This Week in Golf -- January 12th through January 15th

Golf Betting Lines

01/09/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR - SONY OPEN IN HAWAII, Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii - Now that the first week is in the books, the PGA Tour really gets started with its first full-field event of 2012.

For the second week in a row, the tour is in Hawaii, where Mark Wilson will attempt to defend his championship at the Sony Open. It was the first of his two titles in 2011, winning two of his first three events before falling back to the middle of the pack the rest of the year.

It was a marathon for Wilson, who had to play 36 holes that Sunday because of poor weather earlier in the week. He managed to outlast Tim Clark and Steve Marino by a pair of strokes to earn nearly $1 million, his second biggest paycheck of the year.

The top-ranked player in the field is No. 5 Steve Stricker, who is coming off a victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Stricker, who is now a 12- time PGA Tour champion, has been one of the best golfers of recent years, posting eight wins since the start of 2009.

Other than Stricker, some of the more recognizable names in the field include reigning PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, three-time major winner Vijay Singh and FedEx Cup runner-up Webb Simpson.

Additionally, last year's Nationwide Tour money leader J.J. Killeen and Harris English, who won as an amateur on the Nationwide Tour last year, will get their first crack at the PGA Tour since earning their cards for 2012.

Unlike the Tournament of Champions, the Sony Open ends on the traditional day of Sunday. Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds.

Next week is the Humana Classic, renamed from the Bob Hope Classic, which was won by then-rookie Jhonattan Vegas in 2011.

EUROPEAN TOUR

JOBURG OPEN, Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Johannesburg, South Africa - Reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel will attempt to capture his third straight Joburg Open this week in the sixth running of the event.

Schwartzel has dominated at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club in his hometown, winning by four and six strokes, respectively, the last two years. Last year, he rode the momentum from the win all the way until April, when he posted a shocking Masters victory and vaulted himself into mainstream golf conversation.

Now ranked No. 9 in the world, Schwartzel heads into this event with a new title that goes with Masters champs: the favorite. Unfortunately for the South African, he has yet to post another win since Augusta, but is returning to his most familiar surroundings.

Only five players on the European Tour have previously won the same tournament three years in a row, most recently Tiger Woods in 2005-07 at the WGC - CA Championship and WGC - Bridgestone Invitational.

Schwartzel's biggest competition will likely come from fellow South African and two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen, who posted a third-place finish at last week's Africa Open.

Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds, and the European Tour remains in South Africa next week for the Volvo Golf Champions, won by Paul Casey in 2011.

Skyboook Golf Betting News

<< Lamb, Drummond lead UConn over West Virginia
Hartford, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeremy Lamb totaled 25 points and eight rebounds as No. 17 Connecticut rallied to post a 64-57 decision over West Virginia at XL Center. Andre Drummond added 20 points, 11 boards, three blocks an

<< Stricker earns 12th tour win at Kapalua
Kapalua, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It wasn't the best round Steve Stricker ever played, but it was enough to get him the win. Stricker closed with four-under 69 on Monday to win the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions by three strokes

<< Reports: Body of Packers coach's son recovered
Oshkosh, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Multiple reports say the body pulled from a Wisconsin river Monday is that of the 21-year-old son of Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. Authorities were searching for Michael Philbin

<< Bruins' Marchand hit with 5-game suspension
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Hockey League issued a five-game suspension, without pay, to Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand on Monday, for actions during Saturday's contest with the Vancouver Canucks. Marchand received a

<< Tulsa's Johnson to turn pro
Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tulsa wide receiver/kick returner Damaris Johnson has chosen to leave school and pursue a professional football career. Johnson was suspended indefinitely near the beginning of the 2011 season for his involvem

Sixers down Pacers for 5th straight win >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andre Iguodala scored 20 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished out five assists, as the Philadelphia 76ers stayed hot with a 96-86 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Lou Williams added 13 poin

Alabama dominates first half, leads LSU 9-0 >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The "Rematch of the Century" has played out similarly to the regular-season meeting, with field goals accounting for the only points in the BCS National Championship Game through the first half. Alabama

Goc, Panthers edge Canucks >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Clemmensen made 25 saves and Marcel Goc netted the game winner in the middle portion of the second period as Florida clipped Vancouver, 2-1. Dmitry Kulikov notched the other goal for the Panthers, who

Hawks top Nets, again >>
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Smith scored 26 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the New Jersey Nets for the third time this season, holding on for a 106-101 win Monday. Joe Johnson added 22 points and Jeff Teague had 20 for the Ha

Raptors claw their way past T-Wolves >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrea Bargnani had 31 points and Amir Johnson scored 19 with 11 rebounds, leading the Toronto Raptors to a 97-87 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The Raptors closed the game on a 20-7 run

Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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