Olympic Curling 2010

Betting on and watching women's curling is just not good for the blood pressure. Here is Japan, yet to play a game under in this tourney, throwing their lead stones in the house, playing very defensive. Two blank ends to start the game, meaning already our over is in serious jeopardy. Then we get a flash from the Danish lead, setting up an end finally with some rocks in play and our good buddy Meg, (yes, the same one, I thought I was getting a steal with at the beginning of this event at+5000) lives up to her 60% shooting this week, by flashing her first hit and jamming her double attempt, to give Denmark a free draw for three and getting us back in the ball game, on our over. Thank you Meg.

I still don't get this high fiving, when you miss a shot. I much prefer the old school, slamming of a broom.

Almost a fantastic finish to the round robin, but for a puzzling call by Japan in the 9th. On her first skips rock, she has a chance to split the house to pretty much guarantee herself a deuce and only be one down coming home. Instead she tries a very difficult freeze, misses it and the Danes get the double for the blank. Japan comes up light on her draws in the 10th so Denmark doesn't even have to throw their last rock, eliminating any chance for a point and costing us our total.

Will be back later as I am looking to see if they hang a total in the Sweden/GBR game. I have made two plays today.

GBR 3.13 units to win 2.5 vs Sweden.

Swiss to win the gold medal, 2.5 units to win 16.3. I realize she very well may not get by Bedard, but these odds are sure worth it. Ott after starting off 0-2, has won 7 games in a row. Although Cheryl has beaten her the last three times, all were by one point and she barely got by a rock in the four foot, to beat her at the beginning of the round robin. To me it is worth the play.

Tough one on Great Britain, Murdoch had his hit and roll chance in 10 but didn't do it. Kudos' to Edin, they played well.

For the playoffs. I have a future on Sweden to win the women's, so the only play I am going to have on that game is over 12.5, 2 units to win 3. I am not convinced it will come in, but I think it has a decent shot, and the fact the over is at +148, that is too good to pass up. I think Sweden has a good shot at winning this game. This is Norbergs last kick at the cat, she has the hammer and we will see if the wily vet, can avenge her loss to Wang in the World Championships last year.

Swiss +1.5, +2.48 units to win 2 and the under 12.5. 3.96 units to win 3. Bernard likes to play things conservative and it has worked out well for her this week. I see this as being a 6-5 type game, so I am grabbing this under.

Men's, Nor/Swiss under 11.5. 4.1 units to win 3.5. The Swiss really are a conservative team also, if they can force Norway to one early, I could easy see a string of some blank ends so I will give it a run. I don't think the Swiss will win, but I might grab them at +1.5

Canada -1.5 -208? What do you think?

GL

Well, I thought we were going to get our over in the 8th end of the Sweden game, when Norberg had a hit for four and rolled out. I figured it was a loss, but bless those Chinese ladies for playing one more end to give us the point we need to get our over.

6-4 Canada playing 10, my under and +1.5 bet are coming right down to the wire.

Seymour, even though I swore I would never do this again, after laying -178 -1.5 with the Sweden women and watching their hats get handed to them by Russia, I bit and took Canada this morning -1.5, at -200. I have been impressed with Sweden and it is a high price to pay, but Canada is just so strong. I really think they will be even more keyed up, now that Murdoch has gone home. I bit and put 10 units to win 5 on it. Also put 2 units on the over 11.5 at +102.

Wow. Ott, makes a peach on her first and then can't hit and stick on her second, giving us winners on both bets. Good for Cheryl for battling and making that last shot, if she ticks the front, could have been a draw for three. I had a chuckle at Ott's third tossing her broom after the last shot. Tough not to be frustrated when your skip shoots in the 60's. Setting up to be a great final tomorrow.

2-0 to open the day, and some decent eye-candy for the final.

I don' t like that price on the Canadian men.  I'm not sure "keyed up" is a good thing in this sport, and the Swedes are good shots to be unaffected by the environment. Leaning toward the over.

Good job, but man are you lucky. There's no way China should have played that 9th end and there's no way Ott should have missed that last shot.

Lucky to be good I guess...

I certainly had no business hitting that under, that is for sure Ang. Maybe I still get my +1.5 bet in the extra, but very possibly I go 0-2.

I was surpised China played also, makes no sense to me. I figured I was good the end before, when Sweden had an open hit for four and got it going a little. I felt robbed, for thinking I lost the bet and when I saw China keeping gloves on for the 9th, I felt I had just stolen a win.

You are very correct though, that I can think of about 6 games this week, 4 to the good thankfully and only 2 to the bad, where some really quirky decisions by the skips (not trying to be sexist, but all of them were women) either helped me at the end of the game or hurt me. These decisions were merely strategy decisions also, nothing to do with throwing a stone.

MR, I don't disagree with you that Sweden could make this a very interesting game. They are young and playing very loose. I think there is one thing though when you are just playing to get into the playoffs versus now not wanting to be the only semi-final player that doesn't win a medal. They might be a bit tighter themselves this game. They have only gone head to head twice, with Martin winning 9-1 and 7-3.

I couldn't blame anyone for wanting to take a stab at +1.5 and getting +189, but something tells me Martin will win this one without breaking too much of a sweat. If he doesn't, I still have an Edin future to win the Gold Medal.

If anyone is curious Norway holds a 4-1 record over the Swiss in the last year, winning two of those games by 1 point and the other two by three points

I agree Ang.

BTW, will you be playing the Brier also? I had a quick scan of the field this year, looks like it is not the talent laden field of the past.

Yeah, I usually do way better on the brier than I do in these international tournaments. Plus, I'm buddies with Nolan Thiessen (lead for Koe) so maybe I can get some inside knowledge.

I suppose "luck" had something to do with it, but one of the reasons I was willing to lay the juice with Canada is that I thought the wheels had been coming off the Ott train for several days now.  Lord, if the Americans hadn't been playing drunk, they'd have won by 6!  I'm not surprised she blew it at the end. 

I'm giong to play the over in the Sweden/Canada match, and throw a little at SWE +400.  Probably lean to the under in the other, as it seems to set up for a 5-4 to Norge. GL, all.  

Good call MR. Like them both a lot.

Be back to discuss later, but I have already made three plays on the ladies medals games,

Swe/Can under 12.5, China/Swis over 12.5 and will be on Swiss.