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09/07/2007 - Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in Group B get together at the San Siro on Saturday as France visits Italy in a rematch of the 2006 World Cup final.
Zinedine Zidane, the most famous figure from last summer's encounter, will not be there to bury his head into the chest of an Italian defender because he is enjoying his retirement from international soccer. The person on the receiving end of that blow, Italy's Marco Materazzi, will also be a spectator while he is battling an injury.
The two teams are separated by just two points through seven games, but with Scotland and Ukraine not far behind, a loss for either team would put hopes of qualifying for Austria and Switzerland in doubt.
The French hold a two-point edge and also took the first meeting between the two sides in this competition, 3-1. A loss for Italy would likely drop them below Scotland and leave the defending World Cup champs in third.
If France drops the contest they will still be a position to qualify, but will have missed a chance to cushion their lead.
Italy brings experienced players like Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi, Fabio Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso. Those five are all expected to start and played big roles in the club's World Cup title last summer.
Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni's inclusion into the lineup is still a question after Toni missed his club's last Bundesliga contest and continues to battle an injury.
France manager Raymond Domenech also has a big injury issue of his own with midfielder Patrick Vieira. The Inter Milan man has not yet played a game for his club since injuring a thigh muscle while playing for France last month.
Two players that will be included in the French side are midfielder Franck Ribery and striker David Trezeguet. Both players have gotten off to flying starts for their clubs, with Ribery making quite an impression with his new Bayern teammates because of his playmaking ability in the midfield, and Trezeguet leading Serie A with four goals through two games for Juventus.
If both players can continue their brilliant form, France may be able to steal a point in Italy, but the Italians are the more desperate side and will accept nothing short of a win.
In Group B's other contests on Saturday, Ukraine and Scotland both have a great chance to pick up three points and stay in contention at the top. Ukraine visits Georgia while the Scots play fifth-place side Lithuania.
The other big game of the day takes place in Group E, with England facing a crucial contest at home against Israel.
England is currently fourth in the group, three points behind both Croatia and Israel and a point back of Russia. The Israelis have played one more game, so three points on Saturday would shift things quite a bit in the group. The Three Lions have an equally big match against Russia on Wednesday, so this week will go a long way in determining whether or not Steve McClaren's side makes the trip to Austria and Switzerland next summer.
England is facing a number of injury issues with David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and most likely Owen Hargreaves out with injury.
Midfielder Steven Gerrard is expected to play despite a broken toe, and McClaren also has to deal with an uncertain situation in goal given the recent struggles of first-team keeper Paul Robinson. It would not be a shock to see McClaren turn to David James, who has not made a start for England since May 2005.
These two teams played to a 0-0 draw in Tel Aviv in March, and a similar result would suit Israel just fine.
Expect Israel to once again play a defensive formation and look to counter attack, while England will have to press for goals with a win being so important.
This should be a low scoring affair with Israel playing defense first soccer, and England often struggling to find the net. The pressure is squarely on McClaren to deliver a big win, but with so many injury problems, he will have to hope for other players to emerge.
The other two games in the group on Saturday feature leaders Croatia hosting Estonia, and Russia entertaining Macedonia. Both Croatia and Russia figure to come away with three points, making the England and Israel game even that much more important.
Group A is set for a shake-up at the top with the top four teams in the group playing each other. Leaders Poland travel to Portugal, where they will look to extend their lead on the home side. Portugal is four points back after a poor 1-1 draw at Armenia last time out. Poland has played one more game, however, so a Portugal win would put them right back in position to grab a spot. Finland is just two points behind Poland and also faces a stiff road test against Serbia. The Serbs are in fourth place but once again have played on less game and could change things around with a win. Armenia and Azerbaijan make up the third game in the group.
Group C leaders Greece do not play on Saturday, but the three team in second place, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey and Norway are all in action. The Greeks hold a five-point edge on the other three teams, but that lead should shrink after Saturday, with the other three expecting to bring home wins. The trio will all be on the road, but Bosnia-Herzegovina will meet Hungary, Norway plays Moldova and Turkey takes on Malta.
Germany has taken hold of Group D and will try to keep that advantage on Saturday with a trip to Wales. The Czech Republic and Ireland are in a battle for second place, with the Czechs holding a one-point lead. The Czechs play last-place San Marino and should get an easy win, while Ireland travels to Slovakia for a much more difficult match. These two will play on Wednesday, but it is important for both to take care of business on Saturday.
Group F features a big contest between Sweden and Denmark on Saturday. The Swedes currently hold the top spot ahead of Northern Ireland and Spain, and could put themselves in great shape with a win over the Danes. Denmark is six points behind second-place Northern Ireland but has played one less game. A win is critical for Denmark against Sweden but it will not come easy away from home. Northern Ireland will be expecting three points against Latvia, and Spain visits Iceland with a win in mind as well.
It has become a three-team race in Group G with Romania, Bulgaria and the Netherlands separated by only three points. Romania holds a two-point lead over Bulgaria, and is hoping to extend that advantage with a trip to Belarus. Bulgaria and the Netherlands square off in Holland, meanwhile in an important contest for both sides. The Dutch have played one less game than Bulgaria, and trail by only one point. A win would put the Netherlands in a position to leave Bulgaria behind, so a win is huge for the visitors. Slovenia and Luxembourg round out Saturday's contests in the group.
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three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals tonight at Chase Field.
The Diamond
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Garcia to Make Bucs' Debut in Seattle >>
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March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
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 bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
(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.
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