Bad week gets worse for Rangers

Soccer Betting Lines

02/18/2012 - Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After being forced into administration and subsequently docked 10 points this past week, Rangers misery was compounded on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock at Ibrox.

The deduction of points leaves Rangers 14 back of red-hot Celtic, which can extend that advantage further on Sunday with a win at Hibernian.

Ally McCoist's side was eager to start well and almost did when Lee McCulloch's header was cleared off the goal line by Killie's Garry Hay.

But the visitors took the lead in the 12th minute when defender Dorin Goian slipped, allowing Dean Shiels to beat goalkeeper Allan McGregor with a low shot.

The home side had a goal called back for offsides before being dealt another blow as Sasa Papac earned himself a straight red card for a poor challenge on Liam Kelly.

McCulloch thought he had equalized midway through the second half for Rangers, but his headed goal was brought back for a foul in the build up, leaving Rangers with its first home defeat of the league season.

Motherwell 3, Hearts 0

Motherwell, Scotland - Motherwell closed the gap on second-place Rangers with a 3-0 home victory against Hearts which moves the club to within six points of the Glasgow side.

The hosts scored two goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half to seize control of the match as Keith Lasley's shot took a deflection off of Hearts defender Andy Webster and found the back of the net for an own goal.

Jamie Murphy made it 2-0 when he headed home a cross from Lasley, who was sent off early in the second half after collecting a second yellow card.

But Nicky Law only added a third goal the rest of the way for Motherwell, which still has a game in hand on Rangers and could make the race for second place an interesting one.

Dunfermline 1, Inverness 1

Dunfermline, Scotland - Dunfermline could have moved off the bottom of the league table on Saturday but conceded a second-half goal and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Inverness.

Joe Cardle put Dunfermline in front on the stroke of halftime when Martin Hardie's free kick crashed off the crossbar and was finished on the rebound by the midfielder.

But Inverness claimed a point with 15 minutes to play when Nick Ross was on hand at the back post to sweep home a low cross from Jonathan Hayes.

Dunfermline is now level on points with Hibernian at the bottom of the league, but Hibs has two games in hand.

Dundee United 0, St. Mirren 0

Dundee, Scotland - Dundee United and St Mirren played to a 0-0 draw at Tannadice Park on Saturday in a match that saw few scoring chances.

St Mirren has drawn four of its last five games to move 10 points off the bottom of the table while Dundee United remains two points above its opposition in the middle of the league.

The best chance for either side came in the closing minutes for St Mirren when a good cross from Dougie Imrie for substitute Nigel Hasselbaink failed to be finished off by the Dutchman, who should have scored.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds

Will he or won't he?  Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.

Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.

"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."

Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.

Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.

But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.

Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback.  It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.

Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1


Atlanta Falcons 50-1


Baltimore Ravens 15-1


Buffalo Bills 50-1


Carolina Panthers 18-1


Chicago Bears 10-1


Cincinnati Bengals 15-1


Cleveland Browns 100-1


Dallas Cowboys 15-1


Denver Broncos 15-1


Detroit Lions 100-1


Green Bay Packers 50-1


Houston Texans 100-1


Indianapolis Colts 6-1


Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1


Kansas City Chiefs 30-1


Miami Dolphins 40-1


Minnesota Vikings 75-1


New England Patriots 10-1


New Orleans Saints 18-1


New York Giants 20-1


New York Jets 30-1


Oakland Raiders 100-1


Philadelphia Eagles 18-1


Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1


Saint Louis Rams 60-1


San Diego Chargers 6-1


San Francisco 49ers 75-1


Seattle Seahawks 20-1


Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1


Tennessee Titans 40-1


Washington Redskins 50-1

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