Sports Bet UK

Hungarian Grand Prix Betting

2010-07-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

With no time to rest after last weekend’s controversial Ferrari 1-2 victory in Germany, Formula One moves onto Hungary. Who will take the chequered flag this weekend? BetRepublic.com previews the outright markets here.

Top Outright Race Winner Odds at Motor Sports Bet

Fernando Alonso – 15/8

Sebastian Vettel – 2/1

Mark Webber – 9/2

Lewis Hamilton - 6/1

Felipe Massa – 8/1

This weekend’s race at the Hungaroring, near Budapest, is the twelfth race of the 2010 Formula One season and after the events at Hockenheim last weekend Formula One will be looking for a clean and exciting race. However, the Hungaroring closely resembles the track at Monaco with its short straights, lots of turns and usually a massive lack of overtaking action. Will things be different this year?

As always, first up for the race weekend comes qualifying. Of the eleven races so far this season a Red Bull has started on pole position on ten occasions, with Sebastian Vettel claiming six poles, including the last three straight top grid slots, and Mark Webber claiming the other four. Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix, which he went on to win, to prevent Red Bull having 100% domination. Will we see an eleventh Red Bull pole position this season this weekend?

I feel that we will, as the Red Bull car is still the fastest car over one lap. Although the Ferraris made massive steps forward last weekend, allowing them to finish in the top two positions, they were given a two massive advantages after Vettel had a second consecutive poor start from pole position and Mark Webber’s car developed an engine problem. With the Hungaroring being so tight and twisty aerodynamics are going to be at a premium this weekend and the Red Bull cars are best at getting cleanly through the air and as a result my money is on Vettel to extend his pole positions to four in a row, as he is the quicker of the two Red Bull drivers over one lap, at odds of 15/8.

Will Vettel be able to convert this pole position into a race win? Of the six times that he has started at the front of the grid this season, Vettel has won just once. This win came at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, and Lewis Hamilton has a 100% pole position and race win record after his win in Canada and Mark Webber has won two races from his four pole positions, including the Monaco Grand Prix. If not Vettel, then who will take the chequered flag? With the lack of overtaking in Hungary most years, grid position is going to be pretty important and it could go anyway as Red Bull will be near the top of the grid as will Ferrari after their improvements in Germany and McLaren enjoy the Hungaroring having won it for the last three years, and four of the last five with current driver Jenson Button winning the other race in 2006 in a Honda.

After their poor showing in Germany McLaren will want to bounce back with a positive performance and after their recent showings in Budapest they have the knowledge and data to win this race. Lewis Hamilton will be looking to make it two wins in a row after winning last year. He could have had three straight wins in Hungary apart from a puncture in 2008 that saw him finish fifth. Button will also be in confident mood as he has a great chance of getting a win at the venue he scored his first win in 2006. Since then he has had poor luck in Hungary, with a retirement, twelfth and eighth his results for the last three years. I see a good result for the McLaren team this weekend.

Ferrari will be in confident mood after their showing in Germany, but with the $100,000 USD they received for the team orders they gave to their drivers they will be looking to keep their noses clean this weekend. This will be a good thing for Felipe Massa who, prior to being hospitalised after an accident in qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, led the 2008 race until his engine exploded with just three laps remaining as should be leading the race Ferrari cannot ask him to move over for his team-mate. This will mean that Alonso will have to be more aggressive also, which has seemed to be his problem this year as when he behind someone of equal pace. I foresee a good weekend for the Ferrari squad also.

So, with the big three teams all gearing up for an excellent weekend we, the fans, should see an spectacle that is not often seen at the Hungaroring – overtaking and tactical battles at the front of the field. However, it is not any of the previous five drivers mentioned that I feel will take the chequered flag. I see Mark Webber as the race winner, as he is more consistent over race distances than he his team-mate and his has equal machinery so will be able to put his car up at the head of the grid, most likely second or third. I will be backing the Australian to win at odds of 11/2.

My final two outright bets, as ever, are who will place on the podium and the top six at the end of the race. The podium bet will be difficult to predict as there will be six drivers battling for three spaces on the podium, however I am going to back Felipe Massa to finish on the podium after his accident last year. With the form he showed last weekend in Germany and the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve and thanks the marshals and track staff for looking after him following his accident last year he will want to give something back. For all of this I see him taking a place in the top three and I will be backing him to do so at odds of 7/5.

Despite not having finished in the top six for the last two races due to the resurgence of the top three teams Robert Kubica is still my pick for a top six finish. He is available at odds of 8/11 to place in the top six and although he will need for one of the Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren drivers to have problems to trouble the top six places, but being as Jenson Button is the has the best odds of the top three teams to place in the top six, but is available at 2/5 I feel that Kubica is a better investment for this market.

During the race weekend I will be providing further bets on both qualifying and the race in the BetRepublic.com Formula One Stadium. Drop in to check out my bets, join in the chat and provide your own bets to myself and the BetRepublic members!

Rabotnicki vs Liverpool Live Thursday’s Europa League Betting

2010-07-28T23:37:00.000-07:00

This Thursday sees the introduction of some giants of the European game into the qualifying stages of the Europa League. Will they cruise through or will we see some major upsets?

BetRepublic.com previews three games featuring the big sides here.

Rabotnicki vs Liverpool Soccer Betting Tips :

A new chapter in the life of Liverpool football club gets underway this Thursday evening in Skopje, Macedonia as new manager Roy Hodgson and his men look to defeat the side that finished 2nd in the Macedonian league last season.BetRepublic.com make Liverpool the 1/5 favourites to claim victory in this first leg tie with Rabotni and #269;ki are available at 8/1 and the draw can be backed at 9/2.

Since replacing Rafael Benitez as manager of Liverpool on July 1st Hodgson has signalled his intent to make the fans forget last season’s poor campaign that saw the 2005 Champions League winners finish in seventh place in the Premier League.

Hodgson has brought in quality and potential so far with Joe Cole from Chelsea and Serbian striker Milan Jovanovi and #263; signing on as well as 19 year old Danny Wilson from Rangers. However, this good news has been counteracted by the fact that star striker Fernando Torres is out injured and midfield general Javier Mascherano has informed the club he will be leaving. Will Liverpool be able to put all this aside and defeat the Macedonians?

The team from Merseyside should have no problems in winning this game and Rabotni and #269;ki have only progressed past the qualifying stage of European competitions twice since 2000. On both of these occasions they were beaten in the first round – in 2006 by FC Basel and by Bolton Wanderers in 2007.

However, of the two sides, Rabotni and #269;ki are the more active having played four competitive games so far, beating Lusitanos in the first qualifying round 11-0 on aggregate, then beating Mika 1-0 on aggregate to book their place in this match. Will it make any difference for the massive outsiders?

I cannot see anything making any difference and I fully expect Liverpool to cruise to victory in this game. My money is on Liverpool to be leading at half time and then to win the match at odds of 10/11 and Liverpool to win by at least two goals at evens.

Shamrock Rovers v Juventus:

After defeating Bnei Yehuda 2-1 on aggregate over the last two weeks, Shamrock Rovers have booked possibly the biggest game in their history this week as they take on the Italian giants Juventus. Books, unsurprisingly, make Juventus the 1/5 favourites to win in Dublin, with Shamrock Rovers available at 8/1 and the draw can be backed at 9/2.

Just like Liverpool, Juventus had a poor season last year as the 1996 Champions League winners could only finish seventh in Serie A. They were knocked out of the group stages of the Champions League and they have now appointed their fourth manager in just over two years. Will Shamrock Rovers be able to take advantage of the chaos that Juventus seem to be in at the moment?

Rovers are well into their domestic season in the Republic of Ireland and are second in the league on goal difference alone after twenty-two games. They finished second in the league last season after going bankrupt less than five years ago.

They are currently undefeated in their last fifteen matches and will be no pushovers, but with players of the calibre of Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero in the Juventus squad, the Italians should claim victory in Dublin.

With the home crowd cheering them on I feel that Shamrock Rovers will get off to a great start and, while I feel Juventus will win, my money is on thegame to level at half time and Juventus to win at odds of 3/1 and over 2.5 goals to be scored in the game at 8/13.

BetRepublic.com Recommends:

Liverpool/Liverpool HT/FT @ 10/11

Liverpool -1 v Rabotni and #269;ki @ evens

Draw/Juventus HT/FT @ 3/1

Over 2.5 goals to be scored in the Shamrock Rovers v Juventus game @ 8/13

Check out more Soccer Betting Tips.

Wednesday’s Champions League Betting : Sporting Braga vs Celtic

2010-07-28T02:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday’s Champions League Betting : Sporting Braga vs Celtic

There are some big name sides in action this Wednesday evening in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Who will take an advantage into the second leg?Online handicapping portal BetRepublic.com previews the three biggest games here.

Debreceni VSC v FC Basel @ Soccer Betting Tips :

This match sees the Hungarian champions take on the Swiss champions for a place in the playoff stage of the qualification section of the Champions League. Online sports BetRepublic.com make Basel the favourites to win this first leg tie at evens ahead of Debrecen and the draw at odds of 11/5. Will the Swiss champions live up to their pre-match billing as favourites?

Basel had a reasonable season in Europe last season. They finished third in the same Europa League group as Roma and Fulham, only failing to progress on the final matchday as they lost 3-2 to eventual finalists Fulham.

However, they did secure an impressive 2-0 win over Roma before losing out to the more illustrious sides from Italy and England. They did secure the domestic double of league and cup in the 09/10 season in Switzerland as well and will be a major threat for Debrecen.

Last season Debrecen got a tough Champions League lesson as they lost all six matches as they were drawn against Lyon, Liverpool and Fiorentina in their group. They failed to score in four games, only finding the net against Fiorentina on five occasions in their two matches, but still losing both. They conceded nineteen goals in total in the six matches. Can they get one step closer to getting back to the group stage again by beating Basel?

I don’t see it, and feel that Basel are great value at evens for the win. I also see goals in this match as there have been eight in Basel’s first two league games of their new season and there were seven in Debrecen’s second round qualifying game, so my money will be on Basel to win @ evens and over 2.5 goals @ evens.

Ajax vs PAOK Saloniki:

This match sees the runners up in the Dutch and Greek leagues in the 2009/2010 season go head-to-head for a place in the Champions League qualification playoffs, but who will take victory in the first leg game in Amsterdam? Books make Ajax the 2/7 favourites, with PAOK available at 7/1 and the draw can be backed at 7/2.

Ajax are the more well known of these two sides after their Champions League exploits in the mid 1990’s that saw them claim the title in 1995 and lose the 1996 final on penalties. They are not the power that they once were – they have not won the Dutch league since 03/04 – but finished well in their domestic league last season but were beaten by former England manager Steve McClaren’s FC Twente by a point.

PAOK had an extraordinary season last year, but still managed to throw things away when they had the chance of a league and cup double, however they salvaged things by winning the end of season playoffs to book themselves a spot in the Champions League. They have had a poor pre-season and fired their management team, so they face a massive task to win this game.

I actually do not think they can do it and I fancy Ajax to lead at half time and win the game at odds of 10/11 and I see there being a few goals on top of this too, so I’m backing over 2.5 goals at odds of 8/11.

Sporting Braga vs Celtic:

Who will progress to the Champions League qualification playoffs in this matchup between the runners up in the Portuguese and Scottish leagues? Braga are the favourites for victory in the first leg tie in Portugal at odds of 19/20 with Celtic available at 23/10 and the draw can be backed at 9/4.

These sides had completely opposite seasons last time out with Braga gaining their best ever league finish, while Celtic were completely outplayed by Rangers throughout the season and finished six points behind their city rivals after they fired Tony Mowbray and replaced him with club legend Neil Lennon.

Lennon lacks experience and this match will be his toughest so far, can he get something from this game to ensure that the match is still alive when they come back to Celtic Park next week?

Neither side have played competitively since the end of their seasons in May, but I feel that Celtic should have enough not to lose this game. As a result I am backing the draw at odds of 9/4 with both sides to score at evens.

BetRepublic.com Recommends:

FC Basel to beat Debreceni VSC @ evens

Over 2.5 goals in the Basel v Debrecen game @ evens

Ajax/Ajax HT/FT v PAOK @ 10/11

Over 2.5 goals in the Ajax v PAOK game @ 8/11

Braga v Celtic to end as a draw @ 9/4

Both Braga and Celtic to score @ evens

Check out the most updated Soccer Betting Tips

Tuesday’s Champions League Betting : The New Saints vs Anderlecht

2010-07-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday’s Champions League Betting : The New Saints vs Anderlecht

We’ve reached the final qualifying round of the Champions League and some big names enter the fray this week. Will we see some of Europe’s smaller clubs cause some upsets? BetRepublic.com previews a selection of games here.

The New Saints vs Anderlecht Soccer Betting Tips :

This match sees the Welsh champions face the Belgian champions for a place in the Champions League Playoff for a place in the group stages of the competition. Books make Anderlecht the 1/4 favourites to win this first leg tie, with TNS available at 15/2 and the draw can be backed at 19/5.Will this match go according to the odds?

TNS booked their place in this match by beating Bohemians from the Republic of Ireland 4-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round last week. There defeat of the Irish champions was the first ever occasion that they had won a Champions League qualifying tie, and they did so in impressive style by beating Bohemians 4-0 at home in the second leg after losing the first leg 1-0 in Dublin. Can TNS cause a bigger shock by beating the Belgian champions?

Although The New Saints will be in a highly confident mood after beating Bohemians, Anderlecht will be equally confident after kicking off their season last weekend with a 1-0 win in the Belgian Super Cup. They also reached the last sixteen stage of last year’s Europa Cup and will be a much tougher team for the Welsh champions to take on than their last opponents.

Despite the Park Hall Stadium being the scene of their greatest European football achievement, I feel that Anderlecht will be too good for TNS this week and will take the victory. As a result my is on Anderlecht to win by at least two goals (Anderlecht -1) at odds of 10/11 and Anderlecht to be leading at half time and full time at odds of 5/6

Unirea Urziceni v Zenit St. Petersburg Soccer Betting Tips :

This match sees the side that finished second in the Romanian league face the team that placed third in the Russian league last season go head-to-head for a place in the playoffs.The Russians the favourites at odds of 8/11, with Unirea available at 3/1 and the draw can be backed at 12/5. Will Zenit take an advantage back to Russia?

Zenit are fourteen games into their domestic season and they lead the table by seven points, so on current form they deserve to be the favourites for this game.

However, Unirea have the Champions League experience having been drawn in the same group as Sevilla, Stuttgart and Rangers in last year’s competition. They amassed a total of eight points from their six games and just missed out a place in the last sixteen as they lost to Stuttgart in the final game.

However, Zenit know their way around European competition as they won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 2008.

I feel that this will be an exciting match with plenty of action and goals, so my money is on Zenit St Petersburg to win at odds of 8/11 and more than 2.5 goals to be scored at odds of 11/8.

Dynamo Kiev v AA Gent:

The final game that we are previewing is the battle between the runners up in last season’s Ukrainian league and the second placed finishers in the Belgian league. Online sportsbooks make Dynamo the massive favourites to taste victory in this first leg tie at odds of 1/5, with Gent available at 10/1 and the draw is available at odds of 4/1.

Both of these sides have only recently began their domestic seasons, with Dynamo having won two and drawn one of their first three league games and Gent lost the season opening Super Cup to Anderlecht 1-0 at the weekend. Dynamo have scored two goals in each of their matches so far and I would not be surprised to see them outscore Gent in this match and bring a sizeable advantage to Belgium next week for the second leg of this tie.

Of the two sides, Dynamo are the more well known side in European competition and they made their name by reaching the Quarter Finals of the Champions League in 1998 and the Semi Finals the following year.

They reached the Semi Finals of the UEFA Cup in 2009 also. Gent last passed the qualification rounds for any European competition in 2000 and they will be massively outclassed in this match.

My money is on Dynamo Kiev to be leading at half time and then win the match at odds of 5/6 and more than 2.5 goals to be scored in the match at odds of 4/6.

BetRepublic.com Recommends:

Anderlecht -1 v TNS @ 10/11

Anderlecht/Anderlecht HT/FT v TNS @ 5/6

Zenit St. Petersburg to beat Unirea Urziceni @ 8/11

More than 2.5 goals in the Zenit v Unirea match @ 11/8

Dynamo Kiev/Dynamo Kiev HT/FT v Gent @ 5/6

More than 2.5 goals to be scored in the Dynamo v Gent match @ 4/6

Get more free picks @ Soccer Betting Tips

Thursday’s Europa League Betting - FC MIKA Ashtarak vs FK Rabotnicki

2010-07-23T03:08:00.000-07:00

This evening sees the second leg ties of the Second Qualifying Round for the 2010/2011 Europa League tournament. Who will progress to the third, and final, qualifying round? Soccer Betting Tip searches for some value bets here.

Breidablik v Motherwell:

At the halfway stage of the tie Motherwell hold the advantage after winning 1-0 last week in Scotland. Can they hold that advantage and progress as they travel to Iceland this Thursday evening? The 23/20 favourites to win the match in normal time, with Breidablik available at odds of 17/10 and the draw can be backed at 12/5.

The first game at Fir Park saw a competitive game with plenty of chances for both sides, however it was the more clinical professional side from the SPL that took the win through a 63rd minute goal. However, the Icelandic side had their share of chances and on another night they could come away with an away goal or two. Can they overturn the deficit and progress to their final qualifying round to face Aalesunds FK of Norway in their first appearance in European football?

I see this as another exciting game and I feel that Motherwell will take the win and progress to the next round. However Breidablik will not make it easy and I see both sides scoring in this game. Back Motherwell to win @ 23/20.

Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv v Shamrock Rovers:

After the first leg of this tie the Israeli side hold the advantage after scoring the away goal in a 1-1 draw in Dublin last week. They are favourites to take win this second leg match at odds of 4/9, with Shamrock Rovers available at odds of 5/1 and the draw can be backed at 11/4.

Bnei Yehuda began the stronger of the two sides in the first leg and took a deserved 26th minute lead. However, Rovers got back into the game in the second half and they scored in injury time at the end of the game to keep themselves in the tie. Can they go on to upset the odds and book a place in the third qualifying round against European football giants Juventus?

I see this match going the way of the first game and ending up in extra time. As a result of this, my money is on the draw @ 3/1 and both sides to score @ evens.

FC MIKA Ashtarak v FK Rabotnicki:

The winner of this match will get a massive money-spinning adventure in the next round against Liverpool. Rabotnicki lead the tie 1-0 after winning at home last week, now can they finish the job?

FC Mika are 5/4 favourites to win this game, with Rabotnicki available at 9/5 and the draw can be backed at 11/5. However, Rabotnicki managed to win the first leg tie despite being down to ten men for almost an hour. Should the Macedonian side play like this again then at odds of 9/5 they will be an excellent bet. However, MIKA kept the score down despite being away from home and they know they will have to score to stand any chance of going through and they will come out firing. As a result I expect a high scoring game but I expect Rabotnicki to claim the victory.

As a result of this, my money is on FK Rabotnicki to win at odds of 9/5 and over 2.5 goals.

BetRepublic.com Recommends:

Motherwell to beat Breidablik @ 23/20

Both Motherwell and Breidablik to score @ 5/6

Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv v Shamrock Rovers to end as a draw @ 3/1

Both Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv and Shamrock Rovers to score @ evens

FK Rabotnicki to beat FC MIKA Ashtarak @ 9/5

Over 2.5 goals in the FK Rabotnicki v FC MIKA Ashtarak game @ evens

Check more picks at Soccer Betting Tip.

Wednesday´s Champions League Betting

2010-07-21T03:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday´s Champions League Betting

This evening sees the final eleven games from the second qualifying round of the Champions League. Who will progress to the final qualifying round? BetRepublic previews a selection of games here.

Rosenborg v Linfield Soccer Betting Tip :

After claiming a shock 0-0 draw last week, the Northern Irish champions are still in this tie and they travel to Norway with a chance of eliminating their more illustrious opponents. Can they do so though? Books don’t think so, making Rosenborg 1/12 favourites to win this match in normal time, with Linfield available at 16/1 and the draw at 13/2.

With odds that short the bookmakers clearly believe that this game is going to be a walk in the park for the 2009 Norwegian league champions. However, Rosenborg had won eight straight matches prior to the draw with Linfield last week and ended up drawing their second game in a row following last week’s fixture in Belfast.

At home Rosenborg are a tough proposition having won eight and drawn three of their last eleven games in a run that stretches back to April. They have also kept seven clean sheets in their last nine home matches, and with Linfield likely to play 4-5-1 again I feel that Rosenborg will win this game to nil as well, but they will have to work hard for it.

My money is on the game to be level at half time with Rosenborg going on to win the game at odds of 3/1 and there to be less than 2.5 goals in the match at 13/8.

Debreceni VSC v Levadia Tallinn:

This tie is another match that is far from certain, with the Hungarian champions bringing back a 1-1 draw from their travels to Estonialast week . Debrecen made the group stages of the Champions League last year, can they beat the Estonian champions and book their place in the final qualifying round this evening?

Online sportsbooks make Debrecen the favourites to win in normal time at odds of 2/5, whole Levadia can be backed at 13/2 and the draw is available at 11/4.

The first leg match between these two sides was an entertaining encounter with plenty of chances and action and the Estonian champions looked to have victory sown up as they took the lead on the hour but Debrecen clawed their way back with an injury time equaliser. That goal was the first goal that Levadia had conceded in five matches and they got back to their clean sheet ways again last weekend with a 5-0 away win in the league.

Debrecen did not play as their domestic season is yet to begin, but having reached the group stages last season they should have enough quality to win this game, but will they?

Levadia will be highly confident form and I feel that they could upset the favourites here, maybe not by winning but by not losing at least. As a result i’m backing the draw @ 11/4 in this match and splitting my stakes on the correct scores of 1-1 @ 13/2 and 2-2 @ 16/1.

FH Hafnarfjördur v BATE Borisov:

After a thrilling end to the first leg tie that saw all six goals scored in the second half, and four in the last five minutes, BATE take a commanding lead into this game and look to assured their passage into the third qualifying round. After winning 5-1 and holding a four goal advantage, will they slack off in this game and allow FH Hafnarfjördur to claim an unlikely win?

BATE are the 8/11 favourites to win this match within ninety minutes, with FH available at 14/5 and the draw can be backed at 5/2. Will the game go according to these odds though?

I don’t feel that it will as FH will want to go out of the tournament proving that they are worthy of a place in it and they will play their hardest to get themselves a goal or two, while BATE are comfortable and with their domestic season not having started yet they will treat this more as a training session than a competitive tie. However, BATE still have enough to win this game easily and I see them winning and there being a few goals in the game. As a result i’ll be backing BATE to win @ 5/6 and over 2.5 goals to be scored at odds of 4/6.

BetRepublic.com Recommends:

Draw/Rosenborg HT/FT @ 3/1

Under 2.5 goals to be scored in Rosenborg v Linfield @ 13/8

Debreceni VSC v Levadia Tallinn to end as a draw @ 11/4

Split your stakes on 1-1 @ 13/2 and 2-2 @ 16/1 in the Debreceni v Levadia game

BATE Borisov to beat FH Hafnarfjördur @ 5/6

More than 2.5 goals to be scored in the BATE v FH game @ 4/6

You can check out more tips at Soccer Betting Tip

Germany vs Uruguay 2010 World Cup: Soccer Betting Tips and Picks

2010-07-09T02:54:00.000-07:00

Germany vs Uruguay 2010 World Cup Live Soccer Betting Tips :

This Saturday sees the penultimate match at the 2010 World Cup as Uruguay and Germany battle it out in the third and fourth place playoff after losing their Semi Final games. Who will finish third? BetRepublic.com previews the action here.

