Rogers Centre Over Rogers Vikings

Football Betting Lines

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson isn't one to take the easy road in strengthening his anatomy (see NFL.com Fantasy ad) and alternative medicine just doesn't fit with the man better known as A.D. (All Day) or Purple Jesus. Peterson, of course, is undergoing extensive rehab on a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee suffered during a 33-26 win over Washington on December 24. Already getting over a high ankle sprain, Peterson said he knew something was bad after taking a blow from Redskins safety DeJon Gomes.

 

"Any time you take a blow to the knee like that, you're concerned about the ACL, MCL," Peterson said after he received a harsh gift on Christmas Eve. "I'm trying to stay as positive as I can."

 

However, an ACL injury is one of the worst an athlete -- especially a running back who relies on cutting and shifting -- can suffer and it usually takes about eight to nine months for a full recovery. And even then experts believe it could still be more than a full year to get back at full strength if the body allows it. Defying the normal standards of recovery is something Peterson and the Vikings are hoping for and so far everything is going accordingly.

 

Peterson, who owns the most rushing yards in a single game with 296 back in his rookie year of 2007, added that he's getting muscle tone and strength back in his legs. Flexibility and bending used to be an uphill battle and now sitting in a tight airplane seat has no effect on the precious limb. Peterson was recently in New Orleans for the funeral of a friend's wife and mentioned no issues with traveling. Swelling in the knee has subsided, save a minor patch in the joints.

 

The former University of Oklahoma star comes from an extensive background of athletes, including his mother, Bonita Jackson, who ran track and field. So that explains where Peterson gets his speed and durability. Unfortunately, his sturdiness was put to the test against the Redskins and now Peterson faces an obstacle larger than Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

 

Peterson said during his interview that Minnesota's secondary could use some bolstering and wouldn't be opposed to adding the likes of cornerback Cortland Finnegan or wide receiver Vincent Jackson -- two free agents on the market. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman weighed in on the possibility of building more around Peterson and Ponder.

 

Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Eagles have restructured the contract of defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, who had signed a five-year deal with Philadelphia prior to the start of the 2011 season. In 16 games last year, Jenkins had 40 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks. He registered four sacks over his first three games as an Eagle, becoming just the second defensive tackle in team history to open a season with one sack in each of the first three contests (Jerome Brown, 1991).

 

"We are very excited about having Cullen back on our football team," said general manager Howie Roseman. "Cullen made an immediate impact for us this year on and off the field. We look forward to a great future together with him in an Eagles uniform."

 

"Appreciate all the support and kind words from everyone. Exciting time for me and my family," Jenkins tweeted.

 

Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Bills will not play a preseason game in Toronto this summer because of a scheduling conflict at the Rogers Centre. The Bills will still play a regular-season game at the Toronto venue during the 2012 campaign and is trying to extend the original five-year agreement to continue the series that first began in 2008.

 

The Bills began playing games in Toronto in 2008, matching up against the Steelers in the preseason and the Dolphins during the regular season. The team has played a regular-season game at Rogers Centre each year since and also had one preseason game in the Canadian city in 2010.

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Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.

Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.