The Alabama Crimson Tide might have surpassed the Florida Gators in the AP poll as the nation’s No. 1 college football team but the Gators top the first BCS standings of 2009.
Florida was No. 1 in the first edition of the Bowl Championship Series rankings, followed by the aforementioned Tide at No. 2, the Texas Longhorns at No. 3, the Boise State Broncos at the four spot and rounding out the Top 5, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
-The Gators play a road game against the Mississippi St. Bulldogs this week and are 22-point road faves,
-’Bama hosts the Tennessee Volunteers and is favored by 16-points,
-the Texas Longhorns are in Missouri to play the Tigers, listed at -13.5,
-Boise State plays Hawaii in Honolulu and is a massive 24-point fave and
-at -17, the Bearcats of Cincinnati will host the Louisville Cardinals.
The best part of Week 4 preseason is the fact you can see the real season just over the fence...and in this case, we are less than a week away from betting into regular season NFL betting odds on the Week 1 matchups.
But there are still a handful of preseason games remaining. Let’s take a look at three of the matchups from Friday night.
All lines are courtesy online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com
NFL Picks
Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Lines: Houston: - 3 Over/Under: 34
Both teams are 1-2 going into the last preseason game. Houston will sit gimpy QB Matt Schaub to rest his ankle for the home opener against the Jets. Second-string quarterback Rex Grossman has a hamstring injury but will see limited duty. Dan Orlovsky will start and look to improve on his last performance against the Vikings in week three where he completed seven-of-11 passes for 74 yards, with an interception and no touchdowns. Keep an eye on WR Jacoby Jones to continue his strong preseason and rookie running back Arian Foster to get most of the carries. Rookie LB Brian Cushing could see his first preseason action.
Tampa Bay is entering this game after having fired Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and will look to open up the playbook to get better results than their first three games. The Bucs have named Byron Leftwich their starting QB and he will sit this one out handing the reigns over to highly touted rookie Josh Freeman. Luke McCown will also see some time as the Bucs have been quietly shopping him this week. Tampa will sit most of their starters and rely on a backfield of B.J. Askew and Clifton Smith.
Small lean to the home team at +3.
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota: - 3 Over/Under: 36
The Cowboys at 1-2 take on the Vikings in Minnesota who are looking to go 4-0 in preseason.
Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and the rest of the Vikings starters are out. Tarvaris Jackson will start and word is the Vikes are shopping him around the league. Top wide-out Bernard Berrian is still out after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury.
Dallas is 1-2 in preseason and will likely rest all of their starters. Roy Williams will sit out to rest his sore shoulder. The Cowboys are looking to play most of the 3rd and 4th string players.
Proceed at your own risk
San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers San Diego: - 3.5 Over/Under: 37
The last preseason game mercifully wraps up in San Diego with the Niners in town. San Francisco is 3-0 in preseason and the Chargers are 1-2. The Niners will likely go with fifth round pick Nate Davis at quarterback for most of the game. He led the 49ers on an 88 yard scoring drive last week against the Cowboys. His play resulted in the release this week of 12-year veteran Damon Huard. Alex Smith is out with a hand injury and starter Shaun Hill will see limited action.
Hill has completed 14-of-26 passes for 140 yards without a touchdown or interception during the exhibition period to date. The running game has been impressive gaining 5.0 yards per rush. Rookie Glen Coffee has 230 yards on 38 carries and free agent Kory Sheets has 144 on 33 carries and 3 touchdowns.
The Chargers are looking to get most of their starters in for one or two series. LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles will not play. Running back Michael Bennett has three td’s in the preseason and is making a strong push to make the 53-man roster.Small lean to the Chargers
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As the 2009 season is set for kick-off, bettors at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com have been turning up the heat on getting their NFL future wagers in before the Thursday night opening game. One of the popular NFL betting options has been the Offensive Rookie of the Year future odd offering.
Quarterback Matt Ryan won the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season after leading the Falcons to the playoffs. Since 1957, when the award was first given, only three quarterbacks have won the award including Ryan, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 and Tennessee's Vince Young in 2006.
Ryan was a landslide winner in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. He collected 44 votes, far in front of Titans running back Chris Johnson with three.
This year the likelihood of a quarterback winning the award is high since both Mark Sanchez (NYJ) and the No. 1 overall pick, Mathew Stafford (Det) have earned starting jobs. Online sportsbook are offering 8-to-1 odds on either of the two rookie pivots to take the honor in 2009.
