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Despite a slow start to the season, Denny Hamlin is the favorite to win this week’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. Hamlin checks in with 7/2 NASCAR betting odds.
The Joe Gibbs Racing star is still searching for his first win of the season. In fact, Hamlin has just one Top-10 finish in his five starts this season. To cap things off, he’s placed 33rd and 39th in his last two outings. Last week’s brutal effort at the Auto Club 400 was especially disappointing since Hamlin started second on the grid. He’s got a great history at Martinsville, though, with four career victories under his belt. This might be the week he breaks his slump.
Jimmie Johnson is next in line with 5/1 odds to win at Martinsville. Johnson has already racked up three Top-5 finishes this season. He’s been gaining momentum over the past few weeks, including Top-3 efforts in three out of his last four races—though he’s yet to win this season. Johnson finished second at least week’s Auto Club 400.
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are tied with 8/1 odds each to win this weekend. Harvick is off to a very nice start this season, and he’s carrying some momentum into Martinsville. He’s already racked up three Top-10 finishes—including two among the Top-5—and he earned the checkered flag at last week’s Auto Club 400.
Busch is enjoying a great campaign himself. He’s cracked the Top 10 in four of his five races this season including a stop on the podium. Busch claimed first place at the Jeff Byrd 500 two weeks ago, and he was close against last week after winding up third.
Jeff Gordon rounds out the top five competitors with 9/1 odds to win the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. He’s mostly getting by on name recognition, though, as the veteran driver has just one Top-10 finish this season. Gordon did win the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in late February, but he hasn’t done better than 14th in his past three races.
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The Joe Gibbs Racing star is still searching for his first win of the season. In fact, Hamlin has just one Top-10 finish in his five starts this season. To cap things off, he’s placed 33rd and 39th in his last two outings. Last week’s brutal effort at the Auto Club 400 was especially disappointing since Hamlin started second on the grid. He’s got a great history at Martinsville, though, with four career victories under his belt. This might be the week he breaks his slump.
Jimmie Johnson is next in line with 5/1 odds to win at Martinsville. Johnson has already racked up three Top-5 finishes this season. He’s been gaining momentum over the past few weeks, including Top-3 efforts in three out of his last four races—though he’s yet to win this season. Johnson finished second at least week’s Auto Club 400.
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are tied with 8/1 odds each to win this weekend. Harvick is off to a very nice start this season, and he’s carrying some momentum into Martinsville. He’s already racked up three Top-10 finishes—including two among the Top-5—and he earned the checkered flag at last week’s Auto Club 400.
Busch is enjoying a great campaign himself. He’s cracked the Top 10 in four of his five races this season including a stop on the podium. Busch claimed first place at the Jeff Byrd 500 two weeks ago, and he was close against last week after winding up third.
Jeff Gordon rounds out the top five competitors with 9/1 odds to win the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. He’s mostly getting by on name recognition, though, as the veteran driver has just one Top-10 finish this season. Gordon did win the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in late February, but he hasn’t done better than 14th in his past three races.
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Arguably the best tennis tournament of the first half of the season, outside of the majors, is the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, and the men’s final on Sunday should be spectacular as world No. 1 Rafael Nadal faces probably the actual best player in the world right now, Novak Djokovic for the title. Nadal opened as the -125 favorite on Bodog’s tennis odds.
Friday night, Nadal beat Roger Federer yet again, but this one was notable for a few reasons. First, it was the first time they had played in the United States in six years. And second, it was shockingly lopsided. Nadal crushed Federer 6-3, 6-2 in a victory that lasted only 78 minutes. Nadal broke Federer four times and lost only 10 points on his serve. Federer committed a whopping 31 unforced errors to Nadal’s 10. It made the Spaniard 15-8 career against Federer.
Now Nadal gets the hottest player in the world in Djokovic, the winner of the Australian Open, the year’s first major. Djokovic smashed Mardy Fish, 6-3, 6-1 and is now 23-0 in singles matches this year. He has not had his serve broken in 40 games at this tournament and is off to the best start to a season since Ivan Lendl won 25 in a row in 1986. He already beat Nadal once this year, coming in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago.
However, Nadal leads the matchup 16-8 all-time, but that’s a tad misleading. Nadal is 9-0 on clay, his best surface, and 2-0 on grass. Djokovic leads 8-5 on hard courts. Nadal has won four of their five ATP finals, played out on three different surfaces.
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Friday night, Nadal beat Roger Federer yet again, but this one was notable for a few reasons. First, it was the first time they had played in the United States in six years. And second, it was shockingly lopsided. Nadal crushed Federer 6-3, 6-2 in a victory that lasted only 78 minutes. Nadal broke Federer four times and lost only 10 points on his serve. Federer committed a whopping 31 unforced errors to Nadal’s 10. It made the Spaniard 15-8 career against Federer.
Now Nadal gets the hottest player in the world in Djokovic, the winner of the Australian Open, the year’s first major. Djokovic smashed Mardy Fish, 6-3, 6-1 and is now 23-0 in singles matches this year. He has not had his serve broken in 40 games at this tournament and is off to the best start to a season since Ivan Lendl won 25 in a row in 1986. He already beat Nadal once this year, coming in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago.
However, Nadal leads the matchup 16-8 all-time, but that’s a tad misleading. Nadal is 9-0 on clay, his best surface, and 2-0 on grass. Djokovic leads 8-5 on hard courts. Nadal has won four of their five ATP finals, played out on three different surfaces.
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Most of the attention heading into the first major tournament of the PGA Tour season will be on Tiger Woods. The fact he’s no longer the top golfer in the world and hasn’t won at Augusta since 2005 is immaterial. Woods is still the main attraction. No surprise there.
What you might be surprised to learn is that Woods is also the favourite to be slipping on the green jacket on Sunday. This despite not having won a tournament since the 2009 Australian Masters.
At Bodog, we’re giving Tiger 6/1 odds to win the 2011 Masters, followed by defending champion Phil Mickelson at 8/1, and Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 golfers according to the official rankings, respectively, each at 14/1.
On Thursday, Woods took to Twitter and wrote, “Logging so many hours heading into Augusta this week. Nervous, excited, hoping the hard work pays off.”
Based on his 2011 results, some hard work was necessary. Woods is coming off a ho-hum performance at Bay Hill, where he finished in a tie for 24th, seven strokes back of the winner, Martin Laird.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational was far from a disaster for Woods, but a 74-72 weekend had to be disappointing after being in contention following a 68 on Friday. Of particular concern had to be his driving accuracy, which tallied 51.8 percent. Laird, on the other hand, hit more than 70 percent of fairways on his way to victory.
Woods currently ranks 187th in driving accuracy. He’s 189th in total driving, which takes into account distance and accuracy off the tee.
While it’s true that Woods hasn’t won the Masters since 2005, it’s also true that he hasn’t finished worse than a tie for sixth in the five tournaments since. Last year he ended up in a tie for fourth, five strokes behind Mickelson. And that was his first tournament in 20 weeks following a sex scandal that you might’ve read about in the news.
Tiger is a four-time Masters champion and has 11 top 10s in his last 14 tries. Obviously Augusta is a course he enjoys playing.
In addition to Tiger and the rest of the favourites, we’re also seeing strong betting support for a number of the young PGA Tour stars like Rory McIlroy (20/1), Rickie Fowler (40/1) and even 19-year-old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa (125/1), who has appeared in two Masters and been cut on both occasions.
If you ask McIlroy, however, betting on young golfers at Augusta might not be so smart.
"I think I can speak on behalf of a lot of the guys who have only played there a couple of times; it takes a while to learn the golf course and it takes a while to feel 100 percent comfortable on it,” said McIlroy.
"Of course the Masters is always going to be a tournament that everyone in the field feels that they can win, but I think you’ll still see the usual suspects up there on Sunday."