Uruguay v Germany:

This is the game that no side wants to ever play in as they’ve lost their Semi Final and missed the chance to play in a World Cup final. Germany played in the 2006 3rd/4th place playoff, while Uruguay last reached the last four stage in 1970 – where they were beaten by West Germany 1-0 to finish fourth

Who will claim third place? Online sportsbooks make Germany the 4/5 favourites to win the match within ninety minutes, with Uruguay available at 7/2 and the draw can be backed at 5/2. Will the game go according to the odds though?

Both sides will be completely demoralised after losing their Semi Final matches, with Uruguay falling 3-2 to the Netherlands and Germany losing 1-0 to Spain. Both matches were gripping and ‘edge of your seat’ viewing with neither match settled until the full time whistle had blown. Uruguay put in a great performance against the Netherlands, but in the end it was the red card for Luis Suarez in the Quarter Final match against Ghana to keep his side in the World Cup. Without Suarez Uruguay did not have the goalscorer that they needed to win the game, despite scoring twice they did not have the cutting edge that Suarez would have provided. However, Suarez will be back for this match, will he be able to help inspire his side to their highest World Cup finish since they lifted the trophy in 1950?

Germany will be even more disappointed after their below par showing against Spain in their Semi Final match. They have been beaten by Spain twice in row, with the score being 1-0 when Spain beat them in the Euro 2008 final and World Cup 2010 Semi Final and they failed to score this time despite having scored thirteen times in their previous five matches. They were on the back foot for the majority of the game against Spain and, while they had a few chances, they were not the same side they have put four past both England and Argentina in their last two games. They deserved to lose the game and, as a result, they now must pick themselves up to play for third place rather than the trophy. Will they be able to do so?

Both sides have kept things fairly tight defensively, with Germany conceding just their third goal in their loss to Spain and Uruguay have conceded five goals in the knockout stages after keeping three clean sheets in their three group stage matches. However, Germany have found the net on thirteen occasions with the Uruguayans scoring nine times. Diego Forlan for Uruguay and Miroslav Klose for Germany both sit on four goals for the tournament, just one goal behind top scorers David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, and they will both be looking to find the net to claim at least one honour at the World Cup – the golden boot.

I see a Germany win in the game as they have better goal scoring and goals conceded records than Uruguay. Uruguay have their ‘never say die’ attitude but they will allow the Germans more time on the ball than Spain did and they will capitalise on this. I also see there being plenty of goals in the game, as both sides have proven that they can find the net in this tournament. As a result my money is on Germany to win @ 4/5 and there to be more than 2.5 goals in the match @ 4/6.

World Cup Picks:

Back Germany to beat Uruguay @ 4/5

Back Over 2.5 goals to be scored @ 4/6

WORLD CUP BETTING – Uruguay vs Netherlands

2010-07-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

WORLD CUP BETTING – Uruguay vs Netherlands

It’s make or break time this Tuesday evening as Uruguay take on the Netherlands for a place in the World Cup final. Who will be the first finalists? Betrepubluc previews the match here.

Uruguay v Netherlands Soccer Betting Tip :

What a matchup we have for the first Semi Final at the 2010 World Cup. Available at odds of 80/1 and 14/1 respectively both of these sides, Uruguay especially, have performed better than most people could have predicted.

Who will reach the final though? The silky smooth Dutch? Or the tenacious Uruguayans with their never-say-die attitude?Netherlands the favourites to progress to the final within ninety minutes at odds of 4/6, with Uruguay available at 5/1 and the draw can be backed at 5/2. However, I feel that this game will be a lot tighter than the odds suggest.

In their Quarter Final match Uruguay upset the whole of Africa and the majority of the world as Luis Suarez saved his country from elimination by punching the ball off the line as Ghana were about to score the winner in injury time at the end of the second period of extra time. He was red-carded and he gave away a penalty but instead of a goal Ghana had one of the most pressurised penalties to convert.

In the end Asamoah Gyan hit the bar with the penalty and Uruguay went on to take victory via the penalty shootout. How will Uruguay do against the Dutch without half of their forward line that has found the net six times so far in the tournament?

As if missing Suarez wasn’t enough trouble for the Uruguayan side, they will also have to face the major headache of Arjen Robben. Robben was electric in the second half of the Jekyll and Hyde performance that the Netherlands put in against Brazil in the Quarter Finals.

The Dutch were terrible in the first half and deserved to be losing 1-0, if not more, at half time. They were devoid of ideas for at least another fifteen minutes at the start of the second half, but a lucky goal saw them level and from that point onwards there was only one side that was going to win the match.

If they can perform like they did in last thirty minutes v Brazil from the start of the game then they can win this match, but if they let Uruguay in they will find it difficult to get back into the game without a massive fight, and I’m not sure the Dutch have it in them.

The teams are fairly equal in the goal charts, with the Dutch outscoring Uruguay nine goals to seven, but Uruguay have conceded one less than the Dutch with teams only finding the net against them twice. Uruguay also have the standout goal scorer of these two sides on their books, with Diego Forlan showing why he is such a highly regarded marksman in La Liga.

With Suarez suspended I feel that he will be focal point of Uruguay’s attacks and he will find the net. Should he do so early on in the game then, with their ‘give all’ attitude and tight defensive line, Uruguay could very well find themselves in their first World Cup final since they last lifted the trophy in 1950.

The Dutch will want to keep the game level for as long as possible or, even better, find themselves ahead early on as they displayed a very negative attitude when trailing to Brazil in the Quarter Finals. I can’t see Uruguay giving the Dutch an easy way back into the game nor losing the plot in ways that Brazil did in the Quarter Finals.

Who will win the match? It could go either way, depending on who scores first as I feel that will be the most important moment of the match. Should Uruguay score first I urge you to back them to win the game on an In-Running market as soon as you possibly can. However, due to the uncertainty over who will find the net first my bets for this game are Diego Forlan to score anytime @ 11/4 and there to be less than 2.5 goals to be scored in the match @ 4/7.

Check out Soccer Betting Tip for more World Cup picks.

World Cup Betting: Germany vs. Spain

2010-07-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

World Cup Betting: Germany vs. Spain

The second World Cup Semi Final sees the dark horses of the tournament take on the pre-tournament favourites for the second spot in Sunday’s final. Who will progress? Germany or Spain? BetRepublic previews the game here.

Germany v Spain Soccer Betting Tip :

Spain came into the tournament as the favourites, but the 2008 European Champions haven’t really lived up to that billing, while no-one was expecting much from Germany in South Africa but they have breezed past England and Argentina in the knockout stages scoring eight goals make Spain the 8/5 favourites to win in normal time ahead of Germany at 9/5 and the draw at 11/5.The odds are close, but who will progress?

Both sides have lost one game in the 2010 finals, with Germany’s loss coming at the hands of Serbia in their second group game. That loss came after join top scorer, with four goals, Miroslav Klose was red carded in the first half and they conceded a goal just seconds later. They should have got back into the game but missed a succession of chances, including a penalty.

That goal was half of the goals that Germany have conceded in the tournament, with the only other goal coming in the game against England in the last sixteen stage. In comparison to conceding so few, the Germans are right on form up front and have scored thirteen goals, with twelve of them coming in three matches where they scored four goals. Australia, England and Argentina have all been swept away by the goal scoring abilities of this youthful German side, will Spain be able to hold them back?

If they are to do so, they will have to improve vastly as, while they have been winning games, they have not been totally convincing in doing so. They dominated all of their group matches, yet lost 1-0 to Switzerland, beat Honduras 2-0 and sneaked past a ten man Chile 2-1.

They should have won all games by more, but, apart from David Villa – who has scored five of the six goals that Spain have scored – they are not finding the net with the regularity that a side that plans on winning the World Cup should do. Only against Honduras and Chile have the Spanish found the net more than once in a game and they will need to score more than one to beat the Germans, but are they good enough to do it?

Against Argentina, Germany knew that they had to keep Lionel Messi quiet to give themselves a chance at progressing. They did this with style and progressed easily, and they will now attempt to do the same with David Villa in this game. Should they keep Villa quiet then they will win this game, as Spain are not firing on all cylinders in front of goal. They are need several chances to score, while it is very likely that a German player, especially Klose and Thomas Muller who have scored four times each, will find the net from that very same chance.

As a result of their work rate, defending ability and goal scoring prowess my money is on Germany to upset the odds in this game and I’ll be backing them to progress to the final within normal time @ 9/5. I also feel that there will be goals in this match, so I’m on over 2.5 goals at 6/5. Check out more top tips for this game at Soccer Betting Tip

BetRepublic Recommends:

Back Germany to beat Spain within 90 minutes @ 9/5

Back Over 2.5 goals in the match @ 6/5

America's Newest Soccer Ambassador President Clinton Honored

2010-05-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

"America's Newest Soccer Ambassador - President Clinton Honored in Harlem"

U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati named former U.S. President Bill Clinton the Honorary Chairman of the USA Bid Committee, the official committee focusing on bringing the World Cup back to the States in 2018 or 2022. Gulati made the announcement in Harlem, New York at the home of youth soccer club F.C. Harlem.
A host of political and soccer dignitaries, from Congressman Charles Rangel to MLS Commissioner Don Garber, were on hand for the occasion. Prior to the press conference, three of New York Red Bull’s finest, Juan Pablo Ángel, Chris Albright and Seth Stammler took part in a soccer clinic with the kids.

In his introduction, Gulati said the following of President Clinton:

We now need to convince [FIFA] about the American spirit; that we want and will be hospitable, that we will openly welcome the world. I can think of no person better to help us do that than President Clinton.

I think we can all agree on that. Upon accepting the honor, President Clinton said that it was fitting that the announcement was made in Harlem in close proximity to his office as he was the first sitting U.S. President to watch a World Cup game on home soil, a tournament that he believes was ultimately responsible for the day’s backdrop. According to Clinton:

That World Cup realized a surplus of $50 million. It allowed for the creation of MLS Works and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, organizations that spearheaded the development of playing fields like the one we are standing on now. Increasing the opportunity for people all over our country to experience the world’s game, soccer.

President Clinton went on to praise FIFA as a standard bearer in using sport as a tool for bringing about positive social environmental change. The U.S. bid he said “has embraced those principles and is focusing on ways to use the world’s largest sporting event as a platform for promotion. We’ll have a chance to do even more in 2018 or 2022, to create new opportunities for growth in the sport and enhance the quality of life in our country off the field.”
The Bid Committee’s slogan “The Game Is In US” was plastered around the field on several banners and used by the former President to highlight the nation’s multiculturalism and diversity, which he believes would provide a ready-made fan base for every potential World Cup team in 2018 or 2022. Read More

Rafael Nadal Planing To Reclaim French Open Title from Roger Federer

2010-05-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal Planing To Reclaim French Open Title from Roger Federer

Everyone anticipates how the “The King of Clay,” Rafael Nadal, who remains to be undefeated this season (12-0) will beat his opponents at the French Open.

Being on top is never new to Nadal for he was World’s No. 1 from August 18, 2008 to July 5, 2009 but fell behind Swiss tennis player Roger Federer soon after. Since after becoming one of the top 50 players as a 17 year old, Nadal had been riveting the courts taking 31 consecutive match wins in the French Open from 2005 to 2009 and Grand Slams on clay in the Australian Open tying up with Roger Federer.
He has the most Masters singles titles in the Monte Carlo Masters and won for 4 consecutive times in the French Open, sharing the record with Swedish tennis player Björn Borg. His impressive record does not stop there. He has the longest single-surface winning streak in clay, having 81 matches from April 2005 to May 20 2007. Plus, he has tied up with another pro Andre Agassi for winning most ATP Masters 1000 titles.
But this 23 year old Spaniard didn’t take his road to the top uninjured. On several occasions he had left his fans disappointed and worried after suffering from some few injuries causing him to temporarily leave the clay courts or lose his matches. Rafa withdrew from the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in 2005 and did not play until mid-February of 2006 due to a left foot injury. In August 2007, a left arm cramp forced him to retire in the 2nd round of the ATP Master’s Series versus Monaco. The following year, with a tendinitis in the left knee, he once again withdrew in the 3rd round at AMS Paris and receded from Tennis Masters Cup and Davis Cup final. He missed another two months because of his knee problem in 2009 but still made it to No.1 on the first half of the ATP World Tour Masters. Yet he really could not avoid letting down his avid spectators since not too long after, in January this year he backed off at the quarter final of the Australian Open because of the right knee injury leaving him inactive until the Indian Wells last March.

As World’s No.3 ranked last May 3, 2010, there is really so much to expect from this left-handed Mallorca native pro who presented show downed along with toppers Roger Federer and Andy Murray at the quarter-finals of the Mutua Madrileni Madrid Open. He stayed on track unbeaten on clay this season towards the Madrid Open final for the second time as he defeated John Isner 7-5, 6-4 who can blame all his defeat to himself, missing his first serves giving the chance for Rafa to close out a one set lead and eventually take a 2-1 lead, winning in 87 minutes. Soon after, he defeated 12th seeded French Gael Monfils at 5-1 career mark in two hours and ten minutes. Nadal also headed this year’s ATP World Tour with 28 wins, 4 loses and 2 titles second best to David Ferrer. He too is off this week to dominate the Open Era record 18th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 shield after equaling former record holder Andre Agassi two weeks ago in Rome.

This man from Mallorca certainly has got what it takes to be on top having 26 wins and only 4 loses mostly in major clay tournaments. As one of those sought after athletes in clay court this French Open and Grand Slam singles champ has to be in so much pressure doing something about his injury problems, especially his “Achilles knee.”

Wimbledon Tennis Championships appoints official poet‎

2010-05-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

The grand old dame of Grand Slam tennis now has its very own poet laureate.

Wimbledon, in collaboration with The Poetry Trust in Britain, has appointed its first "Championships Poet" to capture the flavour and fervour of the oldest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the only one played on grass.

British poet Matt Harvey, a regular contributor to BBC radio and a lifelong tennis fan, intends to create a poem-a-day about all things Wimbledon: from umpires to ball boys and girls, strawberries and cream to the drama of the matches and players.
"It's an honour, and I'm acutely conscious it's the only time I'll come first in anything at Wimbledon, unless you count the queue for strawberries," Harvey said in a statement.
The poems will be available online and there will be audio podcasts -- featuring Harvey reading his latest verses and sharing behind-the-scenes observations on the Wimbledon and Poetry Trust websites.
Harvey will also keep a blog and interact with tennis fans on microblogging Website Twitter.
During the tournament, which starts on June 21, he will also give impromptu live performances to the famous Wimbledon queue as people wait to enter the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London.
Harvey's first poem in the series, "Grandest of Slams" is already available on the Poetry Trust website at www.thepoetrytrust.org and contains such stirring lines as:
"Where tough tennis cookies have cracked and then crumbled in Top seeds have stumbled, have tumbled, been humbled in Wimbledon."

Washington Wizards Won the Lottery

2010-05-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

The Washington Wizards just won the lottery. No not the D.C. lottery, but the NBA lottery. They had a 10.3% chance behind Philidelphia and New Jersey and their number came up.

This highlights a horrific season with owner Abe Polan passing away in November, Gilbert ArenasGilbert Arenas being suspended with 50 games left in the season and a final record of 26-56.
With the draft a month away, the Wizards now must decide whether to pick Kentuckey freshman point guard John Wall or the national player of the year from Ohio State, Evan TurnerEvan Turner. Either of these players could produce big for a team that is rebuilding and looking to youth to start the foundation.

The NBA draft starts June 24th at 7:00pm EST and will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York city.

Tennis ace Jankovic downs compatriot Ivanovic

2010-05-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Jelena Jankovic said she took little notice of compatriot Ana Ivanovic across the net Wednesday, emerging with a scratchy 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win in a Serbian struggle to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters.
"I treated it as just another match," said the seventh seed who played the Rome final last weekend. "Over the years you play so many matches and go through so many things.
"Maybe at the start of our careers it was important, Now you just want to play your tennis. You try your best and try to win."
2008 Roland Garros champion Ivanovic led the series 6-2 going into the contest after making a move back to form last week in Rome with a semi-final which improved her ranking to 42nd on the WTA.
But the one-time number one was bedevilled on serve with a dozen double-faults which did not help her cause in the struggle lasting just over an hour and three-quarters.
Jankovic probably didn't even notice. "It doesn't matter if it's a Serb or anyone else. I just played my tennis.

"It was not my best and I didn't expect to play so great after a long week in Rome. But it's the first match in Madrid with the altitude. I got through it and I get to play again tomorrow."
Ivanovic faced 20 break points in the battle, losing 11 while Jankovic was broken eight times in the sloppy victory showing.
In men's ATP play, Croatian eighth seed Marin Cilic notched up a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of Argentine Edoardo Schwank in the second round while number 12 Frenchman Gael Monfils got a break as German Philipp Petzschner quit at 1-1 with a leg injury after just 11 minutes.
Argentine Juan Monaco put out Brazil's 16th seed Thomaz Bellucci 6-2, 6-2.
Making later starts were second seed Nadal, facing Oleg Dolgopolov of the Ukraine, third-seeded Scot Andy Murray and French Open finalist Robin Soderling of Sweden.

Is LeBron done with Cleveland?

2010-05-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

LeBron James may yet rescue the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland, in that order. He may score his team's final 25 points in Game 6 Thursday night, as he once did in a crucial playoff game, and lead the Cavs to a win in Boston to keep their season alive. He may win a championship and re-sign with the Cavaliers. Someday we may see a 30-foot statue in downtown Cleveland of LeBron wearing all eight of his Cavaliers' championship rings.
Yeah, that might all happen in Cleveland ... except that, well, good sports things never happen in Cleveland. This city could turn Frank Capra into Stephen King.
Imagine what it is like now, to be a rabid sports fan in the most tortured sports city in America. If the Cavs lose to Boston in Game 6 -- and the Celtics have been the better team in this series, without a doubt -- Cleveland fans might just give up on the following, in order: the Cavs, all of sports, eating and the possibility of a benevolent God. There is a time and a place for perspective in sports. Cleveland, right now, is not the place.
The Indians are unwatchable; I watched one of their games on TV this weekend and there were so many empty seats that I thought it was Free Tickets To Something Else night.
The new incarnation of the Browns has specialized in punts and interceptions. LeBron James is supposed to save this part of the world.
The last Cleveland team to win a championship was the 1964 Browns. That means you have to be at least 50 years old to remember watching a Cleveland team win a title, and at least 55 to have appreciated it. Since then, being a Cleveland sports fan has been decades of getting punched in the groin.
Most sports fans remember most of the punches: the Brian Sipe playoff-game-killing interception, Earnest Byner's Fumble and John Elway's Drive (capital letters required), Michael Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo, Edgar Renteria's World Series-winning single against the Indians. But I don't think most fans realize this: Those were the high points. Those were the moments when Cleveland teams had a chance. The rest was just plain old losing.
That's what it has meant to be a Cleveland sports fan: long periods of suffering broken up by brief periods of feeling hopeful, followed immediately by worse suffering. And of course, there was the worst indignity of all: Art Modell yanking the Browns out of Cleveland, changing their name, then winning a championship in Baltimore.
If James leaves Cleveland -- for New York or anywhere else -- it will be an even darker moment than when the Browns left. At least then, Cleveland got another version of the Browns. How the heck are they going to get another version of LeBron James?
This would be the most painful free-agent departure in American sports history. Whatever is second is a distant second. Here you have the league MVP, probably the premier player of his generation, who grew up in nearby Akron, with a chance to rescue the most tortured sports city in America ... and he bolts? Unthinkable.
Nobody knows what James really wants to do. It is one of the great stories of the last decade, because the hype has not added a shred of insight. We know he loves New York and has people in his ear who want him to go to New York. We also know that it's hard to leave a 60-plus-win team in your hometown for a rebuilding team somewhere else. He wants to be a mogul but he wants to win; he wants the fame but he wants to be loved. Nobody seems to know how this will go.
But if you're from Cleveland, you are conditioned to expect the worst and then wonder if you're being too optimistic. If LeBron bolts, Clevelanders might blame all sorts of culprits: LeBron, his business guys, New York, New Yorkers, the media, the Steelers -- the list is long.
But if the Celtics finish off the Cavs and end the James era in Cleveland, I hope Cavs fans blame their basketball franchise.
The team deserves it.
Seven years have passed since the Cavs lucked and sucked their way into the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft. That was the best year to have the No. 1 pick since 1997, when Tim Duncan was available. Everybody knew LeBron James would be the first pick. Everybody knew he would be not just a star, but probably a league MVP.
By his second year, James was in the discussion for best player in the world -- he averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists and shot 47 percent from the field. He was still a subpar defensive player, but that was his only real weakness.
So the Cavs have played six seasons with LeBron in full superstar mode. They have had six years to build a championship team around the easiest player in the league to build around.
And what have they done with it?
They declined an option on Carlos Boozer, thinking they had an under-the-table handshake agreement, and Boozer bolted for more money in Utah. They gave $70 million to Larry Hughes, or roughly $4.50 for each bad shot. They overpaid Drew Gooden. They took Mo Williams' contract off Milwaukee's hands. They took Ben Wallace's contract off Chicago's hands. They took Shaq's contract off Phoenix's hands. They took Antawn Jamison's contract off of Washington's hands. They have acquired one overvalued asset after another -- chances are good that if you walked away from your house after the real estate market collapsed, the Cavs now own it.
Plenty of talent has flowed into the league in the last five years, but not enough of it has flowed to Cleveland.
It's been 98 percent madness and two percent method. The Cavs have never seemed to have a real plan. They have just spent money on the biggest name they could find at any given moment. The conventional wisdom in NBA front offices is that the way you win a title with one superstar and one near- superstar, then fit the pieces around them. Cleveland never got that near-superstar, and worse, the Cavs never really tried. They never saved cap space so they could target a specific free agent to complement the most gifted player in the world.
Owner Daniel Gilbert will spend whatever it takes. But it takes more than spending, and Gilbert's general manager, Danny Ferry, has not shown the patience or acumen of the best general managers. It has been hard to tell if the Cavs are more concerned with winning or trying to convince LeBron that they are trying to win. Now it looks like the Cavaliers won't win. And if they don't, they'll have to do the convincing job of a lifetime.

Prokhorov’s $200 Million Purchase of Nets Gets NBA Approval

2010-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Mikhail Prokhorov became the second foreign team owner in U.S. professional sports when the Russian billionaire’s $200 million purchase of the New Jersey Nets was approved by the National Basketball Association.

Prokhorov’s first official act as the Nets’ majority owner will likely come May 18, when the NBA holds its annual draft lottery, giving the team that threatened the league record for fewest wins a chance to restock with a top college player such as guard John Wall of the University of Kentucky.

Prokhorov also has pledged to be active in the free-agent market, where All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire will be available starting in July. New Jersey is about $26 million below the league’s projected $56.1 million salary cap next season.

“There is only one way to go: up,” Prokhorov told Bloomberg Markets magazine in its May issue. “I like to find cheap assets with problems. It gives me power.”

The 45-year-old Prokhorov, the second-richest person in Russia with a fortune estimated by Finans magazine at $17.8 billion, made his money in gold and metals. Now he is investing in debt restructuring and hybrid cars.

He will own 80 percent of the Nets (12-70) and 45 percent of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where the team plans to relocate for the 2012 season. The transactions regarding the team and Barclays Center are expected to be completed today.

