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08/07/2008 - Wichita, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tommy Tolles fired a nine-under-par 62 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead with the first round of the Wichita Open suspended due to darkness.
Tolles' 62 missed both the course record and the 18-hole tournament record by a single stroke.
There was nearly a three-hour weather delay on Thursday which eventually forced play to be halted for darkness with 24 players left on the course. The round will resume Friday at 8:15 a.m. (et). The second round will start as scheduled at the same time.
Bob May, who lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff at the 2000 PGA Championship, carded an eight-under-par 63 and is tied for second with Aaron Watkins, who has completed 14 holes of his opening round.
Chris Anderson, Joe Daley, Scott Gardiner and Jeff Klauk are tied for fourth at minus-seven.
Tolles played the back nine first and climbed the leaderboard with steady play. He drained his first birdie at the par-four 11th, then collected back- to-back birdies from the 15th.
The two-time Nationwide Tour winner made the turn at five-under thanks an eagle on the par-five 18th.
Tolles birdied the par-five second and made it two straight as he also birdied the third.
"I was hoping the weather would skirt around us," admitted Tolles, who was six-under when the delay hit. "I'm getting older so I came in for a nap."
Birdies on the sixth and eighth got Tolles to minus-nine.
"I remember the round, yes - and no, the course doesn't suit me," said Tolles of his opening 65 on the North Course at Crestview Country Club last year. "I've spent my entire life trying to hit the ball straight and there are more doglegs here than our last three venues combined."
May also played the back nine first. He birdied the 10th and 14th before running off three straight birdies from the 17th. May moved within two of the lead thanks to birdies on four and five. He closed with a birdie on the ninth to finish one back.
"It was a solid round of golf," May admitted. "Nothing great, but nothing bad."
Tied with May is the 26-year-old Aaron Watkins, who played golf at Kansas State. He flew up the leaderboard with five birdies in his first six holes from the 10th.
Watkins then eagled the 18th to make the turn at minus-seven. He parred the first three holes on the front nine, then birdied the fourth to get within one of the lead. Watkins parred No. 5 before play was halted for the night.
Hunter Haas, Anders Hultman, Fabian Gomez and Daniel Summerhays are tied for eighth place at six-under-par 65. They were joined there by Scott Piercy, who has played 16 holes, and Brendon Todd, who is through 15 holes of the first round.
<< Blumenherst continues to roll at U.S. Women's Amateur
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amanda Blumenherst rolled to a pair of wins
Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 108th U.S. Women's Amateur at
Eugene Country Club.
Blumenherst, the NCAA Player of the Year and last year's r
<< PGA Championship First Round News & Notes
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite the fact they share a
surname, there is no relation, whatsoever, between Jeev Milkha Singh and Vijay
Singh.
"In the practice rounds I can hear a lot of people say, 'Oh, I think he
<< Nats sweep doubleheader with Rockies
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wil Nieves and Willie Harris drove in two runs
apiece to give the Washington Nationals a 6-3 victory over the Colorado
Rockies, sweeping Thursday's doubleheader at Coors Field.
Odalis Perez (5-8) won
<< Karlsson, Jeev Milkha Singh and Romero lead suspended PGA
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robert Karlsson of Sweden and
India's Jeev Milkha Singh both posted rounds of two-under 68 on Thursday and
share the lead with Andres Romero during the suspended first round of the PGA
Champio
Blue Jays send Athletics to 10th consecutive defeat >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Rolen and John McDonald drove in two
runs apiece to lead the Blue Jays over the Oakland Athletics, 6-4, to
secure a sweep of the four-game set in Toronto.
A.J. Burnett (14-9) gave up four
Williams helps Hamilton down Toronto >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richie Williams threw for 293 yards and three
touchdowns, including Hamilton's first passing touchdown of the season, as the
Tiger-Cats dismantled the Toronto Argonauts to the tune of 45-21, at Ivor
Wynne.
Ravens edge Pats in preseason opener >>
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Boller was an efficient 11-of-15 for 102
yards and Derrick Mason caught three passes for 54 yards, as Baltimore slipped
past New England, 16-15, in preseason action.
Rutgers product Ray Rice saw his
Chiefs edge Bears in preseason opener >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brodie Croyle finished 6-of-10 for 82 yards
while Larry Johnson carried eight times for 18 yards and a score, as the
Kansas City Chiefs used a late touchdown pass from Tyler Thigpen to defeat the
Chicago
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
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