Earnhardt Jr. contributes $1M to Victory Junction camp

Autoracing Betting Lines

03/01/2010 - Randleman, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced on Monday he is donating $1 million to build and maintain The Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheater at Victory Junction -- a camp for children with serious illnesses.

Earnhardt Jr. revealed his contribution during the camp's kickoff of its "Keeping the Dream Alive" campaign. He plans to be at the camp on March 27 when groundbreaking begins on the project.

"There are many reasons why we wanted to get involved with Victory Junction and build this amphitheater, and it starts with the tremendous impact the camp has on these kids," Earnhardt Jr. said.

The camp was founded by former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife, Pattie, in honor of their son, Adam, who was killed during a Nationwide Series practice session in 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Wwwlnhl Autoracing Betting News

<< Blue Jackets acquire C Moore from Islanders
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired center Greg Moore from the New York Islanders in exchange for defenseman Dylan Reese. The trade is pending both players passing a physical. Moore has spent the season with

<< James, Boozer take February honors
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for the games played in February. James led th

<< Wagner fires head men's basketball coach Deane
Staten Island, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wagner College fired head men's basketball coach Mike Deane on Monday following a 5-26 season. In his seven years as head coach of the Seahawks, Deane guided the program to a 95-113 record.

<< Wizards buy out G James
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards waived guard Mike James on Monday after coming to a mutual agreement on a contract buyout. James has played just four games for Washington this year, averaging 4.5 points and

<< Spurs part ways with Finley
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs announced on Monday they have released veteran guard Michael Finley. Finley requested to be waived since his playing time waned upon his return from a sprained ankle in late Ja

Bears waive OL Pace >>
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears waived offensive tackle Orlando Pace, tight end Fontel Mines, and guard Tyler Reed on Monday. Pace, a veteran of 13 NFL seasons, started in 11 games at left tackle for Chicago last

UConn closes in on record; Charles reaches milestone >>
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tina Charles posted 18 points and eight rebounds while becoming the Huskies' all-time leading scorer and rebounder, as top-ranked Connecticut finished off its second straight undefeated regular season

Butler leads WVU over Hoyas >>
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Da'Sean Butler filled the stat sheet in his final game at WVU Coliseum, totaling 22 points, six rebounds and six assists to lead No. 10 West Virginia to an 81-68 victory over the struggling 19th-ra

Syracuse's second half defense sparks upset of No. 7 West Virginia >>
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Erica Morrow scored 23 points with five rebounds and five assists, and the Syracuse Orange used suffocating defense in the second half to upset the seventh-ranked Mountaineers, 67-48, at the Carrier

Thrashers acquire F Artyukhin from Anaheim >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers acquired forward Evgeny Artyukhin from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday in exchange for defenseman Nathan Oystrick and a conditional draft choice in 2011. Artyukhin, who was in his first s

Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.

Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.

Best Horse Betting Online

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.