Bayern, Dortmund battle in Bundesliga

Soccer Betting Lines

11/17/2011 - Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich survived its first match with Bastian Schweinsteiger sidelined, but will face a big test without the crucial Germany international Saturday against Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern Munich has been one of the best clubs in Europe this season, outscoring its opponents 32-4 in 12 Bundesliga matches. Bayern is also undefeated in the Champions League "Group of Death," including a win over Manchester City.

Bayern leads defending champion Dortmund by five points after 12 matches.

But with Schweinsteiger sidelined with a fractured collarbone, Bayern lacked a lot of leadership in midfield in a 2-1 win over last-place Augsburg before the international break.

Schweinsteiger also missed Germany's games against Ukraine and Netherlands and now the huge contingent of national team players from Bayern and Dortmund will stand as opponents just four days after the 3-0 win over the Netherlands.

Bayern holds the edge on internationals and Bayern and Germany captain Philipp Lahm was rested for the friendlies and in-form striker Mario Gomez didn't play a part against Holland either.

Gomez, who leads the Bundesliga with 13 goals, believes Bayern will be the top side this weekend, even with Schweinsteiger out through the winter break.

"We're at home, and we want to impose our style on the match, even against our biggest rivals," Gomez said. "Dortmund have some extremely classy individuals, but we know we're better than them."

Dortmund's Germany contingent includes young star Mario Gotze, but Bayern will counter with young internationals Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller, as it looks to avenge a 3-1 home loss to Dortmund last season.

Bayern could also welcome back Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who has missed most of the season through injury, and Schweinsteiger believes he could play a key role - even just as a substitute.

"He's training, so it looks good, but you never know what might happen with Arjen before Saturday," said Schweinsteiger.

"I don't think he'll play from that start, but if he is there, then personally I'd be even more confident of victory. He can make the difference."

While Dortmund, which has six wins and a draw in its last eight matches in all competitions, will try to close the gap on Bayern, a win at the Allianz Arena by the hosts could push the gap to eight points over their main title rival.

Overshadowed this weekend, Werder Bremen visits Monchengladbach in a battle of clubs tied on points with Dortmund but third and fourth, respectively, on goal differential.

Gladbach is one of only two teams to defeat Bayern this season, stealing a 1-0 win on the opening weekend of the season and will try to defend its undefeated home record against Bremen on Saturday.

Schalke also plays Saturday at Nurnberg, and it could jump all three clubs for second place as it is just one point behind the trio entering the weekend.

Bayer Leverkusen visits Kaiserslautern on Friday to open the weekend's matches and also Saturday, Cologne hosts Mainz, Wolfsburg hosts Hannover, and Freiburg hosts Hertha Berlin. Stuttgart hosts Augsburg and Hamburg hosts Hoffenheim on Sunday.

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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.