At SPORTSBETTING.com, Sanchez has been seeing steady betting volume the last two weeks, with him currently sitting at 16% of all the betting volume for this betting option.
More running backs have won the award than any other position and this year’s rookie class is complete with three top runners.
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) is the favorite, paying back 3-to-1, as the Broncos are expected to use the tailback as a major component of the offense. Denver’s offense is in dire need of a new identity after jettisoning QB Jay Cutler and will rely on Moreno to become a leader.
In his sophomore season at Georgia Moreno compiled 1,792 yards of total offense securing 1,400 rushing yards on 250 carries and 392 yards on 33 receptions while scoring 18 touchdowns.
The Arizona Cardinals selected running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (+400) from Ohio State with their first round pick and he has a good chance of putting up some big numbers in a weak NFC West. He will split carries with Tim Hightower but he will be a difference maker in the Cards offense.
Running back Donald Brown (+500) of the Indianapolis Colts will be splitting carries with Joseph Addai which could initially hamper his ability to match the numbers that Moreno or Wells will put up but he will also be a featured back in the passing game which should enhance his productivity.
Matthew Stafford will have to put up numbers unseen before to win the award, as his team will be hard pressed to win more than five games. Usually the success of the individual is closely linked with the success of his team and it’s hard to see both Stafford and the Lions having the kind of success that would merit the recognition needed to win the award.
Sanchez has a great opportunity to win. The Jets are in the media capital of North America, which will result in a lot more media coverage and votes than the hinterland of Detroit or Denver. The Jets are also a fairly stable team that doesn’t require Sanchez to do much more than manage the offense. New York’s overall success this year hinges on its D.
The top wide receiver going into the draft was Michael Crabtree. Unfortunately, he is still embroiled in a contract dispute with the 49ers so there is no chance he will be considered. A receiver that might get consideration is Minnesota’s Percy Harvin (12-to-1) who will benefit from having Brett Favre throwing him the ball. Harvin had an outstanding career with the Florida Gators and is a threat to go the distance any time he touches the ball.
You can check out all the NFL betting Lines and join the biggest free football contest on the Internet at the trusted and secure online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com.
The original teams of the American Football League are celebrating a 50th Anniversary this year and for all eight of them it’s quite a big deal. Football bettors following these teams through the preseason are in the spirit, too, thanks to an NFL Football betting angle that’s hitting over 70-percent and going strong.
When you add up all the Total numbers at the end of a football season, the Over/Under stats usually finish up close to 50-50. For that reason it is very rare to find an auto-play or even a sports betting trend that can be played blindly and produce a consistent profit. It’s always great for sports bettors when they can find an angle, work on the games that fit the profile and narrow down the best bet on the weekly NFL Football betting board.
There is one select group of teams this year that’s been performing at a consistent rate through the preseason and it’s caught our eye. We;re curious to see if this potential angle is worth watching into the regular season. It’s the original eight AFL teams. It’s the league’s 50th Anniversary this year, and it seems to be getting these teams “up” for their games – in spirit and scoring.
AFL Teams Go “Over”: The original eight teams, as they are now known, are New England, Oakland, Tennessee, Buffalo, the Jets, Kansas City, San Diego and Denver. Each of these teams has played at least three preseason games this year and the 24 matchups have produced 17 overs and 7 unders. That’s better than 70-percent to the high side.
As mentioned earlier, putting a bunch of teams on auto-play is not a sound handicapping method. The law of averages will eventually even things out and once you factor in the juice, the balance at your online sportsbook will look no better than the national budget.
The original eight teams each play one more preseason game before turning their focus towards the regular season. Sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com has reported seeing more action come in on the “Over” side on games involving AFL teams the last two weeks of the preseason.
Here are a few things to consider when handicapping Week 4 of the preseason.
- Straight-up records: Every one of these AFL teams has earned a win so far this preseason except for Oakland and Denver. With new coaches in charge on each team, Week 4 is their last opportunity to get off the shnide and build some confidence for their players (and themselves!).
- Location: Home field may have added benefit this week to some of these teams since so many of them have been hosting pre-game and half-time ceremonies to honour the founders of the league. San Diego lost in its Week 1 home opener and then went on the road for two games, falling in the final seconds last week in Atlanta. Versus a 3-0 Niners team this week one win away from a perfect preseason we are seeing motivational factors for both sides to put up points.
