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06/12/2010 - 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 finished 54 holes on the Penha Longa course with a 19-under 197 to take a three-shot lead over hard-charging Richard Green of Australia.
Bjorn is winless since collecting his ninth European Tour title at the 2006 Irish Open.
Green, a two-time winner, collected eight birdies Saturday for a bogey-free 64 that moved him from a tie for 10th place into solo second at 16-under 200.
Ireland's Damien McGrane (68) was two shots further back at 14-under 202, while Englishmen Robert Rock (68) and Robert Coles (69) shared fourth place with Argentina's Daniel Vancsik (68) at 203.
Bjorn is in desperate need of another good finish. The 39-year-old Dane has missed nine cuts in 15 starts on the European Tour this season, including a streak of six consecutive missed cuts that was snapped with a tie for ninth place in Wales last week.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
<< 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
<< Algeria, Slovenia both optimistic heading into opener
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,
<< 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.
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
Nebraska's Osborne: Big Ten move trumps tradition >>
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -When Nebraska beat Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of the Century, when Johnny Rodgers took that punt return the distance, Tom Osborne was there.He made the call when the Cornhuskers fell short on the 2-point conversion try for the win
Ray Allen misses media session for NBA finals >>
BOSTON (AP) -Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen missed Saturday's media session for the NBA finals because of a family matter.Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Allen arrived at the TD Garden in time for practice.Twiss said Allen was given permission to
Champion Blackhawks know changes are ahead >>
CHICAGO (AP) -A day after they celebrated their Stanley Cup victory with a massive parade, the Chicago Blackhawks were still giddy from the experience Saturday. But they also know that changes are ahead this summer.General manager Stan Bowman said t
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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