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07/02/2010 - Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spain's Alejandro Canizares fired his second straight five-under 66 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over defending champion Martin Kaymer at the Open de France.
Canizares birdied his last three holes and finished two rounds at Le Golf National with a 10-under 132, two strokes shy of Seve Ballesteros' 36-hole tournament scoring record.
Kaymer, who defeated Lee Westwood in a playoff last year, shot a 67 on Friday to sit one stroke off the lead at nine-under 133.
First-round leader Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands had a 71 -- eight shots worse than his Thursday score -- and dropped into third place at eight- under 134.
Steve Webster (66) was another stroke further back at seven-under 135.
Derksen played in a morning threesome and was still in the lead when he finished his round. Afterward, he settled in to watch the Netherlands knock of World Cup favorite Brazil, 2-1, in South Africa.
But his lead did not survive the day.
Canizares and Kaymer waited out a rain delay of two hours and 25 minutes, then caught Derksen with birdies near the end of their rounds.
Kaymer was first, making a birdie at the 14th to tie the Dutchman for the lead. He later birdied the 17th to move on shot ahead.
Canizares, meanwhile, collected four birdies in his last five holes, including three in a row at the end of the round to take his one-shot lead.
The son of four-time Ryder Cup player Jose Maria Canizares, Alejandro captured his only European Tour win at the 2006 Russian Open. He made it through qualifying school last year to earn his playing privileges for 2010.
"I was a little negative in my play last year. I wasn't into it very much and had a couple of problems, personal problems," said Canizares, who is ranked 205th in the world. "But this year I came out, I got my card again, so it was like a new start and I knew what I lost and I learned to appreciate it a little more."
Kaymer is chasing his sixth European Tour win and second of the season. He is beginning a unique two-week stretch that will also see him defend his title next week at the Scottish Open.
Derksen has two career wins, the last coming in 2005.
NOTES: The cut line fell at one-over 143 and European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie led the list of the departed...Jose Maria Olazabal, who was playing for the first time since last October, shot a respectable 70 but still finished at 10-over 152 to miss the cut...Robert Karlsson withdrew from the tournament because of a strained wrist but said he would be ready for the British Open in two weeks...Westwood was seven shots back after a 69.
<< Coyotes re-sign D Lepisto
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed defenseman Sami
Lepisto to a one-year contract on Friday.
Lepisto, 25, played in a career-high 66 games last season with Phoenix and
recorded a goal and 10 assists.
Over
<< Blackhawks ink D Scott
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks signed free agent
defenseman John Scott to a two-year contract on Friday.
Scott is a two-year veteran and over 71 games in the NHL, all with Minnesota,
he has one goal and two ass
<< Toronto's Marcum lands on DL
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays placed starter Shaun
Marcum on the 15-day disabled list Friday with inflammation in his throwing
elbow.
Marcum is scheduled to miss only one start with the All-Star break on t
<< Panthers sign F Higgins
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers signed free agent left
winger Chris Higgins to a one-year contract on Friday.
Higgins split last season with the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames after a
five-year stint with the M
Rangers welcome back Prust >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers agreed to terms on a new
contract for left winger Brandon Prust on Friday.
The Rangers acquired the 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward in a trade with the
Calgary Flames back in February.
Blue Jays down Yanks in extras >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Hill tied the game with an RBI single in
the eighth inning, and Alex Gonzalez brought in the go-ahead run in a five-run
11th, as the Blue Jays outlasted the Yankees, 6-1, to snap a five-game slide
in the
Ebbett joins Coyotes >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes signed center Andrew
Ebbett to a one-year contract on Friday.
Ebbett, 27, scored nine goals and assisted on six others in 61 games last
season during stints with the Ducks, Black
Reds clobber Cubs >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bronson Arroyo worked six innings and
Cincinnati used a nine-run seventh to help take a dominant 12-0 win over the
Chicago Cubs in the second of a four-game set.
Arroyo (8-4) gave up just two hit
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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