Looking at the most recent game a team has played can lead to reactionary betting but in some cases it can pay off. Buffalo is back at home this week after being shutout by the Steelers in Week 3.
Preseason post-shutout victims the past four years have generated a 4-1 record to the "Over" in their next preseason contest. Couple that with the fact that the Bills have been on the road the past two-straight weeks and their Week 4 opponent, the Lions, needs every bit of momentum they can muster heading into the regular campaign and it presents what could be an excellent opportunity for a high scoring contest.
Good luck with your NFLFootball betting the rest of the way in the preseason.
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NFL future odds, notably we are looking at NFL Team Win Totals, at online sportsbooks hit the board sometime back in May. If you didn’t buy in then, don’t worry, there’s still time to get in your future bets. Smart bettors make sure to get the best numbers possible. It’s important to check the numbers when you’re betting on the NFL.
Betting futures at your online sportsbook through the long, hot days of summer is a good distraction from baseball betting. It takes America’s pastime to the next level. NFL preseason football started with the Hall of Fame game between Tennessee and Buffalo and since then football betting has climbed right back to the top of the gambling chain where it belongs.
Betting activity on Season Win Totals (SWT) hit a new high this year and offshore oddsmakers have had to stay on their toes, adjusting odds daily to keep the balance. Even football bettors that don’t normally make Over/Under bets were poking around and sportsbook managers say it just shows how popular gambling on the sport has become.
If you’re one of the people still on the fence about betting futures, here’s a guideline to which NFL teams have seen the most movement since May. We’ve split the teams into four categories: Up, down, bi-polar, and buy now!
Up Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan had one of the best rookie seasons ever, Michael Turner is a stud, the Falcons made a playoff appearance, and the team’s preseason has been wrinkle free. Take your pick; it all adds up to a pretty package. It has also more than doubled the SWT compared to 2008. Buying "Over" this number is true gambling.
Down Denver and Tampa Bay are racing to catch St. Louis and Oakland for lowest final total. (Detroit doesn’t count). Bettors have been pounding last year’s biggest losers down all summer. Doesn’t anyone remember the Dolphins?
Bi-polar Buffalo Bills: There couldn’t be a more fitting team for this manic department other than the next in line willing to take a shot with Terrell Owens. The hype of signing TO set off a frantic pace of bandwagon bettors and sportsbooks knew they could raise the price. Then everyone seemed to remember what a distraction TO can be and the number came down. When TO showed up and the Bills were getting along nice it crept back up but then preseason started and two things happened. Tom Brady looked amazing and the Bills, well, they just looked like the Bills again.
Buy now! Arizona did us all a favour by making the Super Bowl last year and Capt. Kurt has done us a service staying healthy through preseason. It stabilized things and bought "Under" bettors some time. If you hurry you can still get in at 8.5!
Football Contests
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Taking a look back on the past weekend’s events is a good idea if you are into NFL betting – even when betting on NFL preseason odds. Consider it practice for the real thing.
Most people who enjoy sports betting and particularly, NFL betting, take it easy when wagering on the NFL betting preseason games. Regardless of what you read in the local papers or posting forums and no matter how many sports betting services are on a certain side or total, plans can change. Unpredictability is the nature of the preseason beast.
Reflecting back on the highs and lows of a recent weekend is a sometimes difficult but necessary evil. Marking losses with a bright red marker, a practice that even professional handicappers employ is painful and it stands out. It’s not something they want to make a habit of.
Whether it was a winning or losing week, anyone that got a chance to take in some of the Week 2 action on the NFL Network or one of the national broadcasts was treated to a couple of interesting storylines, plus we get set for contest season with SPORTSBETTING.com’s free football contests (see the details below):
Brett Favre Starts For Vikes:
Ask a single person that lives outside of Dallas or Washington what was the biggest football related event and if they don’t say, “Brett Favre in purple,” they are probably lying.
Favre’s two drives were anti-climactic to say the least, going 1-for-4 and taking a good lick in the process. And it sparks debate as to whether any player, regardless of his stature or place in the record books, should be on the field in a live game after missing most of training camp.
A sidebar to the whole Favre situation was a solid performance by Tavares Jackson (12-15, 202 yards). Maybe we keep Minnesota on the list of teams with QB competitions a little longer?