For all your 2011 Masters odds and PGA Tour betting, visit the Bodog sportsbook.
What you might be surprised to learn is that Woods is also the favourite to be slipping on the green jacket on Sunday. This despite not having won a tournament since the 2009 Australian Masters.
At Bodog, we’re giving Tiger 6/1 odds to win the 2011 Masters, followed by defending champion Phil Mickelson at 8/1, and Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 golfers according to the official rankings, respectively, each at 14/1.
On Thursday, Woods took to Twitter and wrote, “Logging so many hours heading into Augusta this week. Nervous, excited, hoping the hard work pays off.”
Based on his 2011 results, some hard work was necessary. Woods is coming off a ho-hum performance at Bay Hill, where he finished in a tie for 24th, seven strokes back of the winner, Martin Laird.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational was far from a disaster for Woods, but a 74-72 weekend had to be disappointing after being in contention following a 68 on Friday. Of particular concern had to be his driving accuracy, which tallied 51.8 percent. Laird, on the other hand, hit more than 70 percent of fairways on his way to victory.
Woods currently ranks 187th in driving accuracy. He’s 189th in total driving, which takes into account distance and accuracy off the tee.
While it’s true that Woods hasn’t won the Masters since 2005, it’s also true that he hasn’t finished worse than a tie for sixth in the five tournaments since. Last year he ended up in a tie for fourth, five strokes behind Mickelson. And that was his first tournament in 20 weeks following a sex scandal that you might’ve read about in the news.
Tiger is a four-time Masters champion and has 11 top 10s in his last 14 tries. Obviously Augusta is a course he enjoys playing.
In addition to Tiger and the rest of the favourites, we’re also seeing strong betting support for a number of the young PGA Tour stars like Rory McIlroy (20/1), Rickie Fowler (40/1) and even 19-year-old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa (125/1), who has appeared in two Masters and been cut on both occasions.
If you ask McIlroy, however, betting on young golfers at Augusta might not be so smart.
"I think I can speak on behalf of a lot of the guys who have only played there a couple of times; it takes a while to learn the golf course and it takes a while to feel 100 percent comfortable on it,” said McIlroy.
"Of course the Masters is always going to be a tournament that everyone in the field feels that they can win, but I think you’ll still see the usual suspects up there on Sunday."
For all your 2011 Masters odds and PGA Tour betting, visit the Bodog sportsbook.
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The tee times for the first two rounds of the Masters have been released – and Phil Mickelson will be begin defense of his 2010 Masters win at 1:48 p.m. Thursday, playing with Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy and reigning U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein. Lefty has emerged as the Bodog betting favorite after he shot 63-65 during the weekend to win the Houston Open on Sunday. Mickelson could take over the top spot in the world rankings for the first time if he wins this week.
"I like the latest tee time possible here," Mickelson said. "By five o'clock, it's calmed down. The wind seems to subside, it seems so peaceful. I would love nothing more than to have the last tee time every day."
Tiger Woods will tee off Thursday in the 10:41 a.m. (Eastern) group with reigning U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Australia’s Robert Allenby. His Friday tee time is 1:48 p.m., the next-to-last group.
The top two players in the world, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, will face each other on Thursday and Friday and will be joined in the group by Matt Kuchar. Kaymer hasn’t been good at Augusta, having not made the cut in all three Masters he has played in so far.
Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will get the action started Thursday with ceremonial tee shots at 7:40 a.m. The telecast of the first and second rounds will start an hour earlier than usual this year, airing from 3 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Eastern time Thursday and Friday on ESPN.
Here are the first- and second-round groupings and tee times for the 2011 Masters:
• 7:45 a.m./10:52 a.m. – Jonathan Byrd, Ross Fisher, Sean O'Hair
• 7:56 a.m./11:03 a.m. – Sandy Lyle, Alex Cejka, a-David Chung
• 8:07 a.m./1:14 a.m. – Jerry Kelly, Camilo Villegas, Jeff Overton
• 8:18 a.m./11:25 a.m. – Ben Crenshaw, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Na
• 8:29 a.m./11:36 a.m. – Mark O'Meara, Anders Hansen, Heath Slocum
• 8:40 a.m./11:47 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Nick Watney
• 8:51 a.m./12:09 p.m. – Vijay Singh, Tim Clark, Aaron Baddeley
• 9:02 a.m./12:20 p.m. – Gregory Havret, Carl Pettersen, Ryan Palmer
• 9:14 a.m./12:31 p.m. – Martin Laird, Mark Wilson, Bo Van Pelt
• 9:24 a.m./12:42 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
• 9:35 a.m./12:53 p.m. – Mike Weir, Hiroyuki Fujita, Retief Goosen
• 9:57 a.m./1:04 p.m. – Padraig Harrington, Ryo Ishikawa, Bill Haas
• 10:08 a.m./1:15 p.m. – Larry Mize, Rory Sabbatini, a-Jin Jeong
• 10:19 a.m./1:26 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar
• 10:30 a.m./1:37 p.m. – Hunter Mahan, Ernie Els, Francesco Molinari
• 10:41 a.m./1:48 p.m. – Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Robert Allenby
• 10:52 a.m./1:59 p.m. – Arjun Atwal, Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson
• 11:03 a.m./7:45 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Stuart Appleby, Charley Hoffman
• 11:14 a.m./7:56 a.m. – Ian Woosnam, D.A. Points, Ben Crane
• 11:25 a.m./8:07 a.m. – Craig Stadler, Kevin Streelman, a-Nathan Smith
• 11:36 a.m./8:18 a.m. – Peter Hanson, Kyung-Tae Kim, Ryan Moore
• 11:47 a.m./8:29 a.m. – Angel Cabrera, Ian Poulter, David Toms
• 12:09 p.m./8:40 a.m. – Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover, a-Hideki Matsuyama
• 12:20 p.m./8:51 a.m. – Zach Johnson, Y.E. Yang, Migual Angel Jimenez
• 12:31 p.m./9:02 a.m. – Jose Maria Olazabal, Davis Love III, a-Lion Kim
• 12:42 p.m./9:13 a.m. – Tom Watson, Ricky Barnes, Jason Bohn
• 12:53 p.m./9:24 a.m. – Fred Couples, Luke Donald, Steve Stricker
• 1:04 p.m./9:35 a.m. – Anthony Kim, Henrik Stenson, Steve Marino
• 1:15 p.m./9:57 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Edoardo Molinari
• 1:26 p.m./10:08 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Yuta Ikeda
• 1:37 p.m./10:19 a.m. – Justin Rose, K.J. Choi, Louis Oosthuizen
• 1:48 p.m./10:30 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, a-Peter Uihlein
• 1:59 p.m./10:41 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland, Alvaro Quiros
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"I like the latest tee time possible here," Mickelson said. "By five o'clock, it's calmed down. The wind seems to subside, it seems so peaceful. I would love nothing more than to have the last tee time every day."
Tiger Woods will tee off Thursday in the 10:41 a.m. (Eastern) group with reigning U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Australia’s Robert Allenby. His Friday tee time is 1:48 p.m., the next-to-last group.
The top two players in the world, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, will face each other on Thursday and Friday and will be joined in the group by Matt Kuchar. Kaymer hasn’t been good at Augusta, having not made the cut in all three Masters he has played in so far.
Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will get the action started Thursday with ceremonial tee shots at 7:40 a.m. The telecast of the first and second rounds will start an hour earlier than usual this year, airing from 3 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Eastern time Thursday and Friday on ESPN.
