Dolgopolov, Chela win Umag openers
Tennis Betting Lines
07/26/2010 - Umag, Croatia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sixth-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov and eighth-seeded Argentine veteran Juan Ignacio Chela were a pair of first- round winners Monday at the Croatia Open.
Chela charged past Spain's Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-4, 6-1, while Dolgopolov held off Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-3) on the red clay at ITC Stella Maris. Dolgopolov needed 2 hours, 36 minutes to stave off a game Lorenzi.
One other first-rounder saw Croatian wild card Franco Skugor paste Italian Filippo Volandri 6-2, 6-1.
This week's top seeds are Russian star Nikolay Davydenko, last week's Hamburg runner-up Jurgen Melzer and long-time Croatian favorite Ivan Ljubicic. The reigning Umag champion Davydenko defeated this week's fourth seed, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in last year's finale here.
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Ryan Parent to a two-year, $1.85 million contract. He will be paid $850,000 in the upcoming 2010-11 season and $1 million in 2011-12. The 23-ye
<< Celtics bring back Marquis Daniels
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics re-signed veteran
guard/forward Marquis Daniels on Monday.
Terms of the deal were not announced, per club policy.
The seven-year veteran posted averages of 5.6 points and 1.
<< Bulls' sign Kurt Thomas
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls made it official on Monday by
signing veteran forward Kurt Thomas.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, per team policy.
The 37-year-old Thomas, a first-round draft pick by Miami in 1995
<< Toronto officially signs Kleiza
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors have signed forward
Linas Kleiza to a multi-year contract.
Per team policy, no details of the deal were announced.
The Raptors had signed Kleiza to an offer sheet that was not m
<< Schneider, Blanton help Phils complete sweep of Rockies
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Schneider hit a two-run triple and
Joe Blanton threw six solid innings, as the Philadelphia Phillies held on to
complete a four-game sweep of Colorado with a 5-4 victory.
Blanton (4-6) struggle
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to terms with second-round draft choice Terrence Cody on a three-year contract. The 6-foot-4, 349-pounder was the 57th overall selection in April's draft. He was a con
Saints sign second-rounder OT Brown >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints have signed
offensive tackle Charles Brown, their 2010 second-round draft choice, to a
four-year contract.
Financial terms of the deal were announced.
The 6-foot-5, 2
Hawks ink free agent Josh Powell >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks bolstered their forward
position on Monday by signing free agent forward/center Josh Powell.
Per club policy, terms of the contract were not announced.
"I look forward to joining a f
Ravens rookie Kindle to miss camp due to head injury >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Sergio
Kindle will miss all of training camp after suffering injuries to his head
when he apparently fell down two flights of stairs at a private residence in
Austin,
Report: Titans file lawsuit against Kiffin, USC >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tennessee Titans have reportedly filed a
lawsuit against the University of Southern California and head coach Lane
Kiffin in the wake of the hiring flap surrounding Kennedy Pola.
On Saturday, USC
FOOTBALL BETTING
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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Pro Football Odds : NFC SOUTH BETTING ODDS
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
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