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It’s free and will add to the fun of the NFL betting season.
Dallas Unveils New Home:
And in Dallas, little Jerry got to show off his new toy, the Cowboys notched an impressive win and everyone in Cowtown went home happy. After looking awful in Week 1, when the NFL lines came out for Week 2 preseason action Dallas was a small home favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans. The Cowboys covered the spread in their first games in the new stadium, sending fans home happy.
It was pretty funny, though, when the punters that had been pelting the new, million-peg light-bright all through practice actually hit it during the game.
Afterwards Jerry Jones said he built that thing to spec and if the league wants to change it they can foot the bill. Wonder which online sportsbook will be the first to offer an Over/Under prop on number of games until the league caves in and pays for the thing to be raised.
Check out the NFL betting lines for Week 3 at SPORTSBETTING.com
Cremins signs extension College of Charleston athletic director Joe Hull announced Friday that men's basketball coach Bobby Cremins has signed a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2013-14 season.
The Cougars have posted a 65-37 record and made a pair of Southern Conference championship game appearances during Cremins' three years at the helm.
Now, with Wildcats' star Stephen Curry gone to the NBAcollege basketball betting, College of Charleston likely will be the favorite to win the SoCon title -- and return Cremins to the NCAA tournament.
"Yeah, we hope to get there one day," he said. "We'll see."
Charleston returns one of the Southern Conference's top players in Andrew Goudelock, who averaged 16.7 points a game -- fourth-best in the league -- and made the postseason all-conference first team. The schedule, though, could make things difficult with games against Clemson, Tennessee and, in Charleston, defending NCAA college basketball betting champion North Carolina.
"I love online basketball betting at College of Charleston and I'm excited about the direction of the program," said Cremins. "I really appreciate the support of the College of Charleston and its administration." Cremins made a name for himself with Georgia Tech, guiding the program to 14 winning seasons and 14 postseason berths in his 19 years as bench boss. The Yellow Jackets won three Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles, one ACC regular-season crown and reached the Final Four in 1990. He departed as the school's all-time winningest coach.
"We are thrilled to have Bobby Cremins as our head basketball coach," said Hull.
"Bobby is a proven winner, a terrific person and a great fit for the College of Charleston." Cremins' trophy case is also full of personal accolades, taking home National Coach of the Year honors in 1985 and 1990, while capturing ACC Coach of Year in 1983, 1985 and 1996.
Online Sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.COM gives more information about Cremins signs extension.
When the wins didn't come as frequently, Cremins was let go by Georgia Tech after the 2000 season. He spent his time as a college basketball analyst and playing tennis on Hilton Head -- until joining the College basketball betting of Charleston.
Cremins would be nearing 67 when his new deal runs out. He's watched Penn State's Joe Paterno coach into his 80s and isn't ready to put a time limit on his basketball coaching career.
After coming off a very exciting season last year, there is plenty of surrounding the 2009 College Football Future odds Season. The 2009 Heisman Trophy Betting Odds have been released and a trio of quarterbacks lead the way. The favorite to win the award is University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Betting Lines have Tebow listed at +200 to win this year's Heisman Trophy Award. Tebow won the award just two season ago when he was only a sophomore. He will be leading a Florida Gators team who is coming into the season ranked as the number one team in the country. Ironically, Tebow led his team to a national title last year but came up short of winning the Heisman. If he is able to win the award again this year, Tim Tebow will join Archie Griffin as the only two time winners of the prestigious award.
The college football gambling season is right around the corner and now would be a good time to get the jump on Heisman Trophy betting.
As it stands, Florida QB Tim Tebow (2007 winner) is the odds-on fave to take the award at +200 followed by Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (last year’s winner) and Texas signal-caller Colt McCoy (+300).
Heisman Trophy ,As it stands, before there has been a single play this season, it looks like a three-man race, just like you would expect it to be with all three of the top finishers in last year’s Heisman voting returning for the 2009 season.
Sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com gives information on 2009 Heisman Trophy betting.
The favorite, though not an overwhelming one, is Tim Tebow at +200 odds. Tebow won the Heisman in 2007 (the first ever sophomore to win the award) and finished 3rd overall in the 2008 Heisman voting despite receiving more 1st place votes than both Sam Bradford (winner) and Colt McCoy (runner-up). This year Tebow’s Florida Gators are the favorite yet again to win the BCS National Championship, and why not? With one of the best coaches/recruiters in the nation in Urban Meyer, and Tim Tebow running the offense, the Gators have a great chance at winning their 3rd national title in 4 years.
