This Week in Auto Racing February 17 - 19
Autoracing Betting Lines
02/14/2012 - Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's time to go racing again. Speedweeks 2012 at Daytona kicks off this weekend, with the Budweiser Shootout scheduled for Saturday and then qualifying for the Daytona 500 slated for Sunday.
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series
Budweiser Shootout - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will rev up on Saturday night with the 34th running of the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. This year's scheduled 75-lap, 187.5-mile preseason race will feature a field of 25 cars.
The format for this race is unchanged from last year, but there is a tweak in the eligibility requirements. Drivers finishing among the top-25 in the Sprint Cup point standings this past season as well as active drivers who are not in the top-25 but previously won the Budweiser Shootout, the Daytona 500 or the 400-mile July race at Daytona are eligible.
Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, will not be among the 25 drivers competing in the Budweiser Shootout, since Wood Brothers Racing could not secure sponsorship for his No.21 team in this event. Bayne is entered to compete in the Daytona 500.
Geoffrey Bodine, Derrike Cope, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader are also eligible for the Budweiser Shootout but not participating in the event.
The Budweiser Shootout will serve as a dress rehearsal for the Daytona 500 and Gatorade Duels (twin 150-mile qualifying races for the 500). NASCAR recently revised its rules for restrictor-plate racing in an effort to minimize and perhaps eliminate two-car tandems, which have become an unpopular style of racing at restrictor-plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway). NASCAR is hopeful the rule changes will return pack racing.
"When you pack race, in most instances, if not all, it's important to race the whole time," said Jimmie Johnson, who won the preseason race at Daytona in 2005. "You're going to have to race for the win from the first lap. Unlike what we have now, where you know you can make up so much time in a short period of laps, you'll be much more engaged throughout the race."
NASCAR has also banned communications between drivers on their car radios during a race at plate tracks in another attempt to break up the two-car breakaways.
Most Sprint Cup teams participated in a three-day test session at Daytona last month. During the test, NASCAR gathered data when as many as 20 cars ran in a draft. Further modifications to the restrictor plates and the size of the front grille opening on the cars could be forthcoming.
Teams competing in the Budweiser Shootout will also get a chance to familiarize themselves with the new electronic fuel injection systems during race conditions.
Several drivers will make their debuts with new teams in the Budweiser Shootout. They include: A.J. Allmendinger (Penske Racing), Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing), Kurt Busch (Phoenix Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports) and David Ragan (Front Row Motorsports).
"It's definitely something to be excited about and look forward to, and I can't wait to get down there and practice a little bit, and then qualifying on Sunday is going to be exciting," Kahne said.
Busch, who drove the No.22 car for Penske last year, is the defending race winner.
Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski are those drivers who are competing in this race for the first time.
The starting lineup for the Budweiser Shootout will be determined during a random drawing held Friday evening at Daytona.
Daytona 500 qualifying - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL
Qualifying for the Daytona 500 -- NASCAR's most prestigious race of the season -- is a unique format. Just the first two starting positions in the February 26 season-opening race will be determined on Sunday. The remainder of the 43- car field will be decided in the February 23 Gatorade Duels at Daytona.
The top-35 in Sprint Cup owner points are already guaranteed a starting position in the Daytona 500. Where they start is based on how they finish in twin 150-mile qualifying races. The top-two finishing, non top-35 teams in each of the two qualifiers will secure a starting position in the 500. The remaining starters -- as many as four drivers -- will be based upon speeds recorded in Sunday's time trials.
No driver has ever won all four major Speedweeks events at Daytona -- Budweiser Shootout, Daytona 500 pole, Gatorade Duel and Daytona 500. Cale Yarborough (1984), Ken Schrader (1989) and Dale Jarrett (2000) have won three of the four events.
Last year's Speedweeks winners were: Kurt Busch (Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel race one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500 pole), Jeff Burton (Gatorade Duel race two) and Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500).
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays and manager Joe Maddon have agreed on a three-year contract extension, according to The Tampa Bay Tribune. The Rays have scheduled a Wednesday morning press conference at T
<< Nuggets' Nene, Mozgov out vs. Suns
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets will be without centers Nene
and Timofey Mozgov for Tuesday's game against the Suns.
