Booty at top of Heisman list
Analyzing odds for upcoming games and events.
College football’s kickoff is only about a month away, so let the Heisman hype begin.
The campaigns will soon start in earnest, trying to promote the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy, to be presented in December.
The chances of some front-runners for the prestigious honor will crash and burn before September is over. The culprits could be a team defeat, an injury or poor individual performance.
A player who will receive a lot of attention is the quarterback of the team many perceive as the best in the country.
John David Booty, who is beginning his second full season as the starter at USC, has history on his side.
Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, his two predecessors at the position, each won the award.
The website VegasInsider.com has Booty as one of two favorites to win the award.
He is +500, meaning a bettor who wagers $100 would win $500 if Booty is named winner of the award.
The other favorite at +500 is West Virginia running back Steve Slaton.
On a team that is much more prone to run than pass, Slaton, a junior, could put up big numbers. As a sophomore, he ran for 1,744 yards and scored 19 touchdowns, including two receiving.
Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden was second to Troy Smith in the Heisman voting a season ago. McFadden, who ran for 1,647 yards and accounted for 18 touchdowns -- running for 14, throwing for three and catching another -- is +600.
Two other players listed by VegasInsider are quarterbacks Brian Brohm, who has struggled with injuries during his career at Louisville, and Colt Brennan of Hawaii.
Brohm is +650 and Brennan, who threw an NCAA-record 58 touchdown passes last season, is +800.
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Horse racing
One thing that is guaranteed to happen at the start of every Del Mar meet is that at least one trainer will get off to an extremely fast start.
Peter Miller has done so in 2007, winning with his first four starters Wednesday and Thursday.
The average win price on the quartet was more than $10, topped by an $18 victory Thursday by Princess Susan M. Miller has one starter on today’s card. He will saddle McNasty, a recent $16,000 claim for owners Cecil and Gary Barber, in the third race, a $25,000 claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs.
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The Odds
Example of a -140 favorite: In order to win $100, you would have to bet $140. Example of a +130 underdog: A $100 bet would win you $130.
Major League Baseball
National League
*--* Favorite Underdog at Chicago -165 Arizona +155 Colorado -120 at Washington +110 at Dodgers -155 New York +145 at Milwaukee -135 San Francisco +125 at Florida -130 Cincinnati +120 at Atlanta -140 St. Louis +130 at Pittsburgh -105 Houston +105 at San Diego -135 Philadelphia +125
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American League
*--* Favorite Underdog at New York (G1) -220 Tampa Bay +200 at New York (G2) -190 Tampa Bay +180 Seattle -220 at Toronto +105 at Boston -110 Chicago +160 at Detroit -300 Kansas City +240 Angels -140 at Minnesota +125 Cleveland -160 at Texas +130 at Oakland -120 Baltimore +210
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Copyright 2007 World Features Syndicate, Inc.
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ON THE WEB
* For Bob Mieszerski’s Del Mar Handicap and Insider Trading, go to latimes.com/horseracing.
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