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07/15/2010 - Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Bettencourt shot a six-under 66 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Reno-Tahoe Open.
Bettencourt earned his first 18-hole lead on the PGA Tour largely due to an eagle at the 17th hole. He moved past Chris DiMarco, who had a 67 at Montreux Golf & Country Club to sit alone in second place.
Craig Bowden and 2006 champion Will MacKenzie were another shot further back at 68, while Chad Campbell and former PGA Championship winner Steve Elkington led a large group at 69.
Because the tournament is being played opposite the British Open, Campbell is the highest-ranked player in the field at world No. 93.
The event features a mixture of young pros trying to get their first PGA Tour wins, wily veterans hoping for a good finish, and many players in between.
DiMarco is among the veterans seeking a good finish. On a career downswing, he has now missed three British Opens in a row after playing in eight straight. He was runner-up to Tiger Woods at Hoylake in 2006.
Making the best of his start in Reno, the 41-year-old DiMarco mixed six birdies with one bogey during the first round. He birdied his last three holes, sinking a seven-foot putt at the 18th to take the clubhouse lead.
"I really like the golf course," said DiMarco, who tied for 26th last year on the Montreux layout. "It fits my eye really well off the tee, which is pretty big when you're playing golf, to be able to see the lines that you want to have."
DiMarco has three career PGA Tour wins, but none since the 2002 Phoenix Open. His last victory on any tour came at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in January 2006.
"I still feel like I can win out here," DiMarco said. "My confidence is slowly but surely coming back. I'm starting to get comfortable on the golf course again.
"It's coming back."
DiMarco's lead didn't last long Thursday.
Playing three groups behind him, Bettencourt eagled the par-five 17th after hitting his second shot 260 yards and within three feet of the hole, getting to seven-under par.
Bettencourt then bogeyed the 18th from a fairway bunker, trimming his lead to a shot. He also had six birdies during the round, all in his first 13 holes.
"I'm very pleased with my round," said Bettencourt, a 35-year-old grinder who has never won on the PGA Tour. "I've been struggling a little bit this year with my expectations. I've been battling a few injuries. So it feels good to be feeling healthy and getting out there and playing good golf."
NOTES: Defending champion John Rollins opened with a 71...Tournament host Scott McCarron had a 70...Two-time Reno-Tahoe winner Vaughn Taylor shot a 74...Bettencourt picked up two victories on the Nationwide Tour in 2008.
<< Hamilton leaves game with knee problem
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton left
Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox with a sore right knee.
Hamilton went 3-for-4 in the game with three doubles and upped his batting
average to a major league
<< Giants sign Willis to minor league deal
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants have signed
left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract.
Willis, who was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks earlier this
month, will report
<< Scola staying in Houston
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets and forward Luis Scola have
reportedly agreed to a five-year contract on Thursday.
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the deal will be for $47 million.
Last season with Houston, his
<< Liverpool's Torres could play in EPL opener
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spain international Fernando Torres
could feature in Liverpool's first Premier League game of the season against
Arsenal at Anfield in just over four weeks' time.
It had been feared that the st
Rangers use big first inning to beat Red Sox >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bengie Molina's two-run home run capped a six-
run first inning as the Texas Rangers downed the Boston Red Sox, 7-2, to start
the second half of the season.
Nelson Cruz went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a r
Goldberg leads Canadian Tour's Players Cup >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Goldberg shot a six-under 65 to take the
first-round lead Thursday at The Players Cup.
Goldberg had six birdies in a flawless round on the Pine Ridge course to build
a one-stroke lead over Brady Stockto
Nuggets sign Harrington >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets have signed free agent
forward Al Harrington. Terms of the deal weren't released, but it's believed
to be a five-year, $34 million contract.
Harrington averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1
Carpenter masters Dodgers again >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Carpenter pitched eight strong innings
and remained unbeaten against the Dodgers, and the St. Louis Cardinals started
the post All-Star break with a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series.
Carpent
Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.
"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."
Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.
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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