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08/10/2010 - Sparta, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the 2011 schedule for all three of its national touring series expected to be released within the next couple of weeks, NASCAR is making some significant revisions to its Sprint Cup schedule, in hopes of generating more fan interest, as well as improving sluggish track attendance and television ratings.
During a news conference last month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer Brian France said, "We'll have some pretty impactful changes to the schedule that I think will be good for NASCAR fans."
We're now getting a glimpse of NASCAR's schedule modifications for next year, as several racetracks already have announced their plans for the upcoming season.
Last week, Atlanta Motor Speedway revealed it will give up one of its two Cup dates in 2011. Speedway Motorsports Inc. will move its Atlanta spring race to Kentucky Speedway. NASCAR and Kentucky track officials confirmed on Tuesday that the 1.5-mile oval, located roughly 40 miles south of downtown Cincinnati, will host its long-awaited first Cup race -- 400 miles in length -- on July 9.
"I always hate to see a racetrack lose a date, because I know there's a lot of fans that do make both of those races and love that race track and love the area where the race track is," NASCAR veteran driver Jeff Burton said. "At the same time, it's capitalism. If there's another venue where more people can come in and more people can enjoy it, then that's where you can expect the show to be going."
Also on Tuesday, Kansas Speedway announced it will receive a second Cup date, while Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA will lose one of its two races, starting next year. International Speedway Corp., the parent company of both tracks, recently requested the transfer of California's fall event to Kansas. NASCAR approved the realignment, with Kansas hosting it races on June 5 and October 9 -- the fourth event in the 2011 Championship chase.
Phoenix International Raceway, also an ISC property, will move its April race to February 27, the week after the Daytona 500. California previously followed the Daytona 500, but next year, the two-mile track will move to a better- suited date of March 27.
Officials from NASCAR and Chicagoland Speedway said on Monday that Chicagoland will kick off next year's Chase, replacing New Hampshire Motor Speedway as the opening playoff race. New Hampshire and Dover International Speedway likely will follow Chicago in the Chase.
Chicagoland beginning the Chase -- the final 10 races of the season -- probably is good for NASCAR, since the track is located in the country's third largest television market area. However, Chicago is a huge sports city, and several of its professional sports teams are in season, particularly the Chicago Bears from the NFL and the city's two MLB teams -- the Cubs and the White Sox. Chicagoland's September 18 race date might be a tough ticket to sell.
"I think it has everything to do with NASCAR trying to create the best product that they can, trying to be in front of the right audiences, the right time of the year for certain racetracks, so the stands are full, action-packed tracks for the Chase and so our television numbers are up," four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said.
The one thing I hoped would have happened or will happen in the future with the Cup schedule is a change in location for the season-ending race. Despite warm temperatures in South Florida in November, Homestead-Miami Speedway no longer seems appealing for the season-finale.
Move Homestead to earlier in the year, and place either Las Vegas Motor Speedway or one of Charlotte Motor Speedway's two dates to the last race of the season.
Why Las Vegas or Charlotte?
NASCAR's top series now holds its annual awards banquet in Las Vegas, so it would be convenient to place LVMS as the final stop on schedule.
As for Charlotte, let the season conclude in NASCAR's hub city. Then head to Vegas for the big party.
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Montana's Wilson to be held out >>
Missoula, MT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Montana senior cornerback Jimmy
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Seahawks sign LB Hagler among four roster moves >>
Renton, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Seahawks made four roster moves on
Tuesday, most notably agreeing to a contract with veteran linebacker Tyjuan
Hagler.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The six-year pro started seven ga
Berdych moves on; Roddick pulls out in Toronto >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych was an easy
second-round winner at the $2.43 million Roger Cup, an ATP Masters
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T
Knicks' sign G Mason, Jr. >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks have signed guard Roger
Mason, Jr.
No terms of the deal were announced.
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as a starter, in his second seas
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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