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03/02/2010 - Hampton, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, March 7. Race: Kobalt Tools 500. Site: Atlanta Motor Speedway. Track: 1.54-mile oval. Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 325. Miles: 500.5. 2009 winner: Kurt Busch. Television: FOX. Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.
Since his disappointing 35th-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson has soared to fifth in the points standings with consecutive victories at California and Las Vegas.
Johnson's win at California came with a little bit of luck. The four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion benefited from a late-race caution when he pitted just before the yellow flag was displayed. He then held off a hard- charging Kevin Harvick in the closing laps.
Last Sunday, Johnson spoiled Jeff Gordon's dominate day at Las Vegas. Gordon led a track-record 219 laps, but he took two new tires only during his final pit stop. After putting on four tires, Johnson chased down his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and then made the winning pass with 17 laps to go.
It's early in the season, but Johnson's "drive for five" straight titles appears to be in full gear.
"We're excited," Johnson said. "It's early in the year, and it's a relief to know that we worked in the right areas over the off-season. Richmond [fall race] is a long way away from right now. We need to keep collecting points, winning races, make the Chase and then get to work for what we're really here for."
If Johnson wins this weekend at Atlanta, it will be his 50th career victory, which will place him in a tie with Ned Jarrett and 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Junior Johnson for 10th on the series' all-time race winners list.
Johnson has three victories at Atlanta, including a season sweep at the fast 1.54-mile track in 2007.
Heading into Atlanta, Harvick holds a 47-point lead over his Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer. The resurgence of RCR continued at Las Vegas, with Harvick, Bowyer and Jeff Gordon turning in impressive performances once again. All three drivers have finished no worse than 11th in the first three races.
Atlanta has been one Harvick's best tracks. Despite a 19th-place result in points last season, Harvick finished fourth at Atlanta one year ago and then followed up with a second-place run there last September.
"We are really looking forward to Atlanta based upon how we ran there last time," Harvick said. "It has become one of those tracks that has been really good for us in anything that we have been racing there over the past three or four years."
Harvick's first Cup victory came at Atlanta on March 11, 2001, just weeks after RCR named him as replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt following Earnhardt's fatal crash in the Daytona 500. Harvick edged Gordon by 0.006 seconds at Atlanta for his maiden win in just his third start.
"I don't remember really anything from that day," Harvick said. "There were just so many different emotions and things that ran through my head that it was just kind of more of a strange moment than it was anything."
Ryan Newman will celebrate a career milestone at Atlanta, as the Stewart-Haas Racing driver is expected to make his 300th career start in NASCAR's top division. Newman is tied with Buddy Baker for most poles at Atlanta with seven. He won six consecutive poles there from March 2003 to October 2005.
"Atlanta has always been a place where I like to qualify, and it would be an honor to get the all-time pole record there," Newman said.
Newman has struggled in the early season, finishing 34th (Daytona), 36th (California) and 18th (Las Vegas). He currently is 32nd in points.
Forty-six teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Kobalt Tools 500.
<< Zidane refuses to apologize to Materazzi
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former France, Juventus and Real Madrid star
Zinedine Zidane has refused an offer to apologize to Inter Milan defender
Marco Materazzi over the head-butt incident that marred the 2006 World Cup
Final.
<< Oklahoma's Warren set for season-ending surgery
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oklahoma has announced sophomore guard
Willie Warren will undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right
ankle Wednesday.
Warren originally injured the ankle January 21 in practice, then r
<< Flyers G Emery to have season-ending hip surgery
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers announced on
Tuesday that goaltender Ray Emery will have season-ending surgery to repair
damage to his right hip.
The club had placed Emery, who has not skated since Febr
<< This Week in Auto Racing March 5 - 7
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR returns to the East Coast, as the
Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series tackle one of the fastest tracks on
the circuit.
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series
Kobalt Tools 500 - Atlanta Motor Speedw
Terry won't lead England again under Capello >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England manager Fabio Capello has confirmed
that Steven Gerrard will captain his side against Egypt at Wembley on
Wednesday in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.
The Italian has also confi
U.S. searching for right mix against Dutch >>
Amsterdam, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. coach Bob Bradley assembled the
majority of his best players for Wednesday's match at the Netherlands, and the
last few spots on the World Cup roster could be decided at Amsterdam ArenA.
The Ame
Sharks D Vlasic hits IR; three recalled >>
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Jose has placed defenseman Marc-Edouard
Vlasic on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and recalled three players
from Worcester, the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate.
Vlasic has been out
Ducks send D Boynton to Blackhawks >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks shipped defenseman Nick
Boynton to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old had one goal and six assists in 42 games for the Ducks this
season. H
MySportsbook.com refunds all bets on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay from NFL week one.
(September 14) – Week one of NFL action saw three teams go scoreless for the first time since 1977. Another four were unable to get a touchdown and almost half of the underdogs covered the spread. Those three teams saved bettors at MySportsbook.com from losing out completely, thanks to the company’s unique NFL Shutout Rule -- which ensures that if the team you backed goes scoreless, your wager is refunded.
Sportsbook refunded tens of thousands of dollars to customers who bet on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the three teams that stunk up the field so badly that their fans and backers never had a chance to get up from their couches and cheer. In the spirit of the low scoring start to the season, odds makers at the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino have set odds on how many total shutouts there will be this season.
MySportsbook.com has posted updated sports betting lines for week two of the season. Ben Roethlisberger’s health status is still questionable, so Willie Parker will try to lead Pittsburgh again as they travel to Jacksonville as a one point favorite. After beating up on his little brother last week, Peyton Manning will look to lead the Colts to victory against Houston. Indianapolis is a whopping 13.5 favorite in the match-up.
Seattle, last year’s highest scoring team, showed the power of their defense with their gritty 9-6 win in Motown over the ravenous Lions. They take their act back home to the comforts of Qwest Field where they will face the resurgent Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are favored by a touchdown.
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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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