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<< Robitaille powers Islanders past Bruins
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Randy Robitaille scored twice to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins at Nassau Coliseum. Mike Sillinger posted a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who have won two straight

<< Colonials win 15th straight, snap Charlotte's 22-game home streak
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jessica Adair scored 14 points to go along with 14 rebounds, as eighth-ranked George Washington slipped past Charlotte, 64-59, ending the 49ers' 22-game winning streak on their homecourt. Sarah-Jo Lawre

<< Briere's OT goal boosts Buffalo over Edmonton
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daniel Briere scored the winning goal 1:02 into overtime, as the Eastern Conference-leading Buffalo Sabres got their fourth consecutive victory by beating the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, at HSBC Arena. With

<< Gearlds, Purdue edge Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Katie Gearlds had 21 points and seven rebounds, as the 16th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers bested the Michigan Wolverines, 59-54, at Crisler Arena. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton added 19 points, grabbe

No. 12 Vanderbilt routs Mississippi State >>
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Caroline Williams scored 24 points to lead No. 12 Vanderbilt to an easy 84-64 victory over Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum. Carla Thomas added 12 points and Jennifer Risper had 10 for the Commo

No. 7 LSU torches Arkansas >>
Fayetteville, AK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sylvia Fowles scored 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead the seventh-ranked LSU Lady Tigers to an 86-65 win over the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks. Quianna Chaney scored 21 points for the Lady Tigers

Selanne sends Ducks over Coyotes in OT >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Teemu Selanne scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in overtime, as the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-4. In the extra session, Phoeni

Hejduk nets hat trick as Avs burn Flames >>
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milan Hejduk's hat trick propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a come-from-behind 7-5 victory over the Calgary Flames, in the opener of back-to-back contests between the teams at Pengrowth Saddled

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.

MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds

According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.

Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet.  The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.

MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.  In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State.  Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.

Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL.  In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

ODDS TO WIN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.