PSG tops Evian to maintain lead in Ligue 1

Soccer Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PSG maintained its three-point lead atop Ligue 1 on Saturday with a vital 3-1 win over Evian at the Parc des Princes.

It was a resilient performance from the home side, as Evian took the lead just before the break thanks to a goal from Cedric Cambon.

PSG rebounded in the second half with a resounding display, equalizing just two minutes after halftime through Nene.

The Brazilian midfielder then put PSG in front, slotting home a penalty kick in the 79th minute to hand the home side all three points and improve to 11 goals on the season.

Kevin Gameiro, PSG's second leading scorer, tacked on an additional goal with one minute remaining in regulation to put the result beyond any doubt.

The win sees PSG secure its fourth-straight victory and improve to 49 points on the year, three points better than second-place Montpellier after its 1-0 defeat of Brest on Saturday. PSG also maintains its perfect record under manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Evian, meanwhile, suffers its second loss in its last three Ligue 1 games. The club sits four points above the relegation zone on 23 points for the year.

Montpellier 1, Brest 0

Montpellier, France - Montpellier kept pace with PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 table with a 1-0 win over Brest at the Stade de la Mosson on Saturday.

Geoffrey Dernis scored the lone goal of the game four minutes before halftime to hand the home side all three points.

Montpellier still trails PSG by three points after the leaders defeated Evian 3-1 on Saturday, while Brest sits 11th in the league after suffering its second-straight loss.

Valenciennes 2, Dijon 1

Dijon, France - Two first-half goals proved to be enough for Valenciennes as it earned a 2-1 victory over Dijon at the Stade Gaston Gerard on Saturday.

Renaud Cohade opened the scoring the second minute and Gael Danic doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, while Dijon pulled a late consolation goal back through Gregory Thil in second-half stoppage time.

The result snaps a two-game losing skid for Valenciennes as it improves to 23 points, one point better than Dijon.

Ajaccio 1, Nice 1

Ajaccio, France - Ajaccio extended its unbeaten run in Ligue 1 play to six games as it played to a 1-1 draw with Nice at the Stade Francois Coty on Saturday.

Eduardo converted a penalty kick in the 57th minute to put the home side in front. Ajaccio looked destined to collect all three points, but Esmael Goncalves spoiled the party with a goal five minutes from time for Nice.

The draws makes it 14 points from its last six games as Ajaccio has climbed out of the cellar and into 15th place on 22 points for the season. Nice remains in the relegation zone on 19 points.

Bordeaux 2, Toulouse 0

Bordeaux, France - Two first-half goals powered Bordeaux to a 2-0 home win over seventh-place Toulouse at the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday.

Jussie helped Bordeaux to a dream start with a goal in the opening minute, and Ludovic Obraniak added to that lead with a second for Bordeaux in the 40th minute. Toulouse was all but out of the match by halftime as Moussa Sissoko's second yellow card in the 43rd minute reduced his team to 10 men.

Bordeaux improves to 30 points on the year after winning two of its last three in the league. Toulouse remains in the seventh on 34 points.

Nancy 0, Rennes 0

Nancy, France - Nancy and Rennes endured a stalemate at the Stade Marcel Picot on Saturday as the two sides played to a 0-0 draw.

The result helps Nancy remain unbeaten over its last three matches, but with 23 points, it is still uncomfortably close to the relegation zone.

Rennes improves to 36 points, two points shy of a place in the top four.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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