‘Business Acumen’

“We anticipate that his passion for the game and business acumen will be of considerable value not only to the Nets franchise but to the entire NBA,” league Commissioner David Stern said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

Prokhorov is looking for other investment opportunities in the U.S. and owning a professional basketball team gives him immediate name recognition, he said.

“If I want to do something else, people won’t say, ‘Who’s that?’” Prokhorov said. “They’ll say, ‘That’s the owner of the Nets.’”

Prokhorov will be the first owner of an NBA team from outside North America and the second foreign owner of a U.S. franchise. Nintendo of America Inc. is the majority owner of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners.

The approval “will give the NBA a greater global reach and bring a multitude of new fans to the game of basketball,” Prokhorov said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. “For those who are already fans of the Nets and the NBA, I intend to give you plenty to cheer about.”

Mining Sale

The 6-foot-7 Prokhorov sold his 25 percent stake in Russia’s biggest mining company, Moscow-based OAO GMK Norilsk Nickel, in April 2008 for a promised $7 billion in cash and a 14 percent stake in United Co. Rusal, the world’s largest aluminum producer.

In 2008 and 2009, he used his holding company, Onexim Group, to buy distressed assets. He purchased half of Renaissance Capital, one of Russia’s largest investment banks, in September 2008 for $500 million. He increased his stake in OAO Polyus Gold, Russia’s largest gold producer, and now owns about 40 percent of the company with other investors, a stake valued at about $3.7 billion in March.

In Russia, his wealth ranks second after steel magnate Vladimir Lisin, who’s worth was estimated by Finans magazine at $18.8 billion.

Prokhorov purchased the Nets from developer Bruce Ratner, who will make the new arena the centerpiece of a $4.9 billion, 22 acre (9-hectare) office and apartment complex in Brooklyn, which is home to about 330,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Ratner purchased the Nets in 2004 for $300 million from YankeeNets LLC.

The project and move has been held up for six years over legal battles with local residents opposed to the development.

Soccer's Biggest Stars Strip for Vanity Fair

2010-05-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ladies, you now have a reason to like soccer. Several reasons, in fact.

With the World Cup approaching, Vanity Fair is publishing some revealing photographs of many of the sport's biggest stars – wearing a lot less than they will in South Africa when the games begin next month.

Among the hunks showing off their battle-ready physiques in the Annie Leibovitz portraits: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, USA's Landon Donovan, Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o and Brazil's Kaká. For an added dose of patriotism, each player strips down to underwear designed in the colors of his

Leibovitz traveled to Milan, Madrid, London and Brooklyn for the photo shoots.

South Africa is hosting this year's World Cup, the first to be played on the African continent. The tournament begins June 11 with the host nation taking on Mexico in Johannesburg. The final will be played July 11 on the same field.

Zimbabwe national soccer coach quits joins Stars

2010-05-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Harare - Zimbabwe's national football coach Sunday Chidzambwa has quit and taken up a coaching post with South Africa's Free State Stars, reports said on Tuesday.

"I have coached in this country for 26 years and this is a new challenge for me," Chidzambwa is quoted as saying by the state-run Herald after signing a two-year deal to replace Gordon Igesund, who has resigned.

Chidzadzwa, who was owed $60 000 (about R440 000) in outstanding salaries by the football authorities, will now earn R100 000 a month, the report said.

Chidzambwa, a former national team captain, became the first coach to guide Zimbabwe to qualification for the Africa Cup Nations in 2004.

The former national team captain, was also director of coaching for local football giants Dynamos.

NHL Education Doesn't End With Caps Demise

2010-05-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d be done talking about hockey and the NHL Playoffs by now. I also thought I’d be done watching the NHL until next fall since the Washington Capitals saw their season come to a premature end last week at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. I guess I was wrong!
To be sure, I’ll spend a great deal of time and energy following the (hopefully) steady rise of the Washington Nationals in the coming weeks and months. Like most baseball fans (and baseball was, after all, my first true love) I’ll keep a keen eye on the progress of Stephen Strasburg. As a self-professed “convert” to the World’s Game, I will continue to chart the progress of DC United as they look to find themselves in these troubled times. I will, as a matter of civic duty, obsess over everything related to the NFL with specific interest in a certain outfit in burgundy and gold. The NBA, NASCAR, and Golf will take up considerable chunks of my television viewing time while tennis (the sport of my life) will never be far from my heart.
Yet this spring, for the first time, I am fully invested in the chase for the Stanley Cup. Anyone who has read my blog during the season knows how significant it has been for me on a very personal level. And if you have some time, this is what my wife, Brooke, posted on Facebook the day after the Caps were eliminated. But it hasn’t always been like this.
I’ve always understood the significance of the NHL postseason, but I am new to actually paying it much mind beyond my personal preferences. Sure, as a New Jersey native, my interest was piqued when the Devils began their run of success in the 1990’s, and growing up just outside of New York City, it was impossible to ignore the Rangers’ run in 1994. Yet much like soccer, hockey just wasn’t an integral part of my upbringing in sports.
The first NHL game I ever attended was at Madison Square Garden, Rangers vs. Penguins. I was in middle school. I think the next one I went to was after I graduated college. I was covering the game for a now-defunct company called “Sports Phone”. To say that I was out of my element around the sport would be a vast understatement. I wasn’t subjected to regular exposure to the sport until I lived, in all places, Lincoln, Nebraska. It was there, in the heart of college football country, that I first began to learn about the most elementary aspects of the sport.
Working for KLKN-TV in Lincoln, I covered the Lincoln Stars. We’re talking about Junior A hockey, the USHL. For the most part, the members of the team were high school aged young men looking to catch the attention of college or pro scouts. They were living away from home, many of them for the first time. Hockey was their life, and it was a way of life that was totally new to me. It was a start, for them and me.
I began covering the Washington Capitals in 2001, around the same time Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic came in to being. Since I had worked briefly in Pittsburgh for Fox Sports Net, I was sent on the road to cover the playoff series between the Caps and Penguins. Reporting from The Igloo, I began to “get it”. Soon thereafter, I was the first studio host of “Capitals Post Game Live” on Comcast SportsNet. I would spend game after game picking the brain of Joe Reekie, the recently retired long-time NHL defenseman and “go-to” locker room sound bite. I can never thank Joe enough for explaining to me the “why’s” of what we would watch unfold on the ice.
From Joe Beninati to Craig Laughlin to Al Koken to Alan May, I’ve always tried to extract as much insight as I could from people who have either played the sport or been around it long enough to enlighten me about things I otherwise wouldn’t pick up upon. Since I’ve come to understand it just little bit, my curiosity has rarely waivered. Yet now it continues on, for the first time, even without a team to cover or an organization to agonize over. I hope I don’t annoy those guys when I call or text them to ask them about games that don’t involve the Capitals!
Last Thursday, like so many people in the D.C. area, I awoke with a feeling of loss, an emptiness that I thought couldn’t be filled until the free agent signing period began in July or the first minicamp later this year. Yet here I am, fully ensconced in the Flyers and Bruins, the Penguins and Canadiens, even the Sharks and Red Wings. Instead of watching with Alan May and Smokin’ Al, I’m with Brooke and my son Max. When they have questions, sometimes I’ll have answers. And when I don’t have the answers I know exactly who to call!

Sports Commissioners should boycott Arizona Events

2010-05-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

This is not the time for silence. It's time for our various sports commissioners to speak.
Loudly and clearly.That means NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should make his opinion known. So should MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.The same goes for the heads of the NBA, the NHL and any other sports league that does business in Arizona.
Their collective message to Arizona should leave no room for interpretation:
If Senate Bill 1070, which requires police to question people about their immigration status and demand to see their documents if they suspect the person is in the U.S. illegally, goes into effect July 29, then you can say goodbye to a plethora of sporting events.

That means no MLB All-Star Game in 2011. No more Super Bowls. No more BCS Championship games. And it should mean heavy economic sanctions until the law gets repealed.
End of story. No discussion. No compromise.
There's precedent.
Following the failure of a 1990 proposition to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday as a holiday in Arizona, the NFL moved Super Bowl XXVII from Arizona to California. Arizona finally added MLK Day, and Super Bowl XXX was played in Tempe.
In 2001, the NCAA announced a two-year moratorium – the ban continues – on awarding predetermined postseason events to South Carolina. And the Atlantic Coast Conference moved its basketball tournaments in 2011, 2012 and 2013 from South Carolina to North Carolina because the Confederate battle flag, a symbol of slavery and oppression, remains on display at the state capitol.
Sometimes, financial penalties are the only way to effect change.
Some of you will fire off angry e-mails because you believe columns about politics have no business on the sports pages.
You're wrong.
Big business is synonymous with politics. Why do you think Cowboys Stadium is in Arlington instead of Dallas?
Pro sports, a billion-dollar industry, is one of the biggest revenue-producing ventures in our country. Besides, whether you play professional sports or write about them for a living, we're all Americans, and injustice should never be overlooked.
No good can come from a law that essentially legalizes racial profiling. That's why it was good to see MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner take an official stand against Senate Bill 1070.
"All of these players, as well as their families, could be adversely affected, even though their presence in the United States is legal," Weiner's statement read. "Each of them must be ready to prove, at any time, his identity and the legality of his being in Arizona to any state or local official with suspicion of his immigration status.
"The Major League Baseball Players Association opposes this law as written. We hope that the law is repealed or modified promptly. If the current law goes into effect, the MLBPA will consider additional steps necessary to protect the rights and interests of our members."
Maybe those of you who think this law is no big deal will change your mind the first time one of the Rangers' top-rated prospects gets hauled to jail because he didn't have his passport with him on the way from the ballpark. Or when it happens to a prospect on your favorite team.
While most police officers respect and protect us, a small percentage will use this law to harass folks. It's naïve to think otherwise.
More than ever our sports leagues encompass the best athletes in the world, not just the U.S.
It's not just baseball, which has hundreds of Spanish-speaking players from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other locales. They're a huge part of the community in Arizona during the six weeks of spring training as well as the Arizona Fall League, where some of the best prospects traditionally compete.
How many Europeans play in the NHL and NBA? How many compete on the PGA Tour?
There's no way our major sports leagues can sit idly by while Arizona puts a law such as this into effect. They must make their displeasure known.

49ers Offers Huge Deal $50M to LB Patick Willis for 5-year Contract

2010-05-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco 49ers signed linebacker Patrick Willis to a long-term contract extension on Tuesday.
Willis was the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and has proven to be one of the elite linebackers in the game in just three seasons in the league.
The 49ers gave him a five-year, $50 million extension according to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer.
His current contract runs through 2011 at which point the new deal will kick in, keeping him in San Francisco through 2016.
The 6-foot-1, 240 pound Willis has started in 48 consecutive contests and led the team in tackles and been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons.

Venus Cruises into Rome Third Tennis Round

2010-05-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

Williams sisters Venus and Serena had few problems between them as they cruised into the third round of the WTA Rome Open at the Foro Italico here on Tuesday after straight sets victories.
World number one Serena, the reigning Australian Open champion, overcame a tough first set to beat Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 7-6 (7/2), 6-1.
Before that, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus breezed to a 6-2, 6-2 dismantling of another Swiss, Patty Schnyder.
Serena was playing for the first time since winning in Melbourne and she certainly took her time to adjust.
In the first set she quickly found herself two breaks down at 1-4 but broke back straight away to love with a drop-shot winner on game point.
"I was a little off. I got off to a little bit of a slow start but it was good and I was able to fight it off," she said.
"I don't think anything went wrong. I thought she played excellently, to be honest. I thought she was really playing well so I just had to pick up the level of my game."
Serena, the 2002 champion here, had looked lacklustre in the opening exchanges but she finally came to life in the 10th game as she saved three set points, screaming after one of those as she tore up to the net to reach a drop shot and crash a backhand winner down the line.
She broke Bacsinszky to level at 5-5 and then strolled through the tie-break 7-2.
That effectively heralded the end of her 20-year-old opponent's resistance, although the Swiss did hold in the fifth game from 0-40 down.
Venus, playing in her first match in more than a month due to a knee problem, needed only an hour and a quarter to win her second round tie.
The victory ensured the world number four maintained her 100 percent record against Schnyder with her 10th win out of 10 against the Swiss.
"I think it was a pretty good performance, I felt good on court," said the 1999 winner here.
"She likes clay, it suits her type of game but I was executing pretty well.
"We've had some difficult matches in the past although that score was a bit easy. When I play against her I have the opportunity to control the point a little more because she doesn't hit with so much force."
Ironically, both sets followed identical patterns, with the first three games going against the server and then Williams breaking in the seventh game as well before serving out.
There was no such comfort for reigning champion Dinara Safina, the former world number one, who was stunned by Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 in a marathon that lasted two hours 40 minutes.
The world number three, who had not played since January due to a back injury, was out of sorts from the beginning.
She went down 4-0 in the first set and although she battled back to 4-4, lost her serve again to give up the set.
In the second she served for the set at 5-3 and had a set point but was broken before eventually levelling the match in a tie-break.
But she visibly wilted in the decider and world number 43 Dulgheru cantered away to the best result of her career.
"I was too out of touch with the racket. I had only practised a little bit so this was disappointing," said Safina.
"The third set went so fast, in one second it was 5-0.
"The only good thing out of this match is that my back was fine."
In other matches, Polish eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland thrashed home favourite Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-0, while there were also wins for sixth seed Elena Dementieva, seventh seed Jelena Jankovic, 11th seed Yanina Wickmayer, 14th seed Nadia Petrova and 16th seed Shahar Peer.

Phoenix Suns NBA Team to wears ‘Los Suns’ Uniforms

2010-05-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix Suns will wear “Los Suns” on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, owner Robert Sarver said, “to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation.”
The decision to wear the jerseys on the Cinco de Mayo holiday stems from a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer that has drawn widespread criticism from Latino organizations and civil rights groups that say it could lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. President Barack Obama has called the law “misguided.”

Sarver, who was born and raised in Tucson, said frustration with the federal government’s failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called “a flawed state law.”
“However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question,” he said, “and Arizona’s already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them.”
The measure makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally, and it directs local police to question people about their immigration status and demand to see their documents if there is reason to suspect they are illegal.
The controversy surrounding the law has led to picketing at some road games of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks and a call from the Rev. Jesse Jackson for major league baseball to move next year’s All-Star Game from Phoenix.
Sarver came up with the “Los Suns” jersey idea but left it up to the players for the final decision, Suns guard Steve Nash said, and all of them were for it.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Nash said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think the law is very misguided. I think it’s, unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties. I think it’s very important for us to stand up for things we believe in. As a team and as an organization, we have a lot of love and support for all of our fans. The league is very multicultural. We have players from all over the world, and our Latino community here is very strong and important to us.”
Nash was born in South Africa and moved with his parents to Victoria, British Columbia, when he was 1 1/2 years old. He was one of four Canadians to light the torch in the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics this year.
Ad Feedback
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said his team was interested in taking part but couldn’t get new “Los Spurs” road jerseys in time for the game.
“It’s a wonderful idea,” Popovich said. “because it kind of shows what we all should be about. Sure there needs to be a lot of work done, obviously. A lot of administrations have done nothing about the immigration deal and now everybody’s paying the price, especially a lot of people in Arizona. That’s a bad thing, but the reaction is important, too, and this reaction (the Arizona law), I believe with Mr. Sarver, is inappropriate.”
Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr said he and Sarver talked about making the gesture as the team flew home from Portland last week.
“We just felt like it was important,” Kerr said. “We’re in the public eye and this is obviously a huge issue. We acknowledge there are two sides to the issue and there are a lot of dynamics. It’s a difficult thing to sift through and there are going to be differing opinions. But what we’re focusing on is we want to celebrate the diversity that exists in our state and the diversity that exists in the NBA, make sure that people understand that we know what’s going on and we don’t agree with the law itself.”
The NBA Players Association released a statement criticizing Arizona’s immigration law and praising the Suns for the gesture.
“We applaud the actions of Phoenix Suns players and management and join them in taking a stand against the misguided efforts of Arizona lawmakers,” the NBAPA said. “We are consulting with our members and our player leadership to determine the most effective way for our union to continue to voice our opposition to this legislation.”
But Kerr said “this isn’t a huge political stand as much as it is just a celebration of diversity.”
He said the Suns called the NBA for approval “and they were all for it.”
Suns coach Alvin Gentry didn’t want to comment on Arizona’s immigration bill and said he was focused on showing appreciation for the Latino community and Arizona’s diversity.
“I’m not trying to duck it,” Gentry said. “I don’t know enough about it to really comment on it. I would think that if it had anything to do with racial profiling, then obviously as an African-American I would not be for anything that had any hint of racial profiling.”
The Suns wore the “Los Suns” jerseys twice in the regular season, and won both games.
“It’s going to be great to wear Los Suns,” Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire said, “to let the Latin community know that we’re behind them 100 percent.”

England move to Super Eight of World Twenty20 Listings

2010-05-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

England moved to the Super Eight of the World Twenty20 after their Group D match against Ireland was abandoned due to rain at the Providence Stadium.

Guyana, May 5 (IANS) England moved to the Super Eight of the World Twenty20 after their Group D match against Ireland was abandoned due to rain at the Providence Stadium here.

Chasing a modest target of 121 runs, Ireland were 14 for one in 3.3 overs when heavy rains interrupted the match for the second time. Play had to be finally called off.

England thus moved to the Super Eight, pipping Ireland on the basis of a superior run rate. West Indies is the other team to have reached the second stage having topped the group.

Ireland put up a spirited bowling performance to restrict England to 120 for eight.

Put in, England lost wickets at regular intervals before Eoin Morgan (45) and Luke Wright (20) steadied the innings with a 41-run stand for the fifth wicket. But after Boyd Rankins broke the partnership, dismissing Wright, England again against lost quick wickets in the final overs.

Rankins took two wickets giving away 25 runs while Kevin O'Brien also got two wickets for 22 runs.

Humility of seniors inspires Raina in International Cricket

2010-05-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

After scoring a match-winning 60-ball 101, Suresh Raina on Sunday credited his growth as a reliable batsman to a disciplined regime and inspiring atmosphere in the dressing room.
Riding on Raina’s knock, India posted a huge 186 for five and beat South Africa by 14 runs to qualify for Super Eight stage of the World T20.
“Fleming, Mahi (Dhoni) and Hayden supported me a lot during the IPL. Likewise, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid always backed me in the national team. It is very important for me to fulfill my potential and repay their faith in me,” Raina said after the match.
“Watching Kumble, Rahul, Sachin, Laxman in the dressing room, I noticed they were so humble even after they have performed so consistently. They keep their process very simple. I too have have led a very disciplined life as I grew up in a hostel. I want to emulate my seniors. There is so much to learn from their humility,” he added.
He was happy with his form and want to carry on the good work in the knock-out stage.
“Through the grace of God it has been a good year for me. I am happy that I scored a hundred and helped the team win. But it is very important to play really well in the super league. I am very positive person. I will look to perform well in every game here on. I want to continue performing to ensure that we win the T20 World Cup,” he said.
Though India were in trouble at 32 for two after six overs, Raina held his poise to play one of the best innings in the T20 format.
“I made sure that I played till the end. I did not think of hitting early, but concentrated on hitting the loose balls. I was very confident because I had had very good practice session. I knew that if I play 40 to 50 balls, I could score 80 to 90 runs which is what I was doing in the IPL,” he said.
He said he was comfortable batting at number three position.
“I have been batting at the slot even in the ODIs. Before the World Cup Mahi told me that I will be batting at number 3 and wanted to continue with my form from the IPL. So I was mentally prepared for the task.
“Batting up the order doesn’t mean that you to don’t go about whacking every ball. You have to respect your opponent and have to pick your bowlers you want to attack.”
Asked if he had changed his approach to the game, Raina said, “Initially in international cricket I was getting out in the 30s and 40s and not converting them into big scores. I played a lot of domestic cricket the last two years which has helped me. I think it is important to improve in each and every game.”
Contrary to aspersions that the IPL had left the players tired, Raina said,”I am just 23 years old. The more matches I play, the better for me. I am young and fit and am looking forward to get more exposure.”
He said there was competition in the ranks as there were a lot of talented youngsters in the side.
“There is a lot of competition among the youngsters. Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik and Yusuf Pathan are good players. But our character and mental strength will be tested during this tournament,” said Raina.
The Ghaziabad-born swashbuckler said the team that fields well should come out trumps in the world Cup.
“Whichever team does well in fielding will go on to win the title. In that sense, I think there is room for us to improve our fielding.”
South African captain Graeme Smith lauded Raina for his match-winning hundred.
“This surface suits his style of batting. He is strong both sides of the wicket. He has a very positive frame of mind and once he gets in, he takes the game to the end. He is player any team would like to have in their side,” said Smith, who regretted that his said conceded 75 runs in the last five overs of the Indian innings.

Virginia lax player to remain jailed ESPN

2010-05-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Describing a scene of violent rage, the Virginia lacrosse player accused of killing a member of the women's team told police he kicked in her bedroom door, shook her, and her head repeatedly hit the wall, according to a court document.

The suspect, 22-year-old George Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Md., has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Yeardley Love, also 22.

Huguely was not present at a court hearing Tuesday, but he appeared via videoconference from Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, wearing a gray-striped uniform. Afterward, his lawyer, Francis Lawrence, told reporters that Love's "death was not intended, but an accident with a tragic outcome."

Huguely is being held in jail until he is back in court on June 10.

Lawrence said Huguely withdrew from the university. Huguely and Love were both seniors.

Late Tuesday night, Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage announced that both lacrosse teams will participate in the NCAA tournament.

"A part of their healing will be getting our students back into some of their routines. In the case of the women's and men's programs, our lacrosse teams will honor Yeardley by continuing their seasons," Littlepage said in a statement. "We anticipate both teams will be selected for the NCAA tournaments and they will represent the University of Virginia as they always have."

An affidavit for a search warrant said two people found Love, of Cockeysville, Md., face down in her bedroom early Monday morning, with a pool of blood on her pillow. There was a large bruise on her face and one eye was swollen shut, police said, and she was pronounced dead at the scene after attempts to revive her.

According to the document, Huguely -- listed in the Virginia men's lacrosse media guide as 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds -- told police "he was involved in an altercation with Yeardley Love and that during the course of the altercation he shook Love and her head repeatedly hit the wall."

Huguely told police the two had been in a relationship "and that the relationship had ended," according to the affidavit. Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said investigators are looking into whether Huguely had threatened Love in the past.

"That's what we're trying to get to precisely, through our interviews with friends, family and teammates -- to see to what extent there's truth to that," Longo said.

Longo said there were no past police reports "of prior incidents; there's no protective orders or restraining orders."

Police in Lexington, Va. -- about 70 miles from Charlottesville -- said that in November 2008, Huguely was shocked with a stun gun by an officer there after resisting arrest for public intoxication. He pleaded guilty to two charges last year, was placed on six months' probation and was given a 60-day sentence, which was suspended.

The arresting officer, R.L. Moss, said in a statement Tuesday that she felt it necessary to use a stun gun because Huguely became abusive and his size was no match for her. She said in the statement that Huguely was "yelling obscenities and making threats."

According to the affidavit released in Charlottesville on Tuesday, Huguely waived his right to have an attorney present while he gave his chilling account of what happened at Love's apartment. Huguely told police he communicated with Love by e-mail and took her computer and disposed of it. He also told them where they could find it; Longo said investigators have the computer and are "in the process of trying to see what evidentiary value may exist."

An autopsy on Love was concluded in Richmond, and Longo said investigators passed along to him "pieces" of information, but he would not release details until he has the full, official report from the medical examiner.

