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03/06/2010 - Newport Beach, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fred Couples fired a seven-under 64 on Saturday to move to the top of the leaderboard after two rounds of the Toshiba Classic.
Couples finished 36 holes at 12-under 130 and missed Rodger Davis' 2003 and Jay Haas' 2007 tournament record by a stroke. Couples is two shots ahead at Newport Beach Country Club.
Tom Lehman had a six-under 65 on Saturday and is tied for second place with first-round co-leader Chien Soon Lu, who posted a four-under 67 on Saturday. The pair is knotted at 10-under 132.
There was a small weather delay on Saturday when a storm moved through and poured rain on Newport Beach Country Club. Everyone completed the second round on Saturday and it was someone becoming all too familiar with the top of the leaderboard that emerged on Saturday.
Couples parred the first, then wedged his approach at the second to inches to set up a tap-in birdie. From the left rough, Couples hooked his second to nine feet and rolled in the eagle putt to take the lead.
While Couples struggled hitting fairways, he was able to save par for the most part. He hit another wedge to inches for an easy birdie at seven, then found the right rough off the tee at nine. Couples hit a spectacular second shot to three feet and holed the short birdie putt.
An errant drive at the 10th finally cost Couples. He hit it in the left rough and near a tree. Couples had to pitch out in the fairway left-handed, but his third shot came up 25 feet short and he missed the par putt.
Couples was nine-under par, but still on top of the leaderboard, but with company. A birdied at the par-five 15th got him one ahead, then birdies at 16 and 18 gave him his two-shot cushion.
Couples has been very, very good so far this year on the Champions Tour. In two starts, he has a win and a runner-up and is first on both the money list and the Charles Schwab Cup race.
Loren Roberts and Ronnie Black both carded rounds of four-under 67 on Saturday and share fourth place at eight-under 134.
Mark Wiebe, one of the three first-round co-leaders, managed an even-par 71 and is tied for sixth place with John Cook (66), Bob Gilder (66) and defending champion Eduardo Romero (69). The group finished at six-under 136.
Bob Tway, the final first-round leader, struggled to a one-over 72 in round two and shares 10th with Corey Pavin (69), David Peoples (68) and Gary Hallberg (70) at minus-five.
NOTES: Hale Irwin, who has the most wins in Champions Tour history, shot a four-under 67 and is tied for 14th at minus-four...Bernhard Langer, who holed out from a bunker to win the Allianz Championship in a playoff, had a one-over 72 and fell to a tie for 40th at even-par 142...Andy Bean and Dave Stockton both withdrew.
<< No. 4 Tennessee downs Vandy to move to SEC final
Duluth, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alyssia Brewer scored a game-high 15 points with
seven rebounds to help fourth-ranked Tennessee defeat the Vanderbilt
Commodores, 68-49, to move to the final of the Southeastern Conference
Tournam
<< Pitt routs Rutgers to close out regular season
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gilbert Brown poured in a game-high 19
points while pulling down six rebounds, as the 17th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers
destroyed the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 83-54, in the regular-season finale for
both cl
<< Sun Belt Conference Tournament Recaps
Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Sherrer hit a jumper with four
seconds left to lead the ninth-seeded South Alabama Jaguars to a 52-51 victory
over the eighth-seeded Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the Sun
Belt Co
<< Packers retain OT Clifton
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers have re-signed
offensive tackle Chad Clifton, keeping the stalwart lineman that has started
for the team since 2000.
Terms were not released, but the deal was originally repo
Jags sign WR Osgood >>
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jacksonville Jaguars signed wide
receiver Kassim Osgood to a reported three-year contract on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Osgood has played mostly on special teams since breaking into
the NFL as an
Wild forward Boogaard suspended again >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wild forward Derek Boogaard was suspended for
two games on Saturday by the National Hockey League for an incident during
Minnesota's game against Edmonton on Friday.
In the first period of Friday's cont
Purdue downs PSU, captures share of Big Ten title >>
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - JaJuan Johnson finished with 21 points
and 10 rebounds, as seventh-ranked Purdue claimed a share of the Big Ten title
with a 64-60 victory over Penn State.
Keaton Grant added 17 points for the Boile
Vols start strong in win over Mississippi State >>
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.P. Prince scored 16 and grabbed seven
rebounds, and No. 16 Tennessee opened the game with the first 17 points to
conclude the regular season with a 75-59 win over the Mississippi State
Bulldog
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
(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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