Oklahoma starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner has been installed at +275 odds to win the award for a second straight season. Bradford had one of the most prolific passing seasons in NCAA football history in 2008, racking up 4,7020 yards and 50 touchdowns while throwing just 8 interceptions. There are some concerns that the Sooners’ receiving corps aren’t as good as they were last year, but there’s little doubt that Bradford has an uncanny ability to find an open man.
Our expert team of handicappers provides football picks all season long to help you beat the college football future odds!
How do you like the new NFL season so far Titan bettors? Yeah, I feel the same way as I was holding a Tennessee ticket at -3 last Sunday night as well. When the Titans took the safety at the end of the game to win 21-18, that push felt as close to a loss as any pointspread push ever could. And Buffalo bettor s don’t gloat too long, as the sports betting gods have a way of evening these things out.
Now we move on to Week 1 preseason NFL Football betting action. One of the feature matchups for the opening week of preseason betting is scheduled for Thursday night, when we’ll get to see Tom Brady in game action for the first time in 11 months. The Patriots travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles and have been listed as a 3-point underdog. Don’t expect much more than two series from Brady and the same from Donovan McNabb and the Philly starters.
Talking to several sportsbook, it looks like the Patriots are getting the edge from the sports betting community, with New England seeing 65% of the wagering volume.
For all of the latest lines on Thursday’s preseason game, be sure to visit SPORTSBETTING.com.
Despite the wagering volume favoring the Patriots, I’m leaning the other way in this matchup. Yes, Brady has looked good in camp, along with the entire first-string offense. Tossing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, this is going to be an explosive offense again in 2009. While I don’t know if we’ll see the gaudy numbers this crew put up in 2007, led by a healthy Brady, they’ll likely lead the league in most key offensive categories this season.
That said, this is a preseason game, so Brady and McNabb play a very small role in the handicapping process as we look forFootball bets picks. In the preseason, I always pay close attention to the QB position, but it is Week 3 when the first-stringers become very important. This week it is about matching up the backups vs. the opposing second and third string defenses.
New England’s Kevin O'Connell will play a significant role, getting a bulk of the important snaps. On the other side, I’m looking at Kevin Kolb and AJ Feeley. I’ve always liked AJ Feeley in preseason and look for spots to play the Eagles when he is going to get a decent amount of snaps, particularly if they come against third-stringers for a few series. And I think we will get that scenario in this matchup. I expect Feeley, who has had some success as a starter in the league, to look good and move the ball.
Looking at this one, I do like the matchups for Philadelphia after the starters have played a couple of series. I’m laying the -3 points with this preseason bet and playing on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Also, check out the free “Pick The Winners” contest. I play it every week...it’s easy and fun. This week you can pick NFL preseason winners for a shot at a free $50.00...check out the Online nfl betting contest.
Billingsley left his last start against Atlanta on Friday after straining his hamstring on a single. He threw on the side before Monday's series opener against the Giants and still felt the tightness so the Dodgers decided to skip his next start baseball betting game.
All-Star pitcher Chad Billingsley will miss his scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday with a strained left hamstring.
Billingsley was originally scheduled to pitch tonight against the San Francisco Giants and Dodgers skip Joe Torre says that Jeff Weaver will be his replacement.
"The last few pitches I tried to go game-speed and had to shut 'er down," Billingsley said, adding that it felt like a grabbing pain.
SportsbookSPORTSBETTING.com currently has the betting odds For showing the Dodgers baseball lines .
The Dodgers have not decided who will start in Billingsley's place, but the first option is to have Jeff Weaver start and a cast of relievers back him up, since the Dodgers have an off day on Thursday. Billingsley's next turn would be on Monday, and that start remains a possibility. Billingsley said he doesn't feel he needs to go on the disabled list.
"I don't view it as a setback," Billingsley said. "Being only two days and being able to throw almost 100 percent, I'm happy with that."
"Stan feels that he has made significant progress but not far enough along to pitch him on Wednesday," Torre said.
