Canada, France split opening singles in tie

Tennis Betting Lines

02/10/2012 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made quick work of Vasek Pospisil while Canadian rising star Milos Raonic shut down Julien Benneteau in Friday's opening Davis Cup singles rubbers.

Former Australian Open runner-up Tsonga, No. 6 in the world, won 91 percent of his first serves (41-of-45) and saved the only break chance against him as he defeated Pospisil 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 in the first singles match of the week on the indoor hardcourt at Thunderbird Sports Centre.

Raonic thrilled the hosting Canadian crowd by firing off 24 aces to Benneteau's seven as he edged the Frenchman 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 in the nightcap.

Saturday's doubles will pit Benneteau and Michael Llodra against a Canadian duo of Pospisil and doubles great Daniel Nestor, while Sunday's reverse singles call for Tsonga to face the 21-year-old Raonic and Benneteau to meet the 21-year-old Pospisil. Tsonga titled in Doha last month, while Raonic was a winner in Chennai in January.

Team France is playing without three of its top-four competitors this week.

France owns nine Davis Cup titles, with its last one coming in 2001, while Canada has never reached a World Group final. France is 1-0 all-time against the Canadians, with the victory coming in Paris back in 1966.

The winner here will face the Switzerland-USA victor in the quarterfinals in April.

Hangsme Tennis Betting News

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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.

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