Gonzalez leads in Spain

Golf Betting Lines

04/29/2010 - Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricardo Gonzalez fired a seven-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the Open de Espana at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla.

Paul Waring is alone in second place at six-under 66.

Gonzalez won on this course in 2004 at the Open de Sevilla and the Argentinean is very comfortable this week.

"In Spain I feel like home," said Gonzalez. "I like the people, the food, the golf courses," said Gonzalez, who also won in Madrid seven years ago. "I've come with all the batteries charged and I think I have chances to do a good tournament."

Gonzalez, a five-time winner on the European Tour, began on the 10th tee Thursday and birdied No. 11. He birdied the par-five 13th, but dropped a stroke one hole later at the par-four 14th.

Gonzalez birdied the next par five, the 16th, then hit "the best three-iron I have hit in a long time" at the par-three 17th. He rolled home the 10-foot birdie putt to reach three-under par for the championship.

He parred his first three holes on his second nine, but got to minus-four with a birdie at No. 4. Gonzalez took advantage of yet another par five, this time at the fifth with another birdie putt.

Gonzalez birdied the par-four sixth to join Waring in first place at six-under par. At the par-five ninth, Gonzalez missed the green with his second shot, but chipped to eight feet. He cashed in the birdie chance for sole possession of the lead.

"Solid, solid game," said Gonzalez, who tied for second at this championship in 2004. "I'm feeling great and confident. This year, the course was more tough. The rough is very thick, like a U.S. Open."

Waring flew out of the gate on Thursday with three straight birdies and an eight-foot eagle putt at the fifth. He finished with three more birdies and two bogeys and was happy just to be at the tournament.

He was caught in the Middle East and the volcanic ash in Iceland nearly cost him an appearance this week. Waring had been told his first flight out would be May 1.

"We managed to get out on Sunday, though, and then flew here yesterday," he said.

Rafa Echenique, Sebi Garcia, Martin Erlandsson, Danny Willett, Simon Dyson, Alvaro Quiros, Damien McGrane, Carlos Del Moral and Mikael Lundberg are tied for third place at four-under 68.

NOTES: Defending champion Thomas Levet struggled to a one-over 73 on Thursday and is tied for 75th place...European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie shot a one-under 71 and is knotted in 32nd place.

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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.

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