Good weather means increases at Oaklawn
Horseracing Betting Lines
02/08/2012 - Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Not one day of racing has been missed at Oaklawn Park in 2012 allowing the track to increase daily purses. The track announced Wednesday that overnight purses are going up $5,000 a day starting this week.
"We have not lost one single day of training or racing, which has led to competitive field sizes and the nice weather has brought the crowds out that we don't typically see until later in the season," said David Longinotti, Assistant General Manager of Racing. "We are excited to share our good fortune with the horsemen and are hopeful these positive trends will continue as we head into our bigger races."
There has been a 42 percent increase in attendance through the initial 16 days of racing and a 40 percent bump in on-track handle. Off-track wagering has gone up 47 percent.
The 56 day meet concludes on Saturday, April 14 with the running of the $1 million Arkansas Derby.
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres on Wednesday signed veteran hurler Jeff Suppan to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Last season, the 37-year-old right-hander went 11-8 with a 4.7
<< No problem: Houston lands 2013 NBA All-Star Game
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2013 All-Star Game will be held in Houston,
the NBA officially revealed on Wednesday.
The game itself will be played at the Toyota Center on Sunday, February 17
with All-Star festivities starting two da
<< Falcao tabbed as new Bahia boss
Bahia, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paulo Roberto Falcao was named the new
manager of Bahia on Wednesday, replacing Joel Santana, who left the club for
Flamengo.
Falcao spent a short time at Internacional last season before being s
<< BC Lions ink Banks to extension
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The defending champion British Columbia
Lions inked defensive back Korey Banks to a contract extension on Wednesday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Over the past number of years, Korey has bee
<< Mutuel field favored in Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The mutuel field, undefeated Algorithms and
Union Rags are listed as the three favorites for the first Kentucky Derby
Future Wager for the 2012 Run for the Roses.
The pool is comprised of 23 individua
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Betting the underdog in the Super Bowl is never a sure thing as evidenced by Green Bay's win and cover as the favorite in the 2011 contest. However, with the Giants victory as 2.5-point underdogs last S
Capello walks away from England post >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Football Association confirmed on
Wednesday that Fabio Capello has resigned as England manager.
Capello was critical of the FA in an interview with Italian television when it
was announced that J
Ruler On Ice and Shackleford meet in Donn Handicap >>
Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Triple Crown race winners Ruler On Ice
and Shackleford head a field of 11 older thoroughbreds for Saturday's 1 1/8-
mile Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. The two four-year-olds will each be
making
Marlins' Bonifacio wins in arbitration >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arbitrators ruled Wednesday in favor of Emilio
Bonifacio against the Miami Marlins.
Bonifacio will make $2.2 million next season instead of the $1.95 million
salary targeted by the team, according to MLB.
Reds, Ludwick complete 1-year deal >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds and outfielder Ryan
Ludwick have finalized a one-year contract.
The deal, reported last month but not announced until Wednesday, includes a
mutual option for the 2013 season.
T
SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting
NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.
That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.
A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."
It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.
The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.
So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."
Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
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Super Bowl XLIV Odds
Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.
That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.
Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.
After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.
The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).
To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.
NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago BearS 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston TexaNS 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle SeahawkS 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Odds as of: 2/2/09
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
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