Here are the first- and second-round groupings and tee times for the 2011 Masters:
• 7:45 a.m./10:52 a.m. – Jonathan Byrd, Ross Fisher, Sean O'Hair
• 7:56 a.m./11:03 a.m. – Sandy Lyle, Alex Cejka, a-David Chung
• 8:07 a.m./1:14 a.m. – Jerry Kelly, Camilo Villegas, Jeff Overton
• 8:18 a.m./11:25 a.m. – Ben Crenshaw, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Na
• 8:29 a.m./11:36 a.m. – Mark O'Meara, Anders Hansen, Heath Slocum
• 8:40 a.m./11:47 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Nick Watney
• 8:51 a.m./12:09 p.m. – Vijay Singh, Tim Clark, Aaron Baddeley
• 9:02 a.m./12:20 p.m. – Gregory Havret, Carl Pettersen, Ryan Palmer
• 9:14 a.m./12:31 p.m. – Martin Laird, Mark Wilson, Bo Van Pelt
• 9:24 a.m./12:42 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
• 9:35 a.m./12:53 p.m. – Mike Weir, Hiroyuki Fujita, Retief Goosen
• 9:57 a.m./1:04 p.m. – Padraig Harrington, Ryo Ishikawa, Bill Haas
• 10:08 a.m./1:15 p.m. – Larry Mize, Rory Sabbatini, a-Jin Jeong
• 10:19 a.m./1:26 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar
• 10:30 a.m./1:37 p.m. – Hunter Mahan, Ernie Els, Francesco Molinari
• 10:41 a.m./1:48 p.m. – Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Robert Allenby
• 10:52 a.m./1:59 p.m. – Arjun Atwal, Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson
• 11:03 a.m./7:45 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Stuart Appleby, Charley Hoffman
• 11:14 a.m./7:56 a.m. – Ian Woosnam, D.A. Points, Ben Crane
• 11:25 a.m./8:07 a.m. – Craig Stadler, Kevin Streelman, a-Nathan Smith
• 11:36 a.m./8:18 a.m. – Peter Hanson, Kyung-Tae Kim, Ryan Moore
• 11:47 a.m./8:29 a.m. – Angel Cabrera, Ian Poulter, David Toms
• 12:09 p.m./8:40 a.m. – Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover, a-Hideki Matsuyama
• 12:20 p.m./8:51 a.m. – Zach Johnson, Y.E. Yang, Migual Angel Jimenez
• 12:31 p.m./9:02 a.m. – Jose Maria Olazabal, Davis Love III, a-Lion Kim
• 12:42 p.m./9:13 a.m. – Tom Watson, Ricky Barnes, Jason Bohn
• 12:53 p.m./9:24 a.m. – Fred Couples, Luke Donald, Steve Stricker
• 1:04 p.m./9:35 a.m. – Anthony Kim, Henrik Stenson, Steve Marino
• 1:15 p.m./9:57 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Edoardo Molinari
• 1:26 p.m./10:08 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Yuta Ikeda
• 1:37 p.m./10:19 a.m. – Justin Rose, K.J. Choi, Louis Oosthuizen
• 1:48 p.m./10:30 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, a-Peter Uihlein
• 1:59 p.m./10:41 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland, Alvaro Quiros
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After at blistering performance last weekend, Phil Mickelson has passed Tiger Woods on this week’s PGA betting board. Mickelson is a 6/1 favorite to win the Masters tournament.
Mickelson is the defending champion and, while he’s been a little inconsistent this season, he’s gaining tons of momentum exactly when he needs it most. “Lefty” was on fire during last weekend’s victory at the Shell Houston Open, including a course-record 63 during his third round. It was Mickelson’s first win of the season and his third Top-10 effort.
Woods slips to second place on the Masters odds at 8/1. The superstar hasn’t won a tournament since 2009, yet he still finds himself getting tons of action. Woods has hardly justified it this season. He’s hit the links four times and his only decent showing was a 10th-place finish at the WGC Cadillac Championship; he’s placed 24th or worse in his other three outings.
Lee Westwood is third in line with 14/1 odds to win the Masters but, like Woods, he’s hardly carrying any momentum into the weekend. Westwood has hit the PGA Tour four times this season and has yet to finish better than 17th. He was just 30th at last weekend’s Shell Houston Open—not exactly a top-notch tune-up effort.
Nick Watney, meanwhile, is about as hot as you can be heading into a tournament. He checks in with 16/1 tournament odds and probably offers more value than the three men ahead of him. Watney has finished in the Top 10 in five of his six tournaments this season, with his worst finish being a 13th-place effort at the Transitions Championship. He’s already got a victory under his belt after winning the WGC Cadillac Championship in early March.
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Mickelson is the defending champion and, while he’s been a little inconsistent this season, he’s gaining tons of momentum exactly when he needs it most. “Lefty” was on fire during last weekend’s victory at the Shell Houston Open, including a course-record 63 during his third round. It was Mickelson’s first win of the season and his third Top-10 effort.
Woods slips to second place on the Masters odds at 8/1. The superstar hasn’t won a tournament since 2009, yet he still finds himself getting tons of action. Woods has hardly justified it this season. He’s hit the links four times and his only decent showing was a 10th-place finish at the WGC Cadillac Championship; he’s placed 24th or worse in his other three outings.
Lee Westwood is third in line with 14/1 odds to win the Masters but, like Woods, he’s hardly carrying any momentum into the weekend. Westwood has hit the PGA Tour four times this season and has yet to finish better than 17th. He was just 30th at last weekend’s Shell Houston Open—not exactly a top-notch tune-up effort.
Nick Watney, meanwhile, is about as hot as you can be heading into a tournament. He checks in with 16/1 tournament odds and probably offers more value than the three men ahead of him. Watney has finished in the Top 10 in five of his six tournaments this season, with his worst finish being a 13th-place effort at the Transitions Championship. He’s already got a victory under his belt after winning the WGC Cadillac Championship in early March.
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Erik Morales and Marcos Maidana won’t be the only ones throwing down this Saturday; Robert Guerrero and Michael Katsidis will hook up in the co-main event with the WBA and WBO interim lightweight championships on the line. Bet on boxing with Bodog.
The 28-year-old Guerrero carries all the momentum into the fight. The American is 28-1-1-2 in his career, and he hasn’t lost a fight since March 2006, when the southpaw dropped a split decision to Gamaliel Diaz.
Since then, he’s won 12 fights and fought two no-contests. His last five fights were all victories, including a unanimous decision over Vicente Escobedo last November. The victory earned Guerrero the WBO inter-continental lightweight championship. Guerrero’s past two wins have come via unanimous decision, though he does have 18 career knockouts to his credit.
Guerrero has won plenty of belts in the past; he’s a former IBF super featherweight champion and two-time IBF featherweight champion of the world. He vacated the IBF super featherweight title to be with his wife during her battle with leukemia.
The 30-year-old Katsidis has 30 career fights to his credit, going 27-3 with 22 career knockouts. All three losses have come in his past seven fights, however. Katsidis was knocked out in his last fight, a ninth-round defeat at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in November.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Katsidis, as he was fighting for the WBA, WBO and The Ring lightweight championships. The Australian was enjoying a four-fight winning streak before that, which including winning and defending the WBO Asia Pacific lightweight championship and WBO interim lightweight championship.
His power could be on full display against Guerrero, though, as two of Katsidis’ past three victories have come via knockout—in the third round over Kevin Mitchell (May 2010) and in the eighth round over Jesus Chavez (May 2009).
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The 28-year-old Guerrero carries all the momentum into the fight. The American is 28-1-1-2 in his career, and he hasn’t lost a fight since March 2006, when the southpaw dropped a split decision to Gamaliel Diaz.
Since then, he’s won 12 fights and fought two no-contests. His last five fights were all victories, including a unanimous decision over Vicente Escobedo last November. The victory earned Guerrero the WBO inter-continental lightweight championship. Guerrero’s past two wins have come via unanimous decision, though he does have 18 career knockouts to his credit.
