Golf still the biggest priority for Tiger

Golf Betting Lines

03/16/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When people find out you're a golf writer, in the last few months, the inevitable question varies in form, but mostly sounds like this:

"What's up with Tiger?"

Hard to answer, but the smarter fans always wanted to know when he'd come back. That question was answered on Tuesday with Woods' announcement that he will be in the field for the Masters in a few weeks.

It's been my contention all along that he wouldn't miss Augusta. Perhaps I'm a tad jaded in my outlook on life, but I couldn't see Tiger missing a major championship.

Score one for the bald guy.

"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been awhile since I last played," Woods said in his statement on Tuesday.

I wouldn't use the word "need" when it relates to a golf tournament and you being, there considering the degree to which you publicly humiliated your wife. Maybe both the word choice, and the timing of the comeback, were Ari Fleischer's doing.

(Also, the Masters is the safe choice because it's a very controlled environment with regard to the media.)

Some pundits with purer souls than my own believed Woods would sit out at least the Masters. Maybe they were swayed by his "performance" in his press/friends-and-family gaggle, but I never saw it that way.

Some believed he should sit out the Masters just to show how serious he was about building the family structure. So the rationale there is, just as a show, sit out the Masters so people will believe you are serious about repairing your life. If you really wanted to repair your family life, that would be good too, but just sit out the Masters and then everyone will believe you're serious.

Why bother? Tiger is a professional golfer and professional golfers don't miss major championships, especially a guy who plastered pictures of Jack Nicklaus on his wall as a kid. The goal is that major championship record.

There's no timetable for this. Hey, you cheated on your wife, that costs you the Masters. Or you're delinquent in child support, you must skip the Masters and U.S. Open.

No one but Tiger, perhaps Elin and maybe his therapist know what's really on Tiger's mind. But remember that not even one month ago, Woods uttered these words:

"I do plan to return to golf one day," Woods said on Feb. 19. "I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year."

So we went from maybe this year to six weeks? That happened quick. He must have gotten a whole lot better in that month. According to some reports, Woods was out of therapy the next week. To some, it might ring a tad disingenuous.

Maybe it's time to stop giving Woods the benefit of the doubt. He skipped probably four events he would've played if he hadn't gotten caught. While I'm sure Woods wouldn't mind having another Sarazen Trophy on his mantle for the CA-Championship, it's nothing compared to that green jacket.

I'm no marriage counselor and quite frankly it's Tiger's business when he feels he's ready to come back, but, that press joke a few weeks ago didn't show a guy who seemed ready to get back to the rigors of major championships.

Was he blowing smoke there? Yes, and it's clear that his focus has never totally left the world of professional golf. It's refreshing that he went to therapy, for whatever the reason. And, everyone should root for reconciliation with his wife if it's still possible, but let's not lose sight of the big picture as Woods sees it.

There's no sense in a token skipping of the Masters to show contrition to the skeptical masses. Woods won't be missing anything that truly mattered to him, and since his motivations will be questioned at every turn anyway, Woods might as well play Augusta.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

- CBS has to be a tad excited about this announcement. Ratings will be other worldly.

- I think an underrated aspect of this whole Woods saga is how galleries will respond. I imagine after some spectators partake of a few cocktails, Tiger may hear some gentlemen saying some unpleasant things about Perkins parking lots and the volume of waitresses there. All earned, by the way.

- My apologies, Ernie Els. My column contending that you have a good run left in the tank was going to be fantastic.

- Movie moment - How do guys in the Star Wars movies have British accents? Luke grew up on a desert planet, some characters come from an ice planet, and the other grew up in a flat in Liverpool?