Medical student Cliff Cutchins, who lives in the apartment building beside Huguely's, said he didn't know the suspect but had met Love and knew many of her friends.

Some of his friends who were close to Love left town for a few days, said Cutchins, of Virginia Beach.

Even with the details released Tuesday about Love's death, Cutchins said it is hard to believe that her relationship with Huguely could have been abusive.

"No matter what kind of relationship they had, there were no indications that it could have gotten this bad," he said. "There's no way this community would have let that happen."

Huguely, a midfielder, wasn't a starter but played in all 15 games this season, with four goals and three assists. Love played defense and started three games this season.

Their senior year was wrapping up: Tuesday was the last day of classes for undergraduates, final exams are scheduled to start Thursday, and graduation is the last week of May.

Instead, there were signs of mourning Tuesday. A moment of silence was observed for Love before Virginia's home baseball game. Members of Love's high school lacrosse team -- Notre Dame Preparatory of Towson, Md. -- wrote her uniform number, No. 1, on their calves; put black tape on their sticks; and wore orange ribbons in their hair for their 17-9 victory Tuesday at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School in Alexandria.

Meanwhile, at Virginia's campus, two gates at the lacrosse practice field were chained while players worked out.

ESPN reporter Bob Holtzman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Day In Sports MLB - Ernie Harwell Dies at Age 92

2010-05-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

After a long battle with cancer, beloved Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell died in his home Tuesday at the age of 92. Harwell was the voice of the Tigers for 55 years, ending his career after the 2002 season. He also became the only announcer in MLB history to be traded for a player when the Brooklyn Dodgers needed one in a pinch.

Bud Selig (MLB Commissioner) - "Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathy to Ernie's beloved wife Lulu, his four children, his friends and his countless admirers throughout our game."

Vin Scully (HOF Dodgers Broadcaster) - "He was with the Dodgers in '48 and '49, then I sat in his chair. I didn't follow or succeed him, I just sat in his chair. He was so gracious and kind. Probably the best word is that he was a gentleman, and it came across. He just cared for people. He loved baseball. He was such a nice guy, so you can understand why the people of Detroit just loved him."

Marty Brennaman (HOF Reds Broadcaster) - "Ernie Harwell, it goes without saying, was one of the greatest in the history of our profession. More important than that, however, he was one of the finest people I've ever known. I was privileged to call Ernie my friend. I will miss him greatly."

Sparky Anderson (HOF Manager) - "The thing that separates Ernie from so many others in the game is that he's never changed in all those years. He always has a pleasant word to say. He always cares about the other guy more than he cares about himself. That's the difference. He's not only a pro, he's a real human being who makes life a little better for all those around him."

Federer embarks on clay campaign still happy to bow to Nadal

2010-04-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

Federer embarks on clay campaign still happy to bow to Nadal as slow-court king

Despite victory in last year's French Open, World No 1 believes 'tearaway' Spaniard remains the one to beat

He is the world No 1, holds three of the four Grand Slam titles and is the French Open champion, but when Roger Federer goes to Roland Garros next month he believes the favourite to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires will be a rival who has just won his first tournament for 11 months. Federer has always held Rafael Nadal in the highest respect and believes the Spaniard is rapidly putting his recent difficulties behind him.

"The guy's been on an absolute tearaway on clay for pretty much the last five years," Federer said here as he prepared for his seasonal clay-court debut at this week's Rome Masters. "He's hardly lost any matches on clay and he's only lost one match at the French Open, so I would think he's still the favourite.

"I would love to say I'm the big favourite, but I don't think that's quite right, even though I won the French Open last year. He just hasn't lost to anyone on clay outside of the top five or top 10 players – and he's just proved again in Monaco how tough he is."

The Swiss, who meets Ernests Gulbis here in the Rome Masters this afternoon, knows that his route to last summer's French Open title opened up when Nadal's suspect knees gave way against Robin Soderling in the fourth round. Federer's four previous Roland Garros campaigns had ended in defeat to Nadal, in the semi-finals in 2005 and in the final the next three years in succession.

There was a time when the two rivals seemed to meet every other week, but if they face each other here in the semi-finals next weekend it will be their first confrontation for nearly a year.

Much has changed in their worlds since Federer ended a run of five successive defeats to Nadal – the Spaniard still leads 13-7 in their head-to-head record – by beating him in Madrid last May. Federer has become a father, completed his Grand Slam collection by winning in Paris and passed Pete Sampras's all-time mark of 14 major titles; Nadal has suffered injuries and gone through his longest barren spell for six years.

Federer, however, believed from the start of this year, when Nadal lost to Nikolay Davydenko in the Qatar Open final, that the Spaniard was coming back to his best.

"He definitely should have won Qatar," Federer said. "He was playing unbelievably in the final. It was like he was toying with Davydenko. He had match point, but Davydenko saved it and played incredibly in the third set to win. If Rafa had won, it would have been different for him going into the Australian Open. Then he had to retire in Melbourne through injury.

"I think there was a bit too much negativity around Rafa. It's true that 11 months without a title is a long time, but everyone should have known that, by the time the French Open or the clay-court season came around, he would be there again."

Nevertheless, Federer is optimistic about his own chances and feels less pressure going into this year's clay-court season.

He explained: "The questions I'm being asked are already very different. It doesn't start off with: 'Are you going to win the French Open this year?' It's a bit more relaxing. I also got a lot of confidence from winning the French Open last year. You feel like if you can do it once you can do it twice."

While Nadal has built on a promising spring – he followed semi-final appearances in Indian Wells and Miami by successfully defending his title in Monte Carlo in his first clay-court tournament – Federer has lost to Marcos Baghdatis and Tomas Berdych in the early rounds of his only two appearances since winning the Australian Open. The Swiss pulled out of Dubai with a lung infection and has been biding his time before lacing up his clay-court shoes again.

Nobody has repeatedly peaked at Grand Slam events like Federer, who knows, in particular, the importance of remaining fresh over the 10 weeks between now and the end of Wimbledon. He even found time for a holiday before spending two weeks training in preparation for clay. While Nadal arrived only three days ago, Federer has been practising here for the last week. "At this stage of the year practice is the key as you get ready for clay and the long stretch from Rome on to Wimbledon," Federer said. "It's a long one and I need to be fresh at the end of it at Wimbledon, when I'll hope to be playing in another final."

Nadal is also doing all he can to arrive in the best possible shape at the next two Grand Slam tournaments. The Barcelona Open, where he had won five successive titles, is one of Nadal's favourite events but, mindful of his physical state after playing such a demanding clay-court schedule last summer, the world No 3 pulled out of last week's tournament. Having won in Monte Carlo the weekend before last, he did not start practising again until last Friday.

"I think for my tennis it would have been much better to play in Barcelona because I was playing really well in Monte Carlo," Nadal said. "Barcelona is a very good tournament for me to play and I always feel great there, but I tried to think further ahead than just the next week or next day."

He added: "Right now is an important moment for me, because since the start of 2010 I've felt that I've been playing great, even if I didn't win before Monte Carlo. But I know that when I have physical problems, it's more difficult for me. It's always important to run well, to move well and to practise well. If I can't do these things, it's very difficult to have the chance to win tournaments, especially the important events."

As for the prospect of renewing an old rivalry, Nadal said: "It's too early at the start of the tournament to think about Federer. I think for me and for Roger it would be a pleasure if we played each other in the semi-finals – just because it would be very good news to be in the semi-finals of a very tough tournament like Rome."

Tennis Star Andy Murray looking to make a comeback in the Rome Masters

2010-04-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

Out of form tennis player Andy Murray is upbeat about his chances at the Rome Masters.

After two back-to-back defeats in major tournaments, the former world no.2 slipped to no.5. Undaunted by his poor performances, the Scottish tennis player is looking ahead. He has been training around the clock for his match with world no.47, Italian Andreas Seppi.

"My confidence isn't as high as it was at the start of the year but I've just had two bad tournaments, that's all it is.” The Sun quoted Murray as saying.

The tennis star is completely focussed on his upcoming match "Getting through my first match is my goal here in Rome and we'll take it from there." says Murray.

NBA Postseason Schedule

2010-04-27T03:05:00.000-07:00

Postseason NBA Schedule

All Times EDT
FIRST ROUND
(Best-of-7)

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston vs. Miami
Saturday, April 17
Boston 85, Miami 76
Tuesday, April 20
Boston 106, Miami 77
Friday, April 23
Boston 100, Miami 98
Sunday, April 25
Miami 101, Boston 92, Boston leads series 3-1
Tuesday, April 27
Miami at Boston, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 29
Boston at Miami, TBA, if necessary
Saturday, May 1
Miami at Boston, TBA, if necessary
---
Cleveland vs. Chicago
Saturday, April 17
Cleveland 96, Chicago 83
Monday, April 19
Cleveland 112, Chicago 102
Thursday, April 22
Chicago 108, Cleveland 106
Sunday, April 25
Cleveland 121, Chicago 98, Cleveland leads series 3-1
Tuesday, April 27
Chicago at Cleveland, 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 29
Cleveland at Chicago, TBA, if necessary
Saturday, May 1
Chicago at Cleveland, TBA, if necessary
---
Atlanta vs. Milwaukee
Saturday, April 17
Atlanta 102, Milwaukee 92
Tuesday, April 20
Atlanta 96, Milwaukee 86
Saturday, April 24
Milwaukee 107, Atlanta 89
Monday, April 26
Milwaukee 111, Atlanta 104, series tied 2-2
Wednesday, April 28
Milwaukee at Atlanta, 8 p.m.
Friday, April 30
Atlanta at Milwaukee, TBA
Sunday, May 2
Milwaukee at Atlanta, TBA, if necessary
---
Orlando vs. Charlotte
Sunday, April 18
Orlando 98, Charlotte 89
Wednesday, April 21
Orlando 92, Charlotte 77
Saturday, April 24
Orlando 90, Charlotte 86
Monday, April 26
Orlando 99, Charlotte 90, Orlando wins series 4-0
---
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas vs. San Antonio
Sunday, April 18
Dallas 100, San Antonio 94
Wednesday, April 21
San Antonio 102, Dallas 88
Friday, April 23
San Antonio 94, Dallas 90
Sunday, April 25
San Antonio 92, Dallas 89, San Antonio leads series 3-1
Tuesday, April 27
San Antonio at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 29
Dallas at San Antonio, TBA, if necessary
Saturday, May 1
San Antonio at Dallas, TBA, if necessary
---
Denver vs. Utah
Saturday, April 17
Denver 126, Utah 113
Monday, April 19
Utah 114, Denver 111
Friday, April 23
Utah 105, Denver 93
Sunday, April 25
Utah 117, Denver 106, Utah leads series 3-1
Wednesday, April 28
Utah at Denver, 10:30 p.m.
Friday, April 30
Denver at Utah, TBA, if necessary
Sunday, May 2
Utah at Denver, TBA, if necessary
---
Phoenix vs. Portland
Sunday, April 18
Portland 105, Phoenix 100
Tuesday, April 20
Phoenix 119, Portland 90
Thursday, April 22
Phoenix 108, Portland 89
Saturday, April 24
Portland 96, Phoenix 87
Monday, April 26
Phoenix 107, Portland 88, Phoenix leads series 3-2
Thursday, April 29
Phoenix at Portland, TBA
Saturday, May 1
Portland at Phoenix, TBA, if necessary
---
L.A. Lakers vs. Oklahoma City
Sunday, April 18
L.A. Lakers 87, Oklahoma City 79
Tuesday, April 20
L.A. Lakers 95, Oklahoma City 92
Thursday, April 22
Oklahoma City 101, L.A. Lakers 96
Saturday, April 24
Oklahoma City 110, L.A. Lakers 89, series tied 2-2
Tuesday, April 27
Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Friday, April 30
L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBA
Sunday, May 2
Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, TBA, if necessary

Multi-billion Dollar Television and Internet :Google and Sony caught in cricket probe

2010-04-27T02:49:00.000-07:00

The multi-billion dollar television and internet broadcasting rights held by Sony and Google for the Indian Premier League, the world's most lucrative cricket tournament, are expected to be investigated as part of a sweeping corruption probe into the competition.

Shashank Manohar, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, announced the investigation yesterday following the suspension of Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, in a scandal that threatens the credibility of the tournament.

"The alleged acts of individual misdemeanours of Mr Lalit K. Modi, chairman IPL and vice-president BCCI, have brought a bad name to the administration of cricket and the game itself," Mr Manohar said.

Mr Modi has denied any wrongdoing. Google declined to comment. Sony was unavailable for comment but last week denied any irregularities in the deal.

The scandal, which began when Mr Modi accused a government minister of intervening to help a friend during the auction of an IPL team franchise, is the most serious threat to a tournament that has weathered the spectre of terrorist attacks and other obstacles in its brief, three year-life.

Following the shortened Twenty20 version of cricket, the IPL is a runaway success, having generated $4bn (€3bn, £2.6bn) in sponsorship, advertising, team franchise and other deals.

But this month Mr Modi fell out with India's then deputy foreign minister, Shashi Tharoor, accusing him of interfering in an auction of team franchises to support a friend in one of the winning consortiums.

The ruling Congress party asked Mr Tharoor to resign but ordered a sweeping tax department investigation into the IPL and Mr Modi, culminating in his suspension.

Mr Manohar said yesterday the BCCI would examine five issues relating to Mr Modi's leadership of the IPL. These included transactions surrounding the awarding of the television broadcast rights, which were acquired by a division of Sony for $2bn, as well as the internet rights. Any examination of the internet rights would affect Google, which this year negotiated a two-year deal to broadcast the tournament on YouTube for an undisclosed amount.

Mr Manohar said the BCCI would also probe the auction of the original eight IPL teams, particularly the shareholdings of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

Another issue related to the "behavioural pattern" of Mr Modi and his alleged leaks to the media.

In a speech that was part swansong, part message of defiance, Mr Modi took to the podium at the IPL final on Sunday to defend his leadership. "Though the events on the ground have been an outstanding success, there have been some off-field unpleasant dramas based on the unknown, half-truths and motivated leaks from all sorts of sources," Mr Modi said. "I assure you the IPL is clean and transparent."

Indian government will face a no-confidence vote as cricket corruption crisis deepens

2010-04-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

League founder faces 22 charges in scandal

The Indian government will face a no-confidence vote today amid the deepening crisis over its ministers' alleged involvement in a cricket corruption scandal.

The Congress Party of Manmohan Singh, the prime minister, faces a parliamentary motion over a series of controversies, including allegations the government tapped senior politicians' telephones.
The crisis deepened Monday when Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), was suspended and charged with 22 counts of corruption. They included allegations that he accepted kickbacks, manipulated auctions for new teams and took share-holdings using family members as proxies.
Modi, recently lauded for turning the IPL into a £3.8-billion business, was accused of receiving a substantial share of a $80-million "facilitation fee" paid for television rights.
He is also accused of holding a 45-per-cent stake in the Rajasthan Royals through his brother-in-law. The Royals, fronted by the Bollywood and Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty, are now being investigated by the tax authorities and the cricket authorities.
Tax inspectors are also investigating overseas investments in the team by its shareholders, including Lachlan Murdoch, to see whether they breached tax and foreign exchange laws.
Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, is believed to hold a 32-per-cent stake through his company Blue Water Estate.
Modi's suspension has serious political implications since he is regarded as a protege of Sharad Pawar, the leader of a key coalition partner, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Relations between Congress and the NCP have deteriorated in recent weeks. Shashi Tharoor, a Congress minister, resigned after Modi disclosed that the minister's girlfriend had received a $14.7-million stake in an IPL team.
His departure provoked new allegations not just against Modi, but also against his patrons, Pawar, and Praful Patel, the aviation minister.
Pawar's son-in-law was revealed as a shareholder in a company that fixed the IPL's television rights deal.
On Sunday, Modi was banned from a meeting of the IPL's general committee and told he would be reinstated only if he could refute the allegations against him.
Shashank Manohar, the president of the Board of Control of Cricket in India, said Modi had awarded franchises to frontmen who were not the true owners.
"Modi made a statement that the entire world knows who the shareholders are but the fact is that not even the governing council members know about Rajasthan Royals," he said.
"I did not find the names of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra -Shetty's husband -in the papers and they claim to be stakeholders."

Zimbabwe Cricket Team will Play with Australia and Pakistan

2010-04-27T02:37:00.000-07:00

ZIMBABWE will get two more chances to fine-tune their squad ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 cricket tournament in the West Indies when they play Australia and Pakistan in warm-up matches.
Zimbabwe play Australia in St Lucia today and defending champions Pakistan on Thursday after a largely disappointing pre-tournament tour that saw them losing twice to the West Indies A side.

Coach Alan Butcher and his charges face stronger oppositions that would accurately gauge their preparedness and their capacity with only one week left before playing their first game of the tournament.

Unlike the West Indies A, Australia -- whom they face today -- will provide them with the kind of competition they should expect in the group stages.
Zimbabwe are in Group B with last year's finalists Sri Lanka and New Zealand, who surprisingly are seeded eighth at the tournament.Australia, who have struggled to impress at previous World Twenty20 tournaments, have declared that they would want to take the warm-up matches seriously in the build-up to this year's edition.

Just three years back they suffered a shock defeat at the hands of a youthful Zimbabwe outfit despite being one of the tournament favourites. But Australia has had a successful 2009-10 season and captain Michael Clarke said his squad is ready to replicate that form at the 2010 World Twenty20.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe have struggled to impress, winning only one Twenty20 match against West Indies in their first tour of the Caribbean.

Zimbabwe's feeble batting has been their major weakness as the players are finding it difficult to put enough runs on the board. They unsuccessfully had to defend low totals in the two matches against an average West Indies side. After losing the first match by six wickets, much was expected from the best of the Zimbabwe line-up comprising Hamilton Masakadza, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Brendan Taylor and Tatenda Taibu in the top order.

But the team could only manage 124 runs in the second match, which they lost by four wickets on Sunday.
Masakadza and Chibhabha had a promising start contributing 56 runs for the first wicket but Zimbabwe lost the last four wickets for a paltry nine runs. Bowler Shane Shillingford inflicted a lot of damage to the Zimbabwe side claiming four wickets before the hosts cruised to 129/7 with nine balls remaining.
Zimbabwe, however, step up their preparations today when they face the pace of such players as Bret Lee, Shaun Tait, and Mitchell Johnson with the inconsistency of the batting order again coming under close scrutiny.

Watch Lille vs Liverpool Live : UEFA Europa League

2010-03-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Watch Lille vs Liverpool Live : UEFA Europa League

Thursday, March 11, 19:00 CET

Watch Lille vs Liverpool live stream March 11, 20 information of the match between Lille vs Liverpool kickoff and schedule TV on Thursday, March 11, 19:00 CET live at Lille Metropole in the UEFA Europa League.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has told his players to tackle their Europa League last-16 first-leg tie against Lille as if it was their “most game of the season”.

Lille will be without defenders Nicolas Plestan and Mathieu Debuchy, and forwards Tulio de Melo and Gervinho – all out injured – for the tie. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Lille vs Liverpool preview, recaps and highlights here.

UEFA Europa League: Lille vs Liverpool Live

Watch Lille vs Liverpool live streaming free. The updates of Lille vs Liverpool live feed streaming on 3/11 UEFA Europa League at Lille Metropole

Real Madrid vs Lyon Live : UEFA Champions League

2010-03-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

Real Madrid vs Lyon Live : UEFA Champions League

Wednesday, March 10, 20:45 CET

Watch Real Madrid vs Lyon live stream March 10, 2010 – Information of the match between Real Madrid vs Lyon kickoff and schedule TV on Wednesday, March 10, 20:45 CET live at Est Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League. Karim Benzema has failed to overcome a hernia problem and will miss the midweek encounter, as well as Real’s weekend fixture against Valladolid.

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs Lyon Live

Royston Drenthe is fighting a muscle tear, while Pepe is a long-term absentee. In addition to these issues, Xabi Alonso and Marcelo are suspended. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Real Madrid vs Lyon preview, recaps and highlights here.

watch Real Madrid vs Lyon live online video streaming free. The updates Real Madrid vs Lyon live feed streaming on 3/9 in the UEFA Champions League at Est Santiago Bernabeu

Netherlands vs Korea Hockey Live : FIH World Cup

2010-03-09T01:45:00.000-08:00

Netherlands vs Korea FIH World Cup Live

Tuesday, March 9,14:05 CET

Watch Netherlands vs Korea live NHL Betting – Information of Hockey FIH World Cup match between Netherlands vs Korea on, 3-9-2010 Schedule TV on Tuesday, 14:05 CET in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010.

FIH World Cup: Netherlands vs Korea NHL Betting Tips

Which team will be the winner of this match? Netherlands or Korea? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Netherlands vs Korea free live stream on your PC. Enjoy with the live score, Netherlands vs Korea preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Netherlands vs Korea Hockey FIH World Cup Live

Watch Netherlands vs Korea live free online video streaming free. The links Video live streams updates the game of Netherlands vs Korea live feed stream on 3/9 Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 begin. Stay tune in Oskaya.com to watch this match.

FA Cup Quarter Final

2010-03-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

FA CUP QUARTER FINAL BETTING :
The top sporting action comes from the most prestigious cup competition in British football – The FA Cup. This weekend sees the four Quarter Final matches being played with the winners going to Wembley for the Semi Final games.

Portsmouth v Birmingham City:

This game looks to be an interesting contest, with the match odds not really matching the outright odds. Birmingham City are 11/1 to win the FA Cup compared to Portsmouth’s 20/1, yet Portsmouth are the slight favourites to take victory in this game at 8/5 compared to Birmingham’s 7/4. The match odds are not surprising as Portsmouth have one win in their last six home games, while Birmingham have only won one of their last four away games and have lost their last three away league games. However, the midlands side have been drawn away from home in every round of the FA Cup so far this season and with Portsmouth off-field problems getting worse every week they will feel that they can win this game and reach the new Wembley for the first time.

I recommend backing Birmingham to win this game at 7/4 with more than 2.5 goals to be scored @ 13/10.

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur:
Despite Spurs being joint second favourites with Aston Villa at 4/1 to lift the FA Cup this season they are going to have a tough time in this match as Fulham have won their last five home games and have only lost once in their last seventeen games at Craven Cottage. Spurs away form is inconsistent to say the best – they have only won three of their last ten away games and they came against Wigan Athletic, Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers. Fulham should win this game and are worth a bet to win the FA Cup at 12/1 as their odds will drop once they reach Wembley.

BetRepublic.com recommends backing Fulham to win this game @ 2/1 with both teams to score @ 10/11.

Reading v Aston Villa:

On paper this should be an easy one for Villa, but they’ll still be hurting after losing at Wembley last weekend and Reading are unbeaten in their last eight home games, winning four of their last five. To get this far, Reading have had to defeat two Premier League sides in Liverpool and Burnley and West Bromwich Albion, who are looking good to be promoted back to the Premier League. They will be no pushover for Villa. However, Villa have won two and drawn two of their last four away games, excluding the League Cup final last weekend, and will be looking to bounce back after their heartbreaking loss to Manchester United.

I feel that this game will finish level, so back the draw @ 12/5 with both sides to score @ 10/11.

Chelsea v Stoke City:

Chelsea are at odds of 1/4 to win this match while Stoke are 11/1 to be victorious. Prior to last weekend’s loss to Manchester City, Chelsea had gone forty-one games unbeaten at Stamford Bridge, a run which began in December 2008. Also, Stoke City have not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 1974. These statistics, along with the fact that Stoke’s last ten away games have seen five losses, four draws and only one victory (against Portsmouth), make the odds seem about right. Being as Chelsea are such huge favourites to win this game, I’m going to back both sides to score in the match @ 11/10 and Chelsea to score in both halves @ 19/20.

