11/20/2008 - Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atletico Madrid has been told it will have to play next week's Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven behind closed doors.
The Spanish side partially lost their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over UEFA's decision to hand them a two-match behind-closed-doors sentence - with one match deferred for two years.
UEFA 's initial punishment related to crowd incidents during last month's Champions League match against Marseille at the Vicente Calderon.
However, CAS did rule that Atletico's fine should be halved to $94,755 and also lifted the threat of a second match being played behind closed doors.
(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)
<< Browns QB Quinn to play despite broken finger
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn has
a broken right index finger, but it apparently won't sideline him for Sunday's
game against Houston.
Quinn, who has started the last two games for the Browns, has
<< Phils' Utley, Feliz need surgery
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies announced
Thursday that half of its starting infield -- All- Star second baseman Chase
Utley and third baseman Pedro Feliz -- will undergo surgery.
Utley will have surg
<< Mussina hangs up spikes after first 20-win season
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees right-hander Mike Mussina, as
expected, retired on Thursday after 18 seasons in the major leagues.
Reports circulated on Wednesday that Mussina had decided to call it quits
after the fi
<< Golf Tidbits: Why golf is a gentleman's sport
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Every sport has its rules. How often
people break them depends on the sport. How frequently people call themselves
for breaking said rules is a different story.
Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwir
Report: Dolphins sign WR Camarillo to three-year extension >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins have reportedly come to terms
on a three-year contract extension with wideout Greg Camarillo, the team's
leading receiver.
The Miami Herald reported Thursday that the Dolphins and Camarill
Juventus targeting Bayern Munich's Schweinsteiger >>
Turin, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reports from Turin suggest Bayern Munich's
Germany international Bastian Schweinsteiger is a target for Juventus.
The Serie A giants are keen to sign a replacement for Pavel Nedved in January
and, accor
New Boss: Hal Steinbrenner officially takes control of Yankees >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball owners approved a shift
of control of the New York Yankees from George Steinbrenner to his son Hal on
Thursday.
Steinbrenner's sons, Hank and Hal, had been named co-chairpersons of the
England's young stars impress captain Terry >>
Berlin, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England captain John Terry was relieved to
head in the winning goal in the 2-1 friendly success against Germany after his
earlier blunder had allowed Joachim Low's side to grab an equalizer.
Dithering by
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere.
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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