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06/08/2010 - Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, June 13. Race: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400. Site: Michigan International Speedway. Track: two-mile oval. Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 400. 2009 winner: Mark Martin. Television: TNT. Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.
After a wild finish in last Sunday's race at Pocono, don't be surprised if the madness carries over to Michigan this weekend.
Denny Hamlin held off Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch, who is Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, after two late-race restarts to claim his fourth Pocono win.
Pocono concluded in dramatic fashion, with Kevin Harvick bumping Joey Logano out of the way for a top-five position with less than two laps to go. Then a nine-car pileup occurred on the last lap of the green-white checkered finish when Kasey Kahne was shoved down the track and into the grass by his Richard Petty Motorsports teammate A.J. Allmendinger. Kahne slammed hard into the wall and spun around on the track before taking out Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and several others.
While Hamlin celebrated his series-high fourth win of the season, Logano parked his car next to Harvick's ride on pit road, as the two engaged in a shouting match.
Indeed, it was a wild day at Pocono.
Now it's on to Michigan, where Hamlin hopes his winning momentum will continue. Prior to his first win of the season in March at Martinsville, Hamlin sat 19th in points. Since then, he has climbed up to third in the standings (-136).
"I feel like we're one of four or five guys that really are legitimate, week in, week out, up-front guys," Hamlin said. "That's a good feeling right now. But it's very tough to stay on top of any sport for an entire year. Our sport is a roller coaster. It goes up and down. It has waves. Your performance always comes in waves."
Hamlin has yet to win at Michigan, but he did record his best finish there one year ago with a third-place run.
Harvick enters Michigan with just a 19-point lead over Busch.
Mark Martin is the defending race winner at Michigan. Last year, Martin won in a thrilling battle of fuel mileage. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Johnson held the lead before running out of gas just short of crossing the line to start the final lap. Biffle then inherited the top position, but he too ran out of fuel on the backstretch. That allowed Martin to take over the lead and then claim his fourth of five victories during the 2009 season.
"We won at the first Michigan race last year because our car was so fast that I could slow down and still stay ahead of people," Martin said. "Therefore, I was able to save enough gas to make it all the way."
Martin leads all full-time, active drivers with five victories at Michigan.
Currently 11th in points, Martin has been winless so far this season.
Last August, Brian Vickers prevailed in another fuel-mileage battle at Michigan. Vickers, the pole sitter, grabbed the lead with two laps to go when Johnson ran out of fuel. He then held off Gordon, who also gambled on fuel, by 1.4 seconds for his second career Cup victory. His first win came in October 2006 at Talladega.
Vickers is expected to be out of his Red Bull Racing Toyota for the remainder of the season, due to his treatment for blood clots. Casey Mears has been driving the car since last month at Dover.
Up until last year, Roush Fenway Racing had been dominant at Michigan, winning a Cup race there for seven consecutive years. Team owner Jack Roush, who resides 60 miles away from the two-mile track in Northville, MI, recorded his 11th victory there in August 2008 when Carl Edwards held off Kyle Busch in a two-lap overtime finish. Roush moved into a tie with the Wood Brothers for most car owner wins at the track.
"All of our wins at [Michigan] have been special," Roush said. "It's in front of a home crowd, it's in front of my Roush industries affiliates and it's in front of Ford Motor Company and Chrysler and General Motors. Detroit is still the Motor City in spite of rumors otherwise, but it's good to race in front of the home crowd where all of our friends and the people that we'd like to have support are there paying attention."
Ford will use its new engine package -- FR9 -- in all of the Roush and Petty cars, as well as the sole entry for the Wood Brothers, this weekend at Michigan.
The automobile manufacturer debuted its FR9 in last year's fall race at Talladega, where Jamie McMurray won in a Roush Ford. McMurray has since moved over to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Ford has not won a Sprint Cup points race since McMurray's victory at Talladega.
Forty-six teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400.
<< This Week in Auto Racing June 11 - 13
Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All three of NASCAR's national touring series
are in action this weekend, with the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck
Series at Michigan International Speedway and the Nationwide Series at
Kentucky Speedway. Form
<< Guerrero won't play OF back-to-back vs. NL
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Texas Rangers designated hitter Pedro Guerrero will play right field in the upcoming interleague series. He won't, however, play on consecutive days.The Rangers begin a nine-game stretch against National League teams beginning
<< National League All-Star Fan Voting
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals, 1,549,9412. Ryan Howard, Phillies, 761,8523. Prince Fielder, Brewers, 416,3604. Joey Votto, Reds, 373,5955. Troy Glaus, Braves, 342,344Second Base1. Chase Utley, Phillies, 1,573,2482. Martin Prado, Braves, 595,2503. Dan
<< Fans flock to Strasburg's major league debut
WASHINGTON (AP) -The crowd outside Nationals Park buzzed anxiously. Some were worried about getting to their seats early. Some were nervous about getting seats at all. All of them were on edge about Stephen Strasburg's major league debut Tuesday nig
Logano looking to go 3-for-3 at Kentucky >>
Sparta, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, June
12. Race: Meijer 300. Site: Kentucky Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start
time: 8:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 300. 2009 winner: Joey Logano.
Television: ESPN. Ra
Rangers ink Byers to extension >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers agreed to terms with
forward Dane Byers on a contract extension.
The 24-year-old Byers, a second-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2004,
played in five games with the team l
Dodgers reinstate LHP Sherrill >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dodgers have reinstated lefty
reliever George Sherrill from the 15-day disabled list.
Sherrill hit the DL on May 25 with tightness in the middle of his back. He was
0-1 with a 7.36 earned-run
Strasburg simply sensational in MLB debut >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington's Stephen Strasburg certainly
lived up to the hype in one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory,
striking out an eye-popping 14 of the 24 Pirates he faced.
Despite being limited by a pi
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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