Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
08/04/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - "I am glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees."
Ben Hogan famously said that statement after the 1951 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills, site of this week's 90th PGA Championship.
Fifty-seven years ago, there were only two rounds under par, including Hogan's 67 on Sunday. He won the event and put the legend of Oakland Hills into golf immortality.
The South Course at Oakland Hills could still be fresh in the players' minds. It hosted the 2004 Ryder Cup and the 1996 U.S. Open, but renovations by Rees Jones two years ago could make "The Monster" even more terrifying.
Oakland Hills will play to 7,395 yards this week thanks to added length at 15 holes. Fairways were narrowed, both fairway and greenside bunkers were changed and even the ponds at Nos. 7 and 16 bring water into play.
One thing Jones didn't tinker with was the greens at Oakland Hills. Possibly considered the most treacherous putting surfaces in the U.S., Jones did not mess with the greens where even three-footers make players sweat.
Think back to four years ago. Without the top international players, the European team put on a clinic, especially on the greens, winning the event by a staggering nine points. Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood were outstanding that early fall weekend, but the Americans' best player was Tiger Woods.
The world No. 1 and defending champion is obviously not on hand this week, recovering from knee surgery. Last month, we endured our first Tiger-less major and it didn't disappoint.
Unfortunately, Greg Norman won't be at Oakland Hills to bring buzz like he did at the British Open. Norman declined the PGA of America's invitation, but the field is certainly not devoid of intrigue.
Phil Mickelson decided to switch clubs the week before the '04 Ryder Cup and struggled badly. He has not driven the ball well all year, but has two wins and played well at Firestone last week, tying for fourth after entering the final round tied for the lead.
Westwood shared the 54-hole lead at the Bridgestone Invitational and missed the epic Woods/Mediate U.S. Open playoff by a stroke. He's trimmed down, gotten his game in world-class shape and could be ready for a big breakthrough.
Vijay Singh was the third third-round leader and is a two-time PGA Champion. Like Mickelson, he's struggled some with the big club, but when the course requires precision and length, Singh is a hard guy to argue with. Now that he won last week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he is the guy at Oakland Hills.
Garcia was lights out four years ago, but that was the Ryder Cup. He's been great at all four of those he's been in, so can he rekindle the magic without wearing the Euro uniform? Hard to say.
Garcia is probably the best driver in the world. He is not close to the top in putting and with these surfaces, the Spaniard could be in some trouble. However, imagination is required at Oakland Hills and Garcia excels when creativity is needed.
Obviously, Ryder Cuppers and 54-hole leaders from the week prior are not the only contenders worth watching.
Ernie Els and Jim Furyk tied for fifth in the '96 U.S. Open. Both are highly- ranked stars with major pedigrees and both posted top-10 finishes at Royal Birkdale.
Then there is Padraig Harrington. He's certainly in good form with his amazing back nine on Sunday at the British Open Championship and the Irishman played well in 2004 in the Ryder Cup.
Harrington went into the Open Championship with zero expectations due to a wrist injury. All he did was relax, play steady and hoist the claret jug for the second year in a row.
Not everyone has the luxury of a bum wrist. Expectations soar for some players in the absence of Woods. Mickelson, Els, Singh and Harrington can all take one step closer to being one of the game's all-time greats.
Garcia, Westwood, Adam Scott and even Kenny Perry can finally secure that elusive first major championship. Guys from both sides of the pond are fighting for Ryder Cup spots and all tour players are gearing up for a run in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
With so much at stake at the PGA Championship, no one will tame "The Monster." Scores won't be under par this week, so look for the grinders. It's safe to say there will be more than two rounds under par, but maybe not many more.
"The greatest test of golf I have ever played, and the toughest course." - Hogan.
The toughest course, and it's lengthened?
Really is a "Monster."
<< Report: Broncos' Marshall to be suspended
Culver City, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon
Marshall will reportedly be suspended for the start of the regular season for
violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
According to the NFL Network, Marsh
<< Injuries mounting for the Mets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When involved in a tight division race, you need things to
go your way every now and then. For the New York Mets, though, things are
going only one way -- down.
Already saddled with a lengthy disabled list, the Mets contin
<< United loan Simpson to Blackburn
Blackburn, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United defender Danny
Simpson has agreed to join Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan.
The 21-year-old becomes Rovers boss Paul Ince's third capture of the summer
following the ar
<< Drogba to miss start of season for Chelsea
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has
admitted that Ivory Coast international striker Didier Drogba is unlikely to
feature in his first-team plans until the end of this month.
The 30-year-old is con
Cards' Ludwick earns NL weekly honor >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick
was named National League Player of the Week for the period ending August 3.
Ludwick led the National League with a hefty .538 average (14-for-26), eight
runs
Nady, Aviles share AL weekly honor >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady and
Kansas City Royals infielder Mike Aviles were named the co-Players of the Week
in the American League for the period ending August 3.
Nady, acquired by the Yank
No "slip slidin' away" in the rain at Montreal >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - "Slip slidin' away, slip slidin' away. You
know the nearer your destination, the more you're slip slidin' away." Luckily
for Goodyear and NASCAR, using rain tires to run in the rain during Saturday's
NAPA Aut
Tigers' Cabrera named AL Player of the Month >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Tigers infielder Miguel Cabrera was
selected as the American League Player of the Month for July.
Cabrera batted .330 with eight homers and a major league-best 31 runs batted
in last month. He a
Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.
New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.
His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.
HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.
The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.
RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.
First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.
The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.
These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.
New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.
You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff!
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting
MySportsbook.com is a must-have for the smart veteran sports investor who enjoys following the odds almost as much as betting them. Simply put, no one offers more betting options and offers them faster than MySportsbook. This football sportsbook is known for its ability to set the early market odds on events without having to worry about weak lines. Professional players are well aware that getting a crack at the early betting line is worth as much as, and sometimes more than, huge bonuses or reduced prices. MySportsbook's fearless, yet smart bookmaking style is what keeps everyone watching, including most other sportsbooks.
This is also a great choice for those who just want to have a worry free, fun experience. The ownership’s motto is “Sweat the game, not the payout”. These are not just decorative words used to fill space on the homepage. MySportsbook aims to give their customers the fastest withdrawals in the industry. Payouts are processed within 24 hours by an online sportsbook that carries our A+ financial rating.
Those who enjoy proposition and future wagers consider MySportsbook.com a top choice. Smaller players who seek large bonuses would do better at their sister book, Sportsbooks.com.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting