City out to prove itself against Chelsea

Soccer Betting Lines

10/26/2007 - London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has made quite a splash in his first year as manager at the club, leading the team to seven wins in their first 10 games and a third-place position in the league table.

However, Eriksson has made it known that he doesn't expect City to finish among the top four, which means that a dip in the team's results at some point is inevitable.

While Eriksson has gotten the most out of his team so far, he knows that Chelsea is clearly the more talented team and that many around England are still questioning how good this City team really is.

Manchester City was not expected to turn things around so quickly after finishing in the bottom half of the table last season, but Eriksson has gotten good efforts from players like Blumer Elano and Martin Petrov to carry the team.

While City is not a dazzling side to watch, they are quite effective in what they do. The club is solid defensively and has a way of getting timely goals when they matter most.

Elano especially has risen to the occasion recently, scoring four goals in the team's last three games, including two game-winners.

The 26-year-old midfielder was signed from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in August, and he has proven to be one of many good signings by the new Swedish manager.

Chelsea enters the match four points behind City and is looking to build momentum for a run at the top teams. The Blues are currently seventh in the Premiership table, but their talent is top notch.

Eriksson knows all about striker Didier Drogba in particular, who has scored three goals in City's last two trips to London, but Eriksson also knows that Chelsea is not just about Drogba's brilliance.

"We don't have a special approach for Drogba but we have trained on certain things (this week) and talked about it," Eriksson said. "We'll carry on talking about Chelsea up until the game itself. We won't mark Drogba man-for- man, we won't change many things but you have to be aware that he's strong, has great technique and he's quick. If you are in the wrong position against him, it's goodnight."

Drogba has yet to find his top form this season, scoring just twice in six games for a Chelsea team that has struggled to find goals all year.

The team is among the worst in goals scored this year, but with the likes of Drogba, Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien, that can all change very quickly.

In other action in England on Saturday, bottom-half clubs Birmingham and Wigan get together at St Andrews Stadium, Manchester United tries for its eighth consecutive EPL win against Middlesbrough, Newcastle has put together two straight wins and will try for a third when the club visits Reading, Fulham and Sunderland look like teams that will struggle to avoid relegation this season and they meet up at the Stadium of Light and West Ham travels to Fratton Park for a contest against Portsmouth.

On Sunday, Liverpool hosts Arsenal in a big clash near the top with both sides unbeaten but Arsenal having won eight of its nine games while Liverpool has claimed just five victories. Bolton sits at the bottom of the table and hosts Aston Villa, Everton has lost its last two games and visits Derby and Tottenham, with just one win in 10 games, entertains Blackburn.

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Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.