10/07/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Their team is unbeaten through seven games and sits tied atop the Premiership, but don't blame Liverpool supporters if they are not doing back flips over the team's success, because they have seen this before.
The club last won the league title in 1990, and despite their strong performances in European competition, the biggest criticism of manager Rafael Benitez during his tenure has been a lack of success in domestic play.
You have to go back to the 1996-97 season to find the last time that the Reds mounted a serious title challenge. They were on top of the league through January, but fell behind Manchester United and ended up seven points back, although they stayed in contention until the final month of the season.
That was the last time that fans around Anfield had a sniff of the trophy late into the year, but that could all change this season.
First place in early October in the Premiership is a lot like leading a marathon two miles into the race, but it is how the Reds have arrived at their lofty perch that should be cause for excitement.
There have been a few shaky performances in the first couple of months, like a 0-0 draw with Stoke City and a narrow 1-0 escape against Sunderland, but for the most part, the Reds have looked like a team that has some staying power.
Sunday's dramatic, 3-2 come-from-behind win against Manchester City is the latest example, not to mention their 2-1 win over defending champion Manchester United in September.
The United win was especially big for Benitez because he had gone winless in his first eight contests against Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils had won the last five meetings between the two teams, and it looked like more of the same when they took an early 1-0 lead, but Liverpool showed that this year would be different as it rallied to score twice and grab the win.
Liverpool was in trouble again on Sunday, down two goals at the break and looking like a team that was ready to roll over, but they never felt like they were out of the game.
"We had a feeling at halftime that we could get back in the game if we scored a goal," Dirk Kuyt told the club's official website. "We got that and were back in the game, and I think we deserved to win.
"All of the players worked really hard - even the substitutes. It shows what a good squad of players we have here."
Liverpool has always had a good squad of players, but they now have a true difference-maker in striker Fernando Torres.
The Spanish sniper sparked the rally with two goals to level the match, and he had a hand in the stoppage-time winner scored by Kuyt.
"Fernando had a difficult time in the first half but that was the same for all of us," Kuyt said. "He just needed a little chance to score and it's great for a team if you have someone like that up front. He always seems to score when he gets his chances."
Torres bagged 24 goals in league play in his first season at Anfield last year, and with five goals in his first six games, he looks to be the one consistent scoring threat that Liverpool fans have been hoping for.
The club is considered to be part of England's "Big Four" along with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, but those three teams have combined to win 15 of the last 17 EPL crowns, while Liverpool has come up short for the past 17 years.
Liverpool has won its last four games in all competitions, but an international break is on tap for this weekend, which could slow the team's momentum.
Kuyt does not feel as though the break is coming at a bad time, though.
"We've already had one international break and we came back in our first game after it and beat Manchester United, so I wouldn't say it comes at a bad time," he said.
"Anyway, we don't need any excuses. We'll just keep on going and see how we do against Wigan in our next game."
Sunday's win could be viewed as a statement to the rest of the league that Liverpool is for real, but Kuyt and his teammates have taken a different approach that they hope will pay off in May.
"We try to make a statement every week," Kuyt said. "Every three games we have a big game. We had Everton and PSV last week, and our target is just to win every game and try to be there by the end of the season."
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MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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