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09/11/2007 - Chengdu, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cynthia Uwak scored in the 82nd minute as Nigeria earned a surprising 1-1 tie with Sweden in the World Cup on Tuesday.
After going winless and being outscored 11-0 in the 2003 World Cup, Nigeria was considered a longshot to escape Group B, labeled the "Group of Death."
But Uwak, a FIFA Player of the Year nominee and the reigning African Woman Footballer of the Year, took advantage of one of her few touches, drilling home a left-footed shot late in the match.
Victoria Svensson scored in the 50th minute for Sweden.
Sweden, the 2003 World Cup runners-up, missed a golden opportunity to move to the top of the group. The United States, ranked No. 1 in the world, and North Korea, ranked fifth, tied 2-2 on Tuesday in the group's other game.
Nigeria will try to build on its performance against North Korea on Friday. Sweden plays the United States on Friday.
Sweden was dangerous from the opening whistle and had a shot in the second minute deflect off the fingertips of Nigeria goalie Precious Dede before hitting the crossbar.
Svensson had Sweden's next opportunity in the 17th minute when her shot went between a Nigeria defender's legs, taking a slight deflection that forced Dede to make an off-balance, diving save.
Sweden hit the crossbar again in the 31st minute when Svensson's shot rattled off the bar, came straight down on the line and bounced away from the goal.
Dede played well in the first half, making a few diving stops and coming off her line numerous times to prevent Sweden from getting more chances on goal.
Sweden finally broke through in the 50th minute when Hanna Ljungberg sent a pass to the top of the box to Svensson. She scored into the right side of the net for her sixth career World Cup goal.
Svensson had two in the 1999 Cup and three in the 2003 tournament.
Sweden looked comfortable with the 1-0 edge, but after Ljungberg was taken off in the 69th minute, the team struggled offensively.
Nigeria failed to create many great chances, but after being silent for nearly the entire game, Uwak finally got the opportunity she was waiting for.
The 21-year-old striker ran onto a failed clearance by Sweden's defense and blasted the ball into the left corner with just eight minutes remaining.
Uwak nearly scored again in the 85th minute when she was in one-on-one with Sweden goalie Hedvig Lindahl, but her shot went wide right.
Nigeria lost its two previous meetings with Sweden, including a 3-0 loss at the 2003 World Cup.
<< Detroit's Bonderman may still be out for year
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Tigers pitcher Jeremy Bonderman
could still be gone for the season despite test results Monday that showed
no structural damage in his elbow.
Bonderman had been pitching through pain inst
<< 49ers rally late to clip Cardinals
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arnaz Battle's one-yard touchdown run
with 22 seconds left in the contest gave San Francisco a 20-17 victory over
Arizona in the season opener for both teams at Monster Park.
Battle, who fumbled
<< Salazar's HR in ninth lifts D-Backs over Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Salazar, scratched from the opening
lineup due to a bad ankle, ripped a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth
inning, giving the Arizona Diamondbacks a thrilling 5-3 win over the San
Francis
<< Cabrera, Indians wait out rain, down ChiSox
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Asdrubal Cabrera's two-run homer in the seventh
inning gave the Indians the lead, and they waited out a long rain delay before
beating the Chicago White Sox, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game series.
Fausto C
A-Rod takes power game north of the border against Jays >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez tries to continue his amazing offensive
season this evening when the New York Yankees kick off a three-game series
against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Rodriguez has homered in his last five games
Wild card-leading Padres open set with Dodgers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy will try to continue his
dominance over the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in the opener of a three-game
series at Chavez Ravine.
Peavy is 8-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 17 career starts against the Do
Baker hopes to serve up a win for Twins versus Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Baker tries to duplicate his performance from less
than a month ago against Kansas City when the Minnesota Twins play game two of
their three-game series against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Baker carried a perfec
Indians continue quest for division title versus White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians are in search of their first division
crown since the 2001 season, as they resume a three-game series tonight
against the AL Central-rival Chicago White Sox from U.S. Cellular Field.
Cleveland is six
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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.
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