08/12/2008 - Colorado Springs, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Catherine "Cammi" Granato will become the first woman inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame when she and a triumvirate of NHL stars will join the vast list of American greats in a ceremony in Denver, Colorado on October 10.
Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter will join the most recognizable face in women's hockey in the prestigious Class of 2008, as announced by USA Hockey Tuesday.
Granato, an Illinois native, was a 15-year member of the U.S. Women's National Team, pioneering the Americans to a gold medal in the 1998 Olympics -- the first year women's ice hockey was included in the Games. She is the all-time leading scorer for the national team with 343 points (186 goals, 157 assists) in just 205 games.
In 2007, Granato was the first woman given the NHL's Lester Patrick Award in recognition of outstanding service to hockey in the United States, and earlier this year was enshrined into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Hull, who ranks third on the all-time NHL goal scoring list with 741, won two Stanley Cups throughout his 20-year career. He was a sixth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 1984 draft and was traded to the St. Louis Blues four years later, where he spent 11 seasons, including a Hart Trophy-winning, 86- goal campaign in 1990-91.
Hull went on to play for the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings, winning championships with the latter two in 1999 and 2002, respectively.
Though he was born in Canada, Hull played for Team USA in national competitions, helping the Americans win the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics, as well as winning the World Cup of Hockey in 1996.
Leetch, born in Corpus Christi, Texas, was an 11-time All-Star that spent the majority of his 18-year career with the New York Rangers before short stints with Toronto and Boston. The ninth-overall pick in the 1986 draft is just one of five defensemen to record more than 100 points in a season (102 in 1991-92) and one of seven to log more than 1,000 points in a career (1,028).
The two-time Norris Trophy winner as the league's best defenseman was the first American-born player to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs in 1993-94, leading the Rangers to their first Staley Cup since 1940.
Richter was the netminder for that curse-breaking squad, was the MVP of the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and played his entire 14-year career in New York. He ranks first in club history with 301 wins in 666 games. The three-time All- Star is one of just 10 Americans ever to compete in at least three Olympic Games, including the silver-medal winning 2002 squad.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame was founded in 1973. To date, there are 134 enshrined members in the Hall.
<< Petrova wins Cincy opener
Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova was an easy
first-round winner Tuesday at the $175,000 Western & Southern Financial
Group Women's Open, a hardcourt U.S. Open tune-up.
The former Top-10 star Petrova p
<< Georgia loses OT Sturdivant for season
Athens, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Georgia sophomore offensive tackle
Trinton Sturdivant suffered a season ending knee injury on Monday and will
miss the entire season, according to head coach Mark Richt.
Sturdivant started all
<< Donald to miss rest of 2008 golf season
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luke Donald will miss the remainder of the 2008 golf season
after undergoing surgery on his left wrist Monday.
Donald was hurt during the final round of the U.S. Open in June. He hit a
drive on the 15th tee at Torrey
<< Report: Vikings S Williams to miss opening of season
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Vikings safety Madieu Williams
could miss the first three weeks of the regular season due to a neck injury.
Williams, who signed as a free agent in the offseason, missed Friday's
presea
The future is now for Safina and del Potro >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Perhaps we can stop using words like
"promising" when it comes to players like Dinara Safina and Juan Martin del
Potro, or in this case, specifically Dinara Safina and Juan Martin del Potro.
Both players a
NCAA Football Preview - Wisconsin Badgers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Wisconsin Badgers put together a 9-4 campaign in
2007, marking the fourth straight season they've won at least nine games.
However, it was a step back from their 12 wins in 2006. Th
Indians deal Byrd to BoSox >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians traded pitcher Paul
Byrd to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named later or cash
considerations Tuesday.
Byrd, 37, was 7-10 with a 4.53 earned run average in 22 sta
NCAA Football Preview - Cincinnati Bearcats >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: Not much was expected of Cincinnati before the season,
so the fact that the Bearcats won their first six games in 2007 served as a
surprise to most fans and analysts.
Included in th
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 sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards
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.
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