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10/31/2007 - Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When D.C. United squares off against the Chicago Fire Thursday in the return leg of their Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, it should have a much different look than it did in the first leg last week - a 1-0 loss at Chicago.
United started that game in a 4-5-1 formation with Guy-Roland Kpene as the lone forward instead of the team's usual 4-4-2 formation with 2007 MLS Golden Boot winner Luciano Emilio and the league's all-time leading scorer Jaime Moreno up top. Both players saw action in the game, but not until the second half with ankle and foot injuries.
That shouldn't be the case Thursday at RFK Stadium, as both players have eased back into training and have a very good chance at being in the starting lineup for the final leg of the total goals series.
"We've managed it well," United coach Tom Soehn told to The Washington Post earlier this week. "We've built it up this week to where I think Thursday they are both going to be where we need them to be to play. ... The qualities (Moreno and Emilio) bring and the talents they bring make us a better team. We're excited to get them back on the field."
"It helps us out a lot to have those two up there," D.C. goalkeeper Matt Pickens told the Post. "They understand the style we want to play. They are big strong guys who hold the ball up for us well and have done the job all year. It's nice to have them back."
That is not good news for fourth-seeded Chicago (11-10-10), which hopes to upset the East's top seed by hanging onto its slim 1-0 lead.
"Especially in the last month, we've matched up well enough to beat them both times we've seen them," Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens told The Daily Southtown. "They're a good team and we know that, but we just have to keep doing what we're doing, whether it's at home or at their place."
The Fire are currently playing their best soccer of the season, not allowing a goal in the past 336 minutes, dating back to the final three games of the regular season, while running off a nine-game unbeaten streak, including three wins in its last four league fixtures. Because of that recent form, the club is also as confident as it has been all season, knowing it has a chance to upset the Supporters' Shield winners.
"We have the best defense in the league, by far," Pickens said. "We haven't given other teams many scoring chances lately."
Chicago's slim lead is compliments of a Chris Rolfe goal early in the first leg, and if United is going to come back and advance to the Eastern Conference Championship, it is going to have to shut down not only Rolfe, but MVP candidate Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who did little in the first leg.
D.C. (16-8-7) is also going to have to find a way top break through the Fire's defense, which it has yet to do in five all-time playoff matches. The Fire are 5-0-1 while outscoring United 11-0 in those previous meetings.
"They're coming to our place to play," Soehn said. "A place we're very good at, and a place we're very dangerous at, a place we've scored a lot of goals at. So it's going to be difficult for them."
The winner of Thursday's match will play the winner of the New York vs. New England match on Saturday in the eastern Conference final.
<< Vikings' Jackson online to start
Eden Prairie, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris
Jackson is online to start the team's game against San Diego on Sunday.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Vikings coach Brad Childress said
Jackson wou
<< Flyers' Hatcher to have knee surgery; could miss four weeks
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers announced
Wednesday that veteran defenseman Derian Hatcher will have surgery on his left
knee Thursday, and will miss three to four weeks.
The Flyers recalled 24-year o
<< Now the fun begins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Here we are, just a few days away from perhaps the most
anticipated regular season game in NFL history, and every sports show in the
country is leading with baseball. Whether it is A-Rod, the New York Yankees
managerial situa
<< Padres CF Cameron suspended 25 games for positive stimulant test
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Diego Padres center fielder Mike
Cameron has been suspended 25 games by Major League Baseball for testing
positive a second time for a banned stimulant, the league announced Wednesday.
The
Mets pick up option on Alou; re-sign Easley >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets picked up the club's $7.5
million option on outfielder Moises Alou for 2008.
The 41-year-old Alou hit a team-high .341 with 13 home runs and 49 runs batted
in last season, including a fran
Cardinals remove interim tag from GM Mozeliak >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals named John
Mozeliak general manager Wednesday, promoting him from interim GM.
Mozeliak, 38, replaces former GM Walt Jocketty, who was fired on October 3
after 13 year
Magic lock up Nelson with extension >>
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic signed guard Jameer Nelson
to a multi-year contract extension Wednesday.
The 6-foot Nelson has played in 218 regular season games, all with Orlando,
averaging 11.9 points, four assists a
Prairie View on verge of first winning season since 1976 >>
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (AP) -Get ready for another shocker that fits right into this crazy year in college football: Prairie View A&M is on the verge of a winning season.That's right, the same program that lost an NCAA-record 80 consecutive games in th
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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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.
The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.
MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.
A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.
A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.
Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.
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