Black Caps predict low scoring match in ICC Twenty20 Opener

Twenty20 cricket is all about the big hits but the Black Caps are not expecting a run fest in the upcoming World Cup.

After experiencing slow wickets in Guyana, The Black Caps are picking Today's tournament opener with Sri Lanka could be a low scoring affair.

Despite winning both their warm up matches the Black Caps batsmen aren't exactly full of confidence heading into the Twenty 20 World Cup.

Black Caps all rounder Scott Styris says the team are struggling to adjust to the lifeless wickets in the Caribbean

“It's the nature of the pitches here they are really difficult to bat on, it's going to be tough going I think,” says Styris.

The first six wickets fell for just 37 runs against the West Indies, prompting a rethink from the top order.

Sacramento's Tyreke Evans Wins NBA Rookie of the Year Award

Two days after word leaked of the impending announcement, Kings guard Tyreke Evans was officially named the 2009-10 NBA T-Mobile Rookie of the Year on Thursday.

Tyreke Evans has won hundreds of trophies in his young basketball career and many of them seem to have lost an arm, a basketball or some other piece in his mother's care.

Evans beat out fellow guards Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings in balloting. The Kings' rookie racked up 67 of 123 first-place votes, and appeared among the top three on every single ballot. Curry, the Warrior, finished second, earning 43 first-place votes and appearing on all but four ballots.

Jennings, whose Bucks lead Atlanta 3-2 in the first round of the Eastern Confernce playoffs, finished third. He earned 12 first-place votes, and made 112 of 123 ballots. Some combination of Evans, Curry and Jennings appeared on all but 15 ballots. The single first-place vote not claimed by that troika was given to Hornets guard Darren Collison.

Nadal, Djokovic advance to Rome Masters Quarters

Rafael Nadal improved his record at the Rome Masters to 24-1 with a methodical 6-3, 6-2 win Thursday against 39th-ranked Victor Hanescu.

The four-time winner in Rome saved all five break points late in the match, including one when he was serving for the match.

He set up match point with a long rally that included a rush to the net and back to the baseline to chase down a lob with an over-the-shoulder shot, finally setting up a volley winner into the open court.

Nadal closed it with an overhead smash on his first match point.

"I played with less intensity after 4-1 and it's impossible to play with less intensity at this level," Nadal said. "I had some problems the last two games with myself, but I saved it."

He will face Stanislas Wawrinka, the 2008 runner-up, who took out Robin Soderling 6-3, 6-2.

Thursday’s Europa League Betting

Despite taking extremely long coach journeys to last week’s first leg ties, both Fulham and Liverpool are not in bad shape for their second leg matches on home soil. Fulham managed to come away from Hamburg with a 0-0 draw while Liverpool went down 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, will we see an all-English final? BetRepublic.com previews both Semi Final second leg games here:

Fulham v Hamburg (0-0):

According to PaddyPower.com Soccer Betting Tips Fulham have the advantage in this game and are the favourites to win at 6/5, while both the draw and a Hamburg victory are available at 23/10. The London side have won eight of their last eleven home matches in all competitions, drawing two and losing just once. They have scored just under an average of two goals a game in that run with twenty-one scored in the eleven matches and seven goals conceded with five clean sheets. They rested eight players at the weekend in the match at Everton and they will be fired up for this game.

Rafael Nadal Vs Philipp Kohlschreiber Rome Masters Title

Rafael Nadal opens his Rome Masters title defence against Philipp Kohlschreiber. Rafael Nadal will be wary of dangerous German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round.

Watch Rafael Nadal v Philipp Kohlschreiber free live streaming. Tournament: Rome Masters – Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Season 2010. Date: 28 April 2010

Match scheduled:

28-04-2010 from 14:20(ET)

Day 3 - Main Draw :: ATP World Tour 1000 - Internazionali BNL D'Italia :: Rome, Italy

Nadal is a four-time champion in Rome and has been a consistent force at the tournament since 2005. His only blip came two years ago when he suffered an early loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero, albeit while struggling with a foot injury at the time.

Kohlschreiber is in very good form at the moment having demolished Andy Murray two weeks ago in Monte-Carlo during a run to the quarter-finals.

Los Angeles Lakers pull ahead 3-2 in series with Thunder

Pau Gasol had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Andrew Bynum added 21 points and the Los Angeles Lakers vigorously rebounded from back-to-back losses with a 111-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, taking a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Kobe Bryant had 13 points and seven assists in three quarters of work as the defending NBA champions coolly shook off the eighth-seeded Thunder’s series-tying blowout win in Game 4 with a comprehensive thrashing of the post-season newcomers.

