Martinsville qualifying washed out, Edwards on pole

Autoracing Betting Lines

10/29/2011 - Martinsville, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Persistent rain at Martinsville Speedway forced NASCAR to cancel Saturday's qualifying session and therefore set the starting field for the Tums Fast Relief 500 -- the seventh race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship -- based on points.

Carl Edwards, the current points leader, will start on the pole, while Matt Kenseth, who is second in points, will start alongside his Roush Fenway Racing teammate on the front row for Sunday's 500-lap race. Edwards presently holds a 14-point advantage over Kenseth.

"I think qualifying is one of the most important parts of this race, and it's no secret that has been a tough thing for me and Matt as well," Edwards said. "I think it's the best case for us that we get to start on the front row, and I think even better is the pit stall selection."

Sprint Cup Series teams did not practice on Friday due to inclement weather. Rain continued to be an issue early Saturday morning, but the weather improved later in the day to fit in qualifying for the Camping World Truck Series race, followed by practice for Sprint Cup, which began at noon (et).

NASCAR officials opted to call off qualifying to allow Sprint Cup teams some practice on the 0.526-mile track.

Brad Keselowski will start third, followed by Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.

Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon will roll off sixth through 10th, respectively.

Dennis Setzer and Derrike Cope did not qualify.

The 500-lap race at Martinsville is scheduled to start just after 1:30 p.m. (et).

Freesoccerchance Autoracing Betting News

<< Rangers holds off Aberdeen to remain unbeaten
Aberdeen, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Goals from Kyle Lafferty and Nikica Jelavic handed Rangers another win in league play on Saturday as the club held off Aberdeen for a 2-1 win at Pittodrie Stadium. Lafferty put Rangers on the boa

<< Mets name Tom Goodwin first base coach
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets named Tom Goodwin their first base coach Saturday. The 43-year-old Goodwin spent the past four seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization. Goodwin played 14 seasons in the big

<< Garcia surges into lead in Spain
Sotogrande, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sergio Garcia will look to make it two in a row for the first time in his career. Garcia carded a four-under 67 Saturday to grab a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the Andalucia Masters. The Spani

<< Tsonga, del Potro to battle for Vienna title
Vienna, Austria (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top seeds Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will meet in the final at the Erste Bank Open. The second-seeded del Potro got Saturday's semifinal action started

<< Angels name Dipoto as new GM
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim named Jerry Dipoto as their new general manager on Saturday. Dipoto, who signed a five-year contract, replaces former general manager Tony Reagins, who resigned on September

Kvitova, Azarenka to meet in Championships final >>
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka will meet in the final at the season-ending $4.55 million WTA Championships. Kvitova battled back from a set d

Cowboys waive RB Choice >>
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys waived running back Tashard Choice on Saturday, more than 24 hours prior to a key NFC East contest in Philadelphia on Sunday night. The 26-year-old has been bothered by shoulder

Crafton tops in truck qualifying at Martinsville >>
Martinsville, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Crafton will start on the pole for Saturday's Kroger 200 Camping World Truck Series race after setting a new track qualifying record at Martinsville Speedway. Crafton turned a lap at 96.352

Donald to miss HSBC Champions >>
Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Luke Donald announced on Saturday that he will skip next week's WGC-HSBC Champions to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child. Donald won the PGA Tour money title

Van Persie fires Arsenal past Chelsea >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A hat trick from Robin van Persie inspired Arsenal to a 5-3 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, handing the Blues a second successive defeat. Chelsea dropped a 1-0 contest at QPR last week

How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

MySportsbook is a large, publicly traded company with strong financial backing. You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

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