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Archive for the ‘Special Previews’ Category

September 4^th, 21:00 EST

As the fall season nears, sports betting heats up as some seasons get underway while other wind down and head to the postseason.  You can bet on NFL action now with the opening Thursday night game only a week away.  As well, new games are available everyday with MLB betting as baseball winds down the last month of the regular season.

Another league that is nearing a close is Major League Soccer, with many exciting matches this weekend.  One match pits the second place teams in both conferences, as the New York Red Bulls travel out west to take on Real Salt Lake.

New York sits in second position in the eastern confence with 37 points, four behind first place Columbus and ten points against Toronto FC, a club they have beaten twice in the past month to move comfortably ahead. Like most teams, the Red Bulls have been strong at home with seven victories, but falter a bit on the road.  They have been efficient, winning four and drawing three with only three losses, despite having an even goal differential.

Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, is in a tighter race out West with Los Angeles within reach at three points ahead, and FC Dallas coming on strong and only three points behind. At home they have been dominant, and are the only team in the entire league that has not lost.  In 11 home matches, they have won eight and drawn three, outscoring their opponent 26-6. In all, they lead the league in goal differential with plus 20, going even on the road.

New York has won two straight and three of their last four.  In their latest, a 2-0 home victory over San Jose, newly arrived Thierry Henry netted his firs MLS goal, a 62^nd minute strike to put the Red Bulls up for good. They will need more offensive power if they are to overcome Salt Lake, a strong defensive team at home. Juan Pablo Angel leads the Red Bulls with 13 goals, while Ibriahim Salou is the next top scorer with only three.

Salt Lake, meanwhile, is coming off a scoreless away draw against Toronto, and have not lost in six MLS matches. However, they fell to Cruz Azul 5-4 in CONCACAF action last week.

Scoring comes from all around in Salt Lake, with Alvaro Saborio leading the team with eight, and Robbine Findley, Fabian Espindola, and Javier Morales all with five. In six matches this year, Real Salt Lake has scored three or more goals.

Betting lines:  While both teams are in similar positions in their conferences, Real Salt is the stronger team and rightly favoured.  At home they have not been beat, with a combination of powerful offense and tight defense.  Despite momentum built up by New York, they will not be able to overcome a strong home club in Real Salt Lake and fall to the club, 2-0.

Saturday, September 4, 20:30 EST

With the fall season upon us, sports betting reaches a high among fans as one of the most exciting times of the year gets underway.  Football preseason is nearly over, and  betting on NFL has already begun; opening night is just over a week away.  Meanwhile, there is plenty of soccer betting available as the Premiership is underway in England, while Major League Soccer nears the end of the regular season here in North America.

Two teams near the top of the respective tables battle on the pitch this weekend at the Toronto FC travel south to take on FC Dallas.

Third in the Eastern Conference with 27 points, just one ahead of Kansas City, the Toronto FC take their game on the road where they have struggled all year.  Their home play is what has taken them deep into the season at third place, but their road performances have been consistently poor, save for one aberration against the Galaxy, a draw.  In nine games this season, TFC has won one, drawn one, and lost their other seven.  They have scored only seven goals while conceding 16.

The Red Shirts have been struggling of late, even at home where they have been so strong. A recent scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake followed a 4-1 dismantling by the New York Red Bulls.  TFC have not won in three matches, and not earned a road point in over two months.

Dallas, meanwhile, has come on strong of late and building a great deal of momentum in the second half of the season.  A road draw to top team Columbus followed three straight victories.  What’s more, FC Dallas has not lost in 12 matches.

In their run, they have climbed to third place in the Western Conference, just three points behind Real Salt Lake, with a comfortable five point lead on fourth place Seattle. They have a plus 11 goal differential, with 28 four and 17 against.  This contrasts sharply with Toronto, who has scored fewer and allowed more, achieving a poor minus three differential.

Including a CONCACAF loss, Toronto has been shut out in two straight matches, and scored only once in their last four. Dwayne De Rosario has nine goals on the year, and Chad Barrett has five.  Both will have to do better if they hope to breach the defense of a tough Dallas Team. Only three times all season has Dallas conceded two goals in a game, and all three were in April at the start of the season.

