Gilardino's brace leads Fiorentina past Roma

Soccer Betting Lines

04/25/2009 - Florence, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alberto Gilardino scored a pair of second- half goals as Fiorentina cruised to a 4-1 win over Roma at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Saturday.

Juan Vargas scored a wonderful goal six minutes into the game before Gilardino doubled the lead in the 47th minute.

Roma was then reduced to 10 men as David Pizarro picked up a second yellow card, and Gilardino tallied his second goal of the match before Massimo Gobbi put home a rebound in the 73rd minute and Julio Baptista pulled a goal back for Roma with four minutes to play.

The win lifts Fiorentina into fourth place, one point ahead of Genoa, while Roma falls six points back of the Viola.

The home side wasted little time in settling into the match and they found themselves ahead after just six minutes.

A turnover in midfield by Roma allowed Vargas to take a pass 40 yards from goal and dribble past a defender. He then unleashed a laser into the bottom right corner from 30 yards that gave Roma goalkeeper Artur no chance.

It was a brilliant individual effort by Vargas, but it was nearly canceled out two minutes later on a free kick from Baptista, whose shot went close but sailed just over the crossbar.

The Viola had a shout for a penalty kick in the 22nd minute when Stevan Jovetic was tripped inside the box by Roma's Daniele De Rossi, but the referee was not interested and he waived play to continue.

Roma came close again in the 23rd minute when Marco Motta got into the box on the right and fired wide of the near post, while a corner kick three minutes later was nodded past the left post by Christian Panucci.

The visitors had another good look at goal five minutes before the break when Francesco Totti drew three defenders and slipped a pass to Matteo Brighi at the top of the box, but with only the keeper to beat, Brighi fired wide.

After scoring six minutes into the first half, Fiorentina needed just two minutes to open the scoring in the second half.

Franco Semioli took the ball on the right wing and floated a cross to the top of the six-yard box for Gilardino, and he nodded it inside the far post to make it 2-0.

Roma was swift to carve out another good chance as Baptista beat goalkeeper Sebastien Frey with a low shot, but Fiorentina's Manuel Pasqual cleared the ball off the goal line.

Only the woodwork denied Roma a goal in the 58th minute as a free kick was cleared to the top of the box and volleyed off the crossbar by Marco Cassetti, but one minute later, Roma was reduced to 10 men.

Pizarro picked up a yellow card in the 56th minute for a hard challenge, but he got another in the 59th when he got involved in an altercation with Semioli.

Gilardino took advantage and he fired his side ahead by three goals in the 67th minute to seal the win.

The former AC Milan man appeared to be offsides when he took a long ball down from midfield, but the flag stayed down and Gilardino cut the ball past Cassetti inside the box and fired into the bottom corner.

Gilardino had a chance to complete his hat trick in the 73rd minute, but his header was stopped by Artur, who parried the ball into the path of Gobbi to slam home.

Baptista then spoiled Frey's clean sheet with a good strike into the bottom right corner with four minutes to play.

The other match on Saturday saw Udinese claim a 2-1 win over Chievo as Gaetano D'Agostino scored the winner in stoppage time.

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Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

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