Celtic topples Hearts to extend SPL lead

Soccer Betting Lines

02/08/2012 - Edinburgh, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic moved four points clear of second-place Rangers on Wednesday after securing a 4-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle Stadium.

The Hoops charged out to a three-goal lead in the first 30 minutes with goals from Scott Brown, Victor Wanyama and Joe Ledley, while Gary Hooper added a fourth goal on the hour mark to extend Celtic's winning streak to 13 games.

Brown needed just three minutes to put his team in front as he found the lower corner of the net with a shot from 12 yards.

James Forrest set up the next tally in the 20th minute when picked out Wanyama with a pass that the midfielder dispatched past goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald from inside the penalty area.

Ledley put his name on the scoresheet on the half-hour mark when Georgios Samaras crossed the ball into the area from the left and the Wales international got his head to it, redirecting it past MacDonald from six yards.

The scoring was capped 30 minutes from time by Hooper, who beat the 'keeper from close range after being set up by Wanyama.

Hearts remains in fourth despite sustaining its second successive defeat.

Wwwwon Soccer Betting News

<< Flames give D Smith two-year deal
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Derek Smith to a two-year contract worth $1.55 million on Wednesday. "Derek came to training camp this year on a two-way contract and played his way into our startin

<< Benschop helps AZ join PSV at the top of the league
The Hague, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A hat trick from Charlison Benschop helped AZ Alkmaar on its way to a 6-0 triumph at Den Haag on Wednesday, allowing the club to join PSV Eindhoven at the top of the Eredivisie table. AZ slip

<< Wildcat Creek comes in for Hutcheson Stakes
Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A field of six three-year-olds have been entered for Saturday's $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The seven-furlong contest is an early prep for next month's $1 million Florida Derby.

<< Catania, Roma finish all square in resumed match
Catania, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The final 25 minutes of Roma's match at Catania concluded on Wednesday with neither side able to break the 1-1 deadlock they started the day with. The match was suspended after 65 minutes bec

<< Panthers sign long snapper to 4-year deal
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Panthers signed long snapper J.J. Jansen to a four-year contract on Wednesday. Jansen, 26, has played all 48 games in his three NFL seasons with the Panthers and went without a mistake this p

Air Force fires basketball coach Reynolds >>
Colorado Springs, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Air Force men's basketball coach Jeff Reynolds was fired Wednesday with the team in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Athletic director Dr. Hans Mueh made the announcement. Associate head co

Sharapova, Goerges reach QFs in Paris >>
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova and six- seed Julia Goerges of Germany were second-round winners Wednesday at the Open GDF Suez. Sharapova, who withdrew from this event last year due to illness, advanc

Yankees sign veteran INF Branyan >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees signed veteran infielder Russell Branyan on Wednesday. The minor league deal includes an invitation to spring training. Branyan, 36, has played for 11 teams since appearing in his first

Colts name Telesco VP of football operations >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indianapolis Colts have promoted Tom Telesco to vice president of football operations. Telesco, who spent 14 years in the personnel department, was promoted by new general manager Ryan Grigson. The

Heat G Chalmers inactive vs. Magic >>
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers was inactive for Wednesday night's game at Orlando because of a left hand sprain. The Heat said Chalmers, who has played all 25 games this season, was day-to- day with the i

Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards