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01/26/2012 - Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the all-time greats did battle in a Grand Slam event once again on Thursday, and once again it was Rafael Nadal beating his fellow former world No. 1 star Roger Federer, this time in the Australian Open semifinals.
The second-seeded Nadal secured a berth in his second Aussie Open final in four years with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 come-from-behind victory over the third-seeded Federer at Melbourne Park.
Nadal's opponent in Sunday's final will be world No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic or 2010 and 2011 Aussie runner-up Andy Murray, the fortnight's fourth seed. Djokovic-Murray will start at 3:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
The gritty Nadal broke Federer to go up 5-4 in the fourth set, and eventually converted on his second match point in the next game.
The elegant Swiss saved the first match point when Nadal swatted a backhand wide, but the Spanish strongman converted on his second when Federer sailed one final forehand beyond the baseline at Rod Laver Arena.
The match ended in 3 hours, 42 minutes, as Nadal tallied twice as many service breaks (6-3), while Federer piled up 29 more unforced errors (63-34) and five double faults. Federer struck 11 aces in a losing effort.
The 25-year-old Nadal and 30-year-old Federer met for a 27th time, and the fiery Spaniard now holds a lopsided 18-9 lifetime advantage, including an 8-2 mark in Grand Slam matchups. Nadal has now won their last five Grand Slam meetings.
Nadal also beat his great rival, in five sets, in the 2009 Aussie Open finale.
The powerful southpaw Nadal and Federer were in the same half of the draw at a major for the first time since 2005. The two superstars have met in a men's record eight major finals, with Nadal winning six of them.
Nadal is a 10-time major champ and the reigning French Open titlist. Federer, who appeared in his 30th Grand Slam semifinal, is a men's record 16-time Grand Slam winner, including a men's Open Era record-tying four Aussie championships.
Federer, who hasn't won a Grand Slam event since titling here in Melbourne two years ago, had yet to drop a set at this latest Aussie fortnight before running into the determined Nadal.
The iconic Federer appeared in his ninth straight Aussie semi on Thursday.
Nadal will now appear in his 67th career ATP-level final (46-20). He's 10-4 in Grand Slam finals, including a 1-2 mark last year.
On Friday, the good friends Djokovic and Murray, both 24 years old, will meet in a rematch of last year's Aussie title tilt, which was won easily in straight sets by the mighty Serb. The three-time Grand Slam runner-up Murray has appeared in the last two finals in Melbourne, as he lost to Federer here two years ago.
Murray was a titlist in Brisbane three weeks ago.
Djokovic is 6-4 lifetime against Britain's Murray, with their lone Grand Slam meeting coming in last year's finale here. The Serb is 3-0 when they've met in semifinals of a tournament.
The capable Murray is still seeking his first-ever major title.
The reigning Aussie Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open titlist Djokovic is a four- time major champion who has won two of the last four Aussie Open titles, with his first one coming in 2008.
He has won 37 of his last 39 Grand Slam matches and is seeking a third straight major title. A championship this week would put him in select company, as only four players -- Laver, Pete Sampras, Federer and Nadal -- have captured three straight Grand Slam titles in the Open Era (since 1968).
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have combined to win seven of the last eight Aussie Open championships.
Sunday's big winner will collect more than $2.4 million.
<< Sharapova, Azarenka to meet in Aussie finals
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka
will square off in the Australian Open final after they each survived tense
three-set semifinal matches on Thursday.
Azarenka, seeded third, ended Kim Clijs
<< Lakers win Round 2 against Clippers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant netted 24 points to go with
seven rebounds and six assists as the Lakers squeaked past the Clippers, 96-91
in the second round of the battle of Los Angeles at Staples Center.
Pau Gasol cont
<< Double the pleasure: Raptors end another skid in Utah
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza scored
25 points apiece Wednesday night and the Toronto Raptors snapped a 12-game
losing streak against the Utah Jazz with a 111-106 win in double-overtime.
It was T
<< Nuggets cap 5-0 road trip with rout of Kings
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danilo Gallinari led seven players in double
figures with 23 points, as the Nuggets wrapped up a historically successful
road trip with a 122-93 blowout of the Kings.
Since joining the NBA prior to the
Mallon named 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup team captain >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Meg Mallon was named captain of the 2013
United States Solheim Cup team on Thursday at the PGA Merchandise Show.
She will have the task of trying to win back the Cup after the Americans lost
a heartbrea
In the FCS Huddle: URI recruiting really has eye on future >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For a second straight offseason, football
recruiting at the University of Rhode Island may be the toughest job in CAA
Football, yet the easiest in the Northeast Conference.
A year ago, URI head coach Joe T
McIlroy, Karlsson lead Abu Dhabi; Tiger 3 back >>
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rory McIlroy and Robert
Karlsson both fired rounds of five-under 67 on Thursday to share the opening-
round lead of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Tiger Woods made his 2012 debut and pl
SEC action pits Gators against Rebels in Oxford >>
Oxford, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Florida Gators take their act on
the road, as they invade Oxford this evening for an SEC showdown with the Ole
Miss Rebels at the Tad Smith Coliseum.
Billy Donovan's Gators have won three straigh
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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