Butler/Georgetown, Indiana/Pittsburgh comprise Jimmy V Classic
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
07/01/2009 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Butler will face Georgetown, and Indiana will take on Pittsburgh in the matchups for this year's Jimmy V Classic, to be held at Madison Square Garden on December 8.
This will be the debut for Georgetown and Butler in the event, while Indiana and Pittsburgh each won their only other game in the Jimmy V Classic. The Hoosiers topped North Carolina in 1999 and Pittsburgh beat Memphis in 2004.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 and honors the late Jim Valvano, who was a legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and led the Wolfpack to the national title in 1983. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $80 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide.
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Derrek Lee belted a two-run home run and Randy Wells tossed seven innings of one-run ball to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set at PNC Park.
<< Prado, Braves rough up Hamels, Phillies
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Prado was at it again, scoring three
runs and driving in two more runs after a four-RBI evening on Tuesday, as
Atlanta poured it on Philadelphia, 11-1, at Turner Field.
Gregor Blanco scored tw
<< Castro, Contreras carry ChiSox over Cleveland
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ramon Castro hit a go-ahead three-run homer
in a four-run sixth inning, and Jose Contreras pitched eight strong frames as
the Chicago White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians
with a
<< A-Rod's homer pushes Yankees past M's, to seventh straight win
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez continued his recent power surge,
belting the go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning that lifted the New
York Yankees to their seventh straight victory, 4-2, over the Seattle
Mariner
<< Canadiens sign Gionta, Gill
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward
Brian Gionta to a five-year contract and defenseman Hal Gill to a two-year
deal, the team announced Wednesday.
Financial terms of both deals were not release
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Cueto tossed six shutout innings and the Reds bullpen finished the two-hitter from there, as Cincinnati blanked Arizona, 1-0, in the second of three games with the Diamondbacks. Cueto (8-4) surr
Ottawa brings back Neil >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators announced on Wednesday that
they have re-signed right-winger Chris Neil to a four-year contract worth a
reported $8 million.
The Ottawa Sun reports Neil chose to stay in Ottawa despite a
Braden, A's take series from Detroit >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Braden threw seven strong innings, and
Jack Cust and Jason Giambi each hit a two-run homer, as the Oakland Athletics
defeated Detroit, 5-1, in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Braden (6-7) al
Report: Clippers send Randolph to Memphis for Richardson >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly cleared
some cap space for 2010, sending forward Zach Randolph to Memphis in exchange
for forward/guard Quentin Richardson.
Several media sources are reporting the exch
Argos start season on right foot, blow out Tiger-Cats >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kerry Joseph threw for 227 yards and three
touchdowns, as the Toronto Argonauts got the CFL season started with a 30-17
win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a battle of 2008 also-rans.
Joseph completed 1
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.