08/15/2008 - Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Vickers captured the pole for Sunday's 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan International Speedway. The No.83 Toyota driver rounded the two-mile oval in 38.189 seconds (188.536 m.p.h.).
The pole victory was Vickers' first of the season and the fifth of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. His last pole came in November 2006 at Texas.
"When we unloaded this car, it was just unbelievable," Vickers said. "I didn't know if they re-paved the racetrack or the car was that good. Obviously being early out contributed a little bit to that. We knew that in the back of our minds. We tried some stuff in practice, and it didn't work. Then we went back to where we started and was pretty happy with it."
Jimmie Johnson will start on the outside pole after posting a time of 38.497.
Elliott Sadler (38.590) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (38.643) will make up row two.
Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Jeff Gordon (fifth), Patrick Carpentier (sixth), Greg Biffle, (ninth), Kyle Busch (11th), Matt Kenseth (14th), Carl Edwards (27th), Kevin Harvick (38th) and Clint Bowyer (41st).
Gordon's fifth-place in qualifying gave Hendrick Motorsports three of the top- five starting positions at Michigan.
Carpentier surprisingly will start sixth after being the fastest among those drivers required to qualify on time.
Brad Coleman will make his Sprint Cup debut at Michigan after securing the 43rd starting position. Coleman will make his first start in the No.96 Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing. P.J. Jones drove the car for HOF at Watkins Glen after J.J. Yeley was released from the team last week.
Johnny Sauter was the only driver who failed to qualify for the 400-mile event.
With four races remaining until the cutoff for the "Chase for the Sprint Cup," tension is building for several drivers as they try to secure a spot in the top-12 in order to qualify. Just 148 points currently separate sixth-place Gordon from 13th-place Bowyer.
Kenseth moved up to 12th in the standings after his 12th-place run at Watkins Glen. Bowyer, meanwhile, finished 23rd and slipped to 13th, 22 markers behind Kenseth.
Jack Roush's drivers have won 10 times at Michigan, second all-time to the Wood Brothers' 11 victories. Two of Roush's victories there have come from Kenseth, who won in June 2002 and August 2006. He has also finished third and fourth, respectively, in the last two races there.
Biffle recorded five straight top-10 finishes at Michigan from August 2004 to August 2006, but has finished 19th, 20th, and 38th, respectively, in the last three races there. He is also a two-time Michigan winner.
Edwards has posted seven Top-10 finishes, including a victory in June 2007, in his eight starts at Michigan. Edwards is now second in the championship standings, 242 points behind Busch.
11th-place Harvick is only 19 points ahead of Kenseth. After a 37th- place run at Indianapolis, Harvick has finished fourth at Pocono and sixth at Watkins Glen to keep his championship hopes alive. He has finished 15th or better in the last five races at Michigan.
Earnhardt, Jr., currently fourth in points, will try for a season-sweep at Michigan. Earnhardt, Jr. won the LifeLock 400 there in June, snapping a 76- race winless streak in the series. If he wins Sunday's race, he will become the first driver to sweep Michigan since Bobby Labonte did it in 1995.
The green flag is scheduled to drop around 2 p.m. (et).
<< Red Bulls host TFC in pivotal Eastern Conference tilt
East Rutherford, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the New York Red Bulls host
Toronto FC in a Major League Soccer match at Giants Stadium on Sunday, it will
be a match that very well could mean the difference between qualifying for the
MLS Cup
<< Yankees demote Cabrera, waive Sexson
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees made some surprising
roster moves Friday, prior to the start of a three-game set with the
Kansas City Royals.
The franchise optioned outfielder Melky Cabrera to Triple-A S
<< Angels' Izturis placed on DL
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim placed
shortstop Maicer Izturis on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a sprained
left thumb.
Izturis left Wednesday's 10-7 loss to the Seattle Mariners in the top
<< United signs Liberian 'keeper Crayton
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United signed Liberian goalkeeper
Louis Crayton, the Major League Soccer club announced on Friday.
The 30-year old has been playing in the Swiss league for the last 11 years and
also has internat
Texas' Millwood comes off DL to start against Rays >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers reinstated Kevin Millwood
from the 15-day disabled list in time start Friday's series opener against the
Tampa Bay Rays.
The 33-year-old Millwood had been sidelined since July 24 with
Ochoa on top at suspended Canadian Open >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 and defending champion Lorena Ochoa
posted a four-under 68 on Friday to stay atop the leaderboard during the
suspended second round of the Canadian Open.
Ochoa, the overnight leader, finishe
Angels SS Izturis to miss the rest of season >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim placed
shortstop Maicer Izturis on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a sprained
left thumb, an injury that will require season-ending surgery for the everyday
starter
Royals option P Davies, call up P Fulchino >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals optioned pitcher Kyle
Davies to Triple-A Omaha on Friday and recalled reliever Jeff Fulchino from
the club's top minor league affiliate.
Davies was 5-4 with a 4.71 earned run av
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
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.
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