See former footballer Steve Claridge talk about all of this weekend’s Premier League action and get his top picks from this week’s BetRepublic.com Premier League Preview show.

NHL Live : Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators

2010-03-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

NHL Live : Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators

March 04,2010 ,Thursday, 7:00 PM ET

Watch Ottawa Senators vs Carolina Hurricanes NHL Live – Information of NHL regular season match between Ottawa Senators vs Carolina Hurricanes on, 3-4-2010 Schedule TV on Thursday 7:00 PM ET and will be live at RBC Center in Raleigh, NC.

The Carolina Hurricanes completed a bevy of deals before Wednesday’s trade deadline, but might benefit most this season from a move they didn’t make. With veteran forward Ray Whitney still on the roster, the new-look Hurricanes will try to extend their season-high winning streak to seven Thursday night when they host the Ottawa Senators. Enjoy with the live score, Ottawa at Carolina preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Ottawa Senators vs Carolina Hurricanes live streaming free. The links live streams updates on 3/4 NHL Regular Season at RBC Center in Raleigh, NC begin.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins NHL Live

2010-03-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins NHL Live

March 04,2010 ,Thursday, 7:00 PM ET

Watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins NHL Live – Information of NHL regular season match between Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins on, 3-4-2010 Schedule TV on Thursday 7:00 PM ET and will be live at TD Garden in Boston, MA. It has been more than two months since the Boston Bruins won a home game, and if they can’t win one Thursday, it will be at least two more weeks before they finally do.

NHL regular season: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins

A visit from the Toronto Maple Leafs may be just the fix. Enjoy with the live score, Toronto at Boston preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins live free online video streaming free. The links Video live streams updates the game of Toronto vs Boston live feed stream on 3/4 NHL Regular Season at TD Garden in Boston, MA begin.

Phoenix Sunsvs Utah Jazz Live NBA Betting

2010-03-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Sunsvs Utah Jazz Live NBA

March 04,2010 ,Thursday, 10:30 PM ET

Watch Utah Jazz vs Phoenix Suns NBA Live Streaming 3-4-2010 NBA. The match between Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns lives games on Thursday, 10:30 PM ET in US Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ. As two of the Western Conference’s best home teams, it’s safe to say the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns will be going all out to try to lock up home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Three head-to-head meetings over the final six weeks might determine if either one can secure it.

The Suns look for an eighth win in nine games overall and a sixth straight victory at US Airways Center on Thursday night when they host the Jazz in a potential first-round playoff preview. For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NBA 2009-10? Lets enjoy Utah Jazz vs Phoenix Suns livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch Utah Jazz vs Phoenix Suns streaming for live on March 4, 2010. Enjoy this NBA basketball schedule to get Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns video live updates. Watch NBA games stream live TV online free on 3/4 via link HERE.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat NBA Live

2010-03-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat NBA Live

March 04,2010 ,Thursday, 8:00 PM ET

Watch Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat Live3-4-2010 NBA. The match between LA Lakers at Miami Heat lives games on Thursday, 8:00 PM ET in American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL. A Kobe Bryant buzzer-beater lifted Los Angeles past the Heat in the series’ latest tight game, and the Lakers would love to see the reigning finals MVP shake out of his recent shooting slump Thursday night to open a three-game road trip in Miami.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat

For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NBA 2009-10? Lets enjoy Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch LA Lakers vs Miami Heat streaming for live free on March 4, 2010. Enjoy this NBA basketball schedule to get Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat video live. Watch NBA games stream live TV online free on 3/4 via link HERE.

Memphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls Live NBA Betting

2010-03-04T04:45:00.000-08:00

Memphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls Live NBA Betting

March 04,2010 ,Thursday, 8:00 PM ET

Watch Memphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls NBA Live Streaming 3-4-2010 NBA. The match between Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls lives games on Thursday, 8:00 PM ET in United Center in Chicago, IL. If a difficult stretch of games wasn’t challenging enough on its own, the Chicago Bulls are also enduring a wave of injuries. Joakim Noah begins what’s expected to be a three-week hiatus Thursday night, when the Bulls could also be without leading scorers Derrick Rose and Luol Deng against the Memphis Grizzlies, winners of a franchise-record five straight on the road.

For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NBA 2009-10? Lets enjoy Memphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch Memphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls streaming for live free on March 4, 2010. Enjoy this NBA basketball schedule to get Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls video live . Watch NBA games stream live TV online free on 3/4 via link HERE.

WEC-47 Picks : Bowles vs Cruz

2010-03-04T03:36:00.000-08:00

By Kumo, BetRepublic

WEC-47 Picks : Bowles vs. Cruz :

Mar 6, 2010 10:00 pm (Saturday)

Well, the lines are up for this weekend’s WEC-47: Bowles vs. Cruz in Columbus, Ohio. The event is being broadcast on Versus. Initially I was really looking at Cruz but now I’m favoring Bowles over Cruz for the Bantamweight title and then Torres over Benavidez in a good match as well.

Online sportsbooks have the numbers set at Cruz +205 to Bowles -255 and Benavidez +215 to Torres’ -275.

WEC-47 will feature Bowles’ first Bantamweight title defense since his KO of Miguel Torres. Bowles shouldn’t have an easy fight though, as Cruz’ only loss so far was against Urijah Faber. Bowles will favor the ground game and especially submissions. Even though Bowles has become dangerous on his feet, I’d look for him to either take Cruz down or knock him down and then work the submission. I wouldn’t expect it in the first round though as Cruz has good wrestling skills and is very tough as well.

I’m predicting a later round submission for Bowles.

Torres shows up with everything. I think if it wasn’t for the KO by Bowles, he would still be reigning for a while. This time out though he gets to show us his defense against a solid grappler. Benavidez stands a chance here, but in the end may just be outclassed by Torres. That’s no slight to Benavidez either. I expect Torres’ experience and skill to allow him to see the opening and work another submission victory. We’ll see if Torres can start building the comeback shot…

Watch WEC-47 Picks : Bowles vs. Cruz

I expect the favored Torres to win this one.

You can see all the WEC-47 picks and discussion at BetRepublic

Taurosevicius over LC Davis is good value at -140 to Davis’ +110. This may be the most evenly matched bout as both guys have solid (and similar) skills. Look for Taurosevicius’ wrestling to make the difference. My other quick pics for the match include Vasquez at -165 over Jens Pulver at +135 and Darabedyan -215 over Palaszewski +175.

Just an FYI, the WEC’s bantam weight is from 126lbs to 135lbs. These guys are cut, in shape and highly skilled. Very exciting division to watch and we’ve got two of the most notable bantamweights on the card and two very serious contenders. This should prove to be a great night of skilled fighters battling it out for victory. None of these fight should be easy, and to me that makes a great event. Hope you enjoy them as well.

West Indies vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI Live

2010-03-04T01:59:00.000-08:00

West Indies vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI Live

March 04,2010 ,Thursday, 13:30 GMT (19:00 IST)

West Indies vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI Live Streaming : Zimbabwe won an extraordinary Twenty20 clash at Port of Spain by 26 runs as West Indies, chasing just 106, were limited to 79 for seven.

Darren Sammy and Sulieman Benn had produced the third and fourth best bowling figures in Twenty20 internationals as the visitors were bowled out for 105.

Watch West Indies vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI Live

But Elton Chigumbura crashed an ultimately crucial 34 from 19 balls late on to give Zimbabwe a slim hope – and they responded with 18 overs of uninterrupted spin to leave the Windies 66 for seven and unable to get close.

Giant spinner Benn was handed the new ball and the left-armer responded with figures of four for six from his four overs.

He set the tone by clean bowling Vusi Sibanda with the first ball of the match, and then removed Tatenda Taibu lbw and had Stuart Matsikenyeri caught behind by Denesh Ramdin in his second over.

Teams:

Zimbabwe (From): Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu(w), Stuart Matsikenyeri, Brendan Taylor, Greg Lamb, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Shingirai Masakadza, Prosper Utseya(c), Ray Price, Charles Coventry, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu, Timycen Maruma

West Indies (From): Chris Gayle(c), Adrian Barath, Narsingh Deonarine, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Denesh Ramdin(w), Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, David Bernard, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller

Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks Live

2010-03-03T08:18:00.001-08:00

Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks Live Streaming
March 03,2010 ,Wednesday, 8:30 PM ET

Watch Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks Live Streaming 3-3-2010 NHL. The match between Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks lives games on Wednesday, 8:30 PM ET in United Center in Chicago, IL. The Chicago Blackhawks headed into the Olympic break as one of the NHL’s best teams, but questions remained about who would emerge as the team’s top goaltender.

Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks

For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NHL 2009-10? Lets enjoy Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks Live

Watch Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks streaming for live free on March 3, 2010. Enjoy this NHL Hockey schedule to get Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks video live update early and absolutely no survey. Watch NHL games stream live TV online free on 3/3

Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers Live

2010-03-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers Live

March 03,2010 ,Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET

Watch Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers Live Streaming 3-3-2010 NHL. The match between Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers lives games on Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET in BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL. The Philadelphia Flyers entered the Olympic break as one of the NHL’s hottest teams. The Florida Panthers were one of the coldest. Despite two weeks off, little appears to have changed.
Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers

The Flyers will try for a season-high sixth straight win Wednesday night against the Panthers, losers of seven in a row. For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NHL 2009-10? Lets enjoy Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers Live

Watch Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers streaming for live free on March 3, 2010. Enjoy this NHL Hockey schedule to get Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers video live update early and absolutely no survey. Watch NHL games stream live TV online free on 3/3

NHL Live : Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings

2010-03-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

NHL Live : Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings

March 03,2010 ,Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET

Watch Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings Live Streaming 3-3-2010 NHL. The match between Vancouver Canucks at Detroit Red Wings lives games on Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI. While leading Team Canada to a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock looked smart after benching all-time NHL wins leader Martin Brodeur.

Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings Betting Tips Hockey

Given his faith in Roberto Luongo’s abilities, Babcock probably won’t be thrilled to be going against the Vancouver Canucks netminder on Wednesday. For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Vancouver Canucks at Detroit Red Wings preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NHL 2009-10? Lets enjoy Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings streaming for live free on March 3, 2010. Enjoy this NHL Hockey schedule to get Vancouver Canucks at Detroit Red Wings video live update early and absolutely no survey. Watch NHL games stream live TV online free on 3/3 .

Live NHL : Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres

2010-03-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

Live NHL : Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres

March 03,2010 ,Wednesday, 7:05 PM ET

Watch Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres live stream TV online free 3-3-2010 NHL. The match between Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres lives games on Wednesday, 7:00 PM ET in HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. Ryan Miller got a hero’s welcome in an opponent’s arena after his MVP performance for the United States at the Olympics, and he’ll likely get a similar reaction from his home fans in Buffalo.

He won’t expect a round of applause from Alex Ovechkin. For all fans of both teams, check back later to watch online live free on TV channel to get Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres preview, score result, recaps and highlights! So who will be the winner of NHL 2009-10? Lets enjoy Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres livestream watch free TV online via internet in this sites.

Watch Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres streaming for live free on March 3, 2010. Enjoy this NHL Hockey schedule to get Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres video live update early and absolutely no survey. Watch NHL games stream live TV online free on 3/3 via link HERE.

FIH World Cup: Argentina vs Korea Hockey Live

2010-03-03T01:54:00.000-08:00

Watch Argentina vs Korea Hockey FIH World Cup Live

FIH World Cup: Argentina vs Korea Hockey Live

March 03,2010 ,Wednesday, 14:05 CET

Watch Argentina vs Korea live stream online free– Information of Hockey FIH World Cup match between Argentina vs Korea on, 3-3-2010 Schedule TV on Wednesday, 14:05 CET in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010.

FIH World Cup: Argentina vs Korea

Which team will be the winner of this match? Argentina or Korea? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Argentina vs Korea free live stream on your PC. Enjoy with the live score, Argentina vs Korea preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Argentina vs Korea live free streaming free. The links Video live streams updates before schedule the game of Argentina vs Korea live stream on 3/3 Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 begin.

Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins NHL Live

2010-03-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins NHL Live

March 3, 2010, Tuesday 7:00 PM ET

Watch Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins NHL Live– Information of NHL regular season match between Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins on, 3-2-2010 Schedule TV on Tuesday 7:00 PM ET and will be live at TD Garden in Boston, MA. If the Boston Bruinsand Montreal Canadiens needed any help readjusting to the NHL following the two-week Olympic break, a matchup between two Original Six rivals in the thick of a crowded playoff race should be just the thing.

Watch Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

The Bruins hope to build on their four-game winning streak and snap a string of nine straight home losses as they host Montreal on Tuesday night, with the Canadiens looking to leapfrog Boston for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Enjoy with the live score, Montreal at Boston preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins live free online video streamingfree.The links Video live streams updates before schedule the game of Montreal vs Boston live feed stream on 3/2 NHL Regular Season at TD Garden in Boston, MA begin.

Australia vs New Zealand 1st ODI Live Cricket

2010-03-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Australia vs New Zealand 1st ODI Live Streaming

Wednesday, March 3, 2010,

Time: 01:00 GMT | 14:00 local | 06:30 IST

Place: McLean Park, Napier

Australia vs New Zealand 1st ODI Live : Mc Lean Park pitch supports batsman. So we can expect huge runs.

New Zealand players Scott Styris and Neil Broom joined in the squad. New Zealand is still in confusion whether to play with two spinners or call for an extra seamer.

Ponting, Doug Bollinger, James Hopes, Clint McKay and Adam Voges are joined in the Australian squad. Shaun Marsh was ruled out due to injury. Brad Haddin is likely to start innings with Shane Watson.

In the second T20I New Zealand won with the super over. That was one of the best thriller match in the cricket where New Zealand scored 214/6 and Australia makes score level. Both teams went to Super Over, Australia scored only six runs for the loss of one wicket and New Zealand claimed seven runs victory. New Zealand loss all the T20I’s against Australia before.

Dashing opener Brendon McCullum is a big hope for the New Zealand. Brendon McCullum scored Century in the second T20I against Australia in 56 balls, which is one of the fastest century in the T20I. Tim Southee played a major role in the second T20I victory from the bowling side. He put pressure on Australian batsman with the good bowling, especially in the crucial overs. He only bowled in the Super Over from the New Zealand side took one wicket for six runs.

Teams:
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (wk), Peter Ingram, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, James Franklin, Daniel Vettori (capt), Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey.

Australia: Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Doug Bollinger.

Hockey FIH World Cup : Pakistan vs Spain Live

2010-03-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Hockey FIH World Cup : Pakistan vs Spain Live

March 02,2010 ,Tuesday, 14:05 CET

Watch Hockey FIH World Cup : Pakistan vs Spain Live – Information of Hockey FIH World Cup match between Pakistan vs Spain on, 3-2-2010 Schedule TV on Tuesday, 14:05 CET in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Pakistan vs Spain? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Pakistan vs Spain free live stream on your PC. Enjoy with the live score, Pakistan vs Spain preview, recaps and highlights here.

Pakistan vs SpainFIH World Cup: Pakistan vs Spain Hockey FIH World Cup Live

Watch Pakistan vs Spain live free online video streaming free. The links Video live streams updates before schedule the game of Pakistan vs Spain live feed stream on 3/2 Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 begin

India vs Australia Hockey Fih World Cup Live

2010-03-02T04:40:00.000-08:00

India vs Australia Hockey FIH World Cup Live Streaming

March 02,2010 ,Tuesday, 16:05 CET

Watch India vs Australia Hockey FIH World Cup Live– Information of Hockey FIH World Cup match between India vs Australia on, 3-2-2010 Schedule TV on Tuesday, 16:05 CET in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? India vs Australia? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch India vs Australia free live stream on your PC. Enjoy with the live score, India vs Australia preview, recaps and highlights here.

FIH World Cup:India vs Australia Hockey FIH World Cup Live

Watch India vs Australia Hockey FIH World Cup

Watch India vs Australia live free online video streaming free. The links Video live streams updates before schedule the game of India vs Australia live feed stream on 3/2 Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 begin

2nd ODI Live Cricket : England vs Bangladesh

2010-03-02T03:28:00.000-08:00

England vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI Live Streaming

Tuesday 2nd March 2010 (14:00 local, 08:00 GMT)

Match Information :
England v Bangladesh Live 2nd ODI
Event: England tour of Bangladesh
Match: 2nd ODI Cricket Match Day/Night
Time: Local 14:00 | GMT 08:00
Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium
Umpire 1: Nadir Shah

Watch England vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI Live Streaming here. Visitors England will play their second ODI match with Bangalore on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. It’s been a good outing so far for the England, and it was a 6-wicket win for them in the first ODI.

The England certainly must be enjoying the unmatched contest in the series, although Tamim Iqbal proved a thorn in their flesh during the first ODI. He had been the man of the match although hosts lost the match, and such is the dominance of this youngster. Aftab Ahmed will need to prove his worth if he wishes to seal a permanent berth in place of seasoned but out-of-form Mohammed Ashraful. Shakib-al-Hasan looks short of confidence, but on his day he is a lot worth to the team.

Watch England vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI Live Cricket Online Betting

With Pieterson regaining his touch again and Alistair Cook enjoying captaincy stint, it becomes extremely difficult for Bangladesh to come back and fight. The hosts; however, have good home crowd support and they need a lot luck and talent than they currently have to beat the visiting English side.

Watch England vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI Live Streaming

England won the first ODI by 6 wickets. England would be looking to win the series by wining the second ODI at Shere Bangla National Stadium.

Match is scheduled to start at 08:00 GMT, 13:30 IST on Tuesday 2nd March 2010. Eng Vs Ban will be telecast live on Neo Cricket and Neo Sports in India.

Bangladesh (From): Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo.

England (From): Alastair Cook(c), Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior(w), Luke Wright, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom, Joe Denly, Jonathan Trott, Liam Plunkett, James Tredwell, Ajmal Shahzad.

Carling Cup Final

2010-02-26T05:20:00.001-08:00

There is a wide range of exciting sporting events taking place this weekend all around Europe and we’ll be previewing the best of the action here.

Carling Cup Final:

The biggest game of the weekend comes from Wembley Stadium as Aston Villa and Manchester United go head-to-head for the chance to claim the first domestic cup of the season. This is the eighth time that these two sides have made it to the final of the League Cup, with Villa having won the trophy five times compared to Manchester United’s three times. However, Manchester United are the reigning champions after beating the 2008 champions Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in a penalty shootout.

Can Villa defeat the champions and win their first trophy since they last lifted the League Cup in 1996? Alex Ferguson’s men are the odds-on favourites to claim their fourth title, but Villa have not lost to United this season, including beating them 1-0 at Old Trafford, which is their only league defeat at home this season.

How will the game go? This game is a big match for Manchester United, but is the biggest game of the season for Villa and I fancy Villa to want it more.

BetRepublic.com Tip: Back Aston Villa to win.

Chelsea v Manchester City:

Keeping with the football theme, the biggest Premier League match of the weekend comes from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea entertain Manchester City. Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from a defeat in Milan on Wednesday night, while Man City need to get something from the game after going out of the FA Cup to Stoke City and playing out a terrible match against Liverpool last weekend. However, City will find it tough to get anything from the game against a team that are unbeaten in twenty-four home league matches in a run that stretches back as far as November 2008.

Unfortunately for Chelsea they are having a poor run of injuries at the moment, with Ashley Cole and Michael Essien out with long term problems and Petr Cech picking up a knock in Italy. Combined with a long trip back and playing early on Saturday, City will feel that they have a chance to end Chelsea’s long unbeaten run at home.

BetRepublic.com Tip: Back the game to finish level, with both teams to score.

England v Ireland:

In a departure from the football theme we had going, the final game we are previewing from this weekend is the Six Nations game between England and Ireland at Twickenham. After losing in Paris last time out, Ireland will need to return to winning ways this weekend or face the prospect of not retaining their title. Will they be able to do so against an England side that is unbeaten in its first two matches? Despite the majority of the bookmakers having England as very slight favourites to win the game in eighty minutes, it is very possible that Ireland can pick up the two points. However, they will need to start playing in a similar vein to 2009.

BetRepublic.com Tip: I’m with the bookies on this one, it is going to be incredibly close but I feel that Ireland will take the win.

Visit www.BetRepublic.com for more top tips.

By Antony Jordon, BetRepublic

Internacional vs Emelec Live Streaming

2010-02-23T05:28:00.001-08:00

Internacional vs Emelec Live Streaming

Internacional vs Emelec Live Streaming,Emelec vs Internacional Live Streaming,Internacional vs Emelec Live,Emelec vs Internacional Live,Watch Live Internacional vs Emelec,Watch Live Emelec vs Internacional,Internacional vs Emelec,Emelec vs Internacional

Tuesday, February 23, 18:50 ET

Watch Internacional vs Emelec Live Streaming free Feb 23, 2010 – Information of the match between Internacional vs Emelec kickoff and schedule TV on Tuesday, February 23, 18:50 ET live at Do Beira-Rio in the Copa Libertadores. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Internacional or Emelec? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Internacional vs Emelec free live stream on your PC.

Watch Internacional vs Emelec Live

We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Internacional vs Emelec preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Internacional vs Emelec Live Streaming

Watch Internacional vs Emelec live online video streaming free. The links updates before schedule kick off time Internacional vs Emelec live feed streaming on 2/23 in the Copa Libertadores at Do Beira-Rio.

Olympiakos vs Bordeaux Live Streaming : UEFA Champions League

2010-02-23T04:59:00.001-08:00

Olympiakos vs Bordeaux Live Streaming : UEFA Champions League

Tuesday, February 23, 20:45 CET

Watch Olympiakos vs Bordeaux Live Streaming : UEFA Champions League Feb 23, 2010 – Information of the match between Olympiakos vs Bordeaux kickoff and schedule TV on Tuesday, February 23, 20:45 CET live at Karaiskaki Stadium in the UEFA Champions League.

UEFA Champions League: Olympiakos vs Bordeaux

Olympiacos striker Jaouad Zairi is adamant Bordeaux will put their recent struggles behind them and pose a significant threat in their Champions League encounter. Les Girondins have not looked at their formidable best in recent games although they still lead the way in the Ligue 1 table. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Olympiakos vs Bordeaux preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Olympiakos vs Bordeaux Live Streaming : UEFA Champions League

Watch Olympiakos vs Bordeaux live online video streaming free. The links updates before schedule kick off time Olympiakos vs Bordeaux live feed streaming on 2/23 in the UEFA Champions League at Karaiskaki Stadium.

Manchester United vs West Ham United Soccer Live

2010-02-23T04:08:00.000-08:00

Manchester United vs West Ham United Soccer Live Streaming

Tuesday, February 23, 21:00 CET

Watch Manchester United vs West Ham United Live Feb 23, 2010 – Information of the match between Manchester United vs West Ham United kickoff and schedule TV on Tuesday, February 23, 21:00 CET live at Old Trafford in the English Premier League. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic could be back to bolster Manchester United’s flagging Premier League title challenge against West Ham tomorrow.

English Premier League: Manchester United vs West Ham United

Sir Alex Ferguson has not had his first-choice central defensive partnership available since October but with Ferdinand now clear of suspension and Vidic over the nerve problem that has prevented him making an appearance in 2010, both are expected to start against the Hammers. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Manchester United vs West Ham United preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Manchester United vs West Ham United Live Soccer betting Tip

Watch Manchester United vs West Ham United live online video streaming free. The links updates before schedule kick off time Man Utd vs West Ham United live feed streaming on 2/23 in the English Premier League at Old Trafford.

