12/04/2008 - Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona midfielder Xavi has confirmed that he has agreed a new contract that will see him play out the rest of his career at the Camp Nou.
The 28-year-old Spain international had been linked with a move away from Barca in recent weeks, but he is now poised to pen a deal running until the summer of 2014 with the Catalan giants.
He told El Mundo Deportivo: "The president [Joan Laporta] has given me his word and I have given him mine and, if all goes well, we will sign the contract next week.
"It will be until 2014, when I will be 34.
"I hope to retire at Barca, but at the time I feel I cannot be useful to the club I will go, because I have had the fortune to play for the club I love."
(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)
<< NFLPA files lawsuit to block suspensions
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NFL Players Association filed a
lawsuit Thursday, challenging the suspensions of five players levied earlier
this week for violations of the league's steroids policy.
New Orleans' Charles Gr
<< Saints place S Kaesviharn on IR
Metairie, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints placed veteran safety
Kevin Kaesviharn on the reserve/injured list Thursday with a neck injury,
effectively ending his season.
Head coach Sean Payton described the injury as a s
<< Wolfsburg eliminates Portsmouth from UEFA Cup
Wolfsburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zvjezdan Misimovic stole the ball off the
feet of Portsmouth and England goalie David James to score the winning goal in
Wolfsburg's 3-2 UEFA Cup win Thursday that sent the Germans into the next round
and
<< Cowboys' Barber uncertain for Steelers game
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber did
not practice Thursday because of a dislocated toe, leaving his status for
Sunday's game at Pittsburgh in doubt.
Barber has missed three consecutive practices
Fabregas committed to Gunners >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has reaffirmed
his desire to remain with the Gunners following speculation linking him with AC
Milan.
The 21-year-old midfielder was reported to be interested in joining Milan
Hoffenheim's Ibisevic shuns Bayern link >>
Hoffenheim, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoffenheim star striker Vedad Ibisevic
has committed his immediate future to the Bundesliga's surprise leaders, having
been linked with a move to Bayern Munich.
The 24-year-old Bosnia international
Goya leads Canadian event by two shots >>
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Estanislao Goya fired a six-under
65 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Argentine
Masters at Olivos Golf Club.
Josh McCumber is alone in second place at minus-four.
NFL Inactives (Thursday, December 4, 2008) >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The following is a list of inactive
players for tonight's NFL game.
OAKLAND RAIDERS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, 8:15 P.M. (ET)
Raiders - 3rd QB Marques Tuiasosopo, LB Ricky Brown, CB Michael Waddell, C Jake
Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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