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<< Schalke hopes to rebound against Leverkusen
Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Schalke dropped its Pokal Cup semifinal against Bayern Munich on Wednesday in overtime, but manager Felix McGath isn't worried about the quick turnaround for Saturday's visit to Bayer Leverkusen. Schalk

<< United bolsters backline with signings
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United signed defenders Carey Talley and Barry Rice, the Major League Soccer club announced on Friday. "We are pleased to welcome Carey back to D.C. United," General Manager Dave Kasper said. "He

<< Revs sign Smith, Perovic; release Badilla
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Revolution signed Serbian midfielder Marko Perovic and Bermudian midfielder Khano Smith, the Major League Soccer side announced on Friday. "We're pleased to bring in Marko and Kh

<< Pens' Malkin out for Saturday with nagging foot issue
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will miss Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers with a lingering foot injury. Malkin, who has missed four of the Pens' last five games with the hurt

South Africa's Mulroy grabs lead in Louisiana >>
Broussard, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Africa's Garth Mulroy shot a five-under 66 on Friday to take the lead midway through the Nationwide Tour's Louisiana Open. Mulroy finished two rounds on the Le Triomphe course at nine-under 133, movin

Djokovic ousted, Nadal advances in Miami >>
Key Biscayne, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed Novak Djokovic, the 2007 winner of the Sony Ericsson Open, was ousted in round two on Friday by Belgian Olivier Rochus at the $4.5 million event. Rochus won by a 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4 count dur

Onalfo returns to K.C. as United takes on Wizards >>
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curt Onalfo, fired from the Kansas City Wizards mid-way through the 2009 season, returns to the scene of the crime on Saturday night when his new team, D.C. United, squares off against his old team in

Volunteers squeak by Buckeyes into Elite Eight >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wayne Chism scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and Brian Williams tipped home the eventual game-winning basket with 32.1 seconds left, as Tennessee knocked off Ohio State, 76-73, in the Midwest

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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