NBA Future Odds Update

2010-02-23T02:44:00.000-08:00

By Sonny Palermo, www.BetRepublic.com

A look at players listed in the box score from the loss to the Magic shows just three players remaining from the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA championship runner up team from the 2006-2007 season: Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejo and that other guy.

And the only starter on rosters from both editions is that other guy.

In the time between the two versions of Cavs, the team has made a lot of moves to find the missing pieces of the Championship puzzle to compliment that other guy – LeBron, and to keep him from testing the free agency waters.

After failing to San Antonio in the finals that year, the Cavs were eliminated by the Celtics in the next post season, and last year they couldn’t get past the Magic. Orlando has always been a tough team for the Cavs, matchup-wise, and so this recent edition of Cavs was built specifically to overcome that obstacle.

Shaq was brought in to provide a formidable presence in the middle to counter Superman, aka Dwight Howard, and last week the Cavs employed what will be the final piece of the puzzle – someone who gives them another big body, a perimeter game and quality minutes – Antawn Jamison.

No longer is Cleveland seen as a one-star town, as LeBron now shares the stage with Shaq and Jamison. And many people seem to think the Jamison trade makes the Cavs the favorite to finally win the title.
They are the odds on favorite to win the East at all betting shops, and a short distance in front of the Lakers to win the championship at most others.

Considering history and current odds (-165, see below), the wager “Cavs to win the East” has no value. In fact, it flat out sucks. To do so, they would have to outlast Boston, who already beat them in Cleveland at the start of the season, and Orlando, who they are 1-1 against thus far this year. But it is the second of those games that is most telling, if you are trying to decide whether or not to lay future odds on Cleveland.

Yesterday, the team that gives them fits, matchup-wise, the Magic, beat them 101-95 on national television, with the newly acquired Jamison. Is it possible the new chemistry is combustible? Since Antawn came over, the Cavaliers are 0-3, with one of the losses to a Denver squad that is a possible finals opponent, as the Nuggets just may be the team that dethrones the Lakers. And the Nuggets played that game WITHOUT Carmelo Anthony, and IN Cleveland!

Regardless of the outcomes, the payoff odds for the Cavs to win the East and/or the Championship just don’t seem like a good investment when weighing the risks.

Despite all the best efforts of GM Danny Ferry, despite all the changing of the guards, forward and center over the past three years, the Cavs are still unlikely to win the Championship again this season. And quite possibly, lose the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes too.

NBA Odds:

Eastern Conference favorites:
Cavs -165 (wager $165 to win $100)
Magic +400 (wager $100 to win $400
Celtics +450 (wager $100 to win $450)
Hawks +1000 (wager $100 to win $1000)

NBA Championship:
Cavs +220 (wager $100 to win $220)
Lakers +250 (wager $100 to win $250)
Nuggets +800 (wager $100 to win $800)
All other teams at higher than 10-1.

Check out more Articles On:NBA Betting, Basketball Betting Picks

FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht Soccer Live

2010-02-19T02:29:00.000-08:00

FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at Veronica Stadion in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? FCVolendam or MVV Maastricht? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht live online video streaming free? . The links updates before schedule kick off time FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht live feed streaming on 2/19 in the Dutch Eerste Divisie at Veronica Stadion. Stay tune in oskaya.com if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the FCVolendam vs MVV Maastricht games.

Watch Here >> FC Volendam vs MVV Maastricht Soccer Live

Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV Soccer Live

2010-02-19T02:25:00.000-08:00

Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at Wagner & Partners Stadion in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? FortunaSittard or FC Emmen VV? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV live feed streaming on 2/19 in the Dutch Eerste Divisie at Wagner & Partners Stadion. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the FortunaSittard vs FC Emmen VV games.

Watch Here >> Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen VV Soccer Live

Le Havre AC vs Istres Soccer Live

2010-02-19T02:17:00.000-08:00

Le Havre AC vs Istres Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Le Havre AC vs Istres kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at Jules-Deschaseaux in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? LeHavre AC or Istres? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Le Havre AC vs Istres free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Le Havre AC vs Istres preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Le Havre AC vs Istres live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Le Havre AC vs Istres live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at Jules-Deschaseaux. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the LeHavre AC vs Istres games.

Watch Here >> Le Havre AC vs Istres Soccer Live

Nantes vs Bastia Soccer Live

2010-02-19T02:09:00.000-08:00

Nantes vs Bastia Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Nantes vs Bastia kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at La Beaujoire in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Nantes or Bastia? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Nantes vs Bastia free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Nantes vs Bastia preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Nantes vs Bastia live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Nantes vs Bastia live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at La Beaujoire. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for theNantes vs Bastia games.

Watch Here >> Nantes vs Bastia Soccer Live

Sedan vs Angers Soccer Live

2010-02-19T02:04:00.000-08:00

Sedan vs Angers Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Sedan vs Angers kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at Louis-Duguaguez in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Sedan or Angers? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Sedan vs Angers free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Sedan vs Angers preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Sedan vs Angers live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Sedan vs Angers live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at Louis-Duguaguez. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the Sedan vsAngers games.

Watch Here >> Sedan vs Angers Soccer Live

Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot Soccer Live

2010-02-19T01:59:00.000-08:00

Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at La Meinau in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match?Strasbourg or Clermont Foot? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at La Meinau. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for theStrasbourg vs Clermont Foot games.

Watch Here >> Strasbourg vs Clermont Foot Soccer Live

Arles vs Tours Soccer Live

2010-02-19T01:37:00.000-08:00

Arles vs Tours Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Arles vs Tours kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:30 CET live at Parc des Sports in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Arles or Tours? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Arles vs Tours free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Arles vs Tours preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Arles vs Tours live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Arles vs Tours live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at Parc des Sports. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for theArles vs Tours games.

Watch Here >> Arles vs Tours Soccer Live

Dijon FCO vs Metz Soccer Live Streaming

2010-02-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

Dijon FCO vs Metz Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Dijon FCO vs Metz kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:30 CET live at Gaston Gerard in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Dijon FCO or Metz? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Dijon FCO vs Metz free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Dijon FCO vs Metz preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Dijon FCO vs Metz live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Dijon FCO vs Metz live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at Gaston Gerard. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for theDijon FCO vs Metz games.

Watch Here >> Dijon FCO vs Metz Soccer Live

Laval vs Nimes Soccer Live

2010-02-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

Laval vs Nimes Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Laval vs Nimes kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:30 CET live at Francis-Le Basser in the French Ligue 2. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Laval or Nimes? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Laval vs Nimes free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Laval vs Nimes preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Laval vs Nimes live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Laval vs Nimes live feed streaming on 2/19 in the French Ligue 2 at Francis-Le Basser. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the Laval vsNimes games.

watch Here >> Laval vs Nimes Soccer Live

Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo Soccer Live

2010-02-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo Live Stream online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:45 CET live at Parkstad Limburg Stadion in the Dutch Eredivisie. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Roda JCKerkrade or SC Heracles Almelo? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo live feed streaming on 2/19 in the Dutch Eredivisie at Parkstad Limburg Stadion. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the Roda JCKerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo games.

Watch Here >> Roda JC Kerkrade vs SC Heracles Almelo Live

AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior Soccer Live

2010-02-19T01:10:00.000-08:00

AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior live stream online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at Berg & Bos in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? AGOVVApeldoorn or Excelsior? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior live feed streaming on 2/19 in the Dutch Eerste Divisie at Berg & Bos. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the AGOVVApeldoorn vs Excelsior games.

Watch Here >> AGOVV Apeldoorn vs Excelsior Soccer Live

Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss Soccer Live

2010-02-19T01:05:00.000-08:00

Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss Live streaming online free Feb 19, 2010 – Information of the match between Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss kickoff and schedule TV on Friday, February 19, 20:00 CET live at Cambuur Stadion in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. So guys, Which team will be the winner of this match? Cambuur Leeuwarden or TOP/Oss? Check it out yourself ! Okay guys don’t miss to watch Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss free live stream on your PC. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss preview, recaps and highlights here.

So where can i watch Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss live feed streaming on 2/19 in the Dutch Eerste Divisie at CambuurStadion. Stay tune if you want to watch another match. Don’t worry we will hard work to get video broadcast tv online feed for free from embeding popular website like Justin TV or Ustream, P2P, freedocast and Sopcast for the Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss games.

Watch Here >> Cambuur Leeuwarden vs TOP/Oss Soccer Live

Premier League Picks

2010-02-18T00:49:00.001-08:00

Sports betting expert James Eastham and former pro footballer Steve Claridge from BetRepublic give out a handful of their tips from another great TV show this week.

These are some of the games they will be looking at (you can see all their analysis from the Premier League Preview Show at BetRepublic )

ARSENAL v SUNDERLAND

Arsenal have won six and drawn three of their last nine league games against non-Big Four sides

Arsenal have failed to win any of the last three head-to-heads (two draws, one defeat)

Sunderland are without a win in 12 league games (six draws, six defeats)

Sunderland have drawn five of their last seven league games

Recommended Bets:

Sunderland +2 Asian handicap (17/20)

Half-time draw (21/10)

EVERTON v MAN UTD

Man Utd have won seven of their last nine league games at Goodison Park

Man Utd have won seven and drawn one of their last eight games in all competitions

Man Utd have scored 19 goals in their last six matches in all competitions

Everton have won seven of their last 10 games in all competitions

Recommended Bets

Lay Man Utd (5/6)

Over 2.5 goals (evens)

WOLVERHAMPTON v CHELSEA

Wolves’ 1-0 victory over Tottenham last time out was their first win in seven league games

Chelsea have lost four of their 13 away games

Chelsea have won just one of their last six league games on the road

Chelsea thrashed Wolves 4-0 at Stamford Bridge last November

Seven of Chelsea’s last 10 league games have had over 2.5 goals

Chelsea have kept clean sheets in just five of their last 16 matches

Recommended Bets

Both teams to score (23/20)

Chelsea to win and 3 or 4 goals in match (9/4)

MAN CITY v LIVERPOOL

Man City are unbeaten at home – nine wins, three draws

Both sides have scored in eight of Man City’s 12 home games

The season’s first head-to-head was 2-2 at Anfield last November

Liverpool have lost three out of three away to top-six sides

Liverpool’s last 11 games in all competitions have had under 2.5 goals

Recommended Bets

Draw (11/5)

Under 2.5 goals (17/20)

Good luck with all your picks. Next week Steve Claridge and James Eastham will go through all the Premier League games and have a look at the Champions League matchups.

For More updates on Premier League games checkout Betrepublic

Wigan Athletic Vs Stoke City Live Streaming

2010-02-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

Watch Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City Live Streaming

Watch Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City live stream free on TV online 9-2-2010 EPL. The match between Wigan Athletic v Stoke City kick off at 20:45 CET in DW Stadium. Wigan Athletic-Stoke City will be played on Tuesday. Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has virtually a fully-fit squad to choose from for the Barclays Premier League visit of Stoke.S toke captain Abdoulaye Faye could make his return to first-team action. Andy Wilkinson received stitches to a head injury in the Blackburn game but is available for selection.

Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City

English Premiership match between Wigan Athletic and Stoke City at DW Stadium will be vital for the hosts’ survival as they seek three points against their rivals. Wigan Athletic are now just two points above the bottom three coming into this live English Premiership online streaming football game and unless they beat Stoke City they might be spending the rest of the week in the relegation zone. They will need to show the same defensive resilience on Saturday in the live streaming commentary and live betrepublic TV telecast English Premiership match between Wigan Athletic and Stoke City at DW Stadium and possibly stage a revival.

Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City Live Streaming, Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City Online Free, watch Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City, Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City, Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City free online, Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City live feed, Wigan Athletic vs Stoke City online streaming.

Manchester City Vs Bolton Wanderers Live Streaming

2010-02-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

Manchester City vs Bolton Live Streaming - Watch Manchester City FC vs Bolton Wanderers Free Online Stream 9 Feb, 2010. English Premier League Live football match between Manchester City FC v Bolton Wanderers is scheduled to play on Today 9th February 2010.

Watch Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers live stream online free Today Feb 9, 2010 – Information of the match between Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers kickoff and BetRepublic TV Today, February 9, 20:45 CET live at City of Manchester Stadium in the English Premier League. Craig Bellamy is set to miss out against Bolton as a result of his long-standing knee injury. The Wales forward is meeting with a specialist in London on Monday to get a check-up on the problem, but boss Roberto Mancini does not think it is serious and hopes to have him back by the weekend.

English Premier League: Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers

Manchester City is currently sitting in the 6th position with 41 points, 3 points behind Liverpool in the top four. Meanwhile, Bolton is 17th placed with 22 points, just one point precariously over the relegation zone.

City haven't lost at home this season, a feat only matched by table-toppers Chelsea, and have won eight of their 11 games at Eastlands.

Bolton's away form won't give Trotters fans much hope either, having won just twice away from home all season.

Manchester City face an anxious wait over the fitness of Craig Bellamy after the forward suffered another knee injury. Bellamy will miss City’s Premier League match at home to Bolton Wanderers with a medial ligament strain to his right knee and the club are unlikely to know the full extent of the problem for another couple of days.

English Premier League,Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers,English Premier League live streaming,Manchester vs Bolton,soccer live free,watch EPL live online,live soccer on the internet,EPL online streaming free,Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers sopcast,watch soccer live,soccer live streaming free online,watch English Premier League live online.

So where can i watch Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers live online video streaming free? Here is a way that you can watch it, just hit HERE. The links updates before schedule kick off time Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers live feed streaming on 2/9 English Premier League at City of Manchester Stadium.

Super Bowl XLIV – Best of the No. 1's

2010-02-02T03:35:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl XLIV – Best of the No. 1’s

By BetRepublic

Super Bowl props for Indianapolis (-5.5) and New Orleans are the hottest ticket in town this week and online sportsbooks are expanding the selection every day. Bettors are now being tempted with player props, team vs. team comparisons and soon there will even be matchup props against the other sporting events going on game day.

In our live sports betting TV show every day at www.BetRepublic.com, we talked about the recent news of Dwight Freeney’s injury. While it has had no impact so far on the line of 5.5 to 6 points, the Over-Under of 56.5 – already the highest Super Bowl total bookmakers have ever released – continues to rise. The number oddsmakers originally set was 55 and as we discussed on our show, we expect it could go as high as 57.5 by kickoff.

When two offenses like this hook-up it’s easy to see why people are expecting a high scoring affair. New Orleans led the NFL in scoring this season with 510 points and in two playoff victories we have seen the final score hit 59 points both times. The Colts, meanwhile, were on the verge of a perfect season before Coach Jim Caldwell sat his starters in Week 16 and even the best defensive units have had no answer for Peyton Manning’s attack.

This game marks the first Super Bowl since 1994 (Dallas vs. Buffalo) where the two No. 1 seeds from their respective Conferences met in the final and we’ve broken down the matchups in each department to see which side has the upper hand.

When the Colts have the ball

Look for Manning to go after his top two targets, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, before checking down to youngsters Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. New Orleans’ pass rush was weakened when DE Charles Grant went down but when Will Smith gets in Manning’s face it will serve as a major distraction. The ball-hawking Saints secondary is always a threat to make plays in the back field.

RB Joseph Addai will get his share of touches and still has the ability to break a play wide open. The New York Jets learned all too well what happens when a team neglects the run against Indy so the Saints will have to give some respect.

When the Saints have the ball

Drew Brees heads up a deep scoring threat matched by a solid running game that combines speed, quickness and power. Running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush carried the ball 21 times for 69 yards vs. a massive Viking D-line wall and will no doubt find success against the average Colts front seven.

Indy was stable against a vanilla Jets passing game but are going to be challenged keeping pace with the speedy trio of Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. Freeney’s injury, listed as a severe ankle sprain, also gives a serious blow to the Colts pass rush and a lot of bettors that were on the fence for making Super Bowl picks are waiting to hear more about his status. It’s been reported that Freeney may be forced to miss the game completely although HC Caldwell is optimistic, saying Freeney is a warrior that heels faster than most.

Special Teams

Bush gets a lot of press for his threat as a punt return man but yard-for-yard, kickoff returns between Indy’s Chad Simpson and Saints Courtney Roby are fairly equal and both scored just one TD during the regular season. Saints K Garrett is young and has a booming leg while Matt Stover – yes, the same one that kicked for the old Cleveland Browns – has more experience.

Intangibles

Indianapolis was nearly perfect all year but in the second half of the season has not seen the calibre of competition that this Saints offense consistently brings to the table. New Orleans will not give the ball away via turnover but also can’t expect the kind of fortune they had against the Vikings.

Check your online sportsbook for updates on prop selection and line moves.

Be sure to visit BetRepublic for our Super Bowl coverage on out live TV show, our blogs, and member picks.

Derby County Vs Nottingham Forest Live Streaming : English League Championship

2010-01-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

Derby County Vs Nottingham Forest Live Streaming : English League Championship

Derby County Vs Nottingham Forest Live Streaming

Watch Derby County vs Nottingham Forest Live Streaming Jan 30, 2010 Information of the match match between Derby County vs Nottingham Forest kickoff and schedule TV on Saturday, January 30, 14:00 CET live at Pride Park Stadium in the English League Championship. Derby boss Nigel Clough has no fresh injury concerns as he prepares for the visit of fierce East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.

English League Championship: Derby County vs Nottingham Forest

Derby County vs Nottingham Forest Live

Clough will go head-to-head will Billy Davies as the Scot returns to Pride Park for the first time since parting ways with County back in November 2007, however their need for points could not be more different. We hope The fans of both team can enjoy with the live score, Derby County vs Nottingham Forest preview, recaps and highlights here.

Watch Derby County vs Nottingham Forest live online video streaming free. The links updates before schedule kick off time Derby County vs Nottingham Forest live feed streaming on 1/30 English League Championship at Pride Park Stadium.

Derby County vs Nottingham Forest, Derby County vs Nottingham Forest free online, Derby County vs Nottingham Forest live feed, Derby County vs Nottingham Forest online streaming, watch Derby County vs Nottingham Forest.

AFC Championship Preview: Jets vs. Colts

2010-01-21T04:20:00.000-08:00

Coach Rex Ryan and his Jets team will always have doubters. The ones that expected New York to go into Cincinnati and lose and the same group that were laying up to nine points on San Diego being the final stop on New York’s playoff tour.

This week Indianapolis welcomes New York in the AFC Conference Final and although some of the doubt has been erased following back-to-back playoff wins, the challenge that awaits at Lucas Oil Stadium is arguably the toughest hurdle in all of football.

Let’s break this game down and look at the pick we suggest. You can see more analysis on this game and the Vikings at Saints at www.BetRepublic.com both by watching their innovative online sports betting TV shows and on their posting boards.

Online sportsbooks have the Colts set as 7.5-point favourites with an Over/Under of 39. Books reported early action on Indianapolis when the game went up on the board, but the betting has levelled off the last couple of days. The Over/Under is a different story, as bettors liked the Under right from the opening number, bringing it down from 41 to 39.

Peyton Manning leads one of the league’s most elite offenses and for this road-weary defense it will be a step up in class. In a 20-3 win vs. Baltimore in the division finals Manning used his usual play-makers, Reggie Wayne (8-63, 1 TD) and Dallas Clark (7-59, 0 TD), for key third down situations that kept the chains moving. But it is also the supporting cast, the other five targets that Manning spread 15 passes to, that make this unit hard to defend.

Indy’s offense scored 27-plus points in the four games that preceded the controversial Week 16 loss to New York that will forever live in infamy with the Colts faithful. There hasn’t been any real evidence so far this season that an opponent can come into this building and stop the home side (again, when the starters are all in the game) from putting up some points.

New York’s D is based on a shutdown, Pro Bowl corner (Revis) that can all but eliminate his opponent’s top WR. The rest of the secondary has above-average coverage skills and the front seven can blitz with the best of them. It helped New York lead in nearly every defensive category during the regular season, but 15 out of 16 times the Jets weren’t playing this offense and in the one game where they did face Indy, it was vs. the Junior-V edition in the second half.

Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez is going to be expected to do his part running the offense but the majority of the time that just means handing the ball to any one of his talented backs and stepping out of the way. The Indianapolis run defense gets a bad rap for not being able to defend the run but it’s actually a bit of myth. Just ask the explosive Baltimore Ravens RB trio that managed 78 yards last week on 16 carries. So far New York has rushed for 171 yard (CIN) and 169 yards (SD) but the Colts will be gameplanning for this and do have more run-stopping ability than they are given credit for.

The Colts secondary had a facelift this season and helped by the speed-rush of DEs Freeney and Mathis will be able to limit New York through the air. If the Colts can keep the run-game on a short leash and prevent big gains that are becoming common place in this year’s playoffs, it is going to result in stalled drives and a lot of time spent on the field by New York’s defensive unit. Eventually this could lead to holes in the coverage and gaps on the line that Manning and the offense will take full advantage of.

Oddsmakers, much to the chagrin of HC Ryan, opened with a line of Colts -7 and that was quickly bet up a half-point to the current line. We recommend buying that line back to the TD and going with the superior offense to finish the job at home that it started in Week 16.

BetRepublic.com Pick: Take the Colts

Visit BetRepublic.com for more picks and analysis.

New Super Bowl Odds

2010-01-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

New Super Bowl Odds

Wild Card upsets have created a shakeup on the NFL future odds scene, as one of the big favourites from the pre-season, and a popular choice heading into the playoffs, the Patriots were eliminated. Also exiting stage right were the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles and in the wildest of the Wild Card games, the Green Bay Packers lost in overtime.

BetRepublic.com previewed all the first round matchups with picks from Sonny Palermo, Greg Dempson and Jarvis Simes, all expert NFL handicappers.

NFL Future Odds:

Teams ranked in the top 4 when oddsmakers drew up the original lines had the week off as they all earned a first round bye, but performances from Dallas and Arizona have caused second thoughts for some bettors about how the playoff picture could turn out.

Dallas Cowboys

In the case of the Dallas Cowboys, despite a great December that buried the late-season curse that had haunted Jerry Jones’ team since Tony Romo took over at QB, there were still doubts. A 13-year playoff losing streak will do that to a team.

But a second-straight win over the Eagles that was even more convincing than the first (in Week 17) has demanded a respectable line of just three points at Minnesota this Sunday and chiselled the odds for Dallas to win the Super Bowl from 8-to-1 down to 10-3 (+650). And as the book taketh, he also must giveth back, and the Minnesota Vikings price has gained 100 points to (+700).

It may seem of minor significance to some, but any bettor that has followed the NFL since September may point out that this could be the first sign of doubt involving Brett Favre’s new team since the ex-Packer UN-UN-retired during training camp. To say it is extremely rare to find a situation where the road dog is paying back less than the home favorite is an understatement of epic proportions.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona’s record breaking overtime win against Green Bay is responsible for another big reduction at the bookmaker as the Cards went from 18-to-1 down to 12-to-1. No one is doubting that New Orleans (-7) will put up points in their playoff game against the Cardinals Saturday; but now bettors think the Cards have a shot at matching them blow for blow.

Baltimore Ravens

The prize for biggest statement game belongs to the Baltimore Ravens (16-to-1) who could be found listed as high as 28-to-1 just one week ago today. LB Ray Lewis and his merry band of defenders deserve full credit for this correction and while it would be a difficult task to take down the league’s MVP on home turf, the domination Baltimore showed over Tom Brady at Foxboro on Sunday proves that it is by no means impossible.

