Two share lead in France

Golf Betting Lines

06/14/2007 - Lumbres, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ireland's David Higgins and Australian David Bransdon each posted rounds of six-under-par 65 to share the lead after the opening round of the Open de Saint-Omer.

Another Australian, Simon Nash, is one stroke further back at minus-five on the Val Course at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club. Seven more players are tied for fourth at four-under-par 67.

The first round was completed despite an 80-minute weather delay.

Higgins got his round going with a birdie on the par-four third. He birdied the eighth and came right back with an eagle on the par-five ninth to make the turn in four-under.

The Irishman was not finished. He birdied the 10th to grab a piece of the lead at five-under.

Higgins parred six in a row, then birdied the 17th to get to six-under. He parred the last to grab a share of the first-round lead for the third time in his career.

"I have been playing well for the last two months, but I haven't been finishing the tournaments off the way I should have so it's great to start the way I did today," said Higgins.

Bransdon played the back nine first Thursday. He reeled off five straight birdies from the 11th to grab a share of the lead. He parred his next five holes around the turn.

"That was a very satisfying start," Bransdon stated. "A nice little par on the 10th and then I reeled off five straight birdies. I was trying to recall the last time that happened and I struggled to remember to be honest."

The Australian climbed to six-under with a birdie on the par-four third. Bransdon closed with six consecutive pars to share the lead with Higgins. Bransdon leads after one round for the first time in his career.

"Six-under is not a bad round," said Bransdon. "I have started to show some form over the last few weeks."

Daniel Denison, Michael Lorenzo-Vera, Santiago Luna, Carl Suneson, Marcus Higley, Anders S. Hansen and Raphael Eyraud are the seven tied for fourth at minus-four.

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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

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While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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