Chelsea expects to grab one of three remaining spots

Soccer Betting Lines

12/08/2008 - London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With 13 of the 16 spots in the knockout round already decided, there is room for just three more teams in the next round of Europe's premier club competition.

European heavyweights Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal, Juventus, Liverpool and Real Madrid have already secured passage, but last season's finalists, Chelsea, are not safe just yet.

The Blues are part of a Group A picture that has yet to come into focus. The group is the only one of eight that has yet to place even one team in the last 16.

Roma sits on top of the group with nine points and will clinch the top spot with a win over Bordeaux at home. However, if Bordeaux is able to pull off the upset, it would force Chelsea to earn three points at home against CFR Cluj, the only team that cannot advance.

Despite the fact that the Blues have yet to secure a spot in the next round, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is approaching the game like any other.

"It is one more game. It's important for our qualification for the next phase, but it is the same as other games," Scolari told the club's official website. "Three points and we need to win because if we win the game we are in the second round."

Midfielder Frank Lampard received a red card in Chelsea's last game against Bordeaux, and he will not play, while winger Florent Malouda is also out. Joe Cole is expected to be back in the lineup, however, offsetting Malouda's absence.

The only other spot up for grabs is from Group B, where Inter Milan is safe and waiting to be joined by either Panathinaikos or Anorthosis. Inter will visit Werder Bremen, which still has a chance at dropping to the UEFA Cup, while Panathinaikos meets Anorthosis at Athens Olympic Stadium and needs only a draw because they lead the Cypriot side by one point.

Group C has been totally decided with Barcelona through as group winners, while they will be joined by Sporting in the next round. Shakhtar Donetsk is headed for the UEFA Cup and visits Barca on Tuesday, while last-place Basel entertains Sporting.

Atletico Madrid and Liverpool are level on 11 points at the top of Group D, and while both are already through, they still must decide a group winner. Madrid holds a slight edge in goal difference and travels to Marseille, while Liverpool visits PSV.

Group E must still determine a winner as well, with Manchester United and Villarreal sitting even on nine points. United will go through as the top team if they can beat AaB at Old Trafford, while Celtic, which has been eliminated from European competition, hosts Villarreal.

Bayern Munich and Lyon will determine the top team in Group F when they meet at the Stade de Gerland, while the UEFA Cup spot will go to Fiorentina as long as they don't lose at Steaua Bucharest.

Arsenal visits FC Porto with a two-point lead over the Portuguese side, although both teams are already through. The UEFA Cup berth will be decided at Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium in Ukraine as Dynamo Kyiv needs only a draw against last-place Fenerbahce.

Juventus is on top of Group H by two points and will clinch the group with a home victory against BATE Borisov. Real Madrid is also through but will clinch the top spot only with a win over Zenit St Petersburg and a loss by Juve. Zenit, the defending UEFA Cup champions, will have a chance to defend that title no matter what happens in Spain.

Soprtsbook Soccer Betting News

<< Packers T Tauscher done for year with torn ACL
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Mark Tauscher is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Houston Texans. "It's an ACL tear," Packers head coach

<< Illness ends Somebeachsomewhere career
Dover, DE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Leading Horse of the Year candidate Somebeachsomewhere has been scratched from Monday's Matron Stakes elimination race at Dover Downs due to illness. The three-year-old pacer came down with a high t

<< Astros claim KC reliever off waivers
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have claimed right-hander Jeff Fulchino off waivers from the Kansas City Royals. Fulchino appeared in 12 games for the Royals last season, going 0-1 with a 9.00 earned run average, whi

<< Around FCS: Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pillsbury Doughboy didn't perform mascot duties at any of the four stadiums this past weekend for the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championships, but he would have felt right at home with

<< This Week in Golf - December 11th through December 14th
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - MERRILL LYNCH SHOOTOUT - Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida - At last year's Merrill Lynch Shootout, Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia birdied the final hole to beat tournament-host Greg Norman

Springfield recalls Goulet, Constant >>
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Springfield Falcons recalled forward Stephane Goulet and defenseman Ryan Constant from their ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder, the American Hockey League club announced on Monday. Goulet star

Lemieux attempting unprecedented comeback >>
Worcester, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Claude Lemieux, a veteran of 20 NHL seasons with five different teams, began feeling a tug early this year. The tug came from the heart of a player who posted 379 goals, 406 assists and 1,756 penalty minut

Broncos' Hillis done for the season >>
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Broncos rookie fullback Peyton Hillis will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his hamstring in Sunday's 24-17 win over Kansas City. Hillis, who will be placed on injured rese

Once more, UConn a unanimous No. 1 >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Connecticut was once again selected the unanimous choice as the top-ranked women's basketball team, according to the latest Associated Press poll released on Monday. The Huskies (6-0) received all

Tigers ink Everett >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers have signed shortstop Adam Everett to a one-year contract on Monday. The Detroit Free Press reports the deal is pending a physical, but is believed to be worth $1 million plus incenti

Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.