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06/12/2010 - Halle, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roger Federer moved a step closer to his sixth title at the Gerry Webber Open with a straight-set semifinal win over Germany's Philipp Petzschner, and will next face Lleyton Hewitt in Sunday's final.
The top-seeded Federer notched a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win Saturday to extend his winning streak at the Wimbledon tuneup to 29 straight matches. He has won the title in each of his last five appearances at the grass-court event and last tasted defeat in the 2002 semifinals against Nicolas Kiefer.
Federer went on to avenge that loss the following year in the final and hasn't lost at this venue since. He skipped the tournament in 2007 and also sat out last year following his emotional French Open victory.
The Swiss superstar continues to use this event as a springboard to incredible success at Wimbledon. He has played in the final at the All England Club in each of the past seven years, winning the coveted championship six times, although his last title in Halle two years ago preceded his lone loss in the Wimbledon final against Rafael Nadal.
Hewitt, the eighth seed and a former Wimbledon champ, was the first to advance Saturday, as he rallied for a 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory over Germany's Benjamin Becker.
The Australian veteran won the second, and last, of his Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2002. This is Hewitt's first appearance in Halle, as he usually preps for the year's third Grand Slam event at the Queen's Club, where he has won four times.
Hewitt will play in his first final of 2010 and will be gunning for his 28th career ATP crown. He hasn't won since April of 2009 on clay in Houston and owns a 27-14 all-time record in finals.
Federer, meanwhile, is 62-25 in title matches, including 1-1 this year. He beat Andy Murray for the Australian Open crown and lost to Nadal at the French Open tuneup in Madrid.
Sunday will mark the 25th career matchup between Federer and Hewitt, and the second this year. Federer owns a 17-7 mark, including a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 rout in the fourth round of the Australian Open to run his winning streak against Hewitt to 15 straight matches.
Three of those wins during the streak have come on grass at Wimbledon -- a 2004 quarterfinal triumph, a 2005 semifinal win and a fourth-round thumping in 2008.
Hewitt's last win in the series came in a 2003 Davis Cup matchup.
<< Sharapova to play Li for Birmingham crown
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maria Sharapova and Li Na were
semifinal winners Saturday and will meet for the title of the Aegon Classic on
Sunday.
The second-seeded Sharapova advanced first with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 victory o
<< Sunshine State foes resume set at the Trop
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Sunshine State warms up with the second of a three-game
interleague set between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays at
Tropicana Field tonight.
Despite being just three games over .500 at home so far this season
<< Brewers take aim at third straight win in middle tilt with Rangers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers push for their third straight win
tonight as they again host the Texas Rangers in the second of a three-game
interleague set at Miller Field.
On Friday night the Brewers blasted four home runs agains
<< Braves try to hold onto first place in Minnesota
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Division leaders clash in the second of a three-game
interleague set tonight as the Atlanta Braves take on the Minnesota Twins at
Target Field.
The Braves, still five games under .500 on the road (16-21), have the best
h
Algeria, Slovenia both optimistic heading into opener >>
Polokwane, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Algeria and Slovenia open their
World Cup Group C schedules on Sunday under a ton of pressure for a result.
Both clubs are underdogs to advance past England and the United States in the
group,
Ghana kicks off Group D play against Serbia >>
Pretoria, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin-Prince Boateng made headlines
on the international level before ever playing for Ghana, and now the German-
born midfielder is set to make more on the field at the World Cup.
Boateng, who p
Injury-depleted Germany opens WC play against Australia >>
Durban, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany opens the World Cup on Sunday
against Australia, and despite a rash of injuries prior to the tournament,
coach Joachim Loew is confident the three-time winners are still a threat.
Germany
Bjorn takes 3-shot lead in Portugal >>
Estoril, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denmark's Thomas Bjorn fired his second
consecutive seven-under 65 to take sole possession of the lead Saturday after
the third round of the Portugal Open.
Chasing his first win in four years, Bjorn
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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