Levin grabs lead at delayed Phoenix Open

Golf Betting Lines

02/03/2012 - Scottsdale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spencer Levin was already having a good round before he drove into the bunker at the par-four 17th hole. He was leading by several strokes and still had a good chance for birdie.

But he holed the 37-foot chip shot for eagle and took control of the Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. And by the time the second round was suspended Friday, Harrison Frazar had climbed into contention.

Levin fired an eight-under 63 on Friday to move to 14-under-par 128, while Frazar is alone in second at 11-under through 15 holes. Frost delays on both Thursday and Friday morning have set the tournament back.

Play was suspended Friday evening at 8:07 p.m. (et), and the second round will resume Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m.

John Huh shot a 66 on Friday to move to eight-under overall. He is tied for third with Webb Simpson, who completed his round of 69 as darkness fell on the course.

Kyle Stanley -- a runner-up last week at the Farmers Insurance Open after blowing a three-shot lead on the final hole -- shot a 66 on Friday and is seven strokes behind Levin in fifth. Ryan Palmer and Jason Dufner, co-leaders after the first round, are another shot back in a large group tied for sixth.

Levin, who has never won on the PGA Tour, had to finish his first round Friday morning after the frost delay. But the 27-year-old came out strong. He needed to play three holes to complete his first round and birdied the first of them on his way to a 65.

That put him within one stroke of the lead. He was in a similar position last week, when he shot an opening-round 62 to grab a share of the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open. Levin then posted a 76 in the second round and fell out of contention.

But to say he avoided a similar slip-up Friday is a bit of an understatement.

Levin posted consecutive birdies on the first two holes and the fifth -- all par-fours. After making six consecutive pars around the turn, he birdied the 12th and 13th to move to 11-under overall.

Another birdie at No. 16 led him to the 17th, where he aggressively drove his tee shot 345 yards into the bunker at the rear side of the green. He then lined up the chip shot, which bounced and skidded to a roll before curling into the cup around the left side of the flag.

The 92nd-ranked player in the world, Levin is in good position to grab his first PGA win. He came close to winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic last February, but lost in a playoff to Johnson Wagner.

Frazar shot 66 in his first round, and was in the afternoon wave Friday. He got off to a good start, with birdies on two of his first four holes, beginning from the 10th tee.

Then, three consecutive short birdie putts from No. 15 -- all around six feet -- moved him to 10-under going around the turn to the first hole, which he also birdied to get within three strokes of the lead.

Palmer was alone in front after Thursday, when he shot a 64, while Dufner grabbed a share of the lead after completing his first round on Friday.

Palmer was still in the mix after a birdie at the fifth on Friday, but he bogeyed the ninth to start a tumultuous stretch. Including No. 9, he had five bogeys and three birdies during a nine-hole run, and ended with a one-over 72 to tumble down the leaderboard.

Dufner started off poorly -- recording a bogey and double-bogey within in first seven holes -- and never recovered. He also ended with a 72.

NOTES: Levin has never held the lead at a PGA Tour event after 36 holes...Ben Crane (67), Bubba Watson (70), Bo Van Pelt (71) and Derek Lamely (70) are also tied for sixth with Palmer and Dufner...Jeff Overton withdrew from the tournament because of a left wrist injury...The cut will likely fall at even- par 142. Among those who missed it were Davis Love III and Anthony Kim (143), Angel Cabrera (145), Y.E. Yang (146), Vijay Singh and Mark Calcavecchia (151).

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

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