Guerrero has won plenty of belts in the past; he’s a former IBF super featherweight champion and two-time IBF featherweight champion of the world. He vacated the IBF super featherweight title to be with his wife during her battle with leukemia.
The 30-year-old Katsidis has 30 career fights to his credit, going 27-3 with 22 career knockouts. All three losses have come in his past seven fights, however. Katsidis was knocked out in his last fight, a ninth-round defeat at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in November.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Katsidis, as he was fighting for the WBA, WBO and The Ring lightweight championships. The Australian was enjoying a four-fight winning streak before that, which including winning and defending the WBO Asia Pacific lightweight championship and WBO interim lightweight championship.
His power could be on full display against Guerrero, though, as two of Katsidis’ past three victories have come via knockout—in the third round over Kevin Mitchell (May 2010) and in the eighth round over Jesus Chavez (May 2009).
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Fans who like to bet on boxing will be treated to a title fight this Saturday when Erik Morales and Marcos Maidana fight for the interim WBA light welterweight championship.
Morales was riding a four-fight losing streak in 2005-2007, including back-to-back losses to Manny Pacquiao. That was enough to force Morales’ retirement, which he only recently ended. The 34-year-old Mexican legend officially announced his return to the ring in March 2010 by earning a unanimous decision over Jose Alfara. That victory earned him the WBC International Welterweight title.
Morales has now won three consecutive fights, running his career record to 51-6 with 35 knockouts. He picked up a knockout over Willie Limond in the sixth round last September before earning a unanimous decision over Francisco Lorenzo in December.
Maidana is much younger than Morales at 27 years old. The Argentinean has plenty of experience, though, going 29-2 during his professional career. Perhaps even more impressively, 27 of his 29 career victories have come via knockout.
Maidana won the interim WBA light welterweight title with a sixth-round knockout over Victor Ortiz in June 2009. He defended the title several times, winning four straight, and earned a shot at the WBA light welterweight world title. After a sluggish start and getting knocked down early on, Maidana put up a hell of a fight against reigning champion Amir Kahn—they fought in December—eventually losing a unanimous decision in a bout that gained major recognition as the 2010 Fight of the Year.
Maidana’s only other loss came to Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik. Maidana lost a split decision and failed to capture the WBA light welterweight world title.
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Morales was riding a four-fight losing streak in 2005-2007, including back-to-back losses to Manny Pacquiao. That was enough to force Morales’ retirement, which he only recently ended. The 34-year-old Mexican legend officially announced his return to the ring in March 2010 by earning a unanimous decision over Jose Alfara. That victory earned him the WBC International Welterweight title.
Morales has now won three consecutive fights, running his career record to 51-6 with 35 knockouts. He picked up a knockout over Willie Limond in the sixth round last September before earning a unanimous decision over Francisco Lorenzo in December.
Maidana is much younger than Morales at 27 years old. The Argentinean has plenty of experience, though, going 29-2 during his professional career. Perhaps even more impressively, 27 of his 29 career victories have come via knockout.
Maidana won the interim WBA light welterweight title with a sixth-round knockout over Victor Ortiz in June 2009. He defended the title several times, winning four straight, and earned a shot at the WBA light welterweight world title. After a sluggish start and getting knocked down early on, Maidana put up a hell of a fight against reigning champion Amir Kahn—they fought in December—eventually losing a unanimous decision in a bout that gained major recognition as the 2010 Fight of the Year.
Maidana’s only other loss came to Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik. Maidana lost a split decision and failed to capture the WBA light welterweight world title.
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With his struggles on and off the green, Tiger Woods was almost becoming an afterthought. Almost. Friday he made his move back into the spotlight with a second round that puts him three back of the lead.
Woods, after shooting a mediocre 71 in Round 1 shot a blistering 66 in Round 2. Woods ties his lowest second round at The Masters and sits at -7.
“I just kept staying patient,” Woods said. “I tried to piece together a good back nine, maybe a couple more, and got a little hot.”
Woods has flirted with returning to his dominant self since his messy divorce scandal, but seemed to always crumble on the back nine. Friday was a different story. After bogeying three holes on the front nine Woods caught fire, birdieing on the 10, 13, 14, 15, and 18.
Woods now sits behind Jason Day at -8 and the leader Rory Mcllroy at -10 while tied at third with K.J. Choi.
“I’m three back, I’m right where I need to be,” Woods said. “I’ve closed the gap after yesterday’s round. Hopefully I can piece together another good round, stay patient, and keep prodding along.”
Woods will be paired with Choi on Saturday. They paired up four times last year so don’t expect Choi to be too intimidated by going up against one of golf’s most dominant players.
Bettors should keep their eyes open for PGA odds before the third round.
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Woods, after shooting a mediocre 71 in Round 1 shot a blistering 66 in Round 2. Woods ties his lowest second round at The Masters and sits at -7.
“I just kept staying patient,” Woods said. “I tried to piece together a good back nine, maybe a couple more, and got a little hot.”
Woods has flirted with returning to his dominant self since his messy divorce scandal, but seemed to always crumble on the back nine. Friday was a different story. After bogeying three holes on the front nine Woods caught fire, birdieing on the 10, 13, 14, 15, and 18.
Woods now sits behind Jason Day at -8 and the leader Rory Mcllroy at -10 while tied at third with K.J. Choi.
“I’m three back, I’m right where I need to be,” Woods said. “I’ve closed the gap after yesterday’s round. Hopefully I can piece together another good round, stay patient, and keep prodding along.”
Woods will be paired with Choi on Saturday. They paired up four times last year so don’t expect Choi to be too intimidated by going up against one of golf’s most dominant players.
Bettors should keep their eyes open for PGA odds before the third round.
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NASCAR betting winds its way to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for the Samsung Mobile 500. Denny Hamlin is the favorite with 6/1 odds to win.
Hamlin is off to a rather sluggish start this season, as he has just one finish among the Top 10 (a seventh-place effort at the Kobalt Tools 400). What he does have going for him, however, is a brilliant record at Texas. Hamlin won there both times last season and has eight Top-10 finishes in his last 11 races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Carl Edwards is behind Hamlin with 13/2 odds to win the Samsung Mobile 500. Edwards has racked up four finishes among the Top 10 this season, with three of them coming among the Top 5. He won the Kobalt Tools 400 but doesn’t have a ton of momentum after last week, when he finished 18th at the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.
Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Bush are also tied with 13/2 NASCAR odds. Johnson is still searching for his first win of 2011, but he’s got three Top-5 finishes so far. He didn’t fare so well last weekend, though, placing 11th. Johnson loves the Texas track, however, and has seven Top-5s and 11 Top-10s there—including a win in 2007.
Busch is off to a great start this season. He’s already racked up five finishes among the Top 10, four of which were among the Top 5. The Joe Gibbs Racing star was victorious at the Jeff Byrd 500 a few weeks ago, and he’s finished first, third, and third in his past three races. Busch also has a solid history at Texas Motor Speedway; he had a third-place finish there last season and has cracked the Top 10 six times.
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Hamlin is off to a rather sluggish start this season, as he has just one finish among the Top 10 (a seventh-place effort at the Kobalt Tools 400). What he does have going for him, however, is a brilliant record at Texas. Hamlin won there both times last season and has eight Top-10 finishes in his last 11 races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Carl Edwards is behind Hamlin with 13/2 odds to win the Samsung Mobile 500. Edwards has racked up four finishes among the Top 10 this season, with three of them coming among the Top 5. He won the Kobalt Tools 400 but doesn’t have a ton of momentum after last week, when he finished 18th at the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.
Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Bush are also tied with 13/2 NASCAR odds. Johnson is still searching for his first win of 2011, but he’s got three Top-5 finishes so far. He didn’t fare so well last weekend, though, placing 11th. Johnson loves the Texas track, however, and has seven Top-5s and 11 Top-10s there—including a win in 2007.
