Fiorentina faces crucial Roma test

Soccer Betting Lines

04/24/2009 - Florence, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The race for fourth place continues to heat up in Serie A on Saturday as fifth-placed Fiorentina hosts sixth-placed Roma in a match that will go a long way towards determining the fates of the two teams.

Genoa currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League spot, but both Fiorentina and Roma are within striking distance and could overcome Genoa with a strong final push over the remaining six games.

Roma was able to close the gap on both sides last weekend as they downed Lecce 3-2, while Fiorentina's three-game win streak was snapped at the hands of Udinese in 3-1 fashion.

Genoa also suffered a 1-0 loss to Lazio, which has allowed Luciano Spalletti's men to close to within five points and revive their top-four hopes.

Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino leads his club with 16 goals in league play, and the former AC Milan man is well aware of how important Saturday's match is.

"The race (for the Champions League) is as important as any other," Gilardino said. "With three points we could stretch our lead over Roma and we are determined to do that.

"We're ready to fight for the game and the result. We're playing in front of our own fans and we want to do well.

"It will be difficult. In recent years Roma are a team who have always delivered the best football."

"But I hope it will be an entertaining match with many chances in front of goal."

Gilardino is likely to get his wish concerning goal opportunities because Roma has allowed the fifth most goals in the league, while both clubs rank in the top seven in goals scored.

Fiorentina will be missing one of its big weapons with the absence of Adrian Mutu, while Mario Santana and Massimo Gobbi are also out injured. Felipe Melo is out through suspension.

Spalletti has a few more injury issues to contend with as Cicinho, Alberto Aquilani, Mirko Vucinic, Vincenzo Montella, Jeremy Menez and Doni are all out because of injury while Philippe Mexes is banned.

Inter Milan looks well on its way to claiming another Scudetto and the Nerazzurri takes its 10-point lead atop the table to Napoli, while second- placed AC Milan entertains Palermo, and Juventus visits last-placed Reggina.

Genoa hopes to rebound with a win at relegation-battling Bologna, Udinese invades Chievo, Siena squares off with Torino, Atalanta meets up with Lazio, Cagliari hits the road to face Sampdoria and Lecce hosts Catania.

Bestfootballchance Soccer Betting News

<< Gonzo ousts Verdasco to reach Barcelona semis
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Fernando Gonzalez upended second-seeded crowd favorite Fernando Verdasco on Friday to reach the semifinals at the $2.6 million Barcelona Open. In an all-Fernando quarterfinal he

<< Canada rolls past Belarus in World Championship opener
Zurich, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dany Heatley and Steve Stamkos each scored a pair of goals, leading Canada to a 6-1 rout of Belarus in the opening game of the 2009 World Hockey Championship. Heatley added an assist for Canada, w

<< San Jose, Seattle hope to get back on track
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes travel to Seattle for their first ever meeting with the expansion Sounders FC on Saturday night. The 'Quakes will be aiming to get back in the win column after going 0-1-2 in their l

<< Galaxy, Colorado ready for Round 3
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy square off in a Major League Soccer fixture on Saturday, they certainly won't be strangers. It will be the third time in all competitions that the two Western

<< RSL hopes to defend home turf vs. New England
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake will aim to keep their perfect 2-0-0 home record in tact when they host the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer action on Saturday night. The home side is coming off an 0-2 loss at

Breaking Down the Kentucky Derby - Part I >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 135th Kentucky Derby is approximately one week away, and almost all the participants are settled in the Bluegrass State. The only three unaccounted for are Mr. Hot Stuff, Colonel John's full brother, and

Chivas aims to rebound from midweek loss vs. FCD >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chivas USA and FC Dallas square off in a Major League Soccer Western Conference tilt on Saturday at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA is coming off a midweek loss at Toronto, its first loss of the season,

Newman tops in qualifying for Talladega Nationwide race >>
Talladega, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Newman won the pole for Saturday's Aaron's 312 Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Newman turned in the best lap around the 2.66-mile, high-banked oval at 185.877 m.p.h. in

Mavs' Terry wins Sixth Man Award >>
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry captured the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award. Terry received 576 of a possible 605 points, including 111 of a possible 121 first-place votes from a panel of sports

Blue Jays place Ryan, Romero on DL; recall pair of pitchers >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays have added pitchers Brian Burres and Bryan Bullington to the major league roster after B.J. Ryan and Ricky Romero were recently placed on the disabled list. Ryan, the team's closer,

FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.