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<< Blackhawks sign Madden away from New Jersey
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks have signed center John Madden to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal for the long-time New Jersey Devils defensive standout were not disclosed, but the Newark Star-Le

<< Serena outlasts Dementieva to reach fifth Wimbledon final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In one of the best women's matches played here in some time, two-time champion Serena Williams snuck past Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva on Thursday to reach her fifth Wimbledon final. The second

<< Creamer withdraws from title defense
Sylvania, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paula Creamer withdrew from her title defense at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic before teeing off Thursday. Creamer injured her left thumb last week and had received treatment on the injury since wi

<< Some rebuild, USC reloads
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Within the world of college basketball, there is a general consensus that the North Carolina Tar Heels have a huge recruiting advantage that helps bring a never ending supply of blue-chippers to Chapel Hill.

Hossa's Cup quest leads him to Chicago >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's every NHL player's dream to win a Stanley Cup title, and Marian Hossa is certainly no exception. Over the past few years, Hossa's travels have taken him from Atlanta to Pittsburgh to Detroit, and desp

Sister Act 4: Serena, Venus to meet in fourth Wimbledon final >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Serena Williams and third- seeded Venus Williams will square off in Saturday's ladies' final at Wimbledon, where Venus topped Serena in last year's third all-Williams finale at the All England

Rockies deal Baker to Cubs >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies traded infielder Jeff Baker to the Chicago Cubs Thursday in exchange for minor league pitcher Alberto Alburquerque. The Rockies had placed Baker on the 15-day disabled list with a

Altidore among seven added to U.S. Gold Cup team >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jozy Altidore was among seven players added to the United States' Gold Cup roster, a change allowed by CONCACAF for any team also playing in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Forward Conor Casey, midfielders

Football Betting

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .