Wlalakers Basketball Betting News

<< Shannon re-ups with Senators
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators on Friday signed forward Ryan Shannon to a contract for the 2010-11 season. Shannon, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has five goals and 11 assists in 55

<< Schalke rallies to edge Dortmund
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Benedikt Howedes and Ivan Rakitic scored in the second half and Schalke, which blew a lead against Wolfsburg on Sunday, overcame a deficit to edge Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Ruhr derby on Friday

<< Red Wings send Maltby to IR, activate Lilja
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings placed forward Kirk Maltby on long-term injured reserve, while activating defenseman Andreas Lilja from IR on Friday. The 37-year-old Maltby collected four goals and six points in 52

<< Royals agree to terms with three
Surprise, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals agreed to terms on contracts for the 2010 season with three players Friday, including infielder Mike Aviles, outfielder Mitch Maier and pitcher Anthony Lerew. Per team policy, ter

Villegas, Wilson share lead in Arizona >>
Scottsdale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Camilo Villegas bogeyed his final hole Friday to fall into a share of the lead with Mark Wilson after two rounds of the Phoenix Open. Villegas, the first-round leader, managed a two-under 69, while

Karlovic, Fish into Delray Beach semis >>
Delray Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Ivo Karlovic got past seventh-seeded James Blake in three sets Friday to reach the semifinals at the $500,000 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships. Karlovic defeated the Am

Kurt Busch takes pole at hometown Las Vegas >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kurt Busch captured the pole for Sunday's Shelby American by easily breaking the track qualifying record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Busch, a native of Las Vegas, demolished the record previously h

James, Cavs solve Raptors in overtime >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LeBron James finished with a game-high 36 points, while Mo Williams hit a pair of threes to begin overtime, keying the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-118 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Williams finishe

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.