D.C. United signs midfielder Saragosa

Soccer Betting Lines

02/06/2012 - Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United announced Monday that it has signed midfielder Marcelo Saragosa. Per league and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 30-year-old Brazilian is quite familiar with Major League Soccer, having made 116 appearances over a seven-year span with multiple clubs. Saragosa has featured for the Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas, and Chivas USA in his MLS career which lasted from 2004 to 2010.

"We are pleased to have concluded a deal to bring Marcelo to D.C.," said D.C. United General Manager Dave Kasper. "He is well-acquainted with our League and brings additional depth to a midfield that we feel is already one of the best in the League. We look forward to his contributions to our team."

Saragosa joins United from the Azerbaijan first division where he enjoyed time with Ravan Baku and FC Absheron.

Wnikkansports Soccer Betting News

<< Ibrahimovic receives three-match ban
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been given a three-match ban for violent conduct, it was confirmed on Monday. The Swedish frontman was sent off in Milan's 0-0 draw with Napoli on Sunday after he

<< Frimpong out for season with knee injury
Wolverhampton, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - On-loan Wolverhampton midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong will miss the rest of the season after he sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The injury occurred in the

<< Lisicki withdraws from Paris event
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth seed Sabine Lisicki pulled out of this week's WTA event in Paris, citing a viral illness. Estonian Kaia Kanepi also pulled out of the Open GDF Suez tournament due to a right shoulder injury. She title

<< O's deal Guthrie to Rox for Hammel and Lindstrom
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have traded pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom. Guthrie was Baltimore's opening day starter in 2011 and pos

<< Stoudemire to miss Monday's game after death of brother
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire will miss Monday's home game against Utah after the death of his brother. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Stoudemire family for their loss," the Knicks said on

Leverkusen's Sam to miss eight weeks >>
Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayer Leverkusen will be without midfielder Sidney Sam for the next eight weeks after he sustained a thigh injury in the club's 2-2 draw with Stuttgart on Saturday. Sam had recently return

Minnesota's Love suspended two games for stomp >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love has been suspended two games for stomping on Houston's Luis Scola. The incident occurred in the third quarter of the February 4 game when Love drove his foot into

Lakers' Brown suspended one game >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown was suspended one game and fined $25,000 following his ejection from the February 4 game against Utah. Brown was tossed in the fourth quarter of the 96-87 loss, and

Bender out two weeks for Dortmund >>
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender is set to spend the next two weeks on the sidelines because of an ankle injury, the club confirmed. Bender sustained the injury in Friday's 2-0 win over

Wild sign D Prosser >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Nate Prosser to a two-year contract extension on Monday. Prosser, 25, has posted six assists and 18 penalty minutes over 23 games with the Wild this season in close

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.