05/13/2008 - Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zenit St. Petersburg boss Dick Advocaat and his players insist the club will be fine without striker Pavel Pogrenbnyak on Wednesday in the UEFA Cup final against Rangers.
"Maybe it is even good that we have had all these problems because we all take responsibility and play as one," Zenit captain Anatoliy Tymoschuk said.
Pogrenbnyak, who is tied with Bayern Munich forward Luca Toni with 10 goals to lead all scorers in the UEFA Cup, got a yellow card in the second half against Bayern in the semifinals. He had two goals in the huge 4-0 win over Bayern and helped Zenit reach the final on aggregate, 5-1.
"Their 1-1 draw in Munich was terrific, the 4-0 win at home was exceptional," Rangers coach Walter Smith said. "It was probably one of the best results in European competition this season."
Although the potent Zenit attack will have to make up for his loss, the team's impressive win over Bayern in the second leg in Russia came with three players sidelined due to suspension.
Striker Andrei Arshavin and midfielders Radek Sirl and Fernando Ricksen return for the final at City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England against the top defensive team in the tournament.
Rangers, which was initially in the Champions League but dropped into the UEFA Cup after finishing third in its group, have allowed just two goals in eight UEFA Cup games.
The Scottish club didn't allow a goal to Fiorentina in the semifinals but also didn't score and needed penalty kicks to advance. In the quarters, Rangers was able to shutout Sporting Lisbon twice to advance on aggregate, 2-0.
In the round of 16, Rangers won the first leg 2-0 and held on after allowing a goal in the second leg for a 2-1 aggregate victory. Rangers narrowly escaped the round of 32, playing a 0-0 tie against Panathinaikos before scoring on the road in a 1-1 tie to advance on away goals.
Rangers' defense will face its toughest task yet against Zenit, which rolled to wins over Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in the quarterfinals and Bayern in the semifinals.
Zenit has been the most dangerous offensive team in the event. Even without Pogrenbnyak, the Russians precision-run, counter-attack offense will give the Scottish club all they can handle.
Smith considers Zenit the favorite, but Advocaat knows how good Rangers is and doesn't consider the final a lock. In addition to the UEFA Cup, Rangers is in the running for the Scottish Premier League title and the League Cup. The club already captured the Scottish Cup.
"You cannot come to the final of the UEFA Cup, the League Cup, the Scottish Cup and hopefully become champions too, without being a balanced team who can play football," Advocaat said.
"Don't try and make Rangers worse than they are."
The last time Rangers was in a European final was in 1972 when the team beat Dynamo Moscow 3-2 at the Nou Camp in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final.
Zenit narrowly advanced past the group stage by finishing third - three teams in each group advance to the knockout round - and is searching for its first title in its first-ever European event.
<< Flyers D Coburn out for Game 3
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon
Coburn will not play in Game 3 of Eastern Conference finals against
Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Coburn left in the first period of his team's 4-2 loss to Pi
<< Gagne makes decision easy for Yost
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - From the "what took you so long department", comes the
news that Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost has removed Eric Gagne from his
closer's duties and will go by a closer-by-committee for now.
"It's not ideal," Yost said.
<< Surprising A's still making the grade
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pegged to finish last in the AL West even before catchers
and pitchers reported to Spring Training, the Oakland Athletics have stuck it
to their naysayers so far with a healthy mix of pitching and clutch hitting.
The A
<< Colorado hopes to rebound against Real Salt Lake
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo
didn't want to "complain about the referees" after Saturday's 2-1 loss to the
Houston Dynamo, but added, "the outcome should be decided by the two teams and
I don't
Middlesbrough cuts midfielder Rochemback loose >>
Middlesbrough, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Middlesbrough have decided against
offering midfielder Fabio Rochemback a new contract when his current deal
expires next month.
The 27-year-old Brazilian, who scored a sensational free-kick
Fans deserve years, not months, of Sorenstam v. Ochoa >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Annika Sorenstam was laying out her reasons for wanting
to walk the earth, and I couldn't help but think what that means for the rest
of us.
Just as the LPGA Tour had finally discovered a foil for its biggest star (ask
th
Red Sox' recent road plagued with pitching problems >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - As many expected, the Boston Red Sox continue to show the
way in the American League's East Division at the quarter-point of this
season. But that lead isn't quite as cushy as when the defending world
champions started their
Seahawks Pro-Bowl LB Tatupu arrested for DWI >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was
arrested Saturday for investigation of driving while intoxicated, according to
the Seattle Times.
Tatupu was arrested in Kirkland, Washington early Saturday m
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
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