Benzema's brace helps Real cruise past Racing

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02/18/2012 - Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Karim Benzema netted a goal in each half as Real Madrid coasted to a 4-0 win over Racing at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

The result stretches Madrid's lead to 13 points over second-place Barcelona, which hosts Valencia on Sunday, while Racing remains in the bottom three, two points from safety.

Cristiano Ronaldo got the hosts off to a quick start as he had the ball in the net after just six minutes when he nodded home a headed pass from Kaka a few yards from goal.

Racing was then reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute when Domingo Cisma picked up a second yellow card after he handled the ball just outside the penalty area.

Benzema scored on the stroke of halftime to double the lead after he was played into the area on the left and threw a shot at the net from a tight angle that found its way past goalkeeper Tono.

Angel Di Maria's goal in the 73rd minute made it 3-0 as he scored with a well- struck shot from outside the area, while Benzema tallied his 13th goal of the campaign in the 89th on a deflected shot that gave Tono no chance.

Getafe 1, Espanyol 1

Getafe, Spain - Getafe and Espanyol shared the points at the Alfonso Perez Coliseum on Saturday as each side netted a second-half goal in the 1-1 draw.

Getafe had the better of the play in the first half but fell behind in the 66th minute when Alvaro Vasquez beat the offside trap and fired his shot past goalkeeper Miguel Moya.

But the home side was back on level terms four minutes later when Miku was brought down inside the penalty area by Thievy Bifouma, allowing the Venezuelan to pick himself up and beat goalkeeper Francisco Casilla from the spot.

Espanyol remains in fourth with the result but can be passed by a handful of teams in Sunday's matches, while Getafe stays in the middle of the table.

Sevilla 2, Osasuna 0

Seville, Spain - Sevilla snapped an eight-game winless run on Saturday by handing Osasuna a 2-0 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Gary Medel fired Sevilla in front with a shot from outside the penalty area following a pass from Alvaro Negredo in the 16th minute.

But despite having the better of the play the home side wasn't able to kill off the match until stoppage time with Jesus Navas finding Piotr Trochowski in the center of the penalty area and the striker placing the ball into the upper corner of the net.

Sevilla climbs into the top half of the league after the win, with Osasuna having won once in seven games to stay in eighth.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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