Argentina, Germany ready to move war onto the pitch

Soccer Betting Lines

07/02/2010 - Cape Town, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Argentina and Germany reignited a dormant rivalry four years ago in a World Cup quarterfinal that ended with a melee, and they meet again in the final eight Saturday at Green Point Stadium in what promises to be yet another memorable clash.

Argentina and Germany played in the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals, with each winning once. Four years ago, Germany forced extra time on an 80th-minute goal from Miroslav Klose and won on penalty kicks.

Following the game, the teams exchanged punches and kicks in a scrum Germany's players have not forgotten. Fuel was added to the fire after a friendly match in March, when Argentina manager Diego Maradona mistook Germany player Thomas Muller for a ballboy at the post-match press conference.

Now, in the build-up to Saturday's match, a war of words has ensued as Germans Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm have each questioned Argentina's lack of respect.

Maradona, who played for Argentina in 1986 and 1990, fired back in front of a Fox Sports camera by asking, in his best German accent, if Schweinsteiger was "nervous."

Germany and Argentina didn't need to add anymore attention to a game featuring teams with a combined five World Cup titles, but the latest news has made the quarterfinal as highly-anticipated as any of the four in South Africa.

"There is no fear from us," Schweinsteiger said. "We are confident."

Germany opened the World Cup with an impressive 4-0 win over Australia but the young team, which averages just 25 years of age, dropped a 1-0 match to Serbia.

Since, the dynamic German side has returned to form with a 1-0 win over Ghana, and a 4-1 victory over England in the round of 16. Muller assisted on Mesut Ozil's goal against Ghana, then had two goals and an assist against England.

"Now anything is possible, even if there is a tough nut waiting for us in the next round," said Muller, who also jumped into the war of words this week. The 20-year-old, a threat for Best Young Player, said he will make sure Maradona remembers him after this match.

German veteran Klose stayed out of the discussion this week and said after the win over England the team still has work to do to reach its goal.

"We have always said our goal is the semifinals at least," said Klose, who has played in the last two World Cups when Germany finished second and third.

Argentina cruised through its group with wins over Nigeria, South Korea and Greece by combined scores of 7-1. Argentina then used a pair of goals from Carlos Tevez to defeat Mexico, 3-1, in the round of 16.

Although Argentina has played well in the tournament, Tevez realizes beating Germany "won't be easy."

Nicolas Burdisso is among the Argentina players still around from four years ago, but overlooked the melee in favor of concentrating on a different result.

"The great thing is that the team is improving with every match, and for those of us who were at the last World Cup," Burdisso said, "the Germany match will be a nice opportunity for revenge."

Argentina has not won the World Cup since 1986, when it edged Germany, 3-2. The Germans have not won since 1990, when it won 1-0. So both countries have a lot on the line.

"We're all working hard to achieve something that our country hasn't done for a long time," Argentina goalie Sergio Romero said.

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Betting Football

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.

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