Rams sign CB Murphy, WR Gilyard

Football Betting Lines

06/28/2010 - St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams on Monday signed eight of their 11 picks from the 2010 draft, including cornerback Jerome Murphy and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard.

Murphy recorded 202 tackles and eight interceptions in four seasons at South Florida, where he earned First-Team All-Big East honors in 2009. He was taken in the third round at No. 65.

Gilyard, who was selected with the first pick in round four (99th), caught 204 passes for 3,003 yards and 25 touchdowns at Cincinnati. A weapon on special teams, Gilyard returned 93 punts for 2,664 yards and four touchdowns.

The Rams also came to terms with tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (132nd), defensive ends Hall Davis (149th) and Eugene Sims (189th), cornerback Marquis Johnson (211th), defensive end George Selvie (226th) and linebacker Josh Hull (254th).

"I am happy to have these players signed," said Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo. "Once training camp begins, these rookies can direct all of the focus on football and not be concerned with the business side of things."

The only draftees that remain unsigned are quarterback Sam Bradford, the top overall pick, offensive tackle Rodger Saffold (33rd) and tight end Fendi Onobun (170th).

Wwwracing-live Football Betting News

<< Kerr is first American woman ranked No. 1
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cristie Kerr became the first American woman ranked No. 1 in the world following her 12-shot win Sunday at the LPGA Championship. By picking up her second career major with a record-setting perfo

<< Serena, Venus, Clijsters reach Wimbledon QFs
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning champion Serena Williams handled former titlist Maria Sharapova, while Kim Clijsters came from behind to defeat her fellow former world No. 1 Belgian stalwart Justine Henin in Monday's fourth-r

<< In the FCS Huddle: Will CAA dominoes keep falling?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Even with all the maneuvering going on in college football, what has been developing in the Colonial Athletic Association is as incredible as any of the changes nationally. The Big Ten and Pac-10 - if that

<< Jeff Jordan joins brother at UCF
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Central Florida head basketball coach Donnie Jones announced on Monday that guard Jeff Jordan has transferred to the program from Illinois. He must sit out the 2010-11 campaign under NCAA tra

<< Nets waive G Dooling
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on guard Keyon Dooling. Dooling, who was acquired in the summer of 2008 from Orlando, appeared in 130 games with New Jersey, averaging 8.6 points and 3.1

Big names take to tracks for workouts >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some of the biggest names in thoroughbred racing took to various racetracks for workouts over the last two days. Many of the horses are expected to see action during the summer. Undefeated champion mare Z

Oranje slice through Slovakia, into quarterfinals >>
Durban, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Netherlands won for the fourth time in as many games at the FIFA World Cup on Monday as it recorded a 2-1 win over Slovakia in a round of 16 match at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Arjen Robben ope

Sky Blue FC knocks off Gold Pride >>
Hayward, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sky Blue FC recorded a surprising 2-0 win over FC Gold Pride on Sunday in Women's Professional Soccer action at Pioneer Stadium with second-half goals from Rosana and Tasha Kai. Rosana put her side up in

Portugal, Spain clash in round of 16 >>
Cape Town, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portugal escaped the group stage of the FIFA World Cup without allowing a goal, including a 0-0 tie against Brazil in the final match of the round. Portugal was rewarded with a round of 16 match aga

Japan maintains lofty expectations against Paraguay >>
Pretoria, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For a country that had to wait until this year to record its first World Cup victory outside of home soil, Japan seems awfully ambitious. The Japanese pulled off a surprise in Group E as they fi

Credit Card Betting: Sportsbook accepts U.S. credit cards

Online Sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard

MySportsbook.com is the best at processing US credit cards for deposits. Welcome to the most player friendly online sportsbook on the planet!

The principals behind MySportsbook are obviously a management group that understands the players needs as evidenced by their commitment to provide easy depositing with their high credit card acceptance rate and free weekly $10 bets they offer to clients with active betting accounts.

The perks don't end there! MySportsbook offers casino, poker and horses as well. Twice named Best Sportsbook by eGaming Review, this place is rock solid financially so you don't ever have to sweat the payout as you may with some other online bookies operating with less betting volume and client base.

Sign up today and grab your share of a 10% bonus that is added instantly to your betting account. Enjoy 52 risk free bets throughout the year as well!

Reasons to Play There: You have to see their no hitter, cycle hitter and slaughter rule promos for baseball. Worth a laugh and probably a few bucks throughout the MLB season. They offer supersized bonuses of 15% if you up your minimum deposit to $500 or more. Lay -105 on Friday NBA! Contests during the NFL football season!


Horse Betting

(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.