Inter Milan brass taking massive gamble with Balotelli sale
Soccer Betting Lines
07/26/2010 -
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With reports surfacing that Inter Milan are
prepared to transfer Mario Balotelli to Manchester City for a fee in the range
of 30 million Euros, the young star's tumultuous time with the club seems to be
at an end.
The 19-year-old Balotelli is a supremely gifted player with the ability to use
his strength and quickness to elude opponents and create quality scoring
opportunities. Even at a young age, the skill set the young Italian possesses
is of an elite nature.
Should Balotelli continue to progress, he could eventually become one of the
best players in the world, a factor that makes his sale a reluctant one for
Inter. It should be noted that Inter does not need to sell Balotelli at this
point as a result of any financial constraints - they're choosing to because of
issues with his character.
While Balotelli does possess top-level skill, his mental stability and petulant
behavior has caused concerns in Milan, so much so that some fellow teammates
reportedly want to see him removed from the team's roster. Spats with Inter
fans and former coach Jose Mourinho are well-documented, while his appearance
on national television wearing heated rival AC Milan's jersey did not sit well
with Inter supporters, to say the least.
So intense were his issues with Mourinho that he was benched for long stretches
throughout the season, the last for throwing his jersey on the ground after
fans booed him for a poor display in a Champions League match against
Barcelona.
Balotelli is without question lacking maturity at this point in his career, yet
it didn't stop some of the top clubs in Europe from inquiring about his
services. The growing pains for Balotelli have been a constant throughout his
career, but were not surprising given that he's been under the microscope since
the age of 17.
His conflicts with coaches and fellow players are alarming, but will likely
lessen once Balotelli matures in age and is taken under the wing by an
established soccer mind. Balotelli's former Inter coach and current Manchester
boss Roberto Mancini seems adept at taking on such a challenge and it's one
that could reap huge benefits for both Balotelli and Mancini.
Considering his age, the risk of bringing in Balotelli from a Manchester City
point-of-view is minimal, and the club's new owners have declared they'll spend
whatever money is necessary to compete in the English Premier League, along
with contending in other European competitions.
The risk is much greater for Inter, considering the club's reputation in parts
of Italy. With a roster boasting very few Italian players, the sale of
Balotelli will likely not sit well with purists who believe Italian clubs
should groom their own home-grown players over foreigners. While the sale
amount of 30 million Euros is nothing to groan about, if Balotelli is able to
put both his mental and physical game together, he will likely be worth double
that amount in a few short years.
With Rafa Benitez taking over the club from departed manager Jose Mourinho, the
opportunity is there for a fresh start for Balotelli at Inter. The Spanish
manager has the chance to instill a vote of confidence in the young star that
he felt was waning with Mourinho. Whether or not Balotelli has burned too many
bridges over the last few seasons to make that possibility a reality is
questionable at this point. One thing that's not in question is Balotelli's
skill set, but whether he takes advantage of such talent is squarely on the
shoulders of the young Italian himself.
It's said that patience is a virtue and, in the case of Balotelli, it could
prove either a catastrophic risk or magnificent judgement. At this point, it
seems to be a 50-50 proposition but one that could see Manchester City benefit
much more than Inter Milan, should the sale go through.
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(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.
MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.
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September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
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The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
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Ryder Cup Odds
Europe
Tie
USA |
4-5
10-1
6-5 |
Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
Tiger Woods
Jim Furyk
Phil Mickelson
Chris DiMarco
David Toms
Stewart Cink
Chad Campbell
Scott Verplank
Zach Johnson
Vaughan Taylor
JJ Henry
Brett Wetterich |
9-4
4-1
5-1
7-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
50-1 |
Ryder Cup Top European scorer
Sergio Garcia
Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Colin Montgomerie
Darren Clarke
David Howell
Lee Westwood
Paul Casey
Henrik Stenson
Jose Maria Olazabal
Paul McGinley
Robert Karlsson |
5-1
5-1
6-1
13-2
8-1
9-1
9-1
11-1
12-1
12-1
20-1
25-1 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com
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