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.
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.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends
We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS. Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned. For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go. As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190). Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet. For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction. On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later. Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick. Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com
New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors
Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season.
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times.
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons
Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season.
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers
In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS.
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”. With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit. Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.
About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your basketball sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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