Germany coach Loew signs two-year extension

Soccer Betting Lines

07/20/2010 - Berlin, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany boss Joachim Loew signed a two-year extension Tuesday that will keep him with the team through Euro 2012.

Loew, who took over after the 2006 World Cup, has led Germany to second place in Euro 2008 and third place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His contract expired in June, but the 50-year-old will stay on for at least two more years.

Assistant coach Hansi Flick, team manager Oliver Bierhoff and goalkeeper coach Andreas Kopke have also signed two-year extensions.

"We're all happy that we'll be continuing to work with the national side together. Our team has excellent prospects and it will be a great challenge for us after the success at the World Cup in South Africa to get down to tackling preparations for Euro 2012," Loew said.

Germany Football Association President Theo Zwanziger called signing Loew his "number one priority."

"The coach's signature is immensely important for this still-young national team, and that is why continuing to work with Joachim Loew and his staff was my number one priority all along," Zwanziger said.

Germany opens Euro 2010 qualifying on Sept. 3 at Belgium. Austria, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkey are also in Group A of qualifying.

Skybppk Soccer Betting News

<< AL West: A's won't go down without a fight
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When it comes to predicting the American League West in recent years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have done their best to eliminate any uncertainty by monopolizing the division for the past few seasons. Last year, t

<< Kovalchuk happy to return to New Jersey
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Devils made it official on Tuesday and re-introduced superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, who agreed to a 17-year contract worth a reported $102 million on Monday. Kovalchuk was acquired by

<< Changes spice up SWAC competition
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Prairie View A&M quarterback K.J. Black remembers - rather painfully, perhaps - some of the blitzes that came his way during Southwestern Athletic Conference play last season. "It kind of woke me up," sa

<< Gerrard commits to Liverpool
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England captain Steven Gerrard ended speculation about his future Tuesday, committing to Liverpool following a meeting with new coach Roy Hodgson. Gerrard and Spain striker Fernando Torres have

<< Monmouth Park welcomes Horse of the Year
Oceanport, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra has safely arrived at Monmouth Park in preparation of her start in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Lady's Secret Stakes. The four-year-old champion filly was taken from h

Juve's Iaquinta sidelined with thigh injury >>
Turin, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta will miss nearly all of preseason training with a thigh injury, the Italian club said on its website Tuesday. Iaquinta was initially injured in the FIFA World Cup playing f

Westermann to leave Schalke for Hamburg >>
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany defender Heiko Westermann is set to leave Schalke for Hamburg, according to Schalke coach Felix Magath. Westermann missed the recent FIFA World Cup with injury and the 26-year-old wants st

Jets to add six names to new Ring of Honor >>
Florham Park, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets announced on Tuesday that six names associated with the franchise will be added to the club's new Ring of Honor this upcoming season. The initial class of inductees will include

Piniella to retire at the end of the season >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella has decided to retire at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Piniella is in his fourth season as Cubs manager. He guided the club to a winning record in each of his fir

Hamilton's Glenn highlights CFL Players of the Week >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn, Edmonton linebacker Maurice Lloyd and kicker Noel Prefontaine, and Hamilton wide receiver Dave Stala were selected as the CFL's top performers for Week 3 of the 2010 seaso

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.

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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