Gambling has its place in football. It’s the world’s largest sport, hands down, and the Premier League is the top English league, thus one of the most popular in Europe. Already in the season, Manchester United is proving to be atop of bookmakers’ favorites list. Man U is no stranger to the PL limelight. Since 1992, the club from Old Trafford has won the championship an impressive 11 times (92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 02/03, 06/07, 07/08, and 08/09).

Man U has developed a hefty following all over the world, and like any great sports franchise, they have their heated rivals in Chelsea and Arsenal. With Man U winning the past three seasons, it’s been a hard pill to swallow for fans of other franchises in the sport. But there’s still some hope for every team this early in the sporting year.

Some of the fan favorites have yet to show any flash on the field, namely Liverpool and their 15 point total, good enough for only 8th place. Aston Villa is an exciting prospect in 6th place, and even Tottenham is looking great, with their 3rd place standing and 19 championship points. But at number one and two, it’s Man U and Chelsea holding down the fort. So, does that mean it’s all locked up? Some would beg to differ on that.

In recent weeks, it has become clear that Arsenal is back in championship form. Fans of Arsenal know all too well of the untimely injuries that have plagued the squad for many years in a row, but thus far, they’re healthy as a horse and currently sitting in 4th place with a record of 6-0-2.

It’s far too early in the season to know who has the best shot at winning. Because of their history and current standing, Man U is a prohibited favorite, but other teams continue to nip at their heels. Picking an overall winner this season will be extremely difficult. But in the meantime, there’s some great game-to-game football happening in numerous leagues across the globe. That’s more than enough to keep any fan busy.

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Point Spreads Explained

If you’ve ever heard anyone talk about betting on football, you may have heard them ask “what’s the line?” or “what’s the spread?” What they are referring to is the point spread, a method for evening things out among sports teams so an individual can bet on either team and hope to win.

Why Point Spreads Exist

It’s a maxim in football that “any given team can win on any given day.” The problem is that while this is true, it is usually the case that one team is much more likely to win than the other. If the New York Giants play the Detroit Lions, it will be very difficult to get anyone to bet on Detroit no matter how long the odds the bookmakers offer.
However, if the Giants are required to win by a certain number of points, the situation changes dramatically.

Point Spread Example

Let’s say that instead of the Giants just having to win, they have to win by 14 points. This is a very different situation. People who are sure that the Giants will win the game may not be so sure that they can win by more than two touchdowns.
Suddenly some of the action may go to Detroit. If it doesn’t, the bookmakers can make it 15 points, and so forth. All in the purpose of getting their betting partners to place bets on both sides.

Reading Point Spreads

Point spreads are usually not this large. A typical line will look something like New England +6 Carolina. This means that if you take New England, you get six points. If Carolina wins the game 21 to 17, bets on New England win. If Carolina wins 21 to 14, bets on Carolina win.
If the final score is Carolina 20, New England 14, it is a push and no one wins. Of course, if the underdog wins, all bets on the underdog win. Keep in mind that the line may move over the course of the week depending on how people are betting.

Taking Advantage of Point Spreads

To win against the spread, you need to be able to make an accurate assessment of how much better one team is than the other. It’s a bit like in poker, when you can call without the best hand, if the pot gives you a good enough price.
This can be done through analysis of previous results, injury reports, and other statistics.

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Da GOOL is on vacation mode until 2.1.2009

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