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02/10/2012 - Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sean O'Sullivan and Blake Wood have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with the Kansas City Royals.
The pitchers were just two of 12 players to sign a contract with the Royals for the upcoming season.
O'Sullivan went 2-6 with a 7.25 earned run average in 12 games, all but two of which were starts, for Kansas City last year.
Wood made 55 relief appearances for the Royals in 2011, going 5-3 with a save and a 3.75 ERA.
The Royals also inked pitchers Nate Adcock, Kelvin Herrera, Jeremy Jeffress, Everett Teaford and Ryan Verdugo, catcher Manuel Pina, first baseman Clint Robinson and outfielders Jarrod Dyson, David Lough and Derrick Robinson.
<< United and Liverpool renew rivalry
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - English Premier League play resumes
this weekend with the latest installment of one of the country's fiercest
rivalries.
Manchester United and Liverpool meet at Old Trafford on Saturday, and
<< Jiracek's brace lifts Wolfsburg over Freiburg
Wolfsburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Petr Jiracek scored the first and last
goals as Wolfsburg downed Freiburg, 3-2, on Friday at Volkswagen Arena in the
Bundesliga.
Jiracek was one of the many new faces Wolfsburg signed in January, and
<< Lyon warms up for Champions League against Caen
Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyon slipped 10 points behind Ligue 1 leader
PSG last weekend, so a visit by Caen on Saturday - ahead of Tuesday's last 16
Champions League match against APOEL - has turned into a must-win match.
Since win
<< Dunfermline out to end dry spell against Rangers
Dunfermline, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dunfermline will try to snap a pair
of negative streaks on Saturday when the club hosts second-place Rangers.
In the last 30 meetings between the two teams, Dunfermline has managed just
one win,
Orioles ink veteran P Ayala >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles signed veteran
reliever Luis Ayala to a one-year contract on Friday.
The right-hander's deal includes a club option for 2013.
Ayala, 34, is familiar with the American Leagu
Pavin grabs early lead in Boca Raton >>
Boca Raton, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Corey Pavin fired an eight-under 64 Friday
to grab a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Allianz Championship.
Pavin, the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, is in his third season on the
Champions Tour,
Barcelona hopes to heap pressure on Madrid >>
Navarra, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona, by its high standards, is sailing
in chartered La Liga territory this season.
The Catalans have exhibited a certain level of dominance in Spain's top flight
over the past few seasons, claiming thr
Cardinals sign P Linebrink >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have signed pitcher
Scott Linebrink to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring
training.
Linebrink pitched for Atlanta last season and went 4-4 with a 3.64 earne
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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