Nene, who is averaging 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season,
tweaked his left calf in
<< Honors Saturday for Rapid Redux and friends
Laurel, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Record holder Rapid Redux and his connections
will receive another honor on Saturday at one of their favorite tracks. The
Maryland Jockey Club will recognize the gelding as well as his owner Robert
Cole al
<< Berlocq advances in Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth seed Carlos Berlocq was an easy
opening-round winner Tuesday at the $475,300 Brasil Open.
The Argentine Berlocq, a runner-up in Chile two weeks ago, blew past France's
Eric Prodon 6-4, 6-0 at thi
<< U.S. draws Ukraine in Fed Cup playoff
White Plains, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2012 Fed Cup World Group
Playoffs draw was held Tuesday and the United States drew an away tie in
Ukraine that will be played April 21-22.
The U.S. needs to defeat the Ukrainians
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Football League on Tuesday named head coaches Jeff Fisher of the St. Louis Rams and Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals, along with Green Bay Packers president and chief executive officer
Dulgheru exits Bogota >>
Bogota, Colombia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed Alexandra Dulgheru was a
first-round upset victim Tuesday at the $220,000 XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas
tennis tournament.
Italian Karin Knapp drove out the Romanian Dulgheru 6-2, 6-2 on the red
c
In the FCS Huddle: Patriot scholarship decision will affect Ivy >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some Ivy League football programs can look
down the road and know their schedules already are completed for quite a
while.
Princeton, for example, is booked through 2017, with some of the following
season
Lisicki, Hantuchova fall in Doha >>
Doha, Qatar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rising German Sabine Lisicki and last week's
Pattaya City champion Daniela Hantuchova were a pair of first-round upset
victims Tuesday at the $2.168 million Qatar Open.
Angelique Kerber stayed red hot by comi
Troicki wins Rotterdam opener >>
Rotterdam, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seventh seed Viktor Troicki posted
a first-round victory Tuesday at the $1.6 million ABN AMRO World Tennis
Tournament.
The Serbian Troicki topped wild card and Dutch crowd favorite Thiemo de Bakker
Online Sportsbook Football Betting
LaDainian Tomlinson Favorite to be 2007 NFL MVP
With the first NFL preseason game less than two weeks away, it is time to start thinking about football once again at MySportsbook.com. Reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is currently the 5-1 co-favorite to win the award again alongside Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after his all out assault on the record books last season. For those suffering from amnesia or were under a rock last football season, all L.T. did last season was set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and total points scored (186) to go along with his 1815 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. At 6-1, Tom Brady is next in line which isn’t surprising considering all of the firepower the Pats added over the off-season. With the addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker; it would be quite difficult for Brady’s numbers not to improve from last years 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns. There appears to be some decent value in Drew Bees at 10-1 considering he probably would have won the award last year if it wasn’t for L.T.’s record breaking season.
There is no reason to think the Saints will come back to earth this season and playing in a weak NFC, they should have as good a shot as any to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. At 15-1, Donovan McNabb could also be worth a look. Remember, many felt he was the MVP of the first half of the season before going down with a season ending injury. Reportedly, he is in great shape and well ahead of schedule to return to form. Also, he could have some added motivation to put up big numbers this season with the Eagles using their first pick in the draft on McNabb’s future successor Kevin Kolb.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to check out the complete odds for NFL MVP as well as all of the new football related futures. With the popularity of NFL futures, these betting lines will be sure to change as the money comes in; get the early sports lines now.
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Sportsbook Betting Lines
Who Makes the Sportsbook Betting Lines?
Las Vegas Sports Consultants (LVSC) is the world’s premier oddsmaking company and the most respected authority on making the lines. Mike Seba is a Senior Oddsmaker at LVSC and has been making lines for the last six years. In our extended interview, Seba explained that there are 4-5 oddsmakers assigned to make lines for each of the major sports (pro & college football and basketball; MLB, NHL, boxing, golf). Each of these oddsmakers bring unique opinions, strengths and weaknesses to the process. Oddsmakers at LVSC are professional sports junkies who love what they do and would probably do it for nothing if you asked them, but they do get paid for it. By necessity their approach is very research-oriented and concise, since with millions of dollars at risk there is little margin for error.
