07/28/2010 - Promoted Marshall Carlson to president and COO.
<< Lee, Norris help Astros take series against Cubs
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Lee slugged a pair of two-run home runs
to back the solid pitching of Bud Norris in Houston's 8-1 win over Chicago to
close a three-game set.
Lee had his 19th career multi-homer game for the Astros,
<< McCourty signs with Patriots
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Patriots have signed
first-round draft pick Devin McCourty.
Terms of the deal for the former Rutgers cornerback were not disclosed, but
the Boston Globe reported it to be a five-ye
<< Young powers offense as Twins complete sweep of Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Delmon Young hit a three-run homer and
Jason Repko added a solo shot, as the Twins completed a three-game sweep of
the Royals with a 6-4 win.
It wasn't the same result as the past two days, when M
<< Ducks sign first-round choice Fowler
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Cam
Fowler, their first-round draft choice, to a three-year entry-level contract.
Per team policy, no financial details of the deal were released.
The 18-year-old
<< Bengals sign Dunlap
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly
signed rookie defensive end Carlos Dunlap.
The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that Cincinnati's second round pick has
signed for four years.
Last season w
Saints sign TE Graham, QB Ramsey >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints signed tight end
Jimmy Graham and quarterback Patrick Ramsey on Wednesday.
Graham, a third-round pick out of Miami-Florida, played in 13 games for the
Hurricanes last season
Clippers re-sign Butler >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers have re-signed
forward Rasual Butler, the team announced Wednesday. Terms of the deal were
not disclosed.
Butler, 31, averaged a career-best 11.9 points in 82 games for th
Raptors acquire C Andersen from Houston >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors have acquired center
David Andersen and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in exchange
for a 2015 protected second-round draft choice.
The Australian-born Andersen avera
Blackhawks re-sign wingers Bickell and Skille >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks re-signed left wing
Bryan Bickell to a three-year contract and right wing Jack Skille to a one-
year contract on Wednesday.
Bickell split the 2009-10 campaign between Chicago
Phillips' slam sends Reds to win over Milwaukee >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Phillips hit his fourth career grand
slam while Joey Votto went 3-for-5 with a home run, powering the Cincinnati
Reds to a 10-2 victory in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Phillips, who
Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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