Opportunistic Earthquakes edge Union

Soccer Betting Lines

07/10/2010 - Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes earned an opportunistic 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer action at PPL Park on Saturday evening.

The win was made possible because of a number of second-half saves by 'Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch, who finished with seven in the game.

San Jose (6-4-4) scored both its goals in stoppage time, the first by Cornell Glen as the first half was winding down, and the second by Arturo Alvarez in the closing minutes of the game.

Philadelphia's Fred opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he ran onto a ball that was flicked into the area by Danny Mwanga. Fred then split defenders Ike Opara and Jason Hernandez and fired just under Busch's arm for the 1-0 advantage in the 15th minute.

The Union, who dominated most of the possession in the game, just missed going up 2-0 a minute later when Andrew Jacobson ripped a long-range shot off the post.

San Jose's Joey Gjertsen hit the crossbar with a dipping, long-range shot in the 42nd minute before Glen scored the equalizer.

San Jose striker Chris Wondolowski ran onto a long ball played from the back on the right side and quickly played a ball into the Philadelphia penalty area to Glen, who one-timed the shot just inside the far post, past goalkeeper Chris Seitz.

Busch made a series of strong saves in the second half to keep his team level, the first being in the first minute after the break when Mwanga broke in alone on a breakaway. The steady goalkeeper then came out and knocked the attempt away.

Busch got the best of Mwanga again in the 73rd minute when the rookie attacker pounced on a loose ball in the area after a corner kick.

Busch made a couple more game-saving stops in the final 10 minutes on Sebastien Le Toux before Alvarez's winner.

With the Union pressing forward aiming for the full points, Alvarez caught them on a counter attack, scooping up the ball at the center line and driving all the way in on Seitz. Alvarez then deked past a defender and slotted the shot past Seitz for his third goal of the season.

Philadelphia (3-8-2) will aim to rebound when it hosts Toronto FC on Saturday, while the 'Quakes play at Los Angeles on July 22 in their next MLS fixture.

Wwwaesop Soccer Betting News

<< Nash thinks Miami has great tools, needs a team
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) -Steve Nash says there is no doubt the Miami Heat have the talent to win an NBA title next year.The question the All-Star guard has is: Do they have the team?Speaking at halftime of a New York Red Bulls MLS game, Nash says he und

<< Braves' Jones back in lineup in 4-0 win over Mets
NEW YORK (AP) -When Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones had back spasms after one night in the team hotel in New York, his solution was easy: sleep on the floor.Jones was back in the starting lineup in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the New York

<< Report: Redskins OL Williams to miss season
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Post is reporting that Redskins starting right guard Mike Williams could be sidelined for the 2010 season because of blood clots near his heart. Team sources have told the paper

<< Dutch, Spain both eye history-making victory
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - History will be made at Soccer City on Sunday in the final of the FIFA World Cup as either the Netherlands or Spain will claim its first-ever World Cup title. One of the two sides will becom

<< Soto and Castro carry Cubs past Dodgers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto and Aramis Ramirez homered and the Cubs scored six times in the first three innings to land a 7-3 win against the Dodgers in the continuation of a four-game series from Chavez Ravine.

Awesome Gem edges Rail Trip to win Hollywood Gold Cup >>
Inglewood, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Awesome Gem, ridden by David Flores, found room along the rail and was able to hold off defending champ Rail Trip to capture Saturday's $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. The seven-year-o

Heyward pulls out of All-Star Game >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Braves rookie right fielder Jason Heyward won't play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Heyward, 20, was voted as a starter by the fans but is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a thumb ailment. He

Furcal replaces Reyes on NL All-Star roster >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes will miss the All-Star Game on Tuesday due to a strained right oblique. Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal was chosen to replace Reyes and will make his second appearance in

Quentin powers ChiSox to seventh straight win >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Quentin clubbed two home runs and Gavin Floyd pitched into the eighth inning as the Chicago White Sox took a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals in the second of a three-game set. Floyd (5-7) won

Myers strong again as 'Stros clip Cardinals >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Keppinger had two hits, including a home run, to back another strong outing from Brett Myers in Houston's 4-1 win over St. Louis in the middle contest of a three-game set. Pedro Feliz chipped in with a

MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.