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09/14/2007 - Halmstad, Sweden (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American team took a 2 1/2 - 1 1/2 lead after Friday morning's foursomes matches at the Solheim Cup at Halmstad Golf Club.
The first match was the only one that went the distance. The European tandem of Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson did not draw even until the 17th hole, but hung on to halve Pat Hurst and Cristie Kerr.
Americans Laura Diaz and Sherri Steinhauer built an early lead on the front nine, but got caught around the turn by Annika Sorenstam and Catriona Matthew. The U.S. team hit some spectacular shots on the back nine and walked away with a 4 & 2 win.
Paula Creamer and Juli Inkster took advantage of some loose shots late by their European counterparts Laura Davies and Becky Brewerton. Europe lost the 16th and 17th holes to give the U.S. a 2 & 1 victory.
Europe won the last match with relative ease as Maria Hjorth and Gwladys Nocera handled Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis, 3 & 2.
"It was pretty close," said American captain Betsy King. "Most of the matches were fairly tight. I think it's going to be that way the whole way. Normally we haven't done that well in the alternate-shot, so this is a very good start for us."
Kerr and Hurst never trailed in their match and won the first two holes. They conceded the 11th hole to the European team and halved the next five holes.
Hurst missed a seven-footer to lose the 17th. The sides were even with one to play and Europe seemed to have the advantage despite missing the fairway at the closing hole.
Pettersen was able to get the team's second to 15 feet, while Kerr knocked her ball into a bunker. Hurst blasted out to six feet, while Gustafson ran her birdie effort for the win three feet by the hole.
Kerr made her gutsy par save, then Pettersen converted her knee-knocker to give each team a half point.
"Hard-fought battle," said Kerr. "That last putt made everything right."
Diaz converted a three-foot birdie putt to win the second hole and the American pair seemed in control. Steinhauer had a chance to pick up another hole at six, but her putt lipped out hard on the right. Unfortunately for the Europeans, Matthew lipped out from two feet closer and lost the hole to fall 2-down.
Europe clawed back thanks to the former world No. 1. Sorenstam holed out from close to a bunker to win the ninth, then took No. 10 when Steinhauer missed a four-footer for par.
The match was all-square but Diaz sank a four-footer for birdie to win the 11th. The U.S. won the par-three 13th when Steinhauer knocked her tee ball to five feet.
Steinhauer made another birdie at the 15th to get 3-up with three to play. When Matthew landed her tee ball in water at the 16th and the Americans stayed dry, Europe conceded the match.
"We kept talking to each other and I think that was really important," said Steinhauer, who won the LPGA State Farm Classic two weeks ago.
Creamer and Inkster lost the 10th and 12th holes to bring the European team back to all-square. It stayed that way until the par-three 16th when Davies knocked her tee ball into the water. The European pair conceded the hole and lost the 17th thanks to more errant shots.
"I was hitting my irons good and she's been putting the ball fantastically," said Creamer. "When you have that combination, you're pretty deadly out there."
In Friday morning's anchor match, Europe looked to be in trouble at one thanks to a horrible drive from Hjorth. The team scrambled to a par, won that hole and lost only one hole through the entire match.
Friday afternoon will feature four fourball matches and King is emptying her bench. All four golfers that sat out in the morning are in action in the afternoon, while European captain Helen Alfredsson kept Linda Wessberg and Bettina Hauert out of action.
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streak eve
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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