Busch is off to a great start this season. He’s already racked up five finishes among the Top 10, four of which were among the Top 5. The Joe Gibbs Racing star was victorious at the Jeff Byrd 500 a few weeks ago, and he’s finished first, third, and third in his past three races. Busch also has a solid history at Texas Motor Speedway; he had a third-place finish there last season and has cracked the Top 10 six times.
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After a week off following the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the Formula One series returns this Sunday (4 a.m. Eastern start time in U.S.) with the Malaysian Grand Prix and Sebastian Vettel is the overwhelming 11/10 favorite on Bodog’s motor sports odds.
Vettel, the defending series champion, had a flying start to the 2011 season in Australia, when he scored a comfortable victory ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Vetter also won the pole Down Under with a lap almost eight-tenths of a second quicker than second-best qualifier Hamilton. Overall Vettel is looking for his fourth win in a row in the series.
And he may get some help this week. Vettel’s Red Bull team plans to use the new Kinetic Energy Reduction System this week (KERS). Basically, it’s a power boost for the cars using it; the goal is to store the energy produced under braking in a reservoir (either batteries or flywheel) in order to release it under acceleration. Vettel’s chances of victory would seem to be increased with KERS after Red Bull removed it from both cars in Melbourne citing a possible reliability issue. The team is likely going to change its mind because the long straights of Sepang put a greater emphasis upon straight-line speed boosts, whereas Red Bull believed the street circuit in Melbourne wasn’t as suited for KERS. Red Bull driver Mark Webber said this week it was a "no-brainer" to use KERS provided the team can integrate it with the chassis. Other teams did use it in Australia.
Many drivers believe the heat and humidity expected this week will make it a much different race than in Australia. Hamilton opened as the 4/1 second-favorite on Bodog. He has accused Red Bull for gaining an unfair advantage by running a low front wing, but everything has been cleared by FIA. Hamilton, the 2008 world champ, had had a dismal winter of testing (the whole McLaren team did) so his second-place finish in Melbourne was a bit of a surprise. Late alterations by the team's mechanics before that race added more speed to Hamilton and teammate Jenson Button's cars. Button, who finished sixth in Australia, won this race in 2009 when it was weather-shortened. He is 9/1 to win this year. And wet weather is likely this weekend as well.
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Vettel, the defending series champion, had a flying start to the 2011 season in Australia, when he scored a comfortable victory ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Vetter also won the pole Down Under with a lap almost eight-tenths of a second quicker than second-best qualifier Hamilton. Overall Vettel is looking for his fourth win in a row in the series.
And he may get some help this week. Vettel’s Red Bull team plans to use the new Kinetic Energy Reduction System this week (KERS). Basically, it’s a power boost for the cars using it; the goal is to store the energy produced under braking in a reservoir (either batteries or flywheel) in order to release it under acceleration. Vettel’s chances of victory would seem to be increased with KERS after Red Bull removed it from both cars in Melbourne citing a possible reliability issue. The team is likely going to change its mind because the long straights of Sepang put a greater emphasis upon straight-line speed boosts, whereas Red Bull believed the street circuit in Melbourne wasn’t as suited for KERS. Red Bull driver Mark Webber said this week it was a "no-brainer" to use KERS provided the team can integrate it with the chassis. Other teams did use it in Australia.
Many drivers believe the heat and humidity expected this week will make it a much different race than in Australia. Hamilton opened as the 4/1 second-favorite on Bodog. He has accused Red Bull for gaining an unfair advantage by running a low front wing, but everything has been cleared by FIA. Hamilton, the 2008 world champ, had had a dismal winter of testing (the whole McLaren team did) so his second-place finish in Melbourne was a bit of a surprise. Late alterations by the team's mechanics before that race added more speed to Hamilton and teammate Jenson Button's cars. Button, who finished sixth in Australia, won this race in 2009 when it was weather-shortened. He is 9/1 to win this year. And wet weather is likely this weekend as well.
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Tiger Woods caught fire on the front nine, Rory McIlroy collapsed on the back nine as South Africa's Charl Schwartzel birdied four holes in a row to grab his first green jacket.
On a day when everyone made a play to the top of the leaderboard at Augusta, Georgia, Schwartzel made a late charge to take the lead, hitting his at 10-foot birdie on the 17 and a 20-foot birdie on the 18 to seal the win with -14. Schwartzel shot a 66 (-6) on the final day at Augusta, the best round in 22 years.
"Just an exciting day," Schwartzel said. "So many roars, and that atmosphere out there was just incredible. A phenomenal day."
The roars quickly died out for McIlroy. After sitting on top of the leaderboard for three-straight rounds the 21-year-old crumbled under pressure on the back nine. Still leading by one shot heading in the 10th McIlroy hit a shot next to the cabins left of the fairway and twice hit a tree to make triple bogey. He three-putted from seven feet for bogey on the 11th, then four-putted from about 12 feet on the next hole. He went from first to 15th on the biggest day of his PGA career.
"It's never nice to be leading a tournament and do what I did today," McIlroy said.
Woods stumbled on the back nine as well. Woods was on fire on the front nine, making up a seven-shot deficit in nine holes, unfortunately he couldn't maintain momentum, bogeying the 12th hole while only birdieing on the 15.
At least eight players had a piece of the lead on the back nine, Schwartzel was happy he had the will to stay alive.
"There's so many roars that go on around Augusta," Schwartzel said. "Especially the back nine. It echoes through those trees. There's always a roar. Every single hole you walk down, someone has done something. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking at the leaderboard."
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On a day when everyone made a play to the top of the leaderboard at Augusta, Georgia, Schwartzel made a late charge to take the lead, hitting his at 10-foot birdie on the 17 and a 20-foot birdie on the 18 to seal the win with -14. Schwartzel shot a 66 (-6) on the final day at Augusta, the best round in 22 years.
"Just an exciting day," Schwartzel said. "So many roars, and that atmosphere out there was just incredible. A phenomenal day."
The roars quickly died out for McIlroy. After sitting on top of the leaderboard for three-straight rounds the 21-year-old crumbled under pressure on the back nine. Still leading by one shot heading in the 10th McIlroy hit a shot next to the cabins left of the fairway and twice hit a tree to make triple bogey. He three-putted from seven feet for bogey on the 11th, then four-putted from about 12 feet on the next hole. He went from first to 15th on the biggest day of his PGA career.
"It's never nice to be leading a tournament and do what I did today," McIlroy said.
Woods stumbled on the back nine as well. Woods was on fire on the front nine, making up a seven-shot deficit in nine holes, unfortunately he couldn't maintain momentum, bogeying the 12th hole while only birdieing on the 15.
At least eight players had a piece of the lead on the back nine, Schwartzel was happy he had the will to stay alive.
"There's so many roars that go on around Augusta," Schwartzel said. "Especially the back nine. It echoes through those trees. There's always a roar. Every single hole you walk down, someone has done something. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking at the leaderboard."
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Unfortunately for the WTA Tour, most of the big news in women’s tennis this year has seemed to be about injuries. And now it appears that the year’s second major, the French Open, may not have arguably the two best players in the world in the field.
Kim Clijsters could miss the tournament in Paris next month after she severely injured her ankle during her cousin’s wedding party this past weekend. Clijsters, who has won the past two Grand Slam tournaments, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The French Open begins on May 22.
"Since the French Open starts in literally six weeks, Kim's presence in Paris is very uncertain," a statement on Clijsters’ website said. “After a visit to the doctor, echo and NMR the diagnosis is a severe strain of both the medial and lateral ligaments of the right ankle and a torn ligaments, a torn capsule of the ankle joint, a hematoma and torn tendon sheath.”
