07/02/2009 - Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea and Manchester United appear to have missed out on signing Franck Ribery after the France star revealed he will only leave Bayern Munich for Real Madrid.
The two Premier League heavyweights were set to go head-to-head in a bid to sign the 26-year-old winger.
However, $58 million-rated Ribery claims he will only leave Germany for the big-spending Spanish giants.
Bayern though have continually stated that the former Marseille forward will not be allowed to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.
"I have made up my mind, I want to leave," Ribery told L'Equipe. "It will be Real or nothing."
The news is a particular blow to United after they also saw another transfer target - Karim Benzema from Lyon - decide to join Real within the last 24 hours.
The Spanish club have spent almost $328 million on four players so far this summer after signing Cristiano Ronaldo from United, Brazil star Kaka, defender Raul Albiol and now Benzema.
(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)
<< Napoli's Donadoni: Lavezzi will return
Naples, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Napoli coach Roberto Donadoni is confident
that Argentina forward Ezequiel Lavezzi will return to the club for the start
of pre-season training.
The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with a move
<< Dortmund: Zidan to stay put
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp
insists that his club have no intention of selling Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan
in the current transfer window.
The 27-year-old struggled to make an impact
<< Agent: Vidic to stay at United
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The agent of Manchester United defender
Nemanja Vidic has moved to try and put an end to speculation linking his client
with a summer exit from Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old Serbia international ha
<< Bruins bring back Recchi with one-year deal
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins re-signed veteran winger
Mark Recchi to a one-year contract on Thursday. Per club policy, terms of the
deal will not be disclosed.
Recchi posted 10 goals and six assists in 18 games for
Kim's record 62 leads AT&T National >>
Bethesda, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending champion Anthony Kim set the course
record with an eight-under 62 at Congressional, taking the first-round lead
Thursday at the AT&T National.
Tiger Woods, the tournament host, shot a six-
RSL, S.J. to battle in Friday fixture >>
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes travel to take on Real
Salt Lake in Major League Soccer action on Friday night as the two Western
Conference rivals battle for position.
Both team are in the bottom half of the con
Panthers sign Leopold, Wilson >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers bolstered their defensive
corps Thursday by signing both Jordan Leopold and Clay Wilson.
Leopold, who signed a one-year contract, was acquired on the NHL Draft's
second day from Calg
Bees delay Astros/Padres game >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the top of the ninth inning of a game
between the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres, a swarm of bees took over
part of left field and caused the game to go into a delay.
With Miguel Tejada at the plate w
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere.
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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