Federer, Fish to meet in Cincy final

Tennis Betting Lines

08/21/2010 - Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Swiss superstar Roger Federer will meet wild card American Mardy Fish in the final of the $3 million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters after each won his respective semifinal matchup.

Federer cruised past Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, needing 70 minutes to advance to his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in as many weeks. Last week, Federer fell to Andy Murray in the title match at Toronto.

The former world No. 1 and third seed here, Federer has won this tournament in 2005, 2007 and 2009. He has not captured a title since winning the Australian Open in January.

Meanwhile, Fish rallied past fellow American Andy Roddick in the early rain-slowed semifinal matchup.

Roddick, the ninth seed, led early but succumbed in Fish's 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 victory, preventing the 2003 Cincinnati champ from exacting a measure of revenge for a loss in the duo's last meeting in Atlanta last month.

The 27-year-old Roddick had taken a 5-4 lead in the first set before the match was suspended briefly by rain, then finished off the deciding point shortly after play resumed.

He raced out to a 4-1 lead in the second set and was poised for victory with a 5-2 lead before rain halted action once more. Fish rallied for three points to tie, then rallied once more to reach a tiebreaker.

Fish took control by bolting out to a 3-0 edge in the third set and never looked back.

The 2010 Cincinnati titlist will claim $443,500.

Wwwbarchart Tennis Betting News

<< Diamondbacks sign veteran P Hampton
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with pitcher Mike Hampton on a minor league contract. The 37-year-old southpaw will report to Triple-A Reno to begin his comeback attempt to the big leag

<< Bourjos, Abreu homer in Angels' win over Twins
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peter Bourjos and Bobby Abreu clubbed back- to-back homers in the second inning, as the Los Angeles Angels went on to beat Minnesota, 9-3, in the second portion of a three-game series at Target Field. Bourj

<< Vickers expects to be back for 2011 Sprint Cup season
Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR driver Brian Vickers said he expects to return to racing next season, but revealed he underwent open heart surgery on July 12 to repair a hole in his heart, as part of his treatment for blood clots.

<< Manny Ramirez returns for Dodgers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez was activated from the 15-day disabled list Saturday. Ramirez was put on the DL July 20, retroactive to July 17, due to a right calf strain. He was hitting .317

<< Cubs hold on to edge Braves
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tom Gorzelanny turned in seven strong innings and Aramis Ramirez finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, as Chicago escaped with a 5-4 victory over Atlanta in the middle contest of a three-game set from Wrigley

Bucs QB Freeman exits Saturday's game >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman left Saturday's pre-season game against Kansas City with an injured thumb. Freeman led the Buccaneers on a seven-play, 28-yard drive on their opening possession th

Nats P Strasburg leaves with arm injury >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg left Saturday's game against Philadelphia with an apparent injury to his throwing arm/elbow. In the fifth inning, Strasburg's third pitch to Philadelphi

Twins place Slowey, Mahay on DL >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins have placed starting pitcher Kevin Slowey and reliever Ron Mahay on the 15-day disabled list after both were hurt during Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Slowey depar

Feldman leaves Saturday's game with sore knee >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman left Saturday's game in Baltimore with soreness in his right knee. Feldman took over for starter Cliff Lee and got the final out in the sixth inning. He came out t

Power sets IndyCar record with eighth pole of season >>
Sonoma, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Will Power earned his record eighth IZOD IndyCar Series pole of the season after winning Saturday's qualifying for the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. Power barely made it out of the second ro

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.

Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.