Last week, Clijsters announced that she'd be sidelined for a month with shoulder and wrist injuries, forcing her out of Belgium's Fed Cup semifinal against the Czech Republic this weekend. Her last competitive outing came on March 31 when she was defeated by Victoria Azarenka in the last eight of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Clijsters, a two-time runner-up at Roland Garros, missed last year's French Open because of a foot injury. She is currently the 9/2 favorite on Bodog’s tennis futures odds to win the French.
It’s still not known if Serena Williams will be at the tournament either. She hasn't played a match since winning last year's Wimbledon due to a foot injury.
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Kim Clijsters could miss the tournament in Paris next month after she severely injured her ankle during her cousin’s wedding party this past weekend. Clijsters, who has won the past two Grand Slam tournaments, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The French Open begins on May 22.
"Since the French Open starts in literally six weeks, Kim's presence in Paris is very uncertain," a statement on Clijsters’ website said. “After a visit to the doctor, echo and NMR the diagnosis is a severe strain of both the medial and lateral ligaments of the right ankle and a torn ligaments, a torn capsule of the ankle joint, a hematoma and torn tendon sheath.”
Last week, Clijsters announced that she'd be sidelined for a month with shoulder and wrist injuries, forcing her out of Belgium's Fed Cup semifinal against the Czech Republic this weekend. Her last competitive outing came on March 31 when she was defeated by Victoria Azarenka in the last eight of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Clijsters, a two-time runner-up at Roland Garros, missed last year's French Open because of a foot injury. She is currently the 9/2 favorite on Bodog’s tennis futures odds to win the French.
It’s still not known if Serena Williams will be at the tournament either. She hasn't played a match since winning last year's Wimbledon due to a foot injury.
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For the first time since the season-opening Daytona 500, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to a superspeedway and a restrictor-plate track for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega. Bet on the race with Bodog’s NASCAR odds.
Talladega, thanks to its three- and four-wide racing often has the “Big One” – a multi-car crash that usually shapes who wins the race by thinning out the contenders. It should be interesting to see what 20-year-old Trevor Bayne does this week. Of course he was the stunning winner at Daytona. Was that luck or does he know how to run on restrictor plates? Bayne, just a part-time driver on the Sprint Cup Series, hasn’t had success since. In his six races since Daytona, Bayne hasn't qualified or finished in the top 15. He crashed twice at Phoenix and got knocked around at Bristol and Martinsville.
Two-car tandems took over the Daytona 500, where the huge pack of cars broke apart as drivers realized that the fastest way around the superspeedway was with just one partner. At Daytona there were a record 74 lead changes among 22 drivers. Look for something similar this week.
Kevin Harvick is one of the Bodog favorites this week. He is the defending champion and clearly loves Talladega’s 2.66-mile high banked oval. In 20 starts at Talladega, Harvick is the only driver among the Top 12 in points who has finished every race he’s started there. Still, he has only that one win.
This may be the perfect track for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to end his 100-race winless streak. Earnhardt has finished 12th or better in every race in 2011, except the season-opener at Daytona. After seven events, he's sixth in the standings and his average finish is 10.9, which would be the highest of his career. Earnhardt has won more at Talladega (five times) than at any other track on the circuit.
Carl Edwards finished second at Daytona for one of his four top-five finishes this season. He looks like the circuit’s top overall driver right now. Kurt Busch also should be in the hunt. He has never won a restrictor-plate race but has led laps in 16 of 20 races at Talladega, has finished third four times and has nine top-10s in the past 13 races.
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Talladega, thanks to its three- and four-wide racing often has the “Big One” – a multi-car crash that usually shapes who wins the race by thinning out the contenders. It should be interesting to see what 20-year-old Trevor Bayne does this week. Of course he was the stunning winner at Daytona. Was that luck or does he know how to run on restrictor plates? Bayne, just a part-time driver on the Sprint Cup Series, hasn’t had success since. In his six races since Daytona, Bayne hasn't qualified or finished in the top 15. He crashed twice at Phoenix and got knocked around at Bristol and Martinsville.
Two-car tandems took over the Daytona 500, where the huge pack of cars broke apart as drivers realized that the fastest way around the superspeedway was with just one partner. At Daytona there were a record 74 lead changes among 22 drivers. Look for something similar this week.
Kevin Harvick is one of the Bodog favorites this week. He is the defending champion and clearly loves Talladega’s 2.66-mile high banked oval. In 20 starts at Talladega, Harvick is the only driver among the Top 12 in points who has finished every race he’s started there. Still, he has only that one win.
This may be the perfect track for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to end his 100-race winless streak. Earnhardt has finished 12th or better in every race in 2011, except the season-opener at Daytona. After seven events, he's sixth in the standings and his average finish is 10.9, which would be the highest of his career. Earnhardt has won more at Talladega (five times) than at any other track on the circuit.
Carl Edwards finished second at Daytona for one of his four top-five finishes this season. He looks like the circuit’s top overall driver right now. Kurt Busch also should be in the hunt. He has never won a restrictor-plate race but has led laps in 16 of 20 races at Talladega, has finished third four times and has nine top-10s in the past 13 races.
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While Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic won’t make this week’s Barcelona Open, tennis betting fans still have plenty of fantastic options—including Rafael Nadal.
Nadal will be the favorite at the BancSabadell Tournament this week, especially with his victory at the Monte Carlo Masters last week. It was the record seventh straight time Nadal had won the tourney. It was the Spaniard’s first win of the season, though he’d been close twice before this year—he lost in the finals at the Sony Ericsson Open and the Paribas Open, falling both times to Djokovic. This time, that won’t be a concern.
Nadal will face plenty of tough competition. Robin Soderling is right at the top of the list; the Swede is searching for his fourth victory of the year; he’s already tasted success at the ATP Tour Open 13, the AMRO World Tennis Tournament, and the Brisbane International. He’s been bounced quickly from his past two tourneys, though, including a third-round loss at the Sony Ericsson in his last outing.
Andy Murray is supposed to play in the Barcelona Open, though an elbow injury could bounce him from the list. Murray played admirably in a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 loss to Nadal in the semis at the Monte Carlo Masters; the Brit needed a cortisone injection in his elbow to make it through the match but, if he passes a scan this week, he should suit up.
Nicolas Almagro may not have name-brand recognition like some of the other players, but he’s got a good shot to win—he’s a clay specialist. Almagro has wins at the Copa Claro and Brasil Open this season, though the Spaniard was bounced early at the Monte Carlo this week; he’ll be looking to rebound.
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Nadal will be the favorite at the BancSabadell Tournament this week, especially with his victory at the Monte Carlo Masters last week. It was the record seventh straight time Nadal had won the tourney. It was the Spaniard’s first win of the season, though he’d been close twice before this year—he lost in the finals at the Sony Ericsson Open and the Paribas Open, falling both times to Djokovic. This time, that won’t be a concern.
Nadal will face plenty of tough competition. Robin Soderling is right at the top of the list; the Swede is searching for his fourth victory of the year; he’s already tasted success at the ATP Tour Open 13, the AMRO World Tennis Tournament, and the Brisbane International. He’s been bounced quickly from his past two tourneys, though, including a third-round loss at the Sony Ericsson in his last outing.
Andy Murray is supposed to play in the Barcelona Open, though an elbow injury could bounce him from the list. Murray played admirably in a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 loss to Nadal in the semis at the Monte Carlo Masters; the Brit needed a cortisone injection in his elbow to make it through the match but, if he passes a scan this week, he should suit up.
Nicolas Almagro may not have name-brand recognition like some of the other players, but he’s got a good shot to win—he’s a clay specialist. Almagro has wins at the Copa Claro and Brasil Open this season, though the Spaniard was bounced early at the Monte Carlo this week; he’ll be looking to rebound.
