07/03/2009 - Kansas City, KA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Wizards face a tough task on Saturday when they host the Major League Soccer leading Houston Dynamo at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The Wizards (5-5-4) are keen on making a move up the Eastern Conference table, where they are currently in the bottom half. The team is coming off a strong effort in its last league match, topping New England 3-1 on June 13.
They also coming off a couple disappointing results in the SuperLiga, with central defender Jimmy Conrad going out with a knock. His absence was a major factor in the poor showing in the North American club tournament.
"Anytime you lose Jimmy Conrad, who, in my mind, is one of the best central defenders in [MLS], you're going to have issues," Wizards coach Kurt Onalfo said. "Having said that, I thought Rauwshan [McKenzie] did a fairly solid job. But, you're playing against a very savvy group of attacking players. That ended up being the difference in the game."
Conrad will be absent on Saturday because of his participation with the U.S. national team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Davy Arnaud and Roger Espinoza will be absent for the same reason, representing their respective countries.
The Dynamo (8-3-4) are coming off a disappointing result of their own in league play, dropping a 1-0 decision at Los Angeles this past Sunday.
"Overall, a disappointing night with the result, obviously, and in the way we played," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We've definitely played better during the season, and I expect us to play better than that. But unlucky not to come out with something, because I thought we created some chances there."
The Dynamo will be without U.S. internationals Bring Ching and Stuart Holden, and Canadian international Andrew Hainault, all because of their participation in the Gold Cup.
Defenders Eddie Robinson and Wade Barrett are also out and defender Craig Waibel is questionable, all with injuries.
The Wizards will be without forward Adam Cristman, defender Chance Myers, and midfielder Kevin Souter with their own injuries.
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San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Manny
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The Oregonian newspaper originally reported Tu
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Center.
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.
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