Wwwoasiscasino Golf Betting News

<< Real's Valdano vows to keep Higuain
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Argentina international Gonzalo Higuain could be handed the opportunity to spend the rest of his career with Real Madrid. General director Jorge Valdano has revealed that preliminary negotiati

<< Lightning F Malone has surgery
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Tuesday that forward Ryan Malone underwent a minor procedure on his left knee. Malone, who has compiled 21 goals and 44 points in 65 games for the Bolts, is slated to m

<< Stoke's Pulis OK with Tuncay's angry exit
Stoke-on-Trent, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has drawn a line under the new controversy surrounding Tuncay's angry reaction to being substituted in the goalless draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. The Turkey fo

<< Hertha plans to stick with Funkel
Berlin, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hertha Berlin President Werner Gegenbauer has no plans to fire under-pressure coach Friedhelm Funkel. Hertha are five points adrift at the foot of the Bundesliga after the weekend defeat to Nurnberg afte

<< NHL or MMA: What got Vs. back on DirectTV?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After months of haggling over carriage fees and other points of contention too boring to rehash, Versus is finally back on DirecTV. DirecTV dropped Versus a month before the NHL season began due to an argu

Smoltz joining TBS as broadcaster, will not retire >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Smoltz is joining TBS as a broadcaster for Atlanta Braves games and will serve as an analyst for Turner Broadcasting on its slate of nationally televised Sunday games. Despite the move, Smoltz did

Bayern's Ribery puts contract talks on hold >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The future of France international Franck Ribery is once again a matter of conjecture after he told Bayern Munich that he was unwilling to open new contract talks with the club until the end of the season.

Portsmouth could exit administration soon >>
Portsmouth, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portsmouth's administrator, Andrew Andronikou, believes the troubled club could come out of administration within eight weeks. Andronikou has revealed his hopes for a swift a takeover at Frat

AC Milan hopes to have Beckham again next season >>
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AC Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani hopes David Beckham returns to the San Siro for a third spell next season, even though the England international ruptured his Achilles tendon during the Rossone

Falcons release CB Hill, add S Giordano >>
Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Falcons have signed safety Matt Giordano and released cornerback Tye Hill. Hill, a former first-round pick of Rams in 2006, had seven tackles and an interception in eight games for

Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.

Stanley Cup betting

New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.

The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.

MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.

Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.

Stanley Cup Odds    

 Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings 
Carolina Hurricanes  
San Jose Sharks     
Anaheim Ducks    
Philadelphia Flyers 
Calgary Flames     
New Jersey Devils 
Buffalo Sabres   
Dallas Stars    
New York Rangers  
Nashville Predators  
Vancouver Canucks 
Colorado Avalanche  
Minnesota Wild    
Tampa Bay Lightning    
Boston Bruins    
Florida Panthers   
Montreal Canadiens   
Atlanta Thrashers 
Toronto Maple Leafs  
Edmonton Oilers      
Phoenix Coyotes    
Los Angeles Kings      
New York Islanders   
Columbus Blue Jackets  
St. Louis Blues      
Pittsburgh Penguins 
Washington Capitals   
Chicago Blackhawks    		 7-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
80-1
80-1
100-1
100-1 

NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games 

Team     
Ottawa Senators      
Anaheim Ducks 
Detroit Red Wings   
Nashville Predators 
San Jose Sharks 
Calgary Flames     
Philadelphia Flyers    
New Jersey Devils     
Buffalo Sabres    
Carolina Hurricanes       
Dallas Stars          
New York Rangers   
Minnesota Wild     
Atlanta Thrashers     
Montreal Canadiens    
Team        
Los Angeles Kings           
Tampa Bay Lightening   
Vancouver Canucks 
Boston Bruins       
Colorado Avalanche 
Edmonton Oilers  
Phoenix Coyotes  
Toronto Maple Leafs   
Florida Panthers 
Columbus Blue Jackets   
New York Islanders   
Chicago Blackhawks  
St. Louis Blues  
Washington Capitals 
Pittsburgh Penguins  		 Over/Under
108.5
106.5
104.5
104.5
103.5
101.5
100.5
99.5
97.5
97.5
97.5
95.5
94.5
93.5
92.5
Over/Under
91.5
91.5
91.5
89.5
89.5
88.5
88.5
86.5
84.5
82.5
80.5
72.5
72.5
72.5
71.5

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.