With their offence purring and their defence throttling Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers led by 21 points at halftime and went ahead by 32 late in the third quarter of their third home victory in the series.

Lyon V Bayern Munich Tuesday’s Champions League Betting

This evening Lyon host Bayern Munich in the second leg match of their Champions League Semi Final tie at Stade de Gerland. Bayern hold the advantage after dominating the last week’s game, but Lyon only trail by a single goal. Who will progress and play in the Champions League Final in Madrid? BetRepublic.com Soccer Betting Tip previews the match here.

Lyon v Bayern Munich Soccer Betting Tip (0-1):

In the first leg of this tie Lyon travelled to Germany with the intention of giving themselves something to play for in the second leg match. They were unadventurous and were completely outplayed by Bayern for the ninety minutes. However, they only lost 1-0 and gave themselves an excellent chance of becoming the first French side to reach a Champions League final.

Sources say 76s waiting for Brown

According to multiple sources, the 76ers will almost certainly contact coach Larry Brown after the Charlotte Bobcats are eliminated from the playoffs.

The Sixers will likely discuss their coaching vacancy with Brown, who this season led the Bobcats to their first-ever playoff appearance, but it's possible that the Sixers also could discuss a front-office position, according to the same sources.

Although Ed Stefanski is still serving as the Sixers' president and general manager, his position is not secure.

The Bobcats host the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of their first-round series on Monday night. Charlotte trails the best-of-seven series by three games to none.

Spurs NBA Team Playing Just Like Old Times

The Spurs are suddenly the team to beat. With the No. 1 Lakers struggling to keep up with Oklahoma City, and with No. 4 Denver endangered by the heavily-injured No. 5 Jazz, the No. 7 Spurs have suddenly and firmly reclaimed their long-standing role as conference favorites. No team in the West plays with a more dynamic blend of team defense, offensive firepower, versatility and passion. San Antonio won on a night when its Big Three (a combined 9-of-34 for 31 points) were almost outscored by second-year guard George Hill (29 points on 16 shots). Similar was the outcome of Game 3, won by the Spurs even though they missed all seven of their threes. Take away their right hand and they'll club you with the left. "If you told me before the game that we would hold the Big Three to the numbers they had, I would have said we win the game,'' said a despondent Dirk Nowitzki. After he was held to 17 points on 10 attempts, it was easy to see who had lost.

Weekend Football Betting Previews

Weekend Football Betting Previews

The race for the Premier League title was blown wide open last weekend as Tottenham Hotspur defeated Chelsea in impressive fashion. This weekend sees two massive games for the teams looking to overthrow Chelsea at the top of the table, but they won’t have it easy as both Manchester United and Arsenal take on the sides battling for the fourth Champions League spot in Spurs and Manchester City.

2010 NFL Draft Odds

If you haven’t drawn up a mock draft board for the 75th NFL Draft which begins Thursday at 7:30 pm ET, don’t worry, there are already thousands of them littering the internet with details on exactly how the picks won’t go.

Betting on how the picks will play out offers a much better return on your investment and here ate www.BetRepublic.com we’re here to help you make a profit before training camp even begins.

Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame are the top two quarterbacks available and the St. Louis Rams will pick first. Bradford seems like a lock for the No. 1 pick but anyone that’s been involved with sports betting for more than a season usually learns to avoid the ‘L-Word’ like the plague.

Bayern Munich V Lyon Champions League Semi Final

The biggest sporting event happening in Europe today is the first leg match of the second Champions League Semi Final between Bayern Munich and Lyon at the Allianz Arena. Who will hold advantage going into next week’s second leg tie in France? BetRepublic.com previews tonight’s match here and offers some excellent value markets for you to bet upon.

Bayern Munich v Lyon:

Both of these sides will be filled with confidence going into this match, with Bayern having won twelve of their last thirteen home games in all competitions and Lyon have history on their side, having won four of five matches played in Germany against German opposition in the Champions League. Soccer Betting Tips have priced up their markets on the basis of the German sides excellent recent home form and have made them favourites to win the game at 8/11. Lyon are available at 4/1, while the draw can be backed at 13/5.

French Open Finalist Soderling Opens 2010 Barcelona bid on Tuesday

Robin Soderling makes his season debut on clay Tuesday evening, scheduled to face Juan Ignacio Chela. The players are set to battle for a round of 16 berth at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

French Open finalist Robin Soderling took over as the highest seed in the Barcelona draw on Monday, replacing five-time defending champion Rafael Nadal. The 25-year-old Swede will contest his first clay-court contest of the season, ready to take on 2010 US Men’s Clay Court Championship title-winner Juan Ignacio Chela.

