Fujita repeats at Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in playoff

Golf Betting Lines

12/04/2011 - Tokyo, Japan (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hiroyuki Fujita defeated Toru Taniguchi in a playoff Sunday to win his second straight Golf Nippon Series JT Cup.

The tournament was shortened to 54 holes after bad weather on Saturday, but Fujita came back to post a six-under 64 on Sunday and finish tied with Taniguchi at 10-under 200.

It's the 11th victory of Fujita's Japan Tour career and first since winning this event in 2010.

Ryo Ishikawa, who began the day tied for the lead with Taniguchi -- one stroke ahead of Fujita, finished with only a two-under 68 in the final round and was third at seven-under 203. Michio Matsumura (66) took fourth at minus-six, and Yusaku Miyazato (68) was fifth at five-under.

Victoriasvegas Golf Betting News

<< Brad Kennedy wins New Zealand Open in playoff
Christchuch, New Zealand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Kennedy birdied the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat Craig Parry and win the New Zealand Open. Parry had a two-shot lead heading to the final hole of regulation, but faltered t

<< Panthers win at Shark Tank
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Fleischmann had a goal and two assists, as Florida downed San Jose, 5-3, on Saturday. Stephen Weiss, Marco Sturm, Jack Skille and Dmitry Kulikov also scored for the Panthers, who split a four-game road

<< No. 21 Mississippi State pulls away from West Virginia
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arnett Moultrie scored 21 points, Dee Bost had 17 and No. 21 Mississippi State pulled away in the second half for a 75-62 win over West Virginia on Saturday. Jalen Steele added 10 points and Moultrie p

<< Badgers avenge MSU loss, capture Big Ten title
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Once again, it came down to a desperate heave. When Michigan State and Wisconsin met on October 22, Kirk Cousins' Hail Mary touchdown pass gave the Spartans a thrilling 37-31 victory and handed t

<< Flames score three unanswered to beat Oilers
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mikael Backlund scored the game-winner midway through the third period, pushing the Flames past the Oilers, 5-3. Olli Jokinen scored twice, while Derek Smith and Rene Bourque each added a goal and an as

McIlroy roars back, wins to keep Race to Dubai hopes alive >>
Fanling, Hong Kong (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - They say a sleeping giant should not be awaken. That's exactly what happened on Sunday in Hong Kong, however, when Rory McIlroy -- using some extra sleep -- roared from behind with a five-under

UNI-Montana to air in prime time >>
Missoula, MT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A year after missing the NCAA Division I football playoffs, the University of Montana's tradition-rich program appears to be returning to prime-time status - literally. Montana announced early Sunday that its

Rebels and Shockers mix it up in Wichita >>
Wichita, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With fewer than 20 undefeated teams remaining in college basketball, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels are proud to be one of them as the 18th-ranked team in the nation takes on the Wichita State Shockers this afternoon as

No. 24 California takes on San Diego State >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 24th-ranked California Golden Bears play their first true road game of the season, as they invade Viejas Arena this evening, for an instate clash with the San Diego State Aztecs. Mike Montgomery's Golden

Battle of unbeatens on tap in Evanston >>
Evanston, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Baylor Bears hit the road for the first time this season, when they invade Evanston to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in non-conference action at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Bears have enjoyed

SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.

Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"

A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."

Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.

In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.

"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."

Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.

But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"

Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.

This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.

Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.

In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.

No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.

And that's all any bettor can ask for.

To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.