11/09/2008 - McKinney, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Bettencourt birdied the 72nd hole Sunday to earn not just the victory at the Nationwide Tour Championship, but also the money title.
Bettencourt shot a two-under 69 on Sunday and won the trophy with a total of 17-under 267. It was his second win of the year after titling in Oregon in mid-September.
Bettencourt earned $180,000 for the win and that vaulted him past Brendon de Jonge for the money title. Bettencourt was in the mid-90s on the money list this summer, but the win in Oregon, a runner-up in his last start at the Miccosukee Championship and this title gave him the No. 1 spot.
"It's a dream come true," said Bettencourt, who passed a kidney stone earlier in the week. "I started the year off slow. It's something you work for your whole life."
Jeff Klauk fired a six-under 65 on Sunday and took second place at 16-under 268.
Bryce Molder, an overnight co-leader, bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes to shoot an even-par 71. He tied for third place with Colt Knost, who carded a six- under 65, at minus-15.
Despite the late miscues, Molder became the only player to break into the top 25 on the money list at this tournament. The top 25 earned PGA Tour cards for next year, but Molder needed a par on his last to pocket his card.
Chris Tidland was 25th heading into the week. He only managed a one-under 70 on Sunday and tied for 42nd at minus-two. That finish dropped Tidland to 28th on the final money list and on the outside looking in for his tour card.
David Branshaw posted a three-under 68 in the final round to jump into a tie for 11th at minus-10. Unfortunately, it was not enough of a leap and he took the dreaded 26th place on the money list.
"I couldn't have done anything better," acknowledged Branshaw. "I wouldn't have done anything differently."
Bettencourt was in trouble early with a double-bogey at the opening hole. He got back into the lead after three consecutive birdies from the fourth and moved one ahead of Molder with a birdie at the par-five ninth.
Molder, who birdied the eighth to draw even with Bettencourt, birdied No. 10 to tie the pair for first. Bettencourt grabbed the lead with a birdie at 13, but fell back into a tie after a drive into the water at 14 led to a bogey.
Bettencourt and Molder both bogeyed the 16th and were suddenly joined in the lead by Klauk, who snuck up the leaderboard thanks to six birdies, including two at his last four holes.
Molder fell one behind after he could not save par from a bunker at the 17th. Bettencourt parred 17 and was tied for first with Klauk and one clear of Molder.
Bettencourt drove into the right rough, but had a good lie. Molder, now needing at least a bogey to get his card, laid up with his second. Bettencourt hit his second well right of the target, but still on the putting surface.
Molder made his par for his card, which left the stage for Bettencourt.
He had close to 80 feet for his eagle and ran his putt almost six feet past the cup. Bettencourt holed the gutsy putt for the win and the money title.
"It was a tough two-putt," said Bettencourt. "I knew if I could two-putt, I'd move up to No. 1, which is a huge advantage for next year. I'm excited. It's pretty cool."
Peter Tomasulo shot a two-under 69 and took fifth at minus-14. He will be off to the PGA Tour, while Garrett Osborn also posted a 69 for sixth, but did not finish high enough on the money list.
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While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
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