Soderling holds a 4-1 edge over Chela, having won their last meeting on the clay at the 2007 World Team Championship, 6-1, 6-4. The World No. 8 carries a 2-1 series advantage on the dirt, which includes a 2004 quarterfinal-round victory in Bastad. The veteran Argentine claimed his lone win at the 2005 Masters Series Hamburg, where he defeated the Swede in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

INTER MILAN Vs BARCELONA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL

We’re down to the final four teams in the Champions League, and this evening sees the first leg match between Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan and reigning champions Barcelona at the San Siro. Who will be victorious and take an advantage to the Nou Camp next week? BetRepublic.com previews this important and highly anticipated clash.

Inter Milan v Barcelona:

This match will be the fifth occasion that these two sides have met in the Champions League, with the score currently two wins for Barcelona and two draws. Both of these victories for Barcelona have come at the Nou Camp and the draws came at the San Siro. In the four matches Inter Milan have failed to score a single goal, while Barcelona have managed to find the net on five occasions. Will Inter be able to find a goal against the Spanish champions this time around?

Jerry Rice is about to become a Professional Golfer

A lot of NFL players, former and current, have a passion for golf. Some of them are pretty good at it, too John Elway, Tony Romo(notes), Trent Dilfer(notes) and Billy Joe Tolliver come to mind. Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is pushing it to another level, though. He's going pro.

Rice, playing with a sponsor's exemption, will tee it up with the professionals starting Thursday at the Fresh Express Classic on the Nationwide Tour.

Think of the Nationwide Tour as sort of a minor league for the PGA Tour. The guys there are striving to get to the highest level, and they're pretty darn close.

Current PGA Tour studs that came from the Nationwide Tour (or previous iterations) include Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Chad Campbell, Tom Lehman and Jeff Maggert.

These are the best golfers in the world who do not yet compete on the PGA Tour and Jerry Rice(notes) thinks he can hang with him.

And maybe he can. Rice, 47, is a better-than-scratch golfer, and the passion he has for golf is just as intense as the passion that made him the best wide receiver in NFL history. Check out this quote, via Barry Salbert at the Huffington Post:

WEDNESDAY’S PREMIER LEAGUE BETTING

There are three matches being played in the Premier League this evening, with the North London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal being the big one, and we’ll be previewing all three games here:

Aston Villa v Everton:

Everton sit in eighth in the league, just one place and four points behind the Midlanders, and will be looking to gain the three points in an attempt to continue their late season push for a European spot.

Despite Aston Villa going off the boil in recent weeks, they are still the favourites to win the match @ 6/5 with Paddy Power. Everton are available at 23/10 and the draw is the same price.

Villa have drawn five of their last six home games and their only win came against a poor Burnley side. Everton have drawn their last two games in the Midlands (2-2 v Birmingham City and 0-0 v Wolves) and have won two, lost two and drawn three of their last seven away league matches.

Also, the last two meetings between these two sides have ended level and three of the last five meetings have been level. Both sides have scored in all of the last five meetings between the teams.

Premier League Picks

Premier League Picks

Today’s main sporting action comes from England, with there being two football matches being played that could decide who will lift the Premier League and Championship titles at the end of the season. BetRepublic.com previews the Premier League match between Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge and the Reading v Newcastle United game at the Madejski Stadium here.

Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers:

Despite not kicking a ball in anger on Sunday, the day was better than Chelsea could have hoped for as Manchester United failed to beat Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur were beaten by Portsmouth in the second FA Cup Semi Final.

All this means that Chelsea top the Premier League by a point having played one less game that Man Utd and they must face a relegated Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final. As a result of the weekend’s action Chelsea are now 4/9 to win both the Premier League and FA Cup with Paddy Power.

WEEKEND FOOTBALL BETTING

This weekend sees three massive clashes around Europe as Real Madrid host Barcelona in ‘El Clasico’ on Saturday and we will find out who will be contesting the FA Cup final. BetRepublic.com previews all three games and provides you some excellent value bets here.

Real Madrid v Barcelona:

This match promises to be the game of the season in La Liga. Real Madrid are top of the table ahead of Barcelona, but both sides have 77 points and Real are one goal better off in the goal difference charts at +57 compared to Barca’s +56.

Paddy Power have Real Madrid as the favourites at 7/5 to win the game as they have won all fifteen league matches at the Bernabeu this season. Despite their awesome performance against Arsenal midweek, Barcelona are the outsiders, but not by much, at 7/4 and the draw is available at 23/10. Barca’s away form has seen them win ten, draw four and lose one match on the road this season. The match at the Nou Camp earlier in the season saw Barcelona emerge with a 1-0 win, but last time these sides met in Madrid Barcelona ran out 6-2 winners.

