA Cup, but they have to be very pleased to come away from United with a point. Carlos Tevez scored three minutes into the game before AaB went in front before halftime with goals from Michael Jakobsen and Jeppe Curt, only for Wayne Rooney to level things in the 52nd minute.

Betonine Soccer Betting News


<< Report: Alabama State football hit with sanctions
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NCAA has reportedly levied sanctions against Alabama State University's football program and its former head coach on Wednesday. According to the Birmingham News, ASU was given the following penalt

<< Cowboys' Adam Jones out for Sunday, possibly the season
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will miss Dallas' crucial NFC East battle with the New York Giants this Sunday due to a neck injury that could sideline him for the rest of the season. Playing in his

<< Davey Johnson, Jeter to lead USA in 2009 WBC
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former MLB manager Davey Johnson has been named as the manager for Team USA for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Johnson, who has managed the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and

<< Report: Mississippi State tabs Mullen as next head coach
Jackson, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mississippi State is set to announce Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen as its new head football coach according to the Clarion-Ledger. Mullen will be formally introduced as the pr

<< With or without Thornton, Sharks and Bruins on top
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins have been tied together because of a single trade that happened just over three years ago. These days, the clubs are linked because they happen to be the best teams in

Around FCS: Remembering the Past >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Madison coach Mickey Matthews relied on some personal history earlier this week to warn his top-seeded Dukes about the perils of overlooking Montana. Serving as the defensive coordinator at Marshall

Mets make K-Rod deal official >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets have signed right- handed reliever Francisco Rodriguez to a three-year deal. Financial terms were not released, but the contract is believed to be worth $37 million with a vesting

Bradford, McCoy, Tebow finalists for 2008 Heisman Trophy >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and a pair of Big 12 signal-callers -- Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Colt McCoy of Texas -- have been named finalists for the 2008 Heisman Trophy. The prestigious honor, pres

Royals re-acquire Ramirez >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals have signed left-hander Horacio Ramirez to a one-year deal. Ramirez, who will be given an opportunity to land a spot in the rotation, worked primarily as a starter

Suns deal Bell, Diaw to Bobcats for Richardson >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns have acquired shooting guard Jason Richardson and forward Jared Dudley from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for shooting guard Raja Bell, forward Boris Diaw and rookie point guard Sean

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

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.