Gomez leads United past RSL, into '07 playoffs

Soccer Betting Lines

09/13/2007 - Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Christian Gomez, the 2006 Major League Soccer MVP, has not had that type of impact season for D.C. United in 2007.

After scoring 14 goals and 11 assists a year ago, Gomez had just six goals and seven assists through United's first 24 games, but on Wednesday evening at RFK Stadium against Real Salt Lake, he looked like the Gomez of a year ago.

The Argentinean midfielder scored the game-winning goal after setting up the game's first goal to lead D.C. to the 2-1 victory over visiting Real. The league fixture not only distances United from the rest of MLS in the race for the Supporter's Shield as the team with the best regular season record, but it also ensures it of a playoff spot for the ninth time in team history. United, which has won four MLS Cup Championships since the league's inaugural season in 1996, has qualified for the playoffs in all but three years - a three season stretch from 2000-2002.

Real Salt Lake, which has lost two-straight fixtures, is second-to-last in the league with just 18 points after 23 games. It got it's lone goal from midfielder Kyle Beckerman, sandwiched in between the two D.C. tallies.

RSL actually had the better of the play for the first 15 minutes, but D.C. capitalized on its first legitimate chance when Gomez controlled the ball in the offensive penalty area, dribbled to the right side of the six-yard box to the endline, and crossed to the back post. Striker Luciano Emilio snuck behind defender Jean-Martial Kipre - who only started because RSL defender Eddie Pope was under the weather - and headed the chance past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando for his league-leading 19th goal of the season.

Emilio, in his first season in the league, needs just four more goals in the last five games to tie Rual Diaz Arce for the United record of 23 in goals in a single season. The Brazilian sharpshooter now has 17 goals in his last 16 league matches.

Beckerman got the equalizer for RSL in the 32nd minute when he took control of the ball in the center of the field, in the offensive third, and drove at the D.C. penalty area. Central defender Bobby Boswell was late to close, and when he finally got to Beckerman, the midfielder took a quick touch inside and fired a shot past Troy Perkins from about 25-yards out for his second goal of the season.

United almost took the lead under five minutes after the break when Josh Gros - making his second-consecutive start after missing four games with a head injury - was tripped just inside the area by Kipre. Referee Jorge Gonzalez called a penalty, giving United a golden opportunity to take the advantage eary in the second half.

Gomez took the chance but Rimando, widely considered one of the better goalies on penalties in the league, dove to his left to save the low, hard shot. D.C.'s Jaime Moreno, the league's all-time leader in penalty kick goals and goals, did not play in the game after getting called up by the Bolivian national team for a friendly against Peru, which cost United on this instance.

Gomez made up for the missed PK in the 73rd minute after his team had a free kick from about 40 yards out. Marc Burch took the chance and drove the ball right into the RSL defensive wall, but Boswell found the ball on the right side and back-heeled to Fred, who crossed to Gomez at the far post. Gomez made no mistake, heading the chance past Rimando for the 2-1 lead and his seventh goal of the season.

Real was given a penalty kick about two minutes later after a free kick of their own led to a scrum in the box, but former United striker Alecko Eskandarian blasted the chance right at Perkins, who knocked the hard shot out-of-bounds.

D.C. (15-6-4) will be back in action on Sept. 23 when it travels to Chicago while RSL (4-13-6) heads to Toronto on Sunday afternoon.

Game Notes: Rimando, Eskandarian, Pope and Carey Talley are all former United players now playing for RSL. Pope was honored before the game as one of the key players in United history, this being his last season in MLS. ... D.C. will be without Gomez, Fred and captain Ben Olsen for its next game after all three received yellow cards in Wednesday's contest. All three are suspended one game for yellow card accumulation. ... While Emilio is getting close to the D.C. single season team record for goals, he has some work to do to reach the league's record. Roy Lassiter holds that mark with 27 goals in MLS's inaugural season in 1996.

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

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

American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6  

The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.

Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com.  "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.

It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis.  It's like Week 1 of the NFL.  Pre-season means nada!

We do know the 24 finalists however.

Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24.  He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway.  He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien. 

Brandon Rogers - Who?

Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition.  He should go a good distance.

Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was.  And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition.  He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice!  People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way. 

"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks.  He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes.  But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.

A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”

Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes. 

"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate.  "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past.  He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far.  Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."

Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts) 

And the others:

Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter

The girls

"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis.  "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has.  The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive.  I think she will go far."

Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.

"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams.  Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth.  "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.

Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.

Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.

Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan

MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with). 

Last two contestants will be?

1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)

2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)

2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)

MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.