“You either have a passion for it or you don’t,” Seba said.
“The #1 thing for us is to make a line for each game that creates good two-way action. We do this by drawing from past experiences and applying them to current situations. People think it’s much more complicated, but it’s not. “What are the Football Betting Lines Trying to Accomplish?
There is a common misconception that point spreads represent the oddsmakers’ prediction of how many points the favorite will win by. That is not the case at all – their intent is NOT to evenly split the ATS result between the teams; rather, their goal is to attract equal betting action on both sides. Stated another way, they want to create a line that half the people find appealing to bet one way while the other half find it appealing to bet the other way (known as ‘dividing the action’).Divided action means the sportsbook is guaranteed a profit on the game because of the fee charged to the bettor (called juice or vig – typically $11 bet to win $10).
How the Opening Line Is Made
The opening line is the first line created by the oddsmakers, which is then sent out to sportsbooks. Of course there is an entire method to the madness on how the opening line is created. Seba explained that it all starts with each oddsmaker creating a line on each game based upon their own personal approach. This usually includes having up-to-date power ratings on each team.Power ratings are the oddsmaker’s value of each team and are used as a guide to calculate a "preliminary" pointspread on an upcoming game. The power ratings are adjusted after each game a team plays. Examples of non-game factors that would require an adjustment to a team's power rating are key player injuries and player trades.
Once a game’s power rating based pointspread is determined, the oddsmaker will make adjustments to that line after considering each team's most recent games played and previous games played against that opponent. Also, adjustments are made after reading each team’s local newspapers to get a sense of what the coaches & players are thinking going into the game.Since the oddsmaker’s ultimate goal is equally dividing the sports betting action, public perception and sportsbook betting patterns must be taken into account. For example, the public might have heavy betting interest week after week on a popular college football betting team such as USC. If an oddsmaker comes up with a preliminary line of USC -7, then an adjustment up to -7.5 or -8 would be made in response to the public’s expected USC bias.
The last step in the line-making process for each oddsmaker is taking one final look to determine whether or not the line "feels right." This is where common sense and past experience with how games are bet enters into the picture.A round-table discussion among the 4-5 oddsmakers involved in making the line for each sport is then conducted and a consensus line is decided upon by the Odds Director before it is released to the sportsbooks. Of the 4-5 oddsmakers, generally the 2 most respected opinions are weighed more heavily by the Odds Director before he decides on the final line.
Why Sports Betting Lines Change
Once the opening line is released by LVSC, the individual sportsbooks decide if they want to make any adjustments before offering it to the public. Reasons for such adjustments include:Experts working for the individual books having a strong opinion on the game
Individual books having players who consistently bet with certain tendencies (such as an extreme bias toward favorites or toward a certain popular team like USC)The purpose of these adjustments, like all line adjustments, is to more equally divide the betting action.
Once betting begins, sportsbooks can adjust the line at any time. In doing so they attempt to make more attractive the team that is getting less action. By moving the line, sportsbooks can influence how the public bets on a particular game.For example, if the pointspread on a game is 7 and most of the money is coming in on the underdog (taking the +7), sportsbooks will then move the number down to 6 ½ to try and attract money on the favorite.
Moving the line is the oddsmaker's effort to balance betting action, and often times such moves can have a major impact on a bettor’s decision. Oddsmakers can also change the line depending on various event-related factors such as player injuries or weather. Obviously, if the line comes out a week ahead of the event (which is the case in football), there is much that could happen during the week leading up to the event that could affect the line. Oddsmakers have to determine if any changes are necessary and send out an "adjusted line."“The main objective is that our clients get equal action on both sides,” Seba said. “We’re not trying to pick the team that covers the spread, we’re trying to make it a coin flip, a tough decision (for the bettor). If we’ve done that, we’ve done our job.”
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