Red Bulls, Dynamo battle to scoreless draw

Soccer Betting Lines

04/11/2009 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Red Bulls and Houston Dynamo entered Week 4 of the Major League Soccer season with identical 0-2-1 records despite playing each other in the 2008 MLS Cup semifinals.

After battling to a physical 0-0 draw that saw the two teams combine for eight cards, including two red-card ejections, they leave Week 4 with identical 0-2-2 records.

New York goalkeeper Danny Cepero was forced to leave the game just eight minutes in after a collision with Dynamo forward Kei Kamara, forcing rookie Alec Dufty, out of University of Evansville, into his first career MLS appearance.

Dufty did well in his debut, making three saves while controlling his box well to earn the clean sheet.

Houston was given hope of earning the full points at home when New York defender Carlos Johnson was shown a straight red in the 78th minute for a hard tackle on Geoff Cameron, but the Dynamo couldn't take advantage before earning their own red in stoppage time. Mike Chabala given the red for a hard tackle on Danleigh Borman as the teams finished the game 10-v-10.

The Dynamo will aim for their first win of the season when they are back in action on April 19 vs. Colorado, while New York hosts Real Salt Lake a day earlier in its next league fixture.

Sporsillustrated Soccer Betting News

<< Armstrong helps Thrashers end season with win over Tampa
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colby Armstrong scored twice to lead the Atlanta Thrashers past the Tampa Bay Lightning, 6-2, in a battle between two teams eliminated from the playoffs at Philips Arena. Eric Perrin, Ilya Kovalchuk,

<< Sabathia gets first win as a Yankee in win over Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - CC Sabathia dazzled on the mound to get his first win as a Yankee, as New York made short work of the Kansas City Royals, 6-1, in the second installment of a three-game set from Kauffman Stadium. Sabathia

<< Reyes, Mets deal Marlins first loss
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Reyes finished 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and three RBI as the New York Mets doubled up Florida, 8-4, in the middle test of a three-game set from Dolphin Stadium. Carlos Delgado collected three hits and

<< Kawakami effective in debut as Braves down Nats
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kenshin Kawakami tossed six solid innings in his major league debut, as the Atlanta Braves downed Washington, 5-3, to keep the Nationals winless so far this season. Kawakami (1-0), the first Japanese-born

<< Guthrie, O's bullpen silences Rays
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeremy Guthrie threw six shutout innings while Melvin Mora had a grand slam as the Baltimore Orioles downed the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-0, in the second of a three-game set at Camden Yards. Guthrie (2-0) gav

Terriers shock RedHawks to win men's national hockey title >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colby Cohen tallied with 8:13 remaining in the first overtime as Boston University rallied from a late two-goal deficit to defeat Miami-Ohio, 4-3, in the NCAA men's hockey national championship at Verizon

Soriano's two-run homer lifts Cubs over Brewers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning and the Chicago Cubs held on to edge the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-5, in the second of a three-game series at Miller Park. Soriano finishe

Hill and Suns down Timberwolves >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grant Hill scored 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 110-97, at the Target Center. Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley added 16 points apiece for the Suns, who have won fou

Bucks silence Thunder >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richard Jefferson matched a season high with 35 points to go with nine rebounds, leading Milwaukee to a relatively easy 115-98 drubbing of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luke Ridnour donated 18 points an

Carter leads Nets past Magic >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vince Carter led the Nets with 27 points and nine assists, as New Jersey topped an uninspired Orlando Magic club, 103-93. "I just kind of wanted to set the tone of how we wanted to play t

MySportsbook.com is a must-have for the smart veteran sports investor who enjoys following the odds almost as much as betting them. Simply put, no one offers more betting options and offers them faster than MySportsbook. This football sportsbook is known for its ability to set the early market odds on events without having to worry about weak lines. Professional players are well aware that getting a crack at the early betting line is worth as much as, and sometimes more than, huge bonuses or reduced prices. MySportsbook's fearless, yet smart bookmaking style is what keeps everyone watching, including most other sportsbooks.

This is also a great choice for those who just want to have a worry free, fun experience. The ownership’s motto is “Sweat the game, not the payout”. These are not just decorative words used to fill space on the homepage. MySportsbook aims to give their customers the fastest withdrawals in the industry. Payouts are processed within 24 hours by an online sportsbook that carries our A+ financial rating.

Those who enjoy proposition and future wagers consider MySportsbook.com a top choice. Smaller players who seek large bonuses would do better at their sister book, Sportsbooks.com.

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

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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