Kerr is first American woman ranked No. 1

Golf Betting Lines

06/28/2010 - 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 performance at Locust Hill, Kerr moved past Japan's Ai Miyazato to become just the fifth player overall to hold the No. 1 spot since the world rankings for women's golf were instituted in 2006.

Sweden's Annika Sorenstam and Mexico's Lorena Ochoa held sway over the rankings for more than four years, but their retirements have left the No. 1 spot open for attack.

Since Ochoa stepped away in May, three women have held the top spot: South Korea's Jiyai Shin, Miyazato and now Kerr.

"It means a tremendous amount. It's something that I've wanted my whole life, I worked for my whole life," Kerr, 32, said on Sunday. "It's great to be No. 1, but I just got there. To be No. 1, I feel in my heart you really have to keep proving it. So I got a lot of work ahead of me."

Kerr replaced Miyazato, who was No. 1 for only a week after capturing her fourth win of the season at the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 20.

Miyazato needed a solo runner-up finish at the LPGA Championship to keep the No. 1 ranking -- although she didn't know that. She played great anyway, shooting a six-under 66 in the final round to tie for third place.

The 25-year-old Japanese star slipped just .12 average points behind Kerr and into the No. 2 position. By comparison, Miyazato leads No. 3 Shin by .76 points.

"Even if [it was] just for one week I was able to get experience, and I will take very many positive things out of it," Miyazato said of her stint atop the rankings.

Kerr moved up four places from her No. 5 ranking last week, dropping Miyazato, Shin, Suzann Pettersen and Yani Tseng down one spot apiece to complete the new-look top five.

Jazzspots Golf Betting News

<< 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

<< Recchi re-ups with Bruins
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have signed 42-year-old forward Mark Recchi to a one-year contract extension. The Boston Herald on Friday reported the deal is for $1 million with possible incentives. Recch

Rams sign CB Murphy, WR Gilyard >>
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 int

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

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.