Stricker six clear after three rounds at Riviera
Golf Betting Lines
02/07/2010 -
Pacific Palisades, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Stricker polished off a five-
under 66 Sunday and stretched his lead to six strokes after three rounds of
the Northern Trust Open.
Stricker, who led by five entering the day, carded a pair of birdies and a
bogey to wrap up his third round. Twelve players completed their third rounds
Sunday morning after play was suspended on Saturday by darkness.
The tournament had weather problems on Friday that delayed the end of the
second round until Saturday. The forecast for the remainder of Sunday is good
so action is expected to be completed as scheduled around 6:00 p.m. (et).
Luke Donald, who also shot 66 in round three, and J.B. Holmes (67) had
completed their third rounds on Saturday. They share second place at nine-
under-par 204 with Andres Romero, who polished off his 70 on Sunday morning at
Riviera Country Club.
Stricker returned to the course Sunday morning and had a 37-foot birdie putt
on the par-four 15th. He poured that putt in and made it two in a row as he
also birdied the par-three 16th.
After making par on the par-five 17th, Stricker missed a 14-foot par putt at
the last as his lead dipped from seven to six entering the final round.
This is the ninth time Stricker has owned a piece of the lead entering the
final round. Stricker won just three of those previous eight events.
Kevin Stadler (69), George McNeill (66) and Dustin Johnson (74) share fifth
place at eight-under-par 205. Steve Marino (69), Ricky Barnes (69), Anthony
Kim (69) and Alex Prugh (66) are one stroke back at minus-seven.
NOTES: There was a second cut that reduced the final-round field to 72
players...Nine players -- Bob Estes, Nick O'Hern, Fredrik Jacobson, David
Duval, Rory Sabbatini, Ryan Moore, Bill Lunde, Cameron Beckman and Richard S.
Johnson -- made the cut, but will not play the final round.
<< England draws Wales in EURO 2012 qualifying
Warsaw, Poland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England will take on Wales in qualifying
after the two nations were placed in the same Euro 2012 group.
Switzerland, Bulgaria and Montenegro were also drawn in Group G alongside
England and Wales ah
<< Canadiens invite struggling Bruins to Montreal
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins will try to avoid tying the longest
losing streak in franchise history when they visit the rival Montreal
Canadiens for today's Northeast Division clash at Bell Centre.
The Bruins have gone the last 10 ga
<< Ovechkin's red-hot Caps host Crosby and Pens
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The hottest team in the NHL will take on the defending
Stanley Cup champions today when Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals
welcome Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins for an Eastern Conference showdown
at Verizon Cente
<< Magic and Celtics renew rivalry in Beantown
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The latest round of what is quickly becoming one of the
best rivalries in the Eastern Conference takes place at TD Garden this
afternoon as the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Celtics host the Southeast's
top squad, the Orla
<< Raptors host reeling Kings
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Home cooking figures to be key this afternoon as the
Toronto Raptors shoot for their seventh consecutive win at Air Canada Centre
against a Sacramento Kings team aiming to avoid an 11th straight road loss.
The Raptors open
Italy tops Ukraine in Fed Cup quarters >>
Kharkiv, Ukraine (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Francesca Schiavone rallied from a set
down to beat Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine and help defending champion Italy
secure a spot in the Fed Cup semifinals.
Schiavone defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 2
Czechs win doubles match to advance in Fed Cup >>
Brno, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Czech Republic reached the
semifinals of the Fed Cup after disposing Germany in the decisive doubles
match.
The tandem of Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke defeated Anna-Lena Groenefe
Drogba's double sinks Arsenal >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Didier Drogba's first-half brace allowed
Chelsea to claim an important 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on
Sunday, returning the Blues to the top of the Premiership table.
Drogba opened the
Thrashers recall G Lehtonen >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers have recalled
goaltender Kari Lehtonen from a conditioning assignment with the AHL's Chicago
Wolves.
Lehtonen has yet to play in the NHL this season after undergoing back surg
Dodgers ink Brian Giles to minors deal >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed
veteran outfielder Brian Giles to a minor league contract with an invitation
to spring training.
The 39-year-old battled an arthritic right knee last season
MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds
According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.
Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet. The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.
MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State. Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.
Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL. In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
ODDS TO WIN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Notre Dame
Ohio State
West Virginia
Texas
USC
Florida
California
Auburn
Oklahoma
Iowa
Louisville
Florida State
Michigan
Miami (FL)
LSU
Penn State
Virginia Tech
Nebraska
Tennessee
Georgia
Arizona State
Oregon
Clemson
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Alabama
Arkansas
Boston College
Michigan State
Maryland
South Carolina
Colorado
Purdue
Georgia Tech
TCU
UCLA
Arizona
Pittsburgh
Iowa State
Wisconsin
North Carolina State
Virginia
North Carolina
Fresno State
Hawaii
Northwestern
BYU
Oregon State
UNLV
Field (Any Other Team) |
5-1
7-1
8-1
8-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
18-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
70-1
70-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
100-1
150-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
200-1
250-1
250-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
300-1
400-1
500-1
500-1
500-1
500-1
1000-1
1000-1
40-1 |
ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Miami (FL)
Florida State
Virginia Tech
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina State
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Duke |
2-1
2-1
3-1
7-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
50-1
500-1 |
ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Texas Tech
Colorado
Iowa State
Texas A&M
Kansas State
Missouri
Kansas
Baylor
Oklahoma State |
7-5
9-5
9-2
12-1
14-1
15-1
15-1
30-1
30-1
35-1
100-1
100-1 |
ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Auburn
Florida
LSU
Georgia
Tennessee
Arkansas
Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
Mississippi State
Kentucky
Vanderbilt |
5-2
11-4
4-1
6-1
7-1
7-1
9-1
20-1
28-1
75-1
100-1
300-1 |
For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.
The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
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