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02/08/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR officials originally set the theme for this year's Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway last month when they told Sprint Cup Series drivers, "boys, have at it and have a good time." Officials said they were easing up on some on-track rules for drivers at Daytona to make racing more competitive and enjoyable for fans.
But after racing sensation Danica Patrick's announcement on Monday that her much-anticipated Nationwide Series debut has been bumped up one week earlier to Saturday's DRIVE4COPD 300 season-opener at Daytona, the main topic for Speedweeks now should be "girl, have at it."
Patrick initially was scheduled to make her Nationwide debut with JR Motorsports -- a team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- in the February 20 race at California, but her schedule now has changed due to her stellar performance in the ARCA event at Daytona this past weekend.
Yes. "Go Daddy Girl" quickly is moving up the ranks and playing with the big boys on the high banks of Daytona, and it should be an entertaining affair.
Patrick's readiness to make her foray into NASCAR's second-tier series at Daytona will be the subject of much debate from now until the green flag waves for the 300-mile event.
"I think it's quite the arena to run my first Nationwide race," Patrick said. "It's going to be a challenge."
Patrick looked impressive in her stock car racing debut with a sixth-place finish in the 80-lap ARCA event at Daytona. She held her pace and avoided a rash of accidents until former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. tapped her front fender and put her into a spin on the frontstretch just past the halfway point. Patrick rallied in the closing laps to become the highest finishing female at Daytona since Shawna Robinson recorded a second-place run in the 1999 ARCA race.
"It was good at the beginning; we were just kind of hanging out, and there was a lot of [cautions] obviously," Patrick said. "The car seemed like it was sliding around a bit more, and it feels like I got bumped into [turns] one and two.
"Then I kind of slid up the track, and I was a little loose in the kink anyway, which probably could have been from bumping behind in two. I just couldn't hang on. I went up the track a little, and I just got shuffled back."
Patrick said she wants to race more at Daytona after enjoying her ARCA experience there.
However, making her Nationwide debut at Daytona instead of California might pose more of a challenge for her than expected. With more than a dozen Sprint Cup regulars, including Earnhardt Jr., entered in the 300-mile event, can she hold up in the draft and avoid running into trouble?
Earnhardt Jr. seems to think she can do it.
"I really don't have the urge to give her a bunch of advice," Earnhardt Jr. said. "She's a smart racecar driver and probably has a great game plan already built up in her head. She doesn't need to have people telling her what to do so that she starts second-guessing herself."
With her enormous popularity and wide marketability, Patrick has been a racing icon since she began her IndyCar rookie season in 2005. Not only does Patrick hold the record as the only female to win an IndyCar race, but she also has graced Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue the past two years and continues to serve as a GoDaddy.com spokesperson. The 27-year-old appeared in two commercials for the web hosting company during the Super Bowl. She will guest star on the CBS television hit drama "CSI: NY" on Wednesday.
Patrick has been the center of attention in NASCAR for quite some time, but her Nationwide debut at Daytona has now made "Danica-mania" even bigger.
<< Montanes eases into second round at Brasil Open
Costa do Sauipe, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Albert Montanes was a
first-round winner at the $500,000 Brasil Open on Monday.
The Spaniard needed just under 1 1/2 hours to dispose of German Simon Greul
6-2, 7-6 (7-2) on the red
<< Devils D Salmela leaves game on stretcher
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Jersey Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela
left Monday's game against Philadelphia on a stretcher early in the second
period.
Salmela, who rejoined the Devils from the Thrashers in the Ilya Kovalchuk d
<< Saints' Super Bowl victory most watched event in TV history
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Approximately 106.5 million people tuned in
to watch Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV over the
Indianapolis Colts, making it the most watched event in television history.
The ga
<< Raiders name Pendergast assistant coach
Alameda, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Raiders hired Clancy Pendergast as
an assistant coach on Monday.
Pendergast's role was not made clear in the team's release on the hiring.
Pendergast was fired as the defensive coordinator in
Reynolds leads Villanova past West Virginia in Big East showdown >>
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scottie Reynolds scored 19 of his 21 points
in the second half, as No. 4 Villanova handed fifth-ranked West Virginia an
82-75 defeat in a Big East showdown at WVU Coliseum.
The Wildcats (21-2, 10-1 Bi
Cliff Lee undergoes foot surgery >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Mariners lefty Cliff Lee underwent
surgery last Friday to remove a bone spur in his left foot.
Lee, who was acquired from Philadelphia in December, is not expected to be
ready for workouts wh
Sharks use Clowe's third period goal to beat Leafs >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryane Clowe's goal in the third period lifted
the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada
Centre.
Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski each had a goal for the Sharks, who have won f
Richards caps Flyers' comeback win over Devils >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Richards tallied the game-deciding
power-play goal late in the third period, as Philadelphia recovered from a
two-goal deficit to top New Jersey, 3-2, at Wachovia Center.
James van Riemsdyk a
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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