Palmer leads delayed Phoenix Open

Golf Betting Lines

02/02/2012 - Scottsdale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Palmer fired a seven-under 65 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead with the first round of the Phoenix Open suspended due to darkness.

Palmer earned his third PGA Tour title at the 2010 Sony Open. However, he missed the cut at this event last year.

Webb Simpson, a two-time winner last year, carded a six-under 65 and is alone in second place. Harrison Frazar, Kevin Na, Chez Reavie, Derek Lamely and Jarrod Lyle are tied for third after posting five-under 66s.

They were joined there by Bubba Watson, Spencer Levin and Jason Dufner. Watson and Levin both finished 15 holes, while Dufner is through 13.

The start of the first round at TPC Scottsdale was delayed one hour by frost. The round was suspended by darkness at 8:05 p.m. (et) and will resume Friday 9:30 a.m. (et). The second round will start as scheduled at 9:30 a.m.

Palmer and Simpson both started their rounds on the back nine. Palmer poured in a 14-footer for birdie on the 10th. He birdied both par-fives, 13 and 15, to move to minus-three.

The 35-year-old dropped his approach within 10 feet at the 18th and converted that birdie effort to get within two of Simpson.

Palmer made it two in a row with a birdie on the first. A 13-foot birdie putt on the fourth gave Palmer a share of the lead. He followed with a 12-footer for birdie on five and made it three in a row with a 10-foot birdie effort on the No. 6.

That run of three straight birdies gave Palmer a two-stroke lead. His run ended on the seventh, where he tripped to a bogey to cut his margin to one. Palmer two-putted for par on the final two holes to cap his round.

"I had two great days preparing on Tuesday and Wednesday," said Palmer, who missed the cut in his first two events this year. "Getting the old putter back out, and getting the old feelings I've had in the past, the way the swing feels and the way the body feels, it was set up for a good day today."

Simpson opened with four pars in a row. He flew up the leaderboard with six birdies in the next seven holes. That spurt started with a 13-footer at 14 and kick-in birdie on the 15th.

After making par at the raucous par-three 16th, Simpson drained a 22-footer birdie on 17 and followed with a six-foot birdie putt on 18.

Around the turn, Simpson sank a 12-footer for birdie on one and moved atop the leaderboard as he stuffed his approach inside a foot on the second.

Simpson climbed to minus-seven when he sank a 16-foot birdie try on the fifth. His drive landed in the rough on the sixth and that led to Simpson's only bogey of the day.

"I really didn't feel like I hit a bad shot. I hit a chip that released a lot more than I thought it would, but other than that it was solid," Simpson said. "I think the thing that kind of held me in there all day was my putting. I made a bunch of putts, so I'm excited about that."

Two-time winner Phil Mickelson posted a three-under 68 and is tied for 19th. That was his first sub-par opening round of the year.

NOTES: This event needed a Monday finish last year after frost delays pushed everything back...Defending champion Mark Wilson is tied for 50th at minus- one...Former British Open champion Stewart Cink struggled to seven bogeys, three double-bogeys and a birdie in a round of 12-over 83...Forty-two of the 132 players that started did not finish their rounds.

Bestfootballchance Golf Betting News

<< Padres agree to terms with P Owings
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Micah Owings on a one-year contract. "Micah will compete for a spot on our staff," said executive vice president/general manage

<< Magic's Howard to start All-Star Game in Orlando
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic was the leading vote-getter with 1,600,390 votes and will start for the Eastern Conference in front of his home crowd at Amway Center in this month's All-Star Game. The star

<< Packers promote Clements to offensive coordinator
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers have promoted Tom Clements from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, the team announced on Thursday. Former offensive coordinator Joe Philbin left two weeks ago to become

<< Indians have deal in place with 1B Kotchman
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians reportedly have a one- year deal in place with free-agent first baseman Casey Kotchman. The deal is worth $3 million plus incentives, according to MLB.com. The Indians have not confir

<< Bobcats' Henderson out 2-4 weeks
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after an MRI on Thursday confirmed a right hamstring strain. Henderson suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wedn

Duke continues dominance over Wake Forest >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Haley Peters had 18 points and 11 rebounds as the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils beat Wake Forest for the 37th straight time in a 75-43 victory Thursday night. Elizabeth Williams added 16 points and nine boa

Maryland routs Boston College >>
College Park, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Laurin Mincy and Brene Moseley netted 16 points apiece as No. 9 Maryland routed Boston College, 86-44. Alyssa Thomas added 14 points and eight rebounds for Maryland (19-3, 6-3 ACC), which snapped a two-g

Bellucci bows out in Chile >>
Vina del Mar, Chile (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Thomaz Bellucci was upset on Thursday as Federico Del Bonis of Argentina knocked off the 2010 VTR Open champion in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. Del Bonis broke Bellucci four times from

Gamecocks down Lady Vols for first time in 32 years >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Markeshia Grant had 27 points as South Carolina defeated No. 8 Tennessee for the first time since 1980 in a 64-60 victory. La'Keisha Sutton had 12 points and six rebounds for the Gamecocks (18-5,

Parise scores twice as Devils down Canadiens >>
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zach Parise scored his second goal of the game with 2:44 to play to give the New Jersey Devils a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. David Clarkson had two goals and an assist while Dainius Zubrus added

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.

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds

Will he or won't he?  Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.

Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.

"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."

Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.

Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.

But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.

Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback.  It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.

Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1


Atlanta Falcons 50-1


Baltimore Ravens 15-1


Buffalo Bills 50-1


Carolina Panthers 18-1


Chicago Bears 10-1


Cincinnati Bengals 15-1


Cleveland Browns 100-1


Dallas Cowboys 15-1


Denver Broncos 15-1


Detroit Lions 100-1


Green Bay Packers 50-1


Houston Texans 100-1


Indianapolis Colts 6-1


Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1


Kansas City Chiefs 30-1


Miami Dolphins 40-1


Minnesota Vikings 75-1


New England Patriots 10-1


New Orleans Saints 18-1


New York Giants 20-1


New York Jets 30-1


Oakland Raiders 100-1


Philadelphia Eagles 18-1


Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1


Saint Louis Rams 60-1


San Diego Chargers 6-1


San Francisco 49ers 75-1


Seattle Seahawks 20-1


Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1


Tennessee Titans 40-1


Washington Redskins 50-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.