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07/18/2010 - Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Bettencourt captured his first PGA Tour win Sunday at the Reno-Tahoe Open, closing with a four-under 68 in the final round to beat Bob Heintz by one shot.
Heintz missed a three-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole with a chance to force a playoff.
Bettencourt, playing in the same group with Heintz, hit two bunkers and made a closing bogey at No. 18 -- among the easiest holes on the Montreux course.
Moments later, television cameras showed Bettencourt barely reacting as he watched Heintz's putt dip into the left side of the cup and spin out, giving him the win.
Bettencourt finished with an 11-under 277 to earn his first victory since he won twice on the developmental Nationwide Tour in 2008.
The 35-year-old from California missed the cut in 13 of his 21 starts coming into the week, but reversed his fortunes Sunday by earning a two-year tour exemption.
Heintz, who is not a tour member, shot a three-under 69 and took second place alone at 10-under 278.
John Merrick and Sweden's Mathias Gronberg both carded 69s to share third place at nine-under 279.
Tournament host and 54-hole leader Scott McCarron had a nine-over 81 and dropped into a tie for 35th place -- 10 shots behind Bettencourt.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
<< McCutchen suffers shoulder sprain in Sunday's game
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen
left Sunday's game against Houston with a mild sprain of his right AC joint.
He sustained the injury to the top of his shoulder after making a diving catch
on a
<< Holliday caps Cards' comeback in ninth for sweep of Dodgers
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Holliday's two-out, game-winning RBI
single capped a five-run rally in the final two innings, lifting the St.
Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a four-game
sweep a
<< Astros designate Daigle, bring up Majewski
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have designated
pitcher Casey Daigle for assignment and purchased the contract of pitcher Gary
Majewski from Triple-A Round Rock.
Daigle posted a 1-1 record with an 11.32 ea
<< Joh wins playoff for first Duramed Futures title
Bloomfield, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiffany Joh birdied the fourth playoff hole
Sunday to defeat Gerina Mendoza and win the ING New England Golf Classic on
the Duramed Futures Tour.
Joh sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the fourth ext
Mets avoid sweep, top Giants in 10 on Davis double >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ike Davis hit an RBI double with two outs
in the top of the 10th inning, and the New York Mets beat San Francisco, 4-3,
to salvage the finale of a four-game series at AT&T Park.
The Giants erased a
Denorfia powers Padres past Diamondbacks >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Denorfia matched a career-high with
four hits, homering twice and scoring three times to power San Diego past
Arizona, 6-4, and help the Padres complete a three-game sweep at Petco Park.
Denorf
Angels place Kazmir on DL >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Angels placed pitcher Scott Kazmir on the
15-day disabled list following Sunday's 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Mariners.
Kazmir lands on the DL with left shoulder fatigue. The left-hander is 7-9 with
a 6.92 E
Yankees' Pettitte suffers groin strain >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte was
removed from his start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays with a strained left
groin.
He was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital and underwent an MRI. Resul
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
(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.
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