Matchday 1 underway as 10-man Liverpool earns draw at Porto

Soccer Betting Lines

09/18/2007 - Lisbon, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ten-man Liverpool FC came from a goal down to start their UEFA Champions League Group A schedule with a point at Porto as Matchday 1 got underway Tuesday.

Liverpool, a five-time champion of Europe's most prestigious club tournament, fell behind early at Estadio do Dragao with Lucho Gonzalez beating Pepe Reina from the penalty spot after the Liverpool goalkeeper had knocked down Tarik Sektioui, who broke into the box after a ball from the offensive third.

The visitors answered less than 10 minutes later on their first real threat of the game after a Steve Finnan cross into the box. The ball was then headed back across by Sami Hyypia to Dirk Kuyt, who headed home for his first UEFA Champions League goal for Liverpool.

Porto, which was the more aggressive side for much of the contest, was given a boost in the 58th minute when Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant was shown his second yellow for a hard tackle. But the home side was unable to capitalize on the advantage as Liverpool packed its defense in and limited the chances against.

In the other Group A match Tuesday, Marseille earned a 2-0 victory over Besiktas to take the top spot early on. Second-half goals by Julien Rodriguez and Djibril Cisse were the difference in the game.

In Group B action, Norwegian side Rosengord earned a 1-1 draw with English Premier League giants, Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge. Miika Koppinen got the final touch to an in-swinging free kick in the 24th minute to give the underdogs the early lead before Andriy Shevchenko headed home a Florent Malouda cross in the 53rd minute. In the other Group B match, David Villa struck midway through the second half to give Valencia a 1-0 win at Bundesliga side Schalke 04 to take the top spot in the group.

Group C saw defending La Liga Champions Real Madrid earn a 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen behind goals by Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Those goals were scored on either side Werder's Boubacar Sanogo's tally. The other match in the group saw Olympiakos draw 1-1 with Lazio. A late goal from captain Luciano Zauri gave Lazio the share of the points after winger Luciano Galletti gave the home side the early lead. The game was played behind closed doors as a UEFA punishment for crowd trouble at Olympiakos's home match with AS Roma last season.

In Group D, AC Milan opened the defense of their Champions League crown with a 2-1 win over Benfica after first-half goals by Andrea Pirlo and Filippo Inzaghi. Nuno Gomes scored a late goal for Benfica to pull one back. The other Group D match saw defending Scottish Champions Celtic FC fall to Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 after the Ukrainian side scored two quick goals eight minutes in. Brazilian striker Brandao opened before Cristiano Lucarelli added a second with a diving header two minutes later.

UEFA Champions League Groups E, F, G and H open play Wednesday to close out Matchday 1 of the European club championship.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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