Betting lines: Earlier this season, Dallas visited Toronto and earned a 1-1 draw.  Since then, Dallas have been on a tear and is now back at home where they six wins and only one loss on the year.  Toronto has struggled of late, and has been consistently awful on the road.  They will not solve their road woes in this match, as Dallas triumphs 3-1 over TFC.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

As August comes to an end, sports betting hits a season high. NFL betting is available as football nears opening weekend amid great anticipation. As well, MLB betting takes place daily with the baseball season nearing the playings.  As well, Major League Soccer nears the end of its season with many exciting matches.

One of the top teams in the Western Conference in Real Salt Lake travels across the continent and north of the border to take on a Toronto FC team that has been up and down all year. Stuck in third for most of the season, well behind Columbus and New York, but well ahead of Chicago and Kansas City, Toronto has had a tough time stringing together well played games.

Coming off their first home defeat in 17 games, the Red Shirts look to bounce back from two consecutive losses to the New York Red Bulls, including a 4-1 crushing at BMO Field in Toronto. TFC stay at home to host Real Salt Lake at a field where, prior to the New York game, they have been dominant. In 11 home games, TFC have won six and drawn four, allowing only five goals before the New York loss and scoring 14.

TFC will need to overcome rare home defensive lapses in order to win.  They do not score a ton of goals; Dwayne De Rosario scored the lone goal in the loss to give him nine on the year, while Chad Barrett has six goals on the season. As well, Toronto has earned six blank sheets over the season.

Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, are playing their first MLS match in two weeks as they have been participating in the CONCACAF Champions League. An intense match against Cruz Azul saw Real Salt Lake concede the game winning goal in the 90^th minute to lose 5-4 in an offensive slugfest. That game followed a 2-1 win over Arabe Unido.

Despite the road loss in Champions League play, Real Salt Lake have gone unbeaten in five straight MLS games, earning two blank sheets and conceding one goal in the three other matches.

While the defense has been strong, so too has the offense. Alvaro Saborio leads the team with MLS goals with eight, while three other players each have five. That is part of the reason that Real Salt Lake has been in second place in the West for much of the year. With 39 points, they are four behind first place Los Angeles, and three ahead of FC Dallas, which has made a strong charge of late for second position.

Betting lines: Normally TFC would be favoured greatly playing at home, but a terrible loss to New York puts their BMO Field dominance into question.  Real Salt Lake is more talented and has played well on the road.  However, look for TFC to bounce back and play a much more controlled and disciplined game.  With a more cautious style, TFC will earn a home draw against Real, 1-1.

Saturday, August 28, 19:30 EST

Online sports betting is full of a great variety of events that will satisfy all fans. The National Football League is only a few weeks away from opening day, and there is plenty of NFL betting available all preseason and season long. Meanwhile, baseball takes place every day and there is MLB betting through the end of the season and into the playoffs.

As the English Premiere League gets underway in England amid great excitement, Major League Soccer is heading towards the end of the season as teams fight for precious points still up for grabs.  Two teams desperate for a win take the pitch on Saturday night as the New England Revolution host the Philadelphia Union.

New England is happy to return home after two tough losses on the road, a 4-1 defeat to Kansas City preceded by a 2-1 loss to Chicago.  Both teams used those victories to jump ahead of New England in the Eastern Conference table. Despite their struggles, a victory back home will give the Revolution three points, and vault them from sixth place as high as fourth place; Chicago and Kansas City sit at four and five with 23 points, with the Revolution back with 21.

Right behind them, however, sit the Philadelphia Union who have played better of late after a tough start to the season. They have 17 points, and cannot afford to let the Revolution to get three and move farther ahead of them. IT will be difficult for the expansion team to accomplish, as they have only one victory and one draw in 11 road games this year. In fact, on the road this year the Union have scored nine goals, one per game, but have allowed 24, the most in the league.

The Revolution have not been dominate, but they have been successful at home, winning five and drawing two while losing three. Though New England has scored 20 goals on the year, with Marko Perovic and Zack Schilawski leading the team with five goals apiece, they have still often struggled.  They have been shut out in 8 games this season.

Philadelphia have more prolific scorers, with Sebastien Le Toux and Danny Mwanga leading the way with nine and seven goals respectively. However, the team was shut out most recently 2-0 against D.C. United.  The victory for United snapped their five game skid, and a Philadelphia loss to the Revolution would end their two game skid.  It is a tough battle for the Union to earn only their fifth win of the season.

Betting lines: New England is favoured and rightly so. Just a month ago these two teams played to a one-one draw, but that was in Philadelphia. On the road the Union have been abysmal, and while they have played well in their inaugural season, they will not be able to overcome a more determined and talented Revolution.  New England wins and bounces back, 2-0.