Bougherra suffers injury setback

Soccer Betting Lines

03/15/2010 - Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rangers central defender Madjid Bougherra is set to be sidelined for several more weeks as he continues to be troubled by a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old Algeria international missed the Scottish Cup quarterfinal clash with Dundee United at the weekend, having suffered a fresh setback in training.

Assistant manager Ally McCoist confirmed: "He has a small tear on his hamstring and he will be out for a minimum of three weeks.

"He is one of our top players, one of the top players in the country, so it's a disappointment that he's not able to play for us.

"But every other team goes through injuries and suspensions and we are no different, so we just have to get on with it."

(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)

Vegaas Soccer Betting News

<< Groin injury to sideline Sunderland's Jones
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones is facing a month on the sidelines after picking up a groin injury against Manchester City on Sunday. Jones headed his side into an early lead at the Sta

<< Iowa to discuss future of men's hoops program
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Iowa has scheduled a Monday news conference to discuss the future of the men's basketball program amid speculation about the job security of head coach Todd Lickliter. KCRG-TV has report

<< Berbatov: United will win the title
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Striker Dimitar Berbatov has confidently declared that Manchester United will retain their Premier League crown this season. The Bulgaria international scored United's final goal in Sunday

<< Beckham's England career cut too short
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some people may describe David Beckham as overrated, others might call him spoiled or pampered, but one thing that is very evident when it comes to Beckham is that he is persistent. How else to explain

<< Brown gets the ax at Hull City
Hull, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phil Brown has been relieved of his managerial duties with immediate effect. The Tigers have confirmed that Brown's three-and-a-half year reign has been ended and that assistants Brian Horton

Samuelsson leads NHL's Three Stars >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vancouver Canucks right wing Mikael Samuelsson, Phoenix Coyotes right wing Lee Stempniak and Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending

UConn unanimous in final poll >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Connecticut finished as a unanimous selection as the top women's college basketball team in the final Associated Press poll. The Huskies (33-0), winners of an NCAA Division I women's record 72 straight game

Tottenham expecting Keane to return >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic have been told that they have no chance of keeping loan striker Robbie Keane on a permanent basis. The 29-year-old has scored eight goals in eight games since joining the Bhoys from Tottenham, b

Nesta set to miss remainder of season >>
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AC Milan's veteran defender Alessandro Nesta is set to miss the rest of the season after being forced to undergo surgery on his injured right knee. The 33-year-old was injured in last weekend's goalless

Lotina receives Deportivo extension >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coach Miguel Angel Lotina has penned a one- year contract extension to keep him in charge at Deportivo until the end of next season. The 62-year-old took the helm at the Riazor in 2007 and has help

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

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.

Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard