08/25/2008 - Portsmouth, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darren Fletcher's 32nd-minute goal was enough to give Manchester United its first win of the season as the Red Devils downed Portsmouth 1-0 at Fratton Park on Monday.
Fletcher scored his second goal in as many games after finishing off a cross from Patrice Evra, giving United four points from its first two games, while Portsmouth sits on the bottom of the table having lost to both Chelsea and United to start the season.
Both teams were intent on finding the net early in the match, but it was United that grabbed the opener midway through the half when Evra crossed from the wing to the center of the box for Fletcher, whose close-range effort was deflected by Sol Campbell on its way past Portsmouth goalkeeper David James.
The pace slowed a bit in the second half, but Pompey never managed to sustain a serious attack and United will head into their UEFA Super Cup contest on Friday against Zenit St. Petersburg with a win, while the schedule gets a bit easier for Harry Redknapp's men as they visit Everton.
<< Baltimore Ravens 2008 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a new era for the Baltimore Ravens, on multiple
fronts.
Gone after nine seasons is head coach Brian Billick, who lifted the young
organization to near-immediate heights by winning a Super Bowl in his second
season, o
<< Mavs re-sign Devean George
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks re-signed veteran swingman
Devean George on Monday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but the Dallas Morning News
reported last week that George agreed to a two-year p
<< Dolphins name Pennington starter
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins made it official on Monday and
selected Chad Pennington as their starting quarterback.
Pennington was signed by the Dolphins just a few days after his release from
the New York Jets, who h
<< Blue Jays option Mench
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays optioned outfielder Kevin
Mench to Triple-A Syracuse Monday.
The 30-year-old Mench batted .235 with nine RBI in 42 games for the Blue Jays
this season.
A corresponding move will be mad
Broncos release WR Parker >>
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos released wide receiver
Samie Parker on Monday.
Parker joined the club as an unrestricted free agent on April 15 after spending
the first four seasons of his career playing for division
Dallas Cowboys 2008 Season Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2008 season hoping that their
expected rise back to the top of the National Football Conference heap was
only one year too late.
Dallas appeared primed to seize its first NFC crown since 1995 a
Steelers cut Bloom >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers released wide
receiver Jeremy Bloom on Monday.
Originally a fifth-round pitck of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006, he spent
the entire 2006 season on injured reserve after hurting his
Edwards, Busch rivalry perfect timing for upcoming "Chase" >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards sparked
NASCAR's next great rivalry Saturday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway, and
while the two are currently first and second in the Sprint Cup Series point
standings, the feu
Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards
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