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After a wild Masters, PGA betting fans are ready to get back in the action. This weekend is as good a time to start as any, as the Heritage Tournament gets underway. Luke Donald is the favorite with 8/1 odds to win.
Donald ranks fifth on the money list this season. He’s been very solid since missing the cut in his first tourney of the year, earning four Top-10 finishes in his past four outings. The Englishman also has a victory under his belt, winning the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. Donald flirted with a green jacket a few weeks ago, finishing fourth at the Masters.
Matt Kuchar is next in line with 14/1 odds to win the Heritage Tournament. The American has already played in nine tournaments this season. He’s cracked the Top-10 six times, including three Top-5 efforts, though he’s still searching for his first win of 2011. Kuchar was inconsistent at the Masters and wound up placing 27th.
Fellow American Jim Furyk rounds out the top three competitors with 16/1 odds to win the Heritage Tournament. Furyk hasn’t really discovered his game yet this season. Though he has a pair of ninth-place finishes, he’s missed the cut twice and has several awful performances in 2011. Furyk got under 70 just once at Augusta, finishing 24th.
Aaron Baddeley and Rickie Fowler each have 20/1 odds this weekend. Baddeley has had an up-and-down season. He’s finished sixth or higher three times—including a win at the Northern Trust Open—but is just as likely to place 30th. At the Masters, for example, Baddeley was 47th.
Fowler’s age is apparent. Though he occasionally flashes some brilliance—he has eight and ninth-place finishes this season—Fowler usually can’t string together four good rounds of golf. He was 38th at the Masters.
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Donald ranks fifth on the money list this season. He’s been very solid since missing the cut in his first tourney of the year, earning four Top-10 finishes in his past four outings. The Englishman also has a victory under his belt, winning the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. Donald flirted with a green jacket a few weeks ago, finishing fourth at the Masters.
Matt Kuchar is next in line with 14/1 odds to win the Heritage Tournament. The American has already played in nine tournaments this season. He’s cracked the Top-10 six times, including three Top-5 efforts, though he’s still searching for his first win of 2011. Kuchar was inconsistent at the Masters and wound up placing 27th.
Fellow American Jim Furyk rounds out the top three competitors with 16/1 odds to win the Heritage Tournament. Furyk hasn’t really discovered his game yet this season. Though he has a pair of ninth-place finishes, he’s missed the cut twice and has several awful performances in 2011. Furyk got under 70 just once at Augusta, finishing 24th.
Aaron Baddeley and Rickie Fowler each have 20/1 odds this weekend. Baddeley has had an up-and-down season. He’s finished sixth or higher three times—including a win at the Northern Trust Open—but is just as likely to place 30th. At the Masters, for example, Baddeley was 47th.
Fowler’s age is apparent. Though he occasionally flashes some brilliance—he has eight and ninth-place finishes this season—Fowler usually can’t string together four good rounds of golf. He was 38th at the Masters.
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After a rare weekend off, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series boys are in Richmond this week for Saturday night’s uniquely named Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hanson 400.
Kyle Busch certainly has to be considered the betting favorite this week on Bodog’s NASCAR odd and he is such at 9/2. Busch has won the past two spring races at the famous ¾-mile Richmond International Raceway oval. He also has four runner-up finishes at RIR and a whopping 10 top-fives in just 12 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. The Las Vegas native has an average finishing position of 5.2, tops among active drivers at Richmond. Busch has completed all 4,810 laps available to him. Of those laps completed, Busch has run in the Top 15 for 4,253 laps (88.4 percent), second-most among active drivers.
Jimmie Johnson (7/1) comes off a wild victory at Talladega for his first win of the new season. But Johnson’s average finish at RIR is 16.9, his second worst among active tracks despite being a three-time winner in 18 starts. He also hasn't finished worse than 11th in his past three races, including top-10s in both events last year.
RIR is one of only three active Cup tracks measuring less than a mile in length, which insures that drivers are never completely clear of traffic. The past three races there have been won by the leader of the most laps has won — all three winners led more than 225 laps: Denny Hamlin (299 in September 2009); Busch (226 in May 2010); and Hamlin (251 in September 2010). In the previous seven races, the leader of the most laps failed to win.
Hamlin (6/1) is a native of Chesterfield County, Va., which is basically just down the block. As you can see he won the last two fall races at the track and has six Top-10 finishes in his 10 Cup starts there. However, Hamlin has just one Top-10 finish in eight starts so far in 2011.
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Kyle Busch certainly has to be considered the betting favorite this week on Bodog’s NASCAR odd and he is such at 9/2. Busch has won the past two spring races at the famous ¾-mile Richmond International Raceway oval. He also has four runner-up finishes at RIR and a whopping 10 top-fives in just 12 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. The Las Vegas native has an average finishing position of 5.2, tops among active drivers at Richmond. Busch has completed all 4,810 laps available to him. Of those laps completed, Busch has run in the Top 15 for 4,253 laps (88.4 percent), second-most among active drivers.
Jimmie Johnson (7/1) comes off a wild victory at Talladega for his first win of the new season. But Johnson’s average finish at RIR is 16.9, his second worst among active tracks despite being a three-time winner in 18 starts. He also hasn't finished worse than 11th in his past three races, including top-10s in both events last year.
RIR is one of only three active Cup tracks measuring less than a mile in length, which insures that drivers are never completely clear of traffic. The past three races there have been won by the leader of the most laps has won — all three winners led more than 225 laps: Denny Hamlin (299 in September 2009); Busch (226 in May 2010); and Hamlin (251 in September 2010). In the previous seven races, the leader of the most laps failed to win.
Hamlin (6/1) is a native of Chesterfield County, Va., which is basically just down the block. As you can see he won the last two fall races at the track and has six Top-10 finishes in his 10 Cup starts there. However, Hamlin has just one Top-10 finish in eight starts so far in 2011.
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The Mutua Madrid Open Tournament is underway, and tennis betting fans are anxious for another battle between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Here’s a look at the tourney's top seeds, who are still waiting for their opponents.
Nadal is easily the favorite thanks to his dominance on clay. His current winning streak on clay stands at 34, making the Spaniard a great candidate to win his third tournament of the year. Nadal already has victories at the Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters—both of which are played on clay.
Nadal’s biggest challenger, of course, will be Djokovic. The Serbian is seeded second in the tournament, but he’s easily been the best player on the tour this year. Djokovic has kicked off 2011 with an incredible 26 consecutive victories; yes, Djokovic has won every tournament he’s played in this season (five titles, including the Australian Open). Some believe Madrid’s high altitude and fast conditions will benefit Djokovic.
Roger Federer has some work ahead of him. The native of Switzerland is coming off a terribly disappointing effort in the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost 4-6, 4-6 to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. Federer might also need somebody else to take care of his biggest competition—he’s already lost in the semifinals to Nadal or Djokovic four times this season.
Andy Murray is still nursing an elbow injury. That kept the Brit out of the Barcelona Open, and he was bounced in the semis at Monte Carlo by Nadal (though he did manage to take a set from the Spaniard). Murray may be the fourth seed, but he’s not 100 percent and should probably be avoided.
An interesting sleeper pick to mull over is No. 6 seed David Ferrer. The Spaniard is playing well, having lost back-to-back finals to Nadal, and has a relatively easy draw, at least until the quarters. He’s also beaten Djokovic in all three of their clay-court meetings.
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Nadal is easily the favorite thanks to his dominance on clay. His current winning streak on clay stands at 34, making the Spaniard a great candidate to win his third tournament of the year. Nadal already has victories at the Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters—both of which are played on clay.
Nadal’s biggest challenger, of course, will be Djokovic. The Serbian is seeded second in the tournament, but he’s easily been the best player on the tour this year. Djokovic has kicked off 2011 with an incredible 26 consecutive victories; yes, Djokovic has won every tournament he’s played in this season (five titles, including the Australian Open). Some believe Madrid’s high altitude and fast conditions will benefit Djokovic.
