Let's take a look back at the week that was in the sports betting world:

- Sometimes inexperience can pay off.

Going into the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, the home side Americans were not only missing Tiger Woods, they were missing significant veteran experience, as U.S. captain Paul Azinger had six first-timers amongst the members of his team-Ben Curtis, J.B. Holmes, Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker and Boo Weekley.

What did he have to lose? It had been nine years since the U-S of A had last taken the biennial event so a change might do some good and did it ever.

In front of a pro-American crowd on American soil, the underdog U.S. side beat Europe 16½-11½, paying out at +110 for their backers.

- Turning to college football, much to the chagrin of fans on the West Coast, who got Georgia vs. Arizona State, the big LSU vs. Auburn matchup was only on TV on the East Coast….and what a game it turned out to be. The LSU Tigers justified being 2.5-point road favorites, covering the points in a close fought 26-21 win over the Tigers.

Considered by many to be one of the early surprises of the 2008 college football season, the East Carolina Pirates came into the week ranked No. 15 in the AP and No. 17 in the USA Today polls and were favored by a TD going into North Carolina State to play the Wolfpack on Saturday.

There was even talk of a possible BCS bowl appearance for the Pirates, but unfortunately for them, NC State played the role of spoiler, handing them a 30-24 loss; it was a quick and long tumble for East Carolina, who woke up Monday morning to find they were ranked 23rd in the AP while falling completely out of the USA Today's Top 25.

- We're into the final stages of the NASCAR season and the last eight races could be wild as Greg Biffle won his second race in a row at the Camping World RV 400 at Dover International Speedway and finds himself with a real shot at the Sprint Cup, 30-points behind Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards who are tied for the lead atop the standings.

SPORTSBETTING.COM has Biffle listed at +600 to take this year's Sprint Cup.

- Bet you didn't see this coming.

Even without Tom Brady in the lineup, the New England Patriots were expected to beat up on the Miami Dolphins yesterday, after all this is the team that went 1-15 last year and is currently being built up from the ground up by the Big Tuna, Bill Parcells; Oddsmakers had the Pats favored by 12.5-points.

But every underdog has its day and through the use of the "Direct Snap" play popularized by RBs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas, Miami RB Ronnie Brown figured in five scoring drives-four rushing TDs and one passing TD-and the Dolphins' defense got to QB Matt Cassel, sacking him four times in an unexpected 38-13 drubbing. Those few Dolphin moneyline bettors had quite a smile all Sunday afternoon we're sure, while many parlay and teaser bettors watched tickets burn up with that big upset.

- In MLB, the New York Yankees closed the doors on Yankee Stadium with a 7-3 trouncing of the Baltimore Orioles and covered as a heavy -232 favorite on the Money line.

The Yanks are 6.5-games behind the hated Boston Red Sox for the Wild Card berth and with only six games left, they're done (the Yanks are listed at +500,000 to make the playoffs as the AL's Wild Card team).

The Milwaukee Brewers stopped a three-game slide beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-1, covering at +114 on the Money line, and just in time too. The Brewers are currently just 1.5-games back of the New York Mets for the National League Wild Card berth and are the odds-on at SPORTSBETTING.COM at -300.

- Shootout Part II!

For the second week in a row the Monday nighter served up a shootout, as the San Diego Chargers took out their early season frustration on Brett Favre and the Jets. Coming in as 8.5 to 9-point favorites, the Chargers spotted the Jets an early 7-0 lead, but underdog bettors barely had time to settle in before the scoring onslaught went against them.

San Diego rang up 31 points in the first half and added another 17 in the second half enroute to a 48-29 win and cover.

Next week's Monday night matchup features Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh. Hard to believe they will put up 75 or more points for the third week in a row, but hey, you never know.

The NCAA and NFL football seasons are warming up and the MLB playoffs beckon; it's the most wonderful time of the year ain't it?

Have a good week.

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