PSG tops Evian to maintain lead in Ligue 1

Soccer Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PSG maintained its three-point lead atop Ligue 1 on Saturday with a vital 3-1 win over Evian at the Parc des Princes.

It was a resilient performance from the home side, as Evian took the lead just before the break thanks to a goal from Cedric Cambon.

PSG rebounded in the second half with a resounding display, equalizing just two minutes after halftime through Nene.

The Brazilian midfielder then put PSG in front, slotting home a penalty kick in the 79th minute to hand the home side all three points and improve to 11 goals on the season.

Kevin Gameiro, PSG's second leading scorer, tacked on an additional goal with one minute remaining in regulation to put the result beyond any doubt.

The win sees PSG secure its fourth-straight victory and improve to 49 points on the year, three points better than second-place Montpellier after its 1-0 defeat of Brest on Saturday. PSG also maintains its perfect record under manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Evian, meanwhile, suffers its second loss in its last three Ligue 1 games. The club sits four points above the relegation zone on 23 points for the year.

Montpellier 1, Brest 0

Montpellier, France - Montpellier kept pace with PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 table with a 1-0 win over Brest at the Stade de la Mosson on Saturday.

Geoffrey Dernis scored the lone goal of the game four minutes before halftime to hand the home side all three points.

Montpellier still trails PSG by three points after the leaders defeated Evian 3-1 on Saturday, while Brest sits 11th in the league after suffering its second-straight loss.

Valenciennes 2, Dijon 1

Dijon, France - Two first-half goals proved to be enough for Valenciennes as it earned a 2-1 victory over Dijon at the Stade Gaston Gerard on Saturday.

Renaud Cohade opened the scoring the second minute and Gael Danic doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, while Dijon pulled a late consolation goal back through Gregory Thil in second-half stoppage time.

The result snaps a two-game losing skid for Valenciennes as it improves to 23 points, one point better than Dijon.

Ajaccio 1, Nice 1

Ajaccio, France - Ajaccio extended its unbeaten run in Ligue 1 play to six games as it played to a 1-1 draw with Nice at the Stade Francois Coty on Saturday.

Eduardo converted a penalty kick in the 57th minute to put the home side in front. Ajaccio looked destined to collect all three points, but Esmael Goncalves spoiled the party with a goal five minutes from time for Nice.

The draws makes it 14 points from its last six games as Ajaccio has climbed out of the cellar and into 15th place on 22 points for the season. Nice remains in the relegation zone on 19 points.

Bordeaux 2, Toulouse 0

Bordeaux, France - Two first-half goals powered Bordeaux to a 2-0 home win over seventh-place Toulouse at the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday.

Jussie helped Bordeaux to a dream start with a goal in the opening minute, and Ludovic Obraniak added to that lead with a second for Bordeaux in the 40th minute. Toulouse was all but out of the match by halftime as Moussa Sissoko's second yellow card in the 43rd minute reduced his team to 10 men.

Bordeaux improves to 30 points on the year after winning two of its last three in the league. Toulouse remains in the seventh on 34 points.

Nancy 0, Rennes 0

Nancy, France - Nancy and Rennes endured a stalemate at the Stade Marcel Picot on Saturday as the two sides played to a 0-0 draw.

The result helps Nancy remain unbeaten over its last three matches, but with 23 points, it is still uncomfortably close to the relegation zone.

Rennes improves to 36 points, two points shy of a place in the top four.

Cbersportsbook Soccer Betting News


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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.