Here is the complete list of Super Bowl odds being offered at sportsbooks online:

Indianapolis Colts - 5/2
San Diego Chargers - 10/3
New Orleans Saints - 4/1
Dallas Cowboys - 13/2
Minnesota Vikings - 7/1
Arizona Cardinals - 12/1
Baltimore Ravens - 16/1
New York Jets - 18/1

Check www.BetRepublic.com for commentary on all this weekend’s games, plus best bets and future bets.

Enjoy the games.

BetRepublic.com NFL Playoff Preview

2010-01-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

The first round of the playoffs is set, the odds have been posted (all the home teams are favoured, as you might expect) and the Colts, Chargers, Vikings and Saints are all sitting at home watching to see who they face next week.

NY Jets at Cincinnati
Line: Bengals -2.5
Over/Under: 34

Following a Week 17 scrimmage that would best be forgotten, the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals square off this Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Online sportsbooks currently have the Bengals favoured by 2.5 points. BetRepublic covered this game extensively in their sports betting TV show on Thursday and their Football Blitz show which will be live on Friday.

While it’s been only three years since the Jets appeared in the post-season and four for Cincinnati, the Bengals are still taking some getting used to. Cinci was demolished 37-0 last week in New York, looking more like the team whose previous appearance before 2005 was in 1990. The question is whether they will be able to jump start the attack that stunned everyone this year by sweeping the AFC North and winning the division.

Cincinnati’s offensive weaknesses are ripe for HC Ryan’s defense to exploit and although they finished ninth with 29 QB sacks allowed, the Bengals protection in the pocket will need to be stellar. RB Benson will return after sitting out last week and while his overall numbers were good, they waned as the year progressed.

Benson’s best games were in Wk’s 2, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 16. Baltimore (twice) and Chicago possessed run defenses at the time that ranked top 5 in the league. Since Week 10, though, the only opponents Benson could get untracked against were Detroit and Kansas City, who rank 25th and 31st against the run respectively.

New York’s CB Revis is the best in the game right now and short of the odd bomb, Cincinnati had trouble with anything beyond intermediate routes. Failure to move the chains will translate into long shifts for the Bengal defenders and in cool conditions they will wear down.

Sending rookie QB Sanchez into a hostile environment is asking a lot but O-Co Schottenheimer is aware of his strengths and New York’s attack will be based on the ground game. Cincinnati was without two of their four starting linemen (Domata Peko and Robert Geathers) last week and one of their backups (Pat Sims) went out early in this game. Peko and Geathers should return for this rematch and it looks to us as if this will be a low scoring affair.
BetRepublic.com Pick: Take the "Under" 34

Philadelphia at Dallas
Line: Cowboys -4
Over/Under: 45
In the second of three Week 17 rematches, online sportsbooks posted this line last Sunday night and it hasn’t moved since. Line movement has been non-existent as the Cowboys, a perennial best bet to fade down the stretch, are demanding that the rest of the league takes notice.

Dallas has shown consistent improvement on both sides of the ball throughout the year; fighting through injuries to the three-deep RB corps and bolstered by the emergence of WR Miles. On defense the edge rush from the Cowboys has been relentless and Philadelphia will need to be creative and work quickly to avoid sacks. QB McNabb was hauled down seven times this year against the Cowboys, including four in the 24-0 loss last Sunday.

Philadelphia was forced to turn to its bench this year and found success with RB McCoy, allowing RB Westbrook time to recover from a concussion. Both will be ready for this game but Dallas is fourth against the run and comes into the game with a defensive front seven at 100-percent. Dallas is also sixth at time of possession while the Eagles rank 28th and that promises to be a factor if the Cowboys get out in front and turn to their relentless ground game.

The Cowboys have not won a playoff game since 1996 and are in a prime position to do so right now. The way these teams match up, we lean on the home side to cover the spread.
BetRepublic.com Pick: Take the Cowboys

Check out BetRepublic for the innovative live sports betting TV show and get all their NFL playoff picks and analysis.

The Hypocrisy of Roger Goodell

2010-01-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

By Sonny Palermo

Contrary to what our judicial system says, there are just some things you don’t need a trial, judge and jury for. Like that show, “The Jersey Shore” for example. I only needed to watch two minutes worth before coming to the obvious conclusion that every one of those f’ers should be taken out back and shot. While I’m not calling for a similar penalty for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, I’d say he deserves at least a kick in the nuts for his rank hypocrisy.

I’m talking about his statement last week, when he said the NFL Rules Committee will be looking into a way to address the “Colts Situation” as it is being referred to. Last week, in their game against the Jets, Indianapolis chose to sit many of their starters rather than risk injuries that might hurt their chance to win the Super Bowl. It is a common tactic, but the Colts game is at the forefront for two reasons:

1 – Nobody believes the NY Jets could beat the Colts with Peyton Manning and the starters in for the whole game (and they were, in fact, losing when Manning was taken out.)

2 – It supposedly gave a free ticket to the playoffs to the Jets, while costing other teams - like the Houston Texans and the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers - a post season berth.

I have no truck with number one – the Manning-led Colts would destroy the Jets.

As for number two, it is, well...number two. The Steelers aren’t in the playoffs because they lost the heart and soul of their defense, Troy Polamalu – and because without him they lost to the Raiders, Bears, Browns and Chiefs – all teams that finished with losing records. Same thing for the Texans – they missed the post season because their normally reliable place kicker missed key field goals in at least three different games, and because they lost to the Jets, at home in Houston, in week one. Tough to blame those circumstances on Colt’s coach Jim Caldwell.

But here is the true hypocrisy of the league. They say it’s not fair to the fans to purchase tickets to a week 17 game that the teams themselves treat like a preseason exhibition game. To the average fan, that statement slides by as passable, but season ticket holders must be screaming in anger. A few years ago the league made it possible for teams to include pre-season tickets as part of the season ticket package, meaning if fans wanted season tickets they were forced to buy tickets for all four pre-season games also.

Pretty bad, right? Here’s something even more telling – the sports betting aspect of the situation. The league foolishly mentioned that it will consider requiring teams to publicly announce which players will play, and which will sit.

Why would the public need to know who will play and who will not?

Regardless of NFL lip service about maintaining the game’s integrity, the answer lies, ironically, in their lack of integrity. The only people who care about who plays and who doesn’t, other than opposing coaches, are sports books, sports bettors and fantasy league participants. But, that reason cannot be mentioned, in line with the league’s long-standing “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” policy when it comes to the true driving force behind their incredible revenue – betting. So, for diversion, Goodell claims to be acting in the best interest of the game and its fans.

For the good of the league, Roger, really, is that what you’re going to try and sell us?

In October, the House Judiciary Committee held meetings on the increasing evidence of football-related cases of brain injury.

Goodell couldn’t be bothered to attend. One Congresswoman compared the NFL’s stance on links between playing football and conditions such as dementia and Alzheimers to the tobacco companies denial of links between smoking and lung diseases.

This latest intrusion into the game has nothing to do with the best interest of the fans or the league. Fact is, without betting there is no league, there are no fans. The popularity the sport enjoys would cease to exist, and with it – the billions of dollars the league makes.

It’s been rumored that Roger Goodell will be stepping down after next season. Based on his penchant for hypocrisy, I’d say a long and successful career in politics awaits him…

Sonny Palermo is a writer and on-air TV personality at BetRepublic You can read more of his articles and watch his TV programming at the site.

Orange Bowl Preview: Tuesday Night's Matchup Between Georgia Tech and Iowa

2010-01-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

Orange Bowl Preview: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

By Kevin Taylor

Can the Big Ten do it again? BetRepublic looks at Tuesday night’s Orange Bowl, as another Big Ten team tries to join two of their conference members with big wins.

The No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the No. 12 LSU Tigers by a final of 19-17 and covered as 1-point underdogs in the process.

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno added to his NCAA record, winning his 24th career bowl victory.

The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. 7 Oregon Ducks 26-17 on the strength of QB Terrelle Pryor’s performance covering as 5-point underdogs.

Now the No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes follow suit and win straight up and against the spread in their Tuesday FedEx Orange Bowl matchup against the No. 9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets?

The sports betting TV show, live every day at 3:00 PM ET at BetRepublic.com, will completely preview this big matchup.

The Hawkeyes as 5.5-point underdogs for that game with the Total set at 50.5.

The Yellow Jackets are favored by a field goal in the first half and the first half Total is set at 25.5.

Online sportsbooks are reporting that Georgia Tech has received 70% of the betting volume so far.

According to STATS LLC, Georgia Tech is playing in its first major bowl game since 1967.

The last time Iowa played in a BCS bowl game was in 2003 when they were defeated 38-17 by the USC Trojans in the Orange Bowl and they were 4.5-point underdogs.

Iowa is a very respectable 8-3 ATS this season and 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games with a posted line.

Georgia Tech has been very good down the stretch, going 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games overall.

In the Jackets’ last eight games when favored by 6-points or less, they are 6-2 ATS and in the Hawkeyes’ last 14 games when an underdog of 6-points or less, they are 11-3 ATS.

There are game-related proposition bets for the game as well.

Georgia Tech is listed at -135 to score first while Iowa is listed at +105.

If the first score of the game is a TD, wagers will pay out at -220 and if it is a field goal or a safety, it will do so at +170.

The bowl season is at an end with a few meaningless bowl games and even less BCS bowls remaining.

After the lights go out on Georgia Tech and Iowa, all eyes focus on the national championship between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas on Thursday.

Enjoy the rest of the bowl games and your week.

Visit BetRepublic for their Orange Bowl picks and BCS Championship picks.

BetRepublic.com NFL Power Rankings (Week 17)

2009-12-30T03:45:00.000-08:00

BetRepublic NFL Power Rankings (Week 17)

Going out with a bang seems like a New York Giants kind of thing to do but while playing their final home game in Giants Stadium, someone must have misread the script.

New York’s 32-point loss to Carolina on Sunday was the second biggest blowout in a team’s final home game at its stadium since 1970! Only the 1995 St. Louis Rams, who lost to San Francisco by 34 points before closing the doors to Busch Stadium for the last time, have lost by a bigger margin.

Adding insult to injury, the Giants were also eliminated from the playoff hunt this weekend and to make matters even worse, the men in blue took a two-point drop in the weekly BetRepublic.com Power Rankings chart.

Here is the latest edition; note the shakeup in the Top 5!

BetRepublic Week 17 NFL Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts – Manning takes a seat, Curtis ‘paints’ an ugly picture as backup and the Colts fall to 14-1 SU. Good for Jim Caldwell! The pressure’s gone and now he can do whatever he wants with his lineup in Buffalo and not worry about dealing with all this hullaballoo during bye week.

2. Philadelphia Eagles – Ask anyone in the NFC which team nobody wants to face in first round of playoffs and the answer is unanimous. Eagles are hot!

3. San Diego Chargers – Chargers are starting to make it look easy, clinching first round bye with win in Tennessee.

4. New England Patriots – There is never any question of this team’s potency on home turf and by securing the AFC East the Pats have guaranteed one game at Foxboro.

5. New Orleans Saints – Back-to-back losses ratchet the Saints down a bit. What happened to that new found run defense?

6. Minnesota Vikings – If nothing more, Favre has added a fourth quarter threat this team hasn’t known in years. The Vikes are never out with him under center.

7. Green Bay Packers – Who doesn’t want to see a rematch between No. 4 and the Pack in the post-season?

8. Cincinnati Bengals – We’re going to cut Ocho and the Cinqo’s a little slack because they won but that was Kansas City’s defense that Cinci was having trouble moving against.

9. Arizona Cardinals – Back-to-back home games to finish the season are next best thing to a bye week for QB Warner and the Cards.

10. Dallas Cowboys – We’ve seen Tony Romo grow to a new level in the past two weeks and somehow, a trip to Mexico in January doesn’t seem like it’s in the plans for the new Romo.

11. Denver Broncos – Flirting dangerously close to a playoff miss but with Kansas City coming to Mile High this week, Broncos should live to fight another day.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers – Finding a way to win but Week 17 trip to Miami will likely be only visit to Dolphin Stadium for reigning champs.

13. Baltimore Ravens – Shot themselves in the foot so many times in fourth quarter at Pittsburgh the gun run out of bullets.

14. Houston Texans – Its déjà vu all over again as team tries one more time to find out what it feels like to be a winner.

15. Miami Dolphins – Not so potent now that everyone has caught onto the wildcat.

16. Carolina Panthers – Give HC Fox credit for one thing; he’s the only guy in charge of a sub-.500 team that has not been called for one “C’mon Man” all year in the Monday Night Football pregame show.

17. Tennessee Titans – Santa was none too kind to the Titans on Christmas but the New Year is looking bright. (Titans are in Seattle this week)

18. New York Giants – Figuring this team out in the off-season is going to take the best team of specialist’s money can buy. Where to start?

19. New York Jets – The `83 NYJ are 3rd on the list, losing by 27 to PGH in final home game at Shea. I think NYJ play final game at home next weekend and although it’s not really their stadium, they will be coming off big win over IND. How will the guys respond?

20. Atlanta Falcons – Owner Arthur Blank has declared that new ‘Super Bowl’ goal for his team is finishing above .500 for second straight year. Talk about making best of a bad situation.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – Wrong time at the wrong place is all you can say about that trip to Boston in Week 16. What happened to the team that almost beat the Colts straight-up?

22. San Francisco 49ers – Keep an eye on this team for plays at the half. Great half-time adjustments by Singletary can give this team second-half value.

23. Chicago Bears – Fans wonder where Jay Cutler’s game management has been hiding all season; Cutler wonders where his pass protection suddenly came from (15 weeks too late). Lovie Smith wonders whether an upset would be enough to save his job.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bucs were the only ones in the house that didn’t think that Saints field goal attempt was good! Congrats on possibly biggest upset of the year.

25. Washington Redskins – Trip to San Diego on-deck for the Skins and Jim Zorn is already checking the market for retirement homes.

26. Cleveland Browns –HC Mangini is like an evil super hero that’s discovered a new power and can’t resist the urge to use it for his advantage. New found RB Harrison was fed the ball 39 times in win against Raiders.

27. Seattle Seahawks – Losing seventh road game of the season could not have possibly looked any worse than that performance in Green Bay.

28. Oakland Raiders – This is the point where we have to start looking really hard for positives. Did you know Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 61-yard field goal against the Browns on Sunday?

29. Kansas City Chiefs – Three wins, one of them at home and one against the division. As far as rebuilding year’s go, the Chiefs pretty well nailed it.

30. Buffalo Bills – Not even the fans in Buffalo noticed Brian Brohm’s awful performance at Atlanta.

31. St. Louis Rams – Divisional games continue to be a thorn in the side of Steve Spagnuolo and as he searches for first-ever home win the 49ers are all that stands in his way.

32. Detroit Lions – Drew Stanton finally gets a chance and blows it. Daunte Culpepper should just retire.

You can read more power rankings and get NFL picks at BetRepublic

Watch Monday Night Football Minnesota Vikings Vs Chicago Bears Live

2009-12-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

By Jarvis Simes

Watch Minnesota Vikings Vs Chicago Bears Live Stream Online free

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings are back in the primetime spotlight once again this week, traveling to Chicago to face the Bears on Monday Night Football.

Playing on the road hasn’t been a strong spot for the Vikings when it comes to covering the spread and last week’s 26-7 loss at Carolina was the latest in a current 1-3 ATS slump. Online sportsbooks have this line pegged as Minnesota -7, with an Over/Under number of 41.

We talked about this game in our sports betting live chat Sunday morning at www.BetRepublic.com, looking at the different factors that will play a role in handicapping the matchup. We will also have a full breakdown of the game on our live streaming sports betting TV show at BetRepublic.com on Monday.

When the Bears’ season went south long ago the team was reduced to the role of spoiler, but they haven’t really excelled in that department either, posting an 0-7 ATS record since Week 8. Offensive point production for Chicago has reduced in each game for three consecutive weeks, culminating with last week’s disappointing 31-7 loss at Baltimore.

First-year QB Jay Cutler, acquired in a trade from the Denver Broncos, is being held accountable for some of the team’s offensive futility and rightfully so. With five more interceptions in the final two games of the season Cutler would surpass Favre’s decade-high mark for picks in a season. Cutler has tossed the ball at the wrong team 25 times this season and the record is 29, set in 2005 when Favre was with the Packers.

Minnesota is tied at 26th for lowest number of interceptions with the Detroit Lions, but no one in the Windy City is putting it past Cutler to find another new way to look bad. Especially considering that Minny leads the NFL in sacks with 43.

The Bears will have to look to the ground game against a Viking defense that ranks 4th in the league. If Chicago tries to rely too heavily on the pass early, Minnesota’s pass rush could overwhelm an offensive line that has endured a rash of injuries the past three months. RB Matt Forte is the go-to guy and although Forte hasn’t broken the 100-yard plateau since Week 4 (against the Lions), his yards-per-carry has been on the rise for three-straight weeks.

Following Chicago’s latest loss to the Vikings, 36-10 in Week 12, the Bears rebounded with a winning effort at home against the St. Louis Rams. Online sportsbooks had odds set for that game at Chicago -9.5 and their 17-9 win was not enough for a cover, but it will take another bounce back effort this week against a Vikings team that was provided with an added incentive after Tampa Bay’s shocking overtime defeat of the New Orleans Saints.

With a second consecutive loss the Saints are now vulnerable to a Viking invasion that could create a turnover for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Minnesota would have to win out and the Saints would have to lose for a third straight time next week when they face the Carolina Panthers but for the Vikings it is all about starting with a win against an old rival in Chicago.

Monday Night Football weather: Bad weather that was originally forecasted to last into Monday at Soldier Field is starting to break up and rain or snow will not be a factor but the temperature at kickoff will be in the low 20’s, not exactly the kind of thing a dome team like the Vikes is accustomed to dealing with.

This will be the first cold-weather game Minnesota has played since Week 17 of the 2007 season when they lost 22-19 straight up as a three-point underdog at Denver. Playing in frigid conditions from late-November or December you have to look back as far as 1999 to find Minnesota’s latest straight-up win, 34-17 against the New York Giants.

Since then Minnesota is 0-11 SU and 5-6 ATS, covering the spread just once since 2002. For Over/Under bettors that like to take a look at totals, the Vikings have produced 3 overs, 6 unders and had 2 pushes in these 11 late-season outdoor affairs.

This could be an opportunity to bet on the dog.

Enjoy the game.

MMA Picks: Getting Picks in Early

2009-12-24T03:50:00.000-08:00

By Kumo

Online sportsbooks have embraced MMA as much as the mainstream media has, with most of them putting up MMA odds on all the fights. One of the things I believe is important to making a profit when betting on MMA is to look for great line value very early. I’ve been saying this often in our MMA picks and analysis forum over at BetRepublic (there is great MMA info there every day)…if you are into betting on the events, you want to make sure you have a look at the odds when they are first posted at your sportsbook, as you can find some gems.

Yes, you can also run some risk of additional news coming in that goes against your original bet, or after doing some more in-depth handicapping you realize you’re not as confident about the matchup and the fighter you chose, absolutely it can happen. That said, if you have done your homework, know the fighters, assess the lines properly and pick your spots, you can find some real gems when you step up when the lines first hit.

Let's take the last UFC as an example. Early lines appeared for Penn at around -190 or so. If you look at value, Pen at under -200 is awesome. Considering he was in great shape and came off the Florian fight with gas still in the tank, Penn was a good bet against anyone in the division, especially at anything under -200. BJ came in about -300 before the event, which was still decent but it wasn't sub two-hundred. An early commitment would have paid out handsomely.

The Alexander/Slice fight for the Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale showed this trend as well. With Alexander opening around -120 at most online sportsbooks and then gaining momentum as the favorite, he closed at the -300 range. An early bet would have been a good bet. If Alexander won of course. This just reminds us that we have to do our homework on the fighters as well. As you know, there's more to the bet than the making sure you get great odds.

If you know who you want to bet and will stick with that choice no matter how the action affects the lines, an early bet should be considered. Check out www.BetRepublic.com the day the lines come out as we always have a healthy discussion and a few early picks. Futures on your favorites can be a great value. Don't rush in though, but watch closely and when you see some movement and the direction they take, you should start considering your choices.

The main thing is to check lines early and to keep checking back. The next most important thing is to place the bet, because if you don't wager, you can't win.

Good luck with your MMA Picks.

Top Sports Betting Odds Sites

2009-12-22T05:27:00.000-08:00

Searching for sports betting information to help beat the book is a part of the handicapping process that can lead bettors to some very interesting destinations. There are a handful of helpful sites on the net that can only be found through a combination of cautious scepticism and reading between the lines, but once bettors get there it becomes a part of the daily routine.

You can check sites such as Covers.com, Statfox.com, Everyedge.com and ATSdatabase.com for great information and discussion amongst sports bettors. Along with good information on placing bets and comparing odds, winning picks are obviously very important when it comes to what makes a site a good one. BetRepublic, a sports betting social networking site, has found a strong balance between top information and winning picks.

One member of the team, Sonny Palermo, has mixed his bookmaking skills with hardcore handicapping to generate a winning record for his ‘teammates’ at BetRepublic with his basketball top plays hitting at a 70% (35-15) since the start of the season. All those plays have been given out either on the site, or on the BetRepublic TV show, the Daily Line.

Along with making NFL and NBA picks, Sonny also publishes the profiles behind the play and his top NBA systems are hitting at an impressive 32-4 since the season tipped off; that’s 89-percent!

All the records, plays and "live" profiles at BetRepublic.com are documented in the ‘Stadiums’ where teammates congregate to share information. The site also airs ‘The Daily Line’ from Monday to Friday at 3 pm ET that is entirely dedicated to sportsbetting.

Greg Dempson is a part of the BetRepublic.com team, doing what Greg has done best for more than 30 years – sharing systems and winning picks to.

Along with NFL and NBA the site has a loyal following of NHL betting enthusiasts that share picks daily and an in-house hockey handicapper Jarvis Simes has been red-hot since the beginning of December. Jarvis has posted an 11-2 (85%) record since November 30, sharing picks on the Daily Line and publishing each selection with a write-up in the Stanley Cup Stadium as well.

BetRepublic puts up their top five NFL picks each week (55% winners so far) and their unique NFL power rating picks are published every week of the season (they are on a very impressive 7-0-1 ATS run this month to push their overall season mark to 38-26-1 ATS, almost 60%).

One of the best parts of this site is that all of the information is available for free; by sports bettors, for sports bettors. It’s definitely one of the few sports betting destinations that are worth a look.

By Teddy Sharp

BetRebublic Premier League Stats and Bets

2009-12-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

BetRebublic Premier League Stats and Bets

Where do sports betting expert James Eastham and former pro footballer Steve Claridge think the betting value is this weekend?

