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06/20/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Over the next few weeks, Roger Federer will try to match Bjorn Borg's amazing Wimbledon feat, as the super Swiss seeks a fifth straight title at the 121st edition of the Championships.
Borg is the only man in the Open Era (since 1968) to capture the Wimbledon championship five years in a row, which he did from 1976 to 1980. The iconic Swede rattled off 41 consecutive match wins at the storied All England Club before lefthanded legend John McEnroe finally derailed him in the 1981 final. Even the great Pete Sampras failed to capture five straight Wimbledon crowns, as the seven-time champ corralled tennis' most prestigious event four years in a row from 1997-2000 and three straight years from 1993-95.
Only four men have won at least four Wimbledon titles over the last 45 years -- Sampras, Borg, Rod Laver and Federer.
Decent company.
The world No. 1 Federer held off Spanish star Rafael Nadal in last year's Wimbledon finale, while the Mallorcan southpaw topped the sublime Swiss in the last two French Open finals. Nadal might have Federer's number on the slow red clay, but the Swiss is indeed one of the greatest grass-court performers of all-time, as evidenced by his four Wimbledon titles and a torrid 48-match winning streak (which includes 20 straight victories in Halle) on the swift surface.
The last player to prevail at the AEC not named Federer was Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, back in 2002. The Fed's last loss there came at the hands of serve- and-volleying Croat Mario Ancic in the opening round in '02.
The reigning women's champion at SW19 is former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, who dropped currently top-ranked Justine Henin in last year's marquee finale. The French star also bested the steady Belgian in last year's Aussie Open title bout.
Mauresmo, who has struggled with her health for a good portion of this season, will try to become the first repeat women's champ since Serena Williams turned the trick in 2002 and 2003. Serena tried for a third straight title in 2004, but was stunned in the final by tall Russian Maria Sharapova.
And Serena's big sister and fellow former world No. 1, Venus, is no slouch at the AE Club, having won the title on three occasions and finishing as the runner-up two other times, succumbing to Serena in the 2002 and 2003 finals. At one point, Venus reached the Wimbledon final four straight and five-of-six years.
That's pretty consistent.
Between 2000 and 2005, the mighty Williams sisters accounted for four straight and five-of-six Wimbledon titles.
Henin, meanwhile, still needs Wimbledon to complete a career Golden Slam. The reigning three-time (and four-time overall) French Open titlist also owns Aussie Open, U.S. Open and Olympic hardware and is a two-time runner-up at Wimby. In addition to her title bout setback there last year, the gritty Belgian gave way to Venus in the 2001 finale.
FYI, Steffi Graf is the only woman to complete a career Golden Slam, while her fellow tennis legend husband Andre Agassi is the only player to do so on the men's side.
Is there anyone who can challenge Federer on the Big W grass? Well Andy Roddick comes to mind (I know...insert joke here).
The world No. 3 Roddick is fresh off his title at Queen's Club and a two- time Wimbledon runner-up (2004-05) to Federer. Unfortunately for the 2003 U.S. Open champ and former world No. 1 American, the massive-serving star is a pathetic 1-13 lifetime against Federer, including an 0-3 mark on the lawns at Wimbledon. The Swiss star also topped Roddick in the 2003 semis. Federer's won nine of their 10 sets at SW19 and the Swiss is a perfect 5-0 in their all-time major matchups.
The word lopsided comes to mind.
Too bad for Roddick that Federer's on the tour, otherwise the brash American would probably own multiple Wimbledon titles by now.
What about Nadal? Can he push Federer again this year? I'm doubtin' it.
Aside from Roddick and Nadal, Federer's stiffest competition figures to come from the likes of Serbian Novak Djokovic, Czech Tomas Berdych and the always- dangerous Hewitt. The French Open semifinalist Djokovic can play on any surface, while Berdych was this year's grass-court champion in Halle and lost to the "Fed" in last year's Halle finale, and the two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 Hewitt is pesky on just about any surface, with an exception being dirt.
Heavy British crowd favorite Andy Murray is slated to play, even though he's been sidelined for the past several weeks due to a wrist injury. He'll try to give the hosts their first male champion here since Fred Perry way back in 1936.
By the way, top men with no shot would include the likes of Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, Spaniard Tommy Robredo, American James Blake and German Tommy Haas. "Gonzo" was January's Aussie Open runner-up to Federer, but I wouldn't expect a deep run from him at the AEC, although he did reach the quarters there two years ago.
Back on the women's side, it would appear as though there are several contenders.
