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12/12/2008 - Stuttgart, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich visits Stuttgart in a clash of the last two Bundesliga champions Saturday, trying to extend its undefeated streak to 16 matches and put pressure on current leader Hoffenheim.
Bayern edged Hoffenheim, 2-1, last weekend to pull level in points with the new Bundesliga side but trails on goal differential entering the final week of the first half of the season.
"We'll go to Stuttgart in a confident mood," Bayern boss Jurgen Klinsmann said, "and as before, our aim is to win the [first-half] championship."
Hoffenheim hosts Schalke on Sunday, when it will already know what it needs to do to hold onto the top spot for the winter break.
Bayern added to its huge win last weekend with a 3-2 win over Lyon on Wednesday to finish atop its Champions League group.
Luca Toni was the hero for Bayern last weekend, scoring in the 92nd minute of a thrilling win over the newly-promoted leaders. Miroslav Klose, who leads Bayern with 11 goals in all competitions, led the team against Lyon with a pair goals.
With Franck Ribery pairing with those two strikers, Bayern's offense has been a force during the unbeaten streak. Ribery will sit out this weekend's match with a shoulder injury picked up against Lyon.
The Munich club will have a hard time replacing Ribery, who is currently one of the top players in the world, but will be healthier than in mid week. Defender Lucio and midfielder Ze Roberto are back after missing the Lyon match.
Midfielder Hamit Altintop, who missed months with an ankle injury, returned for a brief appearance on Wednesday and could play longer against Stuttgart.
Although Stuttgart is 10 points back in ninth, new coach Markus Babbel has won two straight league matches since replacing Armin Veh.
Babbel has injury concerns with Mario Gomez questionable and Ludovic Magnin out with a muscle tear, but could get a boost with Yildiray Basturk expected to be back from a long injury absence.
The new Stuttgart coach knows he's got his hands full regardless.
"If you allow [Bayern] the space to play football, they will leave you with no chance," Babbel said.
Hoffenheim hopes Stuttgart gives it an easier chance to hold onto the top spot when it hosts Schalke. If Bayern wins, Hoffe will have to win to stay in first.
Despite the loss to Bayern last weekend, Hoffenheim has still won eight of its last 10. Vedad Ibisevic scored the first goal in the loss to Bayern, upping his lead in the league to 18 goals through 16 matches.
On Friday, Mohamed Zidan and Nuri Sahin scored and Borussia Dortmund beat last- place Monchengladbach 2-1.
Also Saturday, third-place Bayer Leverkusen will try to close in on the leaders when it hosts Energie, fourth-place Hertha Berlin hosts Karlsruhe, Bochum hosts Koln, Hamburg hosts Eintracht, Werder Bremen hosts Wolfsburg and Hannover hosts Arminia Bielefeld.
<< Tigers sign Santiago
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers agreed to terms on a one-
year contract with infielder Ramon Santiago on Friday, avoiding arbitration.
Santiago batted .282 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 58 games last season
with D
<< Bills to be without CB Greer again
Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buffalo Bills cornerback Jabari Greer will
not play Sunday against the New York Jets due to a nagging knee injury.
Greer had limited participation in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and
barely pra
<< Top four clash in SPL this weekend
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top four clubs in the Scottish
Premier League table square off on Saturday afternoon.
Second-place Rangers travels to third-place Dundee United with the hope of
gaining on the leaders, Celt
<< Roughriders sign Clermont
Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed wide
receiver Jason Clermont on Friday.
The Regina native was originally drafted by the B.C. Lions fourth overall in
the 2002 CFL Draft. In seven years with the
Barcelona has chance to bury Real Madrid >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona's 20-match unbeaten streak ended
on Wednesday - the club's "B Team" was responsible for the 3-2 Champions League
loss to Shakhtar Donetsk - but the Camp Nou club will be back at full strength
Satu
Bad economy forces suspension of Breeders' Cup stakes program >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In an effort to keep the total purses of the
2009 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at $25.5 million, the
organization has announced the suspension of its stakes program for the year.
For
Toronto FC >>
Acquired Dwayne De Rosario from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for defender Julius James and allocation money.
Price and Sluman lead Merrill Lynch Shootout >>
Naples, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Price and Jeff Sluman combined for an
eight-under 64 on Friday to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the
$2.9 million Merrill Lynch Shootout.
Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry are in second pla
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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