Europa League Picks

This evening sees the second leg ties from the Quarter Final stage of the Europa League. Fulham hold a 2-1 advantage as they travel to Wolfsburg and Liverpool need to overturn a 2-1 deficit in order to make the final four stages.

We got four from four in the first leg ties, now can we repeat that this time around? BetRepublic.com previews both matches and we’ll be giving you some excellent value bets.

VfL Wolfsburg v Fulham (1-2):

Fulham were looking good to progress in this tie until Wolfsburg scored in the 89th minute of the first leg at Craven Cottage. Now that they have an away goal and knowing that Fulham are fairly terrible on the road, Wolfsburg will be confident that it will be them playing in the Semi Finals of the Europa League.

Wolfsburg went through a major blip earlier in the season, failing to win in seven games at home between mid-October and the end of January, but have come out the other side and have won five of their last seven home games in all competitions.

Fulham, on the other hand, have won only one of their last twelve away games in all competitions. That win was against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup and Roy Hodgson’s side have lost eight and drawn three of the other eleven games.

Champions League Tips

This evening we will find out who will be contesting the first Semi Final of the Champions as CSKA Moscow look to overturn a 1-0 deficit at home to Inter Milan and Barcelona take on Arsenal in the second leg of their Quarter Final match at the Nou Camp.

Sports betting media company www.BetRepublic.com previews both matches for you, and we’ll give you some great value bets as well.

CSKA Moscow v Inter Milan (0-1):

Despite being the stronger of the two sides in Milan last week, Inter will be concerned about progressing to the final four stage as they only have a one goal advantage. However, history is on their side as they have lost only once in fifteen matches against Russian opponents in the Champions league – and that was against Lokomotiv Moscow in 2003.

They have won ten and drawn four of the other fourteen games. Also, they have never lost against CKSA, winning all three matches with an aggregate score of 7-3.

CSKA will not be too concerned about history, although they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seventeen Champions League matches, and will fancy their chances at progressing against the Italian champions.

CSKA have not played since they lost at the San Siro, as their weekend game against Zenit St. Petersburg was called off due to security concerns, and will be well rested compared to an Inter side that beat Bologna 3-0 on Saturday and then had to travel to Russia.

Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals Match 36 IPL (2010)

2010 36th IPL Match start between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals will be played on Today, 5th April 2010, at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur. in the game Day/Night and timing will be 14:30 GMT, 8:00 PM IST.

It's a must-win game for both sides and the loser is likely to find it very difficult to still qualify for the semis. Rajasthan are showing signs of improvement with Shane Watson now in the side and look the call, says Frank Gregan.

Team News

Deccan decided to ring the changes on Saturday, having previously lost three on the spin. Aussie Ryan Harris was thrown straight into the side 48 hours after having arrived from New Zealand. He had an unhappy time of it, conceding 40 runs and taking just the one wicket. VVS Laxman was restored to the line up but his miserable run of form continued as he failed to reach double figures yet again.

Adam Gilchrist was injured during the game on Saturday and had to use a runner when batting; the Chargers will be hoping that their skipper recovers and can lead his team in a game that they are desperate to win.

Donovan Mcnabb Traded to Washington Redskins Super Bowl News

Donovan Mcnabb Traded to Washington Redskins News Update – here we are on the news detail for the most controversial trade in for the super bowl drafts, the 2011 draft isnt out yet, but a lot of predictions are already leaking all over the place,Donovan McNabb who was in the Eagles for 11 years has now been traded to the Washington redskins which is a division rival for the Eagles. The Announcement was made sunday night this April 4, 2010,

The eagles will get the 37th overall pick in this year’s draft in exchange for Donovan Mcnabb, thats the terms for the Donovan Mcnabb Traded to Redskins deal. The 3rd or 4th round pink in the 2011 draft will go to the Eagles.

Former WWE and WCW Wrestler Chris Kanyon Dies

Chris Kanyon (real name Chris Klucsaritis) died Friday night, according to multiple Internet reports. He was 40. Wrestlingobserver.com is reporting that Kanyon’s death is believed to be a suicide from an overdose of pills.

Kanyon – who wrestled in WCW from the late ’90s to 2001 and then worked a few years for WWE – had spoken in the past about suffering from bipolar disorder.

Kanyon was an underrated worker who at one point was dubbed “The Innovator of Offense” in WCW. His first significant role in the company was as masked wrestler Mortis in 1997. He eventually dropped that gimmick and formed The Jersey Triad with Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow in 1999.Kanyon received his biggest push in 2000 after turning on feuding with Page during WCW’s final year in business.