Algeria, Slovenia both optimistic heading into opener

Soccer Betting Lines

06/12/2010 - Polokwane, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Algeria and Slovenia open their World Cup Group C schedules on Sunday under a ton of pressure for a result.

Both clubs are underdogs to advance past England and the United States in the group, meaning getting off to a good start in the opener is imperative.

"In football you never know," Algeria midfielder Hassan Yebda told fifa.com. "We will do our best and play the first game against Slovenia and try to win. The first game is very, very important, if we can win it will be better for us. Slovenia though have a good team."

While Algeria is gearing up for just its third-ever World Cup, a familiar face is leading the way.

Coach Rabah Saadane, who also coached the team 24 years ago in its last World Cup appearance in Mexico, is at the helm again - for the fifth time - and it will take all his wisdom to get the Desert Foxes to the knockout stage.

On the field, midfielder Karim Ziani will be the key, not only against Slovenia on Sunday, but for the entire tournament. The playmaker plies his trade with German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, and he has the versatility to pull the strings in the middle of the field, or shift out wide in a more indirect attacking role.

Slovenia returns to the World Cup, eight years after its only other appearance, hoping it learned from that experience. Slovenia lost all three of its matches in the group stage in 2002 and was outscored 7-2.

But assistant coach Milan Miklavic is optimistic about this year's club.

"The team looks good, the team looks very good, as always," he told RTV Slovenia. "Can we expect a positive result? We are optimistic because the players in recent games have shown good results, so we need to be optimistic.

"For all the teams, the first game will be a very big opportunity. All teams are living in some uncertainty about what will happen, and that is the special charm of championships."

Wwwthriveonline Soccer Betting News

<< Dillon takes Michigan truck pole
Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Austin Dillon captured his second straight pole in the Camping World Truck Series after posting a lap of 176.488 m.p.h. in qualifying for Saturday's VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedwa

<< Federer continues Halle dominance, Hewitt up next
Halle, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roger Federer moved a step closer to his sixth title at the Gerry Webber Open with a straight-set semifinal win over Germany's Philipp Petzschner, and will next face Lleyton Hewitt in Sunday's final.

<< Argentina holds off Nigeria
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gabriel Heinz's goal in the sixth minute was enough to lead Argentina to a 1-0 win over Nigeria at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday in Group B play. Heinz headed home the lone goal from

<< Sharapova to play Li for Birmingham crown
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maria Sharapova and Li Na were semifinal winners Saturday and will meet for the title of the Aegon Classic on Sunday. The second-seeded Sharapova advanced first with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 victory o

<< Sunshine State foes resume set at the Trop
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Sunshine State warms up with the second of a three-game interleague set between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field tonight. Despite being just three games over .500 at home so far this season

Ghana kicks off Group D play against Serbia >>
Pretoria, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin-Prince Boateng made headlines on the international level before ever playing for Ghana, and now the German- born midfielder is set to make more on the field at the World Cup. Boateng, who p

Injury-depleted Germany opens WC play against Australia >>
Durban, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany opens the World Cup on Sunday against Australia, and despite a rash of injuries prior to the tournament, coach Joachim Loew is confident the three-time winners are still a threat. Germany

Bjorn takes 3-shot lead in Portugal >>
Estoril, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denmark's Thomas Bjorn fired his second consecutive seven-under 65 to take sole possession of the lead Saturday after the third round of the Portugal Open. Chasing his first win in four years, Bjorn

Querrey, Fish set for All-American final in London >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Americans Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish will play for the title Sunday at the Queen's Club after both won semifinal matches in the Wimbledon tuneup on Saturday. The seventh-seeded Querrey rallied for a 6-

Gonzo sidelined until August >>
Santiago, Chile (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fernando Gonzalez of Chile will be sidelined until August because of a knee injury. Gonzalez said he is taking the next 10 weeks off after being diagnosed with bilateral patellar tendinitis. He

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.