12/04/2008 - Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defender Philipp Lahm believes Bayern Munich will "demonstrate who's meant to be on top" Friday when the defending champions host surprise leaders Hoffenheim.
"We intend to demonstrate who's meant to be on top - and that's Bayern Munich," said Lahm, a German international. "Now's the time to send out the signal."
Teammate Luca Toni, an Italian international, agreed.
"We have a point to make," said Toni, who led the Bundesliga with 24 goals last season. "It's our chance to show them the top spots belongs to us."
Bayern trails Hoffenheim, which was promoted to the Bundesliga this season, by three points entering the clash at the Allianz Arena. Bayern needs a four-goal win to pull in front, but any winning margin will level the teams on points.
The Munich club has overcome a sluggish start and is unbeaten in 14 straight - including four Champions League games - to put the pressure on Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim is just as confident entering the game, which will be broadcasted in 168 countries and could have easily packed a 150,000-seat stadium, according to the amount of ticket requests the team received.
"We have a good chance if we don't hide," Hoffenheim midfielder Sejad Salihovic said. "We're the better team at the moment."
"We're going there to win," added Hoffenheim striker Vedad Ibisevic, who has 17 goals through 15 matches to lead the league this season.
Before the season started, Friday's game was supposed to be nothing more than a blip on Bayern's radar. But with Hoffenheim easily the most surprising team in the world this season, it's not surprising the entire world will be watching.
"Basically, Hoffenheim have nothing to lose," Bayern and German international midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said. "If they win, the nation will rejoice. If they draw, it will bring a smile to plenty of faces.
"And if they lose, nothing will happen."
But if Bayern loses? Well, that would officially mark Hoffenheim's arrival.
Hoffenheim, which doesn't even currently play its home matches in its own city, has been impressive in all but one game - a 5-2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen.
Ibisevic, who wasn't even a star in the Bundesliga 2, has emerged as a world- class striker. Chinedu Obasi and Demba Ba, Hoffe's other strikers, have helped the team lead the Bundesliga with 40 goals scored.
It's an offense that has Bayern concerned, according to central defender Daniel Van Buyten, a Belgian international.
"Hoffenheim always try to create as many chances as possible. Even if they've scored two goals they're always going for the third or fourth goal. That means that the defense has to follow closely and close the gaps," he said. "But the whole team has to help out, otherwise you might get serious problems.
"It's an important and difficult task for us. We want to win by all means to get to the top of the table. Only a win is good enough for that, and it won't be easy to pick up three points."
Bayern midfielder Franck Ribery, a France international, believes it wont just be about scoring when the league's top two offenses meet. Bayern is second with 35 goals this season.
"It's not about how many goals we score. What matters is that we take all three points," said Ribery, who has been a major factor in Bayern's surge.
With two powerful offenses on display, the difference could easily be defense. That edge goes to Bayern - on paper - with Brazilian captain Lucio, Argentinean Martin Demichelis, Italian Massimo Oddo, Van Buyten, and Germans Christian Lell and Lahm available.
Bayern captain and defensive midfielder Mark van Bommel, a Dutch international, and Demichelis are both expected back in the lineup after missing last week's 2-0 win at then second-place Leverkusen.
Hoffenheim, which has won eight of its last nine, is also at full strength with Ba and Obasi having shaken off injuries. But with no real proven superstars in a clash against a loaded squad, Hoffenheim remains the heavy underdog.
But Van Buyten knows Bayern won't overlook Hoffenheim. He even thinks the club can stay in the title race.
"Why not?" Van Buyten said. "They've played 15 games by now and have beaten great teams. They have proved that they deserve their position.
"I think that they could compete for a place in the Champions League."
Notice, though, that Van Buyten didn't say the title. That, everyone in Munich believes, is still Bayern's to lose.
On Saturday, Monchengladbach hosts Bayer Leverkusen, Energie hosts Stuttgart, Schalke hosts Hertha Berlin, Karlsruhe hosts Werder Bremen, Eintracht hosts Bochum and Arminia Bielefeld hosts Borussia Dortmund.
On Sunday, Wolfsburg hosts Hannover and Koln hosts Hamburg.
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MySportsbook.com favors Bears, Bengals, Chargers and Colts to remain perfect
LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.
Of the three remaining undefeated teams, only one, New Orleans, enters this week's game as an underdog. Despite an emotional and resounding win over Atlanta on Monday night, the Saints are a 7.5 point underdog against the struggling Carolina Panthers. Indianapolis looks to stay perfect when they face the New York Jets as a 9 point road favorite while the Cincinnati Bengals are a 6 point favorite at home to the New England Patriots.
Six teams enter the week still looking for their first win, with a seventh, Tampa Bay, on a bye week. The prospect of dropping another game would not bode well for a potential playoff run. Since 1990, just three teams -- the 1992 Chargers, 1995 Detroit Lions and 1998 Buffalo Bills -- have overcome losing their first three games of the season to earn a postseason berth. And only the Chargers managed to accomplish the feat after starting 0-4.
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