The Dodgers haven't decided on a starter for Wednesday's baseball lines game against Tim Lincecum. Jeff Weaver, who threw three perfect innings of relief on Sunday, and James McDonald are options to come out of the bullpen and start in Billingsley's place. With a day off Thursday and 13 pitchers on the roster, Torre said the team might not need to add another pitcher.
"We don't have a plan yet," Torre said. "Obviously we are going to need one. We don't have one, but we know we have sort of a safety plan knowing we could get it done with the pitchers that we have here."
Billingsley is the Dodgers top pitcher, with an 11-6 record and 3.73 ERA. He has 143 strikeouts in 149 2/3 innings. The Dodgers can ill afford to lose Billingsley for any length of time because of the way they have struggled of late.
Los Angeles entered this crucial series against the second-place Giants having lost 11 of 17 games. The Dodgers still led San Francisco and Colorado by 5½ games in the NL West.
Manager Joe Torre says he hopes Billingsley can return to the mound next Monday and does not need to go on the disabled list. The Dodgers haven't decided on a starter for Wednesday's game against Tim Lincecum. Jeff Weaver is an option after throwing three perfect innings of relief on Sunday.
Weaver is 4-3 SU in his last seven road baseball betting games against the Giants.
Billingsley left his last start against Atlanta on Friday after straining his hamstring on a single. He threw on the side before Monday's series opener against the Giants and still felt the tightness so the Dodgers decided to skip his next start baseball betting game.
All-Star pitcher Chad Billingsley will miss his scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday with a strained left hamstring.
Billingsley was originally scheduled to pitch tonight against the San Francisco Giants and Dodgers skip Joe Torre says that Jeff Weaver will be his replacement.
"The last few pitches I tried to go game-speed and had to shut 'er down," Billingsley said, adding that it felt like a grabbing pain.
SportsbookSPORTSBETTING.com currently has the betting odds For showing the Dodgers baseball lines .
The Dodgers have not decided who will start in Billingsley's place, but the first option is to have Jeff Weaver start and a cast of relievers back him up, since the Dodgers have an off day on Thursday. Billingsley's next turn would be on Monday, and that start remains a possibility. Billingsley said he doesn't feel he needs to go on the disabled list.
"I don't view it as a setback," Billingsley said. "Being only two days and being able to throw almost 100 percent, I'm happy with that."
"Stan feels that he has made significant progress but not far enough along to pitch him on Wednesday," Torre said.
The Dodgers haven't decided on a starter for Wednesday's baseball lines game against Tim Lincecum. Jeff Weaver, who threw three perfect innings of relief on Sunday, and James McDonald are options to come out of the bullpen and start in Billingsley's place. With a day off Thursday and 13 pitchers on the roster, Torre said the team might not need to add another pitcher.
"We don't have a plan yet," Torre said. "Obviously we are going to need one. We don't have one, but we know we have sort of a safety plan knowing we could get it done with the pitchers that we have here."
Billingsley is the Dodgers top pitcher, with an 11-6 record and 3.73 ERA. He has 143 strikeouts in 149 2/3 innings. The Dodgers can ill afford to lose Billingsley for any length of time because of the way they have struggled of late.
Los Angeles entered this crucial series against the second-place Giants having lost 11 of 17 games. The Dodgers still led San Francisco and Colorado by 5½ games in the NL West.
Manager Joe Torre says he hopes Billingsley can return to the mound next Monday and does not need to go on the disabled list. The Dodgers haven't decided on a starter for Wednesday's game against Tim Lincecum. Jeff Weaver is an option after throwing three perfect innings of relief on Sunday.
Weaver is 4-3 SU in his last seven road baseball betting games against the Giants.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded goaltender Justin Pogge to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional 2011 draft pick.
Following the trade, Toronto announced the signing of free agent netminder Joey MacDonald to a one-year contract.
"We are pleased to be able to add a goaltender of Joey's caliber to our roster," said Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke.
"He brings experience and character to our organization and gives us depth at the goaltending position." The 29-year-old MacDonald posted a 14-26-6 record last season in 49 games for the New York Islanders with one shutout and a 3.37 goals-against average. Over 66 career contests with the Isles, Bruins and Red Wings, MacDonald is 17-34-9 with a 3.31 goals-against average.
Pogge made his NHL Hockey bet debut last season for Toronto, appearing in seven games and posting a 4.35 goals-against average with a record of 1-4-1. The 23-year-old Alberta native debuted on December 22 against Atlanta, turning aside 19 shots to get the win.
