Top-seeded Djokovic ousted in second round

Tennis Betting Lines

07/25/2007 - Umag, Croatia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Viktor Troicki pulled off the upset of the tournament, edging top seed Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round of the $485,000 Croatia Open.

By pulling off the upset over his fellow Serb, Troicki dismissed last year's runner-up and this year's favorite in Djokovic.

Fifth-seeded Argentine Guillermo Canas was also among Wednesday's second-round winners. The 2004 Umag titlist, Canas disposed of Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-4, 6-3 on the red clay at ITC Stella Maris.

Argentine Carlos Berlocq overcame a tough first-set loss on Tuesday in order to defeat Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-7 (13-15), 6-4, 6-2, while Frenchman Gilles Simon held off Croatian favorite Marin Cilic 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. Simon should have his hands full with the gritty Canas in Friday's quarterfinals.

Thursday's schedule will include second-round matches for fourth-seeded and 2002 Umag finalist David Ferrer, sixth-seeded and four-time champion Carlos Moya and seventh-seeded and two-time runner-up Filippo Volandri. The former world No. 1 Moya titled here in 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2004 and was the runner- up in 2005, while Volandri was the back-to-back runner-up here in 2003 and 2004.

Jazzspirts Tennis Betting News

<< Brewers acquire Linebrink from Padres
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers strengthened their bullpen on Wednesday, acquiring relief pitcher Scott Linebrink from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league pitchers Joe Thatcher, Will Inman and Ste

<< Robredo, Calleri win; Youzhny, Ferrero fall in Kitzbuhel
Kitzbuhel, Austria (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo and reigning champion Agustin Calleri notched second-round wins, while second- seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny and third-seeded Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero came up

<< Royals release Elarton
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals released struggling starting pitcher Scott Elarton on Wednesday. Elarton went 2-4 with a robust 10.46 ERA in nine starts this season for the Royals. In his last outing on Tuesday

<< Top four seeds advance at Junior Amateur
Augusta, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stroke-play medalist Seung Yul Noh rolled to a 4 & 3 win over Jackson Beindorf in Wednesday's first round of stroke play at the U.S. Junior Amateur at Boone Valley Golf Club. Noh advances to the second rou

<< Orioles place Ray on DL
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles placed closer Chris Ray on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow ulnar collateral injury. The move is retroactive to Saturday. Ray is 5-6 with 16 saves and a 4.43 earned

Titans agree to terms with WR Moulds >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with veteran wide receiver Eric Moulds on Wednesday. Moulds, who has appeared in four Pro Bowls, spent last season with the Houston Texans after playing 10 years with

Raiders sign RB Bush >>
Alameda, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Raiders agreed to terms with their second fourth-round draft pick on Wednesday, signing Louisville running back Michael Bush. Bush started his senior season as a Heisman Trophy candidate a

Angels rebound to edge A's >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maicer Izturis hit an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth after Francisco Rodriguez blew a three-run lead in the top half as the Los Angeles Angels edged the Oakland Athletics, 7-6, in the finale of a th

Cardinals sign second-round pick >>
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms on a four-year contract with the team's second-round pick, defensive tackle Alan Branch. Branch started in all 13 games for Michigan last year in his junior seas

Bonds not in lineup >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds wasn't in the starting lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves. Bonds, who is two homers shy of Hank Aaron record of 755, hasn't hit one since last

Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.