The six-time Grand Slam champion Henin, the two-time major titlists Sharapova and Mauresmo, the eight-time Grand Slam champion Serena and the five-time major titlist Venus will all take their shots, while rapidly-rising Jelena Jankovic should also figure into the equation.
Jankovic soared all the way to the French Open semis earlier this month and just captured her first-ever grass-court title last week by upsetting Sharapova in a final in Birmingham. The Serbian star is all the way up the No. 3 in the world and co-leads the WTA with four titles already this season, equaling the high-flying Henin.
Henin has performed in the final in her last five Grand Slam events (going 2-3). She missed this year's Aussie Open due to personal reasons after reaching all four major finales (1-3) in 2006.
A determined Henin has said that she wants to secure a career Slam for her family and friends.
Look out field.
The hard-hitting Sharapova has appeared in two of the last three major finals, winning the 2006 U.S. Open by beating Henin and losing badly to Serena in Melbourne back in January. Another world-class Serb, Ana Ivanovic, smoked the Russian superstar in a semifinal at Roland Garros two weeks ago.
Does Svetlana Kuznetsova have a chance at Wimby? A slight one, but I wouldn't make plans to watch her in the final.
How 'bout the French Open runner-up Ivanovic?
Sure. The surging Serb, last year's surprise US Open Series winner, went as far as the round of 16 at the AEC a year ago and has demonstrated the ability to play on all surfaces.
A darkhorse could come in the form of tall Czech Nicole Vaidisova.
Former champion Martina Hingis (1997) will be on hand, but the five-time Grand Slam winner will head to Wimbledon with some rust, having been sidelined for over a month due to injury.
The 10-time Grand Slam champion Federer has appeared in a record eight straight major finals, winning six. His next Grand Slam title would tie him with Borg and Laver at 11. Sampras holds the all-time record with 14 major championships.
Only six men have won at least 10 Grand Slam titles -- Sampras, Roy Emerson (12), Borg, Laver, Bill Tilden (10) and Federer.
FYI, the awesome Borg was a combined 11-1 in his French Open (6-0) and Wimbledon (5-1) finals.
That deserves a wow!
For the first time ever this year, stodgy Wimbledon will pay out equal prize money to both the men and the women and Hawk-Eye technology will be utilized on the famed Centre Court and Court 1 to view disputed line calls.
There will also be a roof-less Centre Court (for the first time since 1922), as construction is underway to install an all-weather retractable roof in time for the 2009 edition of the Championships.
On the prediction front, you have to like Federer, who's only conceded a mere three sets in his four Wimbledon finals, to come out on top once again this year, while the wide-open women's draw could see any number of players prevail, even though I'm going with Serena to hoist the Venus (not Serena) Rosewater Dish.
FYI, there's been a different ladies Wimbledon champion the last three years.
Wimbledon '07 will commence Monday and the formidable Federer, of course, will be on the Day-1 schedule. As per tradition, the reigning men's champ is always first up on the venerable Centre Court on opening day.
<< Astros disable Lidge
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have placed pitcher Brad
Lidge on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left oblique muscle.
Lidge was hurt in his last outing on Friday, June 15 against the Seattle
Marine
<< Clark, Young lift D-Backs over D-Rays
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Young's two-run homer in the bottom of
the 10th inning capped a late rally and sent Arizona to a 10-8 victory over
Tampa Bay in the middle contest of a three-game interleague set.
Conor Jackson beg
<< Predators ink Smithson
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators made a move to
replace a pair of players traded on Monday by signing center Jerred Smithson
to a two-year contract. The deal will pay him $475,000 for next season and
$525,00
<< Lee leads Astros over Angels in LA
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Lee homered and knocked in four runs
while Hunter Pence had three hits including a tie-breaking two-run homer, as
the Houston Astros downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9-5, in the
second
Bonderman leads Tigers in finale at D.C. >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeremy Bonderman will try for his eighth straight winning
decision tonight when his Detroit Tigers wrap their three-game series with the
Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium.
Bonderman opened the season with five straigh
Streaking Red Sox wrap set with Braves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox are back in the swing of things and will
shoot for another win this evening in the finale of a three-game interleague
series with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Boston has won four of its last five
Pettitte toes the rubber as Yanks clash with Rockies >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Pettitte tries to win back-to-back starts for the
first time all season and stretch his unbeaten streak to four games in the
process when the New York Yankees continue their three-game series with the
Colorado Rockies th
Blue Jays turn to Halladay versus Dodgers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay gets the nod this
evening against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second test of a three-game
interleague series at Rogers Centre.
Halladay is 7-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 12 starts this season
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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