Roger Federer has some work ahead of him. The native of Switzerland is coming off a terribly disappointing effort in the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost 4-6, 4-6 to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. Federer might also need somebody else to take care of his biggest competition—he’s already lost in the semifinals to Nadal or Djokovic four times this season.
Andy Murray is still nursing an elbow injury. That kept the Brit out of the Barcelona Open, and he was bounced in the semis at Monte Carlo by Nadal (though he did manage to take a set from the Spaniard). Murray may be the fourth seed, but he’s not 100 percent and should probably be avoided.
An interesting sleeper pick to mull over is No. 6 seed David Ferrer. The Spaniard is playing well, having lost back-to-back finals to Nadal, and has a relatively easy draw, at least until the quarters. He’s also beaten Djokovic in all three of their clay-court meetings.
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2006/12/07
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PGA fans get a betting fix this week, as the Wells Fargo Championship tournament begins Thursday. Rory McIlroy won last year, when it was known as the Quail Hollow Championship.
McIlroy will be back to defend his title. The Northern Ireland native hasn’t been seen since the Masters. He was in the hunt for a green jacket at just 21 years old, but McIlroy melted down on the final day, firing an 80 and tumbling all the way to 15th place. McIlroy hasn’t finished better than 10th in four tournaments this season.
A much safer bet this week is Phil Mickelson—although even Lefty has been terribly inconsistent so far. Though he ranks fourth on the money list, Mickelson has just three Top-10 finishes in nine events this season. He has a win at the Shell Houston Open and the Farmers Insurance Open to his credit, but also his fair share of sloppy finishes. One of those came in Mickelson’s last outing—a disappointing 27th-place effort at the Masters.
The No. 2-ranked golfer in the world will be at the Wells Fargo Championship tournament this week, as Martin Kaymer is gunning for a comeback performance after a lousy effort at the Masters. The German missed the cut at the Masters and has just one Top-10 finish in four PGA events this season (second place at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship). Kaymer has a win on the European Tour, but he’s finished 28th or worse in four of his seven tourneys this season.
Tiger Woods won’t be around this week, as he’s nursing a minor knee injury. Woods said he hurt himself during the third round of the Masters, and it marks the fourth time he’s missed a tournament because of his left knee. He hopes to be back in a few weeks.
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McIlroy will be back to defend his title. The Northern Ireland native hasn’t been seen since the Masters. He was in the hunt for a green jacket at just 21 years old, but McIlroy melted down on the final day, firing an 80 and tumbling all the way to 15th place. McIlroy hasn’t finished better than 10th in four tournaments this season.
A much safer bet this week is Phil Mickelson—although even Lefty has been terribly inconsistent so far. Though he ranks fourth on the money list, Mickelson has just three Top-10 finishes in nine events this season. He has a win at the Shell Houston Open and the Farmers Insurance Open to his credit, but also his fair share of sloppy finishes. One of those came in Mickelson’s last outing—a disappointing 27th-place effort at the Masters.
The No. 2-ranked golfer in the world will be at the Wells Fargo Championship tournament this week, as Martin Kaymer is gunning for a comeback performance after a lousy effort at the Masters. The German missed the cut at the Masters and has just one Top-10 finish in four PGA events this season (second place at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship). Kaymer has a win on the European Tour, but he’s finished 28th or worse in four of his seven tourneys this season.
Tiger Woods won’t be around this week, as he’s nursing a minor knee injury. Woods said he hurt himself during the third round of the Masters, and it marks the fourth time he’s missed a tournament because of his left knee. He hopes to be back in a few weeks.
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NASCAR betting winds its way to Darlington this weekend for the Showtime Southern 500. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are tied with 6/1 odds to win the checkered flag.
Hamlin was off to a sluggish start this season, picking up just a single Top-10 finish in his first eight races—a seventh-place effort at the Kobalt Tools 400. He finally got on track last week, though, placing second at the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400. Hamlin has a pretty good track record at Darlington, including a victory there last season.
Busch currently sits third in the Sprint Cup standings. He’s already racked up six finishes among the Top 10 this season, five of them among the Top 5. He edged out Hamlin last weekend for his second victory of the season (Busch also won the Jeff Byrd 500). Busch won at Darlington in 2008 and finished seventh there last season.
Jimmie Johnson figures to be in the mix with 13/2 odds to win the Showtime Southern 500. Johnson, second in the Sprint Cup standings, has six Top-10 efforts this season, including four finishes among the Top 5. He’s searching for his second victory of the season after winning the Aaron’s 499 a few weeks ago. Johnson managed an eight-place finish last weekend despite starting 30th. He’s finished among the Top 5 in three of his last five races at Darlington.
Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon are tied with 8/1 NASCAR odds this weekend. Edwards, of course, leads the Sprint Cup standings. He’s been absolutely dominant, finishing sixth or higher in all but two of his races. He has just one victory, however (at the Kobalt Tools 400).
Gordon has been terribly inconsistent this year, but he has a great track record at Darlington. He’s cracked the Top 5 there in six straight years. In his past 27 races at Darlington, Gordon has made the Top 10 21 times, with seven victories.
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Hamlin was off to a sluggish start this season, picking up just a single Top-10 finish in his first eight races—a seventh-place effort at the Kobalt Tools 400. He finally got on track last week, though, placing second at the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400. Hamlin has a pretty good track record at Darlington, including a victory there last season.
Busch currently sits third in the Sprint Cup standings. He’s already racked up six finishes among the Top 10 this season, five of them among the Top 5. He edged out Hamlin last weekend for his second victory of the season (Busch also won the Jeff Byrd 500). Busch won at Darlington in 2008 and finished seventh there last season.
Jimmie Johnson figures to be in the mix with 13/2 odds to win the Showtime Southern 500. Johnson, second in the Sprint Cup standings, has six Top-10 efforts this season, including four finishes among the Top 5. He’s searching for his second victory of the season after winning the Aaron’s 499 a few weeks ago. Johnson managed an eight-place finish last weekend despite starting 30th. He’s finished among the Top 5 in three of his last five races at Darlington.
Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon are tied with 8/1 NASCAR odds this weekend. Edwards, of course, leads the Sprint Cup standings. He’s been absolutely dominant, finishing sixth or higher in all but two of his races. He has just one victory, however (at the Kobalt Tools 400).
Gordon has been terribly inconsistent this year, but he has a great track record at Darlington. He’s cracked the Top 5 there in six straight years. In his past 27 races at Darlington, Gordon has made the Top 10 21 times, with seven victories.
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The government minister responsible for new legislation in Poland is, Jacek Kapica, who is sure that the new Polish Gambling Act is going to come about although it has not been approved by the European Commission yet.
It has been speculated however that the European Commission is unlikely to approve of the new act because of certain provisions contained within it.
Back in November of 2009 the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk said he was dead set on making online gambling a thing of the past in the nation.
It is 2011 and things are not much different, with Poland moving slowly towards regulated online sports betting while outlawing all other forms of online gaming in the country, including poker, and casino games. Deputy finance minister Jacek Kapica was quoted by the Polish Press Agency as saying: “I expect that the law will come into force in June this year. We will have the next reading of draft in the coming meeting of the Parliament, then the Senate and then after 14 days the Act comes into force.”
If passed, the 12% turnover tax introduced for offline sports betting in January 2010 would be applied online, with all licensed operators required to operate from dot.pl domains, locate their data servers in Poland and run all financial transactions through banks registered in Poland. EU-registered operators will not need to register a company in Poland however. The restrictions on advertizing for gambling and sports sponsorships along with the 12 % turnover tax will make some operators take a second look at operations in Poland fearing the new rules will make it difficult to profit in Poland.