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05/05/2010 - Motherwell, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lucas Jutkiewicz scored in stoppage time to cap a four-goal rally in the final 23 minutes of a thrilling 6-6 draw with Hibernian at Fir Park Stadium on Wednesday, keeping the Steelman in fourth place and on course for a spot in Europe.
A first-half hat trick from Colin Nish and two second-half goals courtesy of Anthony Stokes helped Hibs take a commanding 6-2 lead into the final 25 minutes of the game.
However, goals from Giles Coke, Tom Hateley, John Sutton and Jutkiewicz stunned the visitors, leaving them one point behind Motherwell with just one game to play.
Motherwell can now lock up the final Europa League spot with a win at Rangers, while Hibernian travels to Dundee United in need of some help from the champions.
Nish scored twice in the opening 20 minutes with Coke scoring in between for Motherwell.
Derek Riordan then intercepted a backpass and rounded the goalkeeper to make it 3-1 to visitors before he set up the third goal of the game for Nish to give Hibs a three-goal lead.
The hosts pulled a goal back before halftime when Sutton headed home Jim O'Brien's cross, but Hibs took firm control of the game with two goals from Stokes early in the second half.
The comeback began in the 67th minute when Coke fired a rebound from O'Brien's shot, while the lead was reduced to two goals five minutes later when Hibs goalkeeper Graeme Smith fumbled Hateley's corner kick over his own goal line.
Sutton pulled his team to within one goal when he headed home O'Brien's corner kick, but the comeback looked to be over in the 87th minute when Ross Forbes had his penalty kick stopped by Smith.
But Motherwell was able to muster one more chance and they made it count as Jutkiewicz got on the other end of a long ball and volleyed it past Smith from a tight angle.
St Mirren's 0-0 draw at Hamilton was enough for them to secure safety, while Kilmarnock moved two point clear of last-placed Falkirk with a 2-1 victory over Aberdeen.
Dundee United and Hearts played to a 0-0 draw, and Falkirk also finished 0-0 with St Johnstone, meaning they must beat Kilmarnock on the final day of the season.
<< Who will tame Darlington this time?
Darlington, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Saturday,
May 8. Race: Showtime Southern 500. Site: Darlington Raceway. Track: 1.366-
mile oval. Start time: 7:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 367. Miles: 501. 2009 winner:
Mark Martin. Tel
<< Hofstra names Cassara new hoops coach
Hempstead, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hofstra University named Mo Cassara head
coach of the men's basketball team on Wednesday, just two days after Tim Welsh
resigned following his DWI arrest.
Cassara spent the last four years as an assista
<< Spurs lock up Champions League place
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peter Crouch scored eight minutes from
time to give Tottenham a 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday that
clinches a spot in the Champions League for Harry Redknapp's men.
Both sides create
<< This Week in Auto Racing May 2 - 7
Darlington, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series
teams spend this Mother's Day weekend at Darlington Raceway, while Formula One
competes in Europe for the first time this season with the Spanish Grand Prix
in Barc
Ainge comes clean in Cleveland towel incident >>
WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) -Danny Ainge says he regrets tossing a towel in the air to distract a Cavaliers player during a free throw attempt.The Celtics GM told WEEI-AM in Boston he behaved unprofessionally during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifina
Marseille secures Ligue 1 title >>
Marseille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marseille claimed its first Ligue 1 title
since 1992 on Wednesday as they earned a 3-1 win over Rennes at the Stade
Velodrome.
Second-placed Auxerre entered the day five points back of Marseille, but
A's silence Rangers, take rubber match >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daric Barton finished 2-for-3 with an RBI as
Oakland topped Texas, 4-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Eric Patterson homered while Ryan Sweeney and Kevin Kouzmanoff also drove in
runs for the A
Real keeps pace behind Ronaldo's hat trick >>
Mallorca, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cristiano Ronaldo tallied his first hat
trick for Real Madrid on Wednesday, propelling the club to a 4-1 win at
Mallorca that keeps them within one point of leaders Barcelona.
Real fell behind i
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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.
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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.
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