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04/25/2009 - Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Halil Altintop's goal in the 21st minute was enough to lead Schalke to a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Bayern was the more dangerous team over the course of the match but it only took one corner kick from Christian Pander to decide the contest.
The Schalke defender curled a ball into the middle of the box and Altintop was left open in front of goal to head past goalkeeper Jorg Butt.
The result leaves Bayern in third place, one point back of Hertha Berlin and three behind leaders Wolfsburg, who can extend their advantage to six points with a win at Energie on Sunday.
Schalke sits in sixth place after the victory but is still five points from a place in the top five.
A slow opening 20 minutes gave way to Schalke seizing the lead in the 21st minute from Altintop's header after some poor marking by the home side, but they generated two good chances to close out the first half.
The first arrived in the 36th minute when Franck Ribery dribbled into the box on the right and stabbed a quick shot for the near post, which was kept out by a good reaction stop from Manuel Neuer.
The Schalke goalkeeper was left standing minutes later from a free kick as Jose Ernesto Sosa's shot took a slight deflection off the Schalke wall and struck the crossbar, but the keeper watched it sail safely over the net.
Things turned ugly in the second half as Schalke was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes to play when Jermaine Jones picked up a second yellow card for a hard foul on Bayern's Mark van Bommel, while Ribery evened up the numbers six minutes later when he too was sent off for a terrible tackle on Jefferson Farfan.
Bayern still had a chance to grab a point in the final minutes but Hamit Altintop fired over from the top of the box and Ze Roberto's cross was deflected just wide of the post.
Hamburg could have joined Wolfsburg on 57 points with a win but they fell 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund, while Stuttgart's winning ways continued with a 2-0 triumph over Eintracht that lifts the club to fourth in the table.
Hannover downed Koln 2-1, Sebastian Langkamp scored in the 72nd minute to give last-placed Karlsruhe a surprise 1-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen, and Werder Bremen recorded a 3-2 win over Bochum as the they scored three times in the second half to overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit.
<< Nadal cruises into Barcelona final for rematch with Ferrer
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Nadal continued his domination on
clay with a straight-set victory over Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals of
the Barcelona Open and will take on fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in a rematch
of last
<< USA dispatches Latvia in World Championship opener
Bern, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jack Johnson tallied twice, including the
game-winner late in the second period, as Team USA opened its 2009 World
Championship slate with a 4-2 win over Latvia.
Drew Stafford and Patrick O'Sulliva
<< Carver steps down at TFC
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC announced Saturday that head coach
John Carver has tendered his resignation with the club for personal reasons.
His resignation will take effect immediately.
Carver was hired as head coach on Feb
<< Jazic added to Goat's disabled list
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defender Ante Jazic has been added to Chivas
USA's disabled list, making the player ineligible for at least six league
matches.
Jazic, 33, suffered a concussion during preseason training on March 11 and
Australia won't go to India for Davis Cup >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tennis Australia has decided not to
travel to India for next month's Davis Cup zonal matchup in Chennai because of
security concerns.
The International Tennis Federation rejected Tennis Australia's
Mets sign Lamb to minor league deal >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets have signed infielder Mike
Lamb to a minor league contract.
Lamb is expected to report to extended spring training before heading to
Triple-A Buffalo.
The 33-year-old veteran is a
Stunning rally propels United past Spurs >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United scored five goals in
the second half to record a thrilling 5-2 win over Tottenham at Old Trafford
on Saturday.
First-half goals from Darren Bent and Luka Modric put Spurs up
Montoya captures first Sprint Cup pole at Talladega >>
Talladega, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juan Pablo Montoya won his first career pole
in the Sprint Cup Series in Saturday's qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway.
Montoya grabbed the top starting position for the Aaron's 499 after turning in
a lap a
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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