10/13/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Burton began the 2008 "Chase for the Sprint Cup" as the seventh seed, but after winning last Saturday's Bank of America 500 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, the 41-year-old driver moved up to second in the championship standings. He is 69 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson with five races remaining in the season.
Burton led the final 57 laps on Saturday, took fuel only on his last pit stop, and held off Kasey Kahne at the finish for his second Sprint Cup Series victory of the year.
"(Crew chief) Scott Miller did a great job, made that call there at the end, and that's what won the race," Burton said. "I'm sure everybody was questioning it. Hell, I was questioning it. I was thinking, 'I don't know if this will work or not,' but it did."
It's the first time Burton has recorded multiple victories in a Cup season since 2001, when he drove the No.99 Ford for car owner Jack Roush.
Burton, in his third consecutive "Chase" this year, has finished ninth or better since the playoffs began last month at New Hampshire.
Johnson is the only other driver with Top-10 finishes in the first five Chase races this year.
Two years ago, Burton held a 45-point lead after Lowe's, but dropped to sixth in the standings the following week at Martinsville when he suffered engine failure, and ended up finishing 42nd. The Richard Childress Racing driver finished the 2006 season seventh in points.
"It was our first year in the Chase, and we had worked really hard," Burton said. "It was my second year at Childress. We had been through a lot of changes, a lot of stuff going on at the shop, trying to make things better. Being a small part of Richard Childress Racing, we had both teams in the Chase."
Teammate Kevin Harvick joined Burton in the '06 Chase, while all three RCR drivers qualified for the playoffs in '07 and '08, with Clint Bowyer joining the action.
Burton has been a Cup competitor since 1993, but has finished no better than third in points (2000). As the oldest driver in this year's Chase, Burton is already pleased with his season, regardless of whether he wins the title or not.
"We're just having fun, and we're paying attention to us," he said. "We're not going to get caught up in the point thing. We're paying attention to it, but we're not going to get caught up in it. If we don't win the championship, our year's not a failure. We weren't one of the teams that set the bar up there. We're just laying it out there, having a good time."
Johnson, the two-time defending series champion, is attempting to become the first driver since Cale Yarborough to win titles in a row. Yarborough won the championship consecutively from 1976-78.
At the start of the Chase, Johnson, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were considered the top championship contenders. But Busch collapsed in the first two races as he finished 34th New Hampshire and 43rd at Dover and dropped from first to 12th in points, while Edwards has fallen from second to fourth in the ranks after finishing 29th at Talladega and 33rd at Lowe's. He is now 169 points behind Johnson.
Third-place occupant Greg Biffle is the only other driver close to Johnson in points (-86). Biffle won at New Hampshire and Dover, but was caught up in the second "big one" at Talladega and finished 24th.
Johnson ended last year's Chase by winning four of the last five races en route to his second-straight championship. He also completed the 2006 season with finishes of first or second in five of the last six races to capture his first title. Despite his previous late-season surges, Johnson is not about to underestimate Burton in this year's championship bout.
"He's always been on my radar screen," Johnson said. "He's been doing this a long time, and he knows the tracks. He's revitalized RCR over the years. I think we can all give him a lot of credit for the turnaround RCR has had. On the track he's smart, and he knows how to race hard. He's been out there a long time."
If Burton pulls off the upset and wins the Cup championship, it will be the seventh title for team owner Richard Childress, but his first since 1994 when Dale Earnhardt captured his record-tying seventh championship.
As long as Burton remains consistent, he should be battling for the title all the way up to the final lap in the November 16th season-ending race at Homestead.
<< Pujols undergoes elbow surgery
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols
underwent surgery on his right elbow earlier Monday in a procedure that
included decompression and transposition of the ulnar nerve.
The surgery was perfo
<< Sabres crush Islanders
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thomas Vanek scored twice as the Buffalo
Sabres crushed the New York Islanders, 7-1, at Nassau Coliseum.
Jason Pominville and Ales Kotalik each had a goal and two assists while Maxim
Afinogenov and Da
<< Royals round out coaching staff
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals filled out their
six-person coaching staff on Monday, naming Kevin Seitzer hitting coach and
former Toronto skipper John Gibbons bench coach.
As a result of the hires, some s
<< Kings place Johnson on IR; claim Quincey
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings placed defenseman
Jack Johnson on injured reserve Monday and also claimed defenseman Kyle
Quincey off waivers from Detroit.
Johnson suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday'
Jaguars OT Collier released from hospital >>
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle
Richard Collier, who was shot on September 2 and had to have his left leg
amputated, was released from the hospital on Monday.
He was shot 14 times and is
Bears G Metcalf suspended four games >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bears guard Terrence Metcalf was
suspended four games without pay by the NFL on Monday for violating the
league's policy on anabolic steroids and related substances.
The suspension is se
Bengals QB Palmer likely to miss another week >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback
Carson Palmer will likely miss another week because of a sore throwing elbow,
after consultation with an elbow specialist.
Palmer stayed in New York following
Kentucky WR Lyons done after knee injury >>
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The collegiate career of Kentucky wide
receiver Dicky Lyons Jr. is over after he injured his knee during a 24-17
loss to South Carolina on Saturday, head coach Rich Brooks announced on
Monday.
Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship
(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.
MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.
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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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