11/20/2008 - Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - United States star Landon Donovan is set to join Bayern Munich on loan in January, it was revealed Thursday, and the German club hopes the likely two-and-a-half month deal could become permanent.
Donovan, who scored 20 goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, joined Bayern for a 10-day trial last Tuesday and impressed the team enough to open the possibility of a move.
"He's made an excellent impression here, so we've agreed to open talks with MLS about a loan spell starting [in] January," Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann said on the team's website.
At just 26, Donovan is already the all-time leading scorer in U.S. history. He showed off his abilities on Wednesday by scoring both goals for Bayern's first team in a 2-1 win over Bayern's B team in a practice match.
Los Angeles teammate David Beckham previously agreed to join AC Milan on a loan for part of the MLS offseason, and Donovan seems set to spend at least most of his offseason in Munich.
"Landon has a verbal agreement with MLS to play in Europe for two-and-a-half months, like Beckham's," Klinsmann said. "He's made such a good impression here that we've agreed to talk to MLS.
"The goal will be to see if we can get him long term, at least until the end of the season."
Donovan completed training with Bayern on Thursday and will return to the U.S. on Friday. He will receive his record fifth U.S. Player of the Year award at the MLS Cup final on Sunday.
With over 100 appearances for the U.S. - and 37 goals - Donovan would provide a great option for Klinsmann behind Italian striker Luca Toni and German strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.
Donovan was signed by Bayer Leverkusen when he was 16, but failed in his first attempt in the Bundesliga. He's set for another chance with Bayern and may find a niche with Podolski possibly leaving the club during the transfer window and Toni and Klose both 30 or older.
Bayern Munich has won 21 German titles and the Champions League four times.
<< Fire loan Blanco to Santos for Mexican playoffs
Bridgeview, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire reached a
tentative agreement Thursday to loan midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco to Santos of
the Mexican Primera Division.
Blanco will join Santos for the Apertura playoffs
<< Oilers activate Smid from IR
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers activated defenseman
Ladislav Smid from injured reserve on Thursday.
Smid was placed on injured reserve because of a concussion earlier in the
month. He was hurt during a Novem
<< Four candidates added to final Payton Watch list
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Four new candidates have been added to
the final Walter Payton Award watch list - running back William Ford of South
Carolina State, wide receiver John Matthews of San Diego, quarterback Chris
Pizzotti of Ha
<< Inter's Adriano not headed to Brazil's Fluminense
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Unsettled Inter Milan striker Adriano will not
be joining Fluminense in January, according to his agent.
The Brazil international remains out-of-favour at the San Siro following
reports of a fall-out w
Hull leads ADT Championship by one >>
West Palm Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Katherine Hull posted a four-under 68
Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the season-ending
ADT Championship.
Hull collected her first win earlier this season at the Canadian
Roma plans to keep Vucinic, Aquilani >>
Rome, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AS Roma has dismissed reports which suggested
they could lose both Mirko Vucinic and Alberto Aquilani during the January
transfer window.
Montenegro international striker Vucinic has been linked wit
Liverpool's Skrtel denies Zenit rumors >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and defender
Martin Skrtel have denied reports linking the Slovakia international with a
return to the club he left in January.
Reports in Russia suggested Skrtel had s
Atletico's Franco expects to extend contract >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Goalie Leo Franco is confident of agreeing a
new contract to remain with Atletico Madrid.
Franco, 31, is out of contract at the end of the current season but remains the
Rojiblancos' number one choice des
MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting