Ten-man Houston ties N.Y. to spoil Henry's debut

Soccer Betting Lines

07/31/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Mullan scored in the 90th minute as 10- man Houston tied Red Bull New York on Saturday, 2-2, to spoil Thierry Henry's two-assist debut in Major League Soccer.

Henry assisted on two goals for Juan Pablo Angel, who is second in MLS with 11 goals, but Brad Davis converted a penalty kick for the Dynamo and Mullan added the stunning game-tying goal in the closing seconds.

Angel scored in the 10th and 58th minutes, both times giving the Red Bulls the lead, but New York (8-6-3) failed to secure the win even with a man advantage for the entire second half at Robertson Stadium.

Houston (5-8-5) is winless in eight straight but avoided its fifth loss during the skid. The Dynamo, who had Lovel Palmer sent off just before halftime, have not won since May 22, a 2-0 win over D.C. United.

Houston should have opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, but after Palmer's initial effort was knocked down by Bulls goalie Bouna Coundoul, Adrian Serioux launched the rebound over an empty net.

Angel followed with his 10th goal of the season in the 10th minute, turning an assist from Henry into the opener. Henry played the ball into the box from the left end line and Angel settled with Eddie Robinson defending and easily found the left side of the net from just a few yards out.

The Dynamo tied the match in the 24th minute after Carlos Mendes fouled Joseph Ngwenya in the area. Davis hammered the penatly kick inside the right post for his third goal of the season.

Henry should have notched his first MLS goal in the 31st minute but the France star somehow failed to convert from six yards after a pass from Angel, despite having an open net in front of him.

Houston was awarded its second penalty in the 38th minute when Brian Ching was fouled in the area, but Davis launched his second penalty well over the bar.

Henry had another golden scoring chance before halftime but, after Angel put a perfect pass into open space, the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker slipped the shot wide right to waste a one-on-one against Houston goalie Tally Hall.

The half ended with Palmer receiving a red card for a harmless 50-50 challenge on Mendes, leaving the Dynamo short a man for the second half.

Danny Cruz started the second half with a great scoring chance for Houston but his 22-yard shot was tipped around the right post by Coundoul.

Henry found the target in the 54th, but Hall made an easy save to keep Houston level. Hall couldn't do anything four minutes later, when Angel added his 11th goal of the season.

Henry played Angel into the right side of the area, and Angel's shot deflected off a Houston player and sailed past Hall in the 58th to put New York in total control.

However, Houston played much better after falling behind and held off New York until the final minutes to set up Mullan's late equalizer.

Ching played the ball to Andrew Hainault on the right side, and Hainault swung a cross to the far side of the area to Mullan. Mullan jumped to head the ball and placed it perfectly inside the left post with just seconds left in normal time.

Houston, which was without starting goalkeeper Pat Onstad and defender Bobby Bowell, held on through five minutes of stoppage time to secure the draw.

Henry makes his next appearance in Chicago on Aug. 8 when New York visits the Fire. Houston will try to end its winless streak Aug. 8 when it visits Seattle Sounders FC.

Casinoureal Soccer Betting News

<< Gonzo's cycle, HR in ninth lifts Rockies over Cubs
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Gonzalez's lead-off home run in the ninth inning gave him the cycle and the Colorado Rockies a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs in the second of a three-game set. Gonzalez led off the bottom of

<< Bunbury leads Wizards past TFC
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Teal Bunbury's header in the 62nd minute was enough for the Kansas City Wizards to claim a 1-0 win over Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday. Neither side created a ton of chances ove

<< Suppan picks up first win as Cardinals rout Pirates
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Suppan finally got his coveted first win of the season, pitching 5 1/3 shutout innings to lead the Cardinals to an 11-1 win over the Pirates. Suppan (1-6) earned his first victory since September 19,

<< Mets use run in ninth to edge Diamondbacks
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jesus Feliciano tripled to deep right-center to open the ninth inning and scored the game-winning run on Carlos Beltran's sacrifice fly, as the Mets beat the Diamondbacks, 5-4. David Wright went 2-for-4 wi

<< Browns agree to terms with Haden
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns have signed cornerback Joe Haden, the seventh overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, to a multi-year contract. No terms of the contract were released, but according to a report earli

RSL thumps United >>
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-half goals from Robbie Findley and Nelson Gonzalez propelled Real Salt Lake to a 3-0 win over D.C. United at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. Alvaro Saborio put Salt Lake in front after 13 minutes, while

Uggla sets club HR mark in Marlins' win over Padres >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Uggla became the Marlins all-time home run leader and Ricky Nolasco was solid in 8 1/3 innings on the mound, as Florida held off San Diego, 6-3, in the second test of a three-game set at Petco P

Titans agree to terms with top pick Morgan >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tennessee Titans have reportedly agreed to terms with defensive end Derrick Morgan, their first-round draft pick. WVLT television in Nashville is reporting that it is a five-year deal for the 16th overal

Guerrero's bat, Harden's arm helps Rangers down Angels >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vladimir Guerrero's two-run homer in the fourth inning was enough against his former team as the AL West-leading Rangers edged the Angels, 2-1, in the middle installment of a three-game series. Nelson Cruz ex

Montero stays hot as Sounders down Earthquakes >>
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fredy Montero headed home the lone goal of the game in the 26th minute as Seattle Sounders FC handed the San Jose Earthquakes a 1-0 defeat at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday. Montero continued his

MySportsbook features easy-to-use online betting software that’s the most reliable in the industry. If you’re looking to bet underdogs, then this Sportsbook is the place - we have the best betting lines in the business. MySportsbook is your one-stop shop for all your betting needs - sports betting, poker, casino, and horse racing . MySportsbook offers every bet type with lightning fast settlement of wagers. Take advantage of free statistical analysis - including against-the-spread and straight-up trends - in MySportsbook’s game previews section. With MySportsbook there are unlimited free deposits and payouts - and no transaction fees!

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

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