11/18/2008 - Stoke-in-Trent, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stoke City midfielder Liam Lawrence believes he will be ready for a first-team return in time for the busy festive programme.
The 26-year-old former Mansfield Town star has been sidelined since the end of September after a bizarre incident when he injured his ankle when tripping over his dog.
Lawrence is hoping to resume full training within three weeks, telling The Sentinel: "I've never been out injured for this long before and it's so frustrating.
"The lads have done really well to put us in a good position, but I want to be a part of it.
"The surgeon told me a week ago that it would be four weeks before I would be in training and in contention.
"It should be another two to three weeks before I'm in full training and then, you never know, I might get a sniff after that. But I have to get fit because I haven't been able to do much for six weeks now.
"I've been swimming and trying to keep my fitness up in different ways, but it's just been so frustrating not being able to run.
"The lads have done really well this season. We aren't in the relegation zone. I know there are only a couple of points in it, but if we can get something this Saturday then we'd be right up there again."
(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)
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Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayer Leverkusen has confirmed its
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Everton's Moyes baffled by Pienaar situation >>
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Villarreal's Llorente out a month with leg injury >>
Villarreal, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Villarreal striker Joseba Llorente will
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Yellow Submarine from Va
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere.
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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