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<< Braves rally in eighth, top Cardinals
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Diaz hit a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Atlanta Braves held on to edge the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, in the second of a three-game set at Turner Field. Omar Infante we

<< Fedorov's late goal sends Capitals past Rangers in Game 7
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sergei Fedorov's tally with just under five minutes left in regulation was the difference, as the Washington Capitals posted a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 7 of their Eastern Confere

<< Utley homers twice, Phillies win fifth straight
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chase Utley slugged a pair of homers and knocked in three runs, as Philadelphia produced a fifth straight victory with a 7-1 final against the Nationals in the middle contest of a three-game set fro

<< Argentine tennis player Guillermo Coria retires
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Argentine tennis player Guillermo Coria, a French Open finalist in 2004, announced his retirement on Tuesday citing "no desire to compete." The 27-year-old Coria won nine titles on the ATP T

Saunders solid on mound as Angels top O's >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Howie Kendrick hit a two-run homer and Kendry Morales finished with a pair of doubles and two RBI as the Angels got by the Baltimore Orioles, 7-5, in the opener of a brief two- game set at Camden Yards.

Marlins rally past Mets, snap seven-game skid >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jorge Cantu belted a pair of home runs, including a three-run shot during a four-run seventh inning, as the Florida Marlins snapped a seven-game skid with a 7-4 come-from-behind win over the New York Me

Celtics escape Bulls in OT; Boston one win away from advancing >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a series that has now featured four overtimes, Paul Pierce's shot went in and a bloodied Brad Miller's free throws didn't. Pierce's jumper with 3.4 seconds left in overtime gave Boston the lead t

Yankees use 10-run inning to down Tigers >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phil Hughes was stellar in his return to the majors and Jose Molina hit a grand slam as part of a 10-run seventh inning, as the New York Yankees snapped their four-game slide in convincing fasion with an 11-0

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

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