Birmingham snaps up Zigic

Soccer Betting Lines

05/26/2010 - Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Birmingham have completed the signing of Serbia striker Nikola Zigic from Spanish side Valencia.

Zigic has joined the Blues on a four-year contract after the two clubs agreed to an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of $8.5 million.

The striker, who is part of Serbia's World Cup squad, has been linked with several moves to the Premier League in the recent past.

Valencia signed Zigic from Racing in 2007 but he struggled to hold down a starting place at the Mestalla.

He was loaned back to Racing last season where he scored an impressive 13 goals in 19 matches.

The 29-year-old has also scored 16 goals in 42 international appearances.

Speaking earlier in the month, agent Milan Calasan said: "He has always said would be interested in a move to England and if he was to go there it would have to be the right club that understands his characteristics."

Zigic is the third new signing made by Blues boss Alex McLeish since the Premier League season ended.

He has paid a reported $8 million for Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster and signed Spanish midfielder Enric Valles on a free transfer.

(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)

Gamblong Soccer Betting News

<< Holden offered new Bolton deal
Bolton, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Owen Coyle has offered United States international Stuart Holden a new one-year contract with Bolton. A broken leg restricted the former Houston Dynamo midfielder to just three appearances for t

<< ChiSox survive Buehrle ejection, ninth-inning rally to top Tribe
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Kotsay hit a two-run homer and Mark Teahen drove in two runs as the Chicago White Sox survived a Cleveland rally in the ninth to earn a 5-4 win over the Indians in the rubber match of a three-g

<< Franco confirms West Ham exit
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mexico international Guillermo Franco has confirmed that he has played his last game in a West Ham shirt. The 33-year-old scored his country's consolation goal in Monday's 3-1 defeat to England at Wembl

<< Merida moves to Atletico Madrid
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has allowed midfielder Fran Merida to move to Atletico Madrid on a free transfer. The 20-year-old Spaniard penned a four-year deal when he joined the Gunners from Barcelon

<< Smith signs on for one more year at Rangers
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Veteran Rangers manager Walter Smith has agreed to stay at Ibrox for one more season. It had been anticipated that the 62-year-old former Scotland and Everton boss would quit the financially-troubled

Shanahan not worried about Moss situation >>
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday that he feels "very good" about the situation involving wide receiver Santana Moss and his link to a Canadian doctor charged with unlawful distrib

Pellegrini axed by Real Madrid >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid announced on Wednesday that the club has fired manager Manuel Pellegrini, which could pave the way for Jose Mourinho to take over at the Bernabeu. Pellegrini's job status has been in questi

Stanley Cup Finals Preview - Chicago vs. Philadelphia >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's been nearly a half-century since the Chicago Blackhawks have claimed Lord Stanley's Cup as their own, but four more wins could finally bring another parade. Since last winning it all in 1961, the Blackhawks have lost

Reds place Janish on bereavement list >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds placed infielder Paul Janish on the bereavement list on Wednesday. Janish, who is batting .276 with a home run and five RBI over 17 games this season, is attending his grandmother's

Probable Belmont Stakes favorite training at Saratoga >>
Elmont, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box, the probable Belmont Stakes favorite, is being trained for the Test of Champions at Saratoga Race Course by Nick Zito. The colt will be one of two horses that the Hall of

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.

Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards

Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.

Bet on NFL Football

Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.

Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.

Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.

Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.

All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.

A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.

2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award

Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1

Ron Brace (NE) 25/1

Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1

Darius Butler (NE) 40/1

Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1

Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1

Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1

Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1

Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1

Larry English (SD) 15/1

Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1

Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1

Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1

Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1

James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1

Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1

Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1

Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1

Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1

Roy Miller (TB) 20/1

Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1

Fili Moala (IND) 30/1

Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1

Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1

B J Raji (GB) 7/1

Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1

Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1

David Verkune (CLE) 20/1

Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 6/1

NFL football gambling

To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.