Find out in this week's Premier League Preview Show, now streaming on BetRepublic

Here are a few of their tips for this weekend:

ARSENAL v HULL

Arsenal’s only defeat in seven home games was v Chelsea (0-3). They have scored more than three-and-a-half goals a game in their other six home matches

Hull have yet to win away. They’ve drawn two and lost six of their eight away games

Hull have conceded more than two-and-a-half goals a game in their eight away games

Hull have scored in five out of eight away games

Recommended Bets:

Over 3 goals (19/20)

Both teams to score (11/8)

ASTON VILLA v STOKE

Aston Villa have won five of eight home games this season

Aston Villa in outstanding form: they have won five and drawn two of their last seven matches in all competitions

Villa have lost just one of their last 13 games in all competitions

Stoke have drawn four of their eight away games

Recommended Bets:

Aston Villa -1.25 Asian handicap (21/20)

Over 2.5 goals (21/20)

BLACKBURN v TOTTENHAM

Blackburn’s only home defeat was v Man City (0-2) on the opening day of the season

Tottenham have won only one of their last six away games

Three of the last four head-to-heads have ended in draws

Recommended Bets:

Draw (7/3)

Both teams to score (4/6)

FULHAM v MAN UTD

Fulham have won four of their last five home games

Five of Fulham’s last six games have had under 2.5 goals

Man Utd have won five and lost three away games this season

Fulham have won just one of eight Premier League head-to-heads

Recommended Bets:

Fulham +1 Asian handicap (11/10)

Under 2.5 goals (17/20)

Check out bets for all the Premier League matches by Steve Claridge and James Eastham over at BetRepublic

BetRepublic.com NFL Power Rankings Week 15 Picks

2009-12-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

Not wanting to overreact, when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost straight-up to Cleveland last Thursday our power ranking minds immediately started pondering how much weight the upset should have on overall ratings. The Steelers were No. 9 on last week’s chart but that loss was not the kind of football we’ve come to expect over the past few years from this team.

It must be a similar situation for an online sportsbook when writing a line after such a surprising lack of effort from an inherently good team. Do you make them a big dog the next week or bank on public support for the team that was upset to dust off and come back strong?

If the rankings were based on the past month Big Ben would probably be positioned somewhere down near the Ryan Fitzpatrick’s and Josh Freeman’s of the league. But the BetRepublic.com ratings our based on full season performance so the damage isn’t quite that severe yet but still, Mike Tomlin’s squad needed to be penalized.

Pittsburgh fan - if it’s any consolation, Denver and Dallas have joined Pittsburgh in the group of let-downs but that probably doesn’t help much, does it? No, we didn’t think so.

BetRepublic Week 15 NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints – Win establishes new franchise record for victories in a season (13) but Saints are becoming bad-beat specialists for Over/Under bettors. Fake field goal on 4th-and-7 from the 15?

2. Indianapolis Colts – Colts defense is quietly becoming difference that could keep this team perfect regardless of who is calling signals under center in fourth quarter.

3. Minnesota Vikings – Jasper Brinkley is linebacker who took place of EJ Henderson as Vikes extend streak of not allowing 100-plus rushers to 35 games.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – This is really shaping up like a Week 17 replay of last season when Eagles crushed Cowboys 44-6. Philly gets back-to-back home chances to make Dallas outcome moot.

5. New England Patriots – Notice how drama in Foxboro is starting to get more attention than the actual football.

6. San Diego Chargers – It was nice of Norv to let anyone in Denver think they ever had a chance of winning this division.

7. Cincinnati Bengals – Run game is there and Chris Henry is gone but Cinci needs to get its deep passing game working or it’s going to be a one-and-done.

8. Arizona Cardinals – Notice how the top eight teams are all made up of division leaders? Arizona still saving its best games for last few weeks.

9. Green Bay Packers – This is youngest overall team in the NFL for third time in last four years. It’s been a contributing factor towards high number of penalties but at this point in the season it is becoming inexcusable.

10. Baltimore Ravens – It may have only been the Lions but there is no questioning what butters the bread for that Ravens offense. Run-game has crept to eighth-best in the league.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers – Early lines indicate that bookmakers still have faith. Maybe the extra days of prep are what Steelers need; after all, their last win was at Denver following bye week.

12. Denver Broncos – Handicapping Broncos is fairly simple: They lose to every team with a shot at making the playoffs and beat up on the bad teams. Hello Oakland!

13. Dallas Cowboys – Romo and Phillips both look ready to move on but you’ve got to love that big screen TV!

14. Miami Dolphins – First thing you need to know: Fish are 14th against the run giving up 106 yards per game. Second thing: Titan run-game has not been stopped at home since Week 5.

15. Houston Texans – QB Schaub throws for 365 yards doing just enough to keep Texans on pace for shot at .500. Maybe the next step is to not include Gary Kubiak in gameplan.

16. New York Giants – Quite a finale for Eagles’ last ever visit. Hope last one out turned off the lights.

17. Tennessee Titans – Vince Young’s hamstring didn’t look good so Titans already thin playoff hopes may now be clinging to the arm of Kerry Collins.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars – Loss to Miami wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicates. Jags are the imposter of the AFC playoff picture and won’t be there for long.

19. Atlanta Falcons – Given the injuries Atlanta’s 6-7 record is pretty respectable. Team is 8-5 ATS, too, and could be a good cover team each of next three weeks.

20. Washington Redskins – We don’t want to be an “I told you so,” but did you see our Fantasy Football tip of the week run in Oakland? RB Quinton Ganther is the new Clinton Portis.

21. New York Jets – Rex Ryan defensive system really starting to kick in. Now if the Jets could just face the Bills and Bucs the rest of the way they’d be playoff bound in no time.

22. San Francisco 49ers – One thing about playing for Mike Singletary, you won’t find any quitters on this team.

23. Carolina Panthers – Things are starting to fall into place for Carolina and they should serve as a good warm-up team for the playoffs for their next two or three opponents; possibly even a good dog play.

24. Seattle Seahawks – If there’s any team in need of retooling this off-season, Seattle could be it. And this job will not be for the faint of heart.

25. Chicago Bears – This team is lacking urgency and focus; if players can’t realize they still need to play hard for shot at playoffs they should at least realize their jobs are on the line.

26. Oakland Raiders – Did QB Gradkowski play well enough before season-ending injury to unseat Russell from No. 1 spot for next year? Ball is in your court now JaMarcus.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Starting with the Bucs, see if you can name the three teams that fired their offensive coordinators just before the season began.

28. Buffalo Bills – That’s two! (And you’re getting warmer)

29. Kansas City Chiefs – For final game of three-week home stand the Chiefs get the Browns
(2-11). KC lost by 29 to Denver (8-5) and just six points to Bills (5-8). Early money says home side wins and by the way, the Chiefs are the third.

30. Cleveland Browns – Beating Steelers gets Mang-idiot a two-spot bounce. Browns are at KC in Week 15, eying out that 29 spot.

31. St. Louis Rams – Rams beat Lions in Week 8 to show they were not the worst and now it looks as if they will burn Detroit again by finishing below them in the standings. Brilliant!

32. Detroit Lions – Enjoyed brief stint out of cellar after beating Cleveland but that loss to Baltimore has likely poured concrete over tomb of another lost season.

Check out BetRepublic.com for NFL picks, more NFL power ratings, power rating plays and live sports betting TV.

Celestial Halo takes on Punjabi at Cheltenham

2009-12-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Celestial Halo takes on Punjabi at Cheltenham

By BetRepublic

A fascinating renewal on Saturday of the Boylesports.com International Hurdle features the winner and runner-up of last season's Champion Hurdle.

BetRepublic looks at the event at Cheltenham:

In March, the Nicky Henderson-trained outsider Punjabi held off Celestial Halo, from the Paul Nicholls yard.

But Celestial Halo is odds-on favourite for Saturday's big race at Cheltenham.

Punjabi has been off the racecourse since May, whereas his rival won by an impressive 10 lengths on his seasonal bow at Wincanton last month.

Henderson believes Punjabi, who will be ridden by Barry Geraghty, might be in need of the run when he returns to the course where he stunned 26 rivals last spring, landing odds of 22-1.

"He wasn't ready to run in the Fighting Fifth, which is the route he's taken before, but he's in good form. I just needed another couple of weeks with him and that has gone well.

"He's a notoriously stuffy individual but he's done plenty of work now. I have to say I think he'll come on for the run but he's ready to go.

"Celestial Halo has already run this season which is a big advantage at this time of year and we all know the Champion Hurdle is in March not December, but this is a big, recognised race for this time of the year.

"He's got to carry his Grade One penalty, but in fairness quite a few of them have."

Sired by Derby winner Galileo, Celestial Halo, still just five, had his first big win when landing Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle in March 2008 - and is bound to benefit from Ruby Walsh's supreme riding skills.

And with Nicholls having enticed fine performances from star chasers Kauto Star and Denman in recent weeks it is no surprise he is such a warm order in the betting.

Of the other runners, Medermit, trained by Alan King, is the one likeliest to stop this being a straight duel. He was beaten by a tiny margin in last season's Triumph Hurdle and rarely runs a disappointing race. Robert Thornton rides him.

William Hill prices (to open an account click here)

Celestial Halo 8/11

Punjabi 9/4

Medermit 6/1

Khyber Kim 8/1

Ashkazar 14/1

Cape Tribulation 33/1

Ebadiyan 33/1

Songe 50/1

Oslot 100/1

Secret Dancer 100/1

BetRepublic Betting Recommendation:

There is absolutely no point in looking past Celestial Halo in this race and he is certain to be one of the weekend's big gambles. He wasn't expected to be at his best on his first run of the season at Wincanton last month but still managed to win by 10 lengths. He will be even better on Saturday on a course he loves. Punjabi, on the other hand, will come on for the run and his trainer would surely admit his charge can't win this race against a horse as in-form and classy as the favourite. Take the 8/11 on Celestial Halo and bet to maximum stakes.

Check BetRepublic for more Football, Horse Racing, Cricket and North American sports betting tips.

BetRepublic.com NFL Power Rankings Week 14

2009-12-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

Any given Sunday was the case last week in the NFL, as the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals all sent the mighty tumbling to the mat. And Washington probably should have beat the Saints, but the outcome of that game epitomizes the “day late, dollar short” story that will cap Jim Zorn’s short career once the season is over.

The Bengals strengthened their foothold in the top five of our rankings, but the next two weeks (at Minnesota, at San Diego) will show us Cincinnati’s real playoff potential.

Check BetRepublic for tons of free picks each week and our innovative sports betting TV show every day.

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints –WR Robert Meachem averaging one TD per game in last five and the strip-score vs. Redskins was testament to mentality of Sean Payton’s team. There is no quit.

2. Indianapolis Colts – Key turnovers help Indy slam door on Titans win streak. Colts tie New England’s all-time win record of 21 wins.

3. Minnesota Vikings – Favre and Vikings defense look pedestrian in road loss; LB EJ Henderson’s leg is broken and he is done for the year.

4. New England Patriots – Playing away from home haunts Pats as team loses back-to-back for first time in 50 tries.

5. Cincinnati Bengals – Late score against Bengal prevent ruins ATS cover for Bengal backers but almost everything else was done right. Time of possession more than 38 minutes and if it hadn’t been Lions Cinci may jumped the Pats.

6. Philadelphia Eagles – Jeers turned into cheers as Andy Reid opens Michael Vicks playbook and sets offense on dominate-mode.

7. San Diego Chargers – Win over Browns not nearly as close as final score indicates. LT reached the 150 career TD mark this week faster than any other player in league history. That’s 15-straight December wins for the Bolts.

8. Arizona Cardinals – Captain Kurt getting his rally cap on as Cards play their game of the year.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers – HC Tomlin calling for changes but it’s starting to look like Steelers lack ability to backup his tough-talk. WR Hines Ward (hamstring) looking doubtful for Thursday night at Cleveland.

10. Denver Broncos – "Over" trend continues for Broncos in December at Arrowhead. 44 points is Denver’s highest point production since 2005.

11. Dallas Cowboys – December woes continue as the Boys get swept by G-Men. Forget pointing fingers at QB Romo, try looking at coverage teams that surrendered 165 return yards in one game.

12. Baltimore Ravens – Ravens still in hunt for Wild Card spot although you wouldn’t know it by way they played Monday Night vs. Packers.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jaguars come away with another win! Quick, someone tell the city they have a team. Paid attendance was 42 079; real attendance looked more like 25 000.

14. Miami Dolphins – Chad Henne makes 52 attempts and racks up 335 yards to give Marino faithful upset of the year. Dolphins are 5-0 in December under Tony Sparano.

15. Green Bay Packers – WR Donald Driver having one of his better years and that is saying an awful lot; became tenth Packer with 50-plus TDs all-time in second quarter vs. Ravens.

16. Houston Texans – Anyone that started watching five minutes late must have done a double-take when they saw Rex Grossman throwing passes. Matt Schaub returned but honestly, did anyone expect Schaub to play more than 12 games this year?

17. Tennessee Titans – QB Young looked intimidated by Colts defense. Titans defenders made great tackles but problem is that they were making them after Indy had made big gains; too little too late.

18. New York Giants – Rumbling, stumbling; Giants didn’t get huge rushing yards but they got the ones that counted.

19. Atlanta Falcons – QB Matt Ryan could potentially return this week as 6-6 SU Falcs inch closer to falling off the edge of playoff hopefuls.

20. Carolina Panthers – Matt Moore breathes new life into Panthers offense and 5-7 SU Panthers are left wonder why it took an injury to make them consider benching Jake Delhomme in the first place.

21. New York Jets – Sanchez is starting to run out of knees but he still wants to start this week at Tampa Bay.

22. Washington Redskins – Stories of the one that got away will never be able to top the one from FedEx Field this weekend.

23. Seattle Seahawks – All the Seahawks could use are a little more power and some explosiveness in their run-game. Wonder how they feel watching Leonard Weaver run the rock with Philly?

24. San Francisco 49ers – Heartbreaking loss on the road starting to make run at NFC West title look like a fantasy.

25. Chicago Bears – If there was ever a reason for a false sense of security it was demonstrated Sunday in Chicago’s win over the Rams.

26. Oakland Raiders – It may not have been Kenny “The Snake” Stabler leading team past Terry Bradshaw but let’s give QB Gradkowski credit. Huge road win for Raiders in Gradkowski’s home town.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Patriots think they have problems winning on the road; Tampa has now lost eight-straight away from home.

28. Kansas City Chiefs – Back-to-back home games against Denver and Cleveland are what Todd Haley’s team needs to cap average, first step of rebuilding year. Look for value on Chiefs against two teams that actually rate lower on our power rating chart.

29. Buffalo Bills – Maybe the extra rest will have Buffalo ready to explode this week at Kansas City Bills have now played five-straight road games without breaking 20-point barrier.

30. St. Louis Rams – Even the Bears could stop this punchless team.

31. Detroit Lions – Stafford finally takes enough punishment to sit down and QB Culpepper actually didn’t look too bad. We should see him start this week at Baltimore.

32. Cleveland Browns – News flash: Jimmy Clausen is foregoing senior year and entering NFL draft. Just keep losing guys, it’s over.

Good luck betting on all of this week’s NFL games.

Champions League Picks

2009-12-08T03:08:00.000-08:00

Wolfsburg v Manchester United

Tuesday, 8 Dec 2009 - 7.45 (live on Sky Sports 2)

The analysts from BetRepublic, including former footballer Steve Claridge and co-host James Eastham look at this Tuesday Champions League matchup.

Taking on Manchester United in Tuesday's Champions League game against Wolfsburg looks like the value play to make in what could be a lively encounter.

The German side are eighth in the Bundlesliga after their 2-2 draw with Freiburg at the weekend and will be desperate for a victory to ensure progress in their first-ever Champions League campaign. Here at BetRepublic we think Wolfsburg won't win although they can definitely take a point out of the game and we favour backing the draw at a best-priced 12/5 with William Hill.

One point is exactly what Sir Alex Ferguson's side needs to secure top spot in their group and they will certainly settle for a draw on Tuesday night. There is more than a little frustration in the United camp that they are heading to Saxony still actually needing a point having unexpectedly lost 1-0 to Besiktas last time out.

Sir Alex Ferguson's plans are further complicated by the fact that Patrice Evra is his only fit, senior defender, meaning that the United manager's rearguard will certainly have a makeshift look.

Michael Carrick could once again fill in at centre back, with Darren Fletcher also helping out at the back as he did in the 4-0 win at West Ham at the weekend.

Youngsters Oliver Norwood, Matthew James, Magnus Eikrem, Cameron Stewart and Oliver Gill have all been taken to Germany, with Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov left at home. Finishing second would hardly be a disaster but United will want to head through to the knock out phase as group winners so back them to take the point needed back to Old Trafford with them.

BetRepublic Betting Recommendation:

1.5pt on the draw at 12/5 with William Hill

South Africa v England 5th ODI Live Streaming

2009-12-02T05:11:00.000-08:00

12.30GMT Friday, live on Sky Sports

Who can remember the World Cup in South Africa in 2003? Come on, cast your minds back to one of the great punting lessons learned and you could well win yourself a prize for the fifth one-day international between South Africa, who are 8-13, and England, 6-4 at Durban.

I will be doing updates and blogging at BetRepublic

Okay, I’ll help out. England, who came into that tournament as no-hopers, would suddenly be labelled world beaters after they trounced Pakistan under the lights at Cape Town. James Anderson produced a brilliant bowling display to bowl their opponents out under lights.

Then, when it came to beating India in Durban, England suffered a heavy defeat. Under lights. Batting second. And those who had got all excited over their potential were left to scurry away with their tails between their legs.

It is a salutary lesson folks because we could be about to see a repeat. Of sorts anyway. South Africa, who find themselves 2-1 down, have suffered in reverse. They were talked up after winning under lights in Cape Town with a good bowling display under lights. Ahead of the game in Durban, they are no-hopers again.

The point is this: the matches discussed so far caused such fluctuations in emotion because they were, effectively, decided on the toss. Batting second under lights at Durban is just as hazardous as it is in Cape Town. Of the last 10 day-nighters at Kingsmead, seven have been won by the side batting first.

So just as we hailed Cape Town as a godsend for punters in this series, we must drive home the message again. Forget what the formbook says, forget the emotional clap trap spouted by supporters of both sides and do one thing, and one thing only: back the side which bats first.

Now whether you choose to do that with the fixed-odds bookmakers, the exchanges or on the spreads it is up to you. But be aware of how prices will react on each of them. The fixed-odds bookies will cut the side which bats first. That is a given. Hell, there will be some people who argue that is worth taking a chance on a 50-50 event that England bat first because it is the epitome of value. That’s fine.

NFL Power Rankings Week 13 Picks

2009-12-01T04:32:00.000-08:00

The biggest shakeup in the NFL Power ratings week 13 was in the middle of the pack and speaking of the Pack, they’re not done yet! Don’t count the Tennessee Titans out, either.

NFL Power Ranking teams in the top 10 are supposed to be built to win big games and in that respect, the Denver Broncos moved back into the upper class after a brief stint in the minors. Baltimore is getting oh so close but wins against a Pittsburgh team being run by Dennis Dixon and without Troy Polamalu have to be graded accordingly.

Overall, top 11 teams went 8-3 straight-up and four of these teams played each other so someone had to lose!

The biggest shakeup this week was in the middle of the pack and speaking of the Pack, they’re not done yet. Don’t count the Tennessee Titans out, either.

NFL Power Ratings for Week 13

1. New Orleans Saints – Special teams and defense have both seen the light in the Big Easy and this team just gets better. Darren Sharper starting to look like free agent signing of the year. Beating New England on Monday night was another big test they passed easily.

2. Indianapolis Colts – Most dangerous team in the league right until the final whistle. One away from tying New England’s all-time win record of 21-straight regular season wins.

3. Minnesota Vikings – MVP talks are starting for Favre and the way things are going, the mayor of Minneapolis should probably start packing up his desk.

4. New England Patriots – Playing away from home is starting to look like a weakness for Belichick and crew. Miami, Buffalo and Houston: Take notice.

5. Cincinnati Bengals – Proving that Oakland was only a small lapse, Bengals are back on target. Beating Cleveland is not grounds for a promotion, however. RB Benson returns this week vs. Detroit.

6. Dallas Cowboys – Sad-sack opponent helps Dallas add to its overrated November numbers. Note: Cowboys were 4-1 straight-up last month vs. opponents with combined record of 24-31 (.436).

7. San Diego Chargers – Saw what the Broncos could do on Thanksgiving Night vs. G-Men and responded with a 40-buger vs. a division rival. Any questions?

8. Philadelphia Eagles – Lack of finish in Philadelphia starting to become a real concern. Once again, why was Michael Vick brought in here?

9. Pittsburgh Steelers – Ben Roethlisberger saga turning into a bad episode of Days of our Lives this week. Early prediction: Steelers will be the NFL’s Hard Knocks team for 2010.

10. Denver Broncos – Relegated to second place in the AFC West for the first time this year and Thursday we got to see how the Broncos would respond. Thanks to an overzealous cameraman, we were also able to hear Josh McDaniels’ thoughts on the subject!

11. Baltimore Ravens – Line movement was the story of the game against Pittsburgh and the first one (Baltimore -2.5) was much more accurate. OT win added to the list of phenomenal Sunday Nighters this year (Giants at Cowboys, Patriots at Colts…).

12. Arizona Cardinals – Latest victim of the resurgent Vince Young. Super Bowl losers do not have a good record the following year (71-100-2 ATS since 1999). Cards are starting to fade.

13. Green Bay Packers – Impossible to gauge impact of injuries on defense against woeful Lions squad. Week 13 Monday Night Football vs. Baltimore will be a day of reckoning.

14. Houston Texans – All style, no substance. You would think coach Kubiak would know better by now.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars – After the 41-0 blip in Seattle the Jags went on a 4-1 tear; the only loss coming against the Titans. Houston comes to Florida in Week 13 and these ratings will likely be different following that contest.

16. Miami Dolphins – An off-game against a bad squad is okay now and then but not when it’s divisional. Fish get break with Pats also losing.

17. Tennessee Titans – Mental errors at the end of the first-half were shades of a potential collapse for Vince Young. Instead, he inspires fifth-straight Titan power rating jump of the season.

18. New York Giants – Eli Manning’s problems with his foot are starting to look like the kind of thing that will cost his team a trip to the playoffs this year. Look for David Carr to finish this season as the starter.

19. Atlanta Falcons – Falcons offense is falling apart and it looks like this team will have to start planning for next year. Matt Ryan has already been ruled out for game against Philly.

20. San Francisco 49ers – At one point vs. the Jaguars Mike Singletary was between the hash marks attempting to call a timeout. Don’t ever question depth of Niners at linebacker.

21. New York Jets – Mark Sanchez has tweaked his left knee and given the state of this season we should expect the Jets’ run-game to start dominating the offensive playcalling.

22. Carolina Panthers – If you believe that handicapping turnovers is impossible to do you may want to cross the Panthers off your list each week of games to bet on.

23. Washington Redskins – Fantasy alert for next season! Remember Quinton Ganther as a bench running back; seriously. Behind 3rd stringer Rock Cartwright the second year Ganther averaged 6.4 RYPC vs. Philadelphia.

24. Seattle Seahawks – Good for you Seattle, you’ve now outscored the Rams 55-17 this year. Too bad Seattle is -65 net points against all other opponents.

25. Chicago Bears – Sounds like a lot of fingers in the Windy City starting to point at Jay Cutler. Do they not remember how bad Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton were?

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Should have won straight-up vs. Atlanta but seven-straight goal line stops in final minutes are asking a bit much.

27. St. Louis Rams – Spagnuolo sets new record for home losses as first year Rams head coach.

28. Buffalo Bills – Bills blowout Dolphins; Terrell Owens is happy again. Maybe Ralph Wilson should save a few million and just name Perry Fewell the new coach.

29. Kansas City Chiefs – Chiefs are home for three-straight starting this week vs. Denver, Buffalo and Cleveland. Given history of success in December at Arrowhead it may not be a bad idea to just play ON Kansas City all three weeks.

30. Oakland Raiders – If there was a stat for consistently having at least one good play on every drive the Raiders would actually rate fairly well.

31. Detroit Lions – Toughness aside, when do say enough is enough and sit the future of your franchise down before he gets killed.

32. Cleveland Browns – Cleveland will occupy this spot until they can win another game. It wouldn’t be right to move them ahead of the Lions, now would it?