Marseille eyes top spot against Lyon

Soccer Betting Lines

12/12/2008 - Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marseille can overtake Lyon for the top spot in France's Ligue 1 on Sunday when the top two teams meet at Stade de Gerland.

Marseille has won two times in its last five visits to Lyon, but the seven-time defending league champions haven't lost at home this season in eight games.

Marseille, which tied Atletico Madrid 0-0 on Wednesday in the Champions League to make the UEFA Cup, is unbeaten in its last three league matches. The team is unbeaten on the road this season in Ligue 1 play.

Ex-Lyon star Hatem Ben Arfa will make his first trip to Lyon since transferring in the summer, and start a rivalry against former teammate Karim Benzema.

The two goalscorers exchanged verbal jabs recently, but the young French stars will have to do their talking on the field this weekend.

"He's not my friend, but I respect him as a player. He's a very good player, in fact," Benzema said. "He achieved some good things at Lyon, and he's started the season well at Marseille.

"He can cause us a lot of problems."

Ben Arfa is tied for the team lead at Marseille with six goals, a total equaled by teammates Bakari Kone and Mamadou Niang - who won't play after breaking his foot against Nice.

Niang's absence leaves a void in the top offense in Ligue 1. Marseille has 33 goals through 17 matches, nine more than Bordeaux and Lille.

Benzema leads Lyon with nine goals in league play but the club has just 22 this season. Benzema also has five goals in the Champions League, tied with Bayern's Miroslav Klose, Barcelona's Lio Messi and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard at the top of the scoring chart.

Lyon has struggled in league play recently, going winless in its last three and in four of its last five. Lyon also lost to Bayern in the Champions League this week, 3-2.

"I'm not disappointed," Lyon coach Claude Puel said after the defeat, which saw his side slip to second in the final group standings.

Lyon fell behind 3-0 in the game and played much better in the second half, and Puel hopes that play carries into the league this weekend.

Lyon's proven it can contain good offenses at times, allowing just 12 goals all season in league play. But this weekend's test against its top title rival will go a long way in determining whether an eighth title awaits.

On Saturday, Toulouse hosts St. Etienne, Le Mans hosts Bordeaux, Sochaux hosts Caen, Auxerre hosts PSG, Nancy hosts Grenoble, Valenciennes hosts Monaco and Rennes hosts Nantes.

Also Sunday, Le Havre hosts Lorient and Nice hosts Lille.

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MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

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