Mine That Bird 2010 debut getting closer

Horseracing Betting Lines

06/22/2010 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Although no race has been confirmed, trainer D. Wayne Lukas is actively preparing 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird for the gelding's first start of the year. The four-year-old had a six- furlong workout Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs.

"I am not sure where we'll go," Lukas said. "He is nominated to the Salvatore Mile (July 3 at Monmouth Park), which is a nice option. He is nominated to everything but the Tokyo Fair. Our goal is the Whitney (August 7 at Saratoga). We are going to dive right into the deep end."

Owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, Mine That Bird breezed three-quarters of a mile in 1:13 with Calvin Borel riding. This was the fifth work for the gelding since being transferred to Lukas. Mine That Bird galloped out seven-furlongs in 1:27 1/5.

"When they started training horses 300 years ago, this is what they had in mind," Lukas noted. "His last quarter was in 23 and 2 and his last eighth, it had to be 11 and change. He was flying."

Mine That Bird last raced in the Breeders' Cup Classic last November when he was ninth to Zenyatta. The four-year-old's last win was the Run for the Roses on May 2, 2009.

Wwwmapau Horseracing Betting News

<< Coen to coach Brown quarterbacks
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brown University football coach Phil Estes announced Tuesday that he has selected former Massachusetts standout quarterback Liam Coen to be the Bears' quarterbacks coach. Coen enjoyed a successful four-year

<< Bruins get Horton, Campbell from Florida
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have acquired forwards Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, the Bruins' first-round pick in 2010 and a third- round s

<< Orioles demote Tillman; designate Meredith for assignment
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have optioned pitcher Chris Tillman back to Triple-A Norfolk and have designated pitcher Cla Meredith for assignment. Baltimore had to clear room on the 40-man roster for util

<< Rollins returns; Ruiz placed on DL
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have activated shortstop Jimmy Rollins off the 15-day disabled list and have placed catcher Carlos Ruiz on the DL. Rollins had been sidelined since May 22 with a calf strain

<< Northern Iowa adds trio of coaches
Cedar Falls, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Northern Iowa head football coach Mark Farley has added three assistant coaches for the 2010 season. Matt Entz worked with the team during spring practices and will be the defensive line coach

Draft takes back seat to free agency >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The annual NBA draft, the unofficial kickoff to the NBA offseason, takes place Thursday at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater. What happens on draft day usually molds a team's plan for the future but the

This Week in Auto Racing June 25 - 27 >>
Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The race to make the championship Chase in the Sprint Cup Series heats up this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, Danica Patrick makes her return to the Nationwide Series at New Hampshi

Ciccarelli, Cammi Granato among 2010 Hall of Fame inductees >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dino Ciccarelli, Cammi Granato and Angela James were selected for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame's class of 2010 Tuesday from among a healthy group of player candidates. Also to be honored among

Rangers slugger Cruz activated from 2nd DL stint >>
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Texas Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz has been activated from the disabled list and is back in the lineup.Cruz is scheduled to bat sixth and play right field in Tuesday night's game against Pittsburgh. To make room for him on the

Alfonzo, Davila & Martin earn Week 12 honors >>
Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago wide receiver DEJUAN ALFONZO, Arizona quarterback NICK DAVILA and Chicago defensive back CHRIS MARTIN have been named the JLS Ironman, Russell Athletic Offensive Player and Riddell Defensive Player of the We

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.