Barcelona retains second place with win over Betis

Soccer Betting Lines

11/04/2007 - Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona moved to within one point of league-leaders Real Madrid on Sunday as the club recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Real Betis at Estadio Camp Nou.

Thierry Henry put Barca ahead after 33 minutes, and Ronaldinho padded the advantage in the second half with two brilliant free-kick goals to put the result out of reach.

Barca dominated the first half by creating a number of good chances and spending most of the opening 45 minutes inside the Real Betis half of the field.

Andres Iniesta handed Ronaldinho a good opportunity after 11 minutes when the two players worked a one-two inside the area that Iniesta chested back to the Brazilian, but he fired the ball into the outside of the net.

Five minutes later, the home side threatened again as Hernandez Xavi drove a cross into the area from the right that Henry turned on goal from the penalty spot. It forced a sprawling save from Betis keeper Ricardo, but he kept Barca off the scoreboard.

Henry and Xavi hooked up again minutes later, but Henry was denied by the woodwork. Xavi had his back to the goal when he received a pass from midfield. He quickly played the ball to Henry, who was racing towards the net. The striker took a touch into the box on the right before blasting a shot off the right post.

Henry was given another chance in the 33rd minute and he took advantage after a nice ball from Iniesta. The midfielder played Henry into the box and he dashed past a defender and poked the ball underneath the keeper with his first touch for his fifth goal of the season.

Barcelona didn't waste any time in extending its lead to two goals as Ronaldinho found the net eight minutes into the second half.

The Brazilian was on the ball 25 yards from goal with a dangerous free-kick chance and he didn't disappoint, curling the ball around the wall and inside the right post for a trademark goal.

In the 65th minute, Ronaldinho had another free-kick effort from a good spot sail just inches past the left post after he once again cleared the wall but just missed the top left corner.

Leo Messi then made a brilliant run from midfield that nearly resulted in Barca's third goal. The young Argentine beat a defender at midfield and carried the ball all the way down the right flank. He cut into the box and beat one more defender before sending a low shot narrowly past the far post.

Betis had no way back into the match as they had trouble finding openings in attack all game.

Ronaldinho then added to the misery in stoppage time as he notched his second goal with another free kick that was curled through the wall and off the left post before rolling across the goal line.

In other La Liga action on Sunday, Kahveci Nihat scored two goals in the final 20 minutes to help Villarreal earn a 4-3 comeback win over Atletico Madrid, Levante earned its first win of the season as Christian Rigano scored all three goals in the team's 3-0 win against Almeria, while Deportivo doubled up on Murcia 2-0. Getafe downed Osasuna 2-0, Espanyol and Racing split the points in 1-1 fashion, Valladolid held off Real Zaragoza 3-2 and Athletic Bilbao took care of Recreativo 2-0 as Joseba Etxeberria scored both goals in the second half.

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

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