Taken with the 90th overall selection by the Leafs in the 2004 NHL Hockey Betting draft, Pogge amassed a 26-21-5 record and 2.70 GAA over 53 games for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
GM Brian Burke recently made it clear the Toronto Maple Leafs will part company with Justin Pogge, once considered the team's goalie of the future. Burke is on record as saying he will cut a deal that will put Pogge in a good situation because he appreciates Pogge as a person as well as a player.
Where will he go? One likely place, according the Canada's Sportsnet, is the Anaheim Ducks.
Pogge signed a one-year, two-way deal last month, but the team also acquired the rights to elite Swedish prospect Jonas Gustavsson and has Vesa Toskala as its presumptive No. 1 goalie.
The deal, Sportsnet reports, will bring a late-round pick from the Ducks -- the team for which Burke was GM before parting last season. The pick could increase in value, reports say, depending on how Pogge plays for the Ducks organization.
Pogge would likely be a minor leaguer for either team. Anaheim is set with Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jonas Hiller on the Ducks' roster. If Pogge isn't traded, he would be fourth on the Leafs' depth chart and play for AHL Toronto. James Reimer, a comer for the Leafs, will get the No. 1 role with the Leafs' top affiliate.
Pogge, 23, has yet to prove he can handle an NHL Hockey Betting job and will need to continue his development. He had great success in juniors, appears to be poised in most situations and shows the ability to make key saves in crucial situations. But he must improve his coordination and learn the ways of NHL Hockey Bet players, which can only come with experience.
Hall of Fame weekend has concluded with a Push between the Bills and Titans and Week 1 exhibition action is up next.
The Tennessee Titans are the favorite on the football betting odds for the Hall of Fame game which marks the start to the NFL preseason.
Buffalo has won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these two NFL teams although it was the Titans who escaped with a close win last time the teams met up in 2006.
Online Sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com currently has the betting odds showing the Titans -3 and a total of 31.
The betting odds have seen just a tiny bit of movement on the Bills but these lines really haven’t moved much since Sportsbetting.com added the NFL preseason betting lines to their available betting options.
There are four games in Week 1 NFL preseason on August 13th so let’s take a look at the first of those games and make some betting picks.
M&T Bank Stadium is the home for the NFL preseason week 1 game between the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL Football betting picks in this one will be much clearer after he look at some of the key game points that are likely to affect the outcome.
Amongst the games in the coming week is a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers are 3-point home favorites and the Total is set at 34 for the game, which takes place this Thursday.
Time to raise the curtain on the 2009 NFL betting season, as it all gets going this weekend in Canton, Ohio with the Hall-of-Fame game.
The Hall-of-Fame game NFL Football betting odds have been listed for a while now. The Tennessee Titans are 3-point favorites over the Buffalo Bills, with a Total set at 31. The number has actually moved a little at a number of online sportsbook, with some of them now showing -2.5.
SPORTSBETTING.com reported fairly balanced action over the first few days the line was posted, but Bills money has been showing up lately. Buffalo has 68% of all the action wagered on this one as we head into the weekend.
I think the sports betting public has this one right with the Bills action. I haven’t made a play on the side yet, and actually I rarely have in the Hall-of-Fame game, but I’m definitely leaning to the underdog. I think the Bills will be motivated to pick up a win, and when handicapping preseason Football betting games, motivation is a huge factor.
Coach Dick Jauron is on the hot seat and while yes, this is just an exhibition game, believe me, Jauron and the team do not want to look bad. It will start the sports talk show phone lines buzzing early and have the print reporters already taking shots.
The same can’t be said for Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. He’s one of the most secure coaches in the game, coming off a very successful season. Add in the fact Fisher has never been much concerned with preseason wins (he has a sub-.500 career ATS mark in the preseason). There is absolutely no pressure on him, his staff or players if they drop their preseason games. I’m looking at a Buffalo team that tries to win this game and again, in preseason, if a team tries to win a game they usually do.
Preseason Pick
Let’s look at that Total. On only four other occasions has there been a Total set lower than 31. Take note that in each of those four games they all went “Over” the posted number. I like this one to go “Over” as well. Looking at each teams past preseason scoring averages over the years (both what they score and what they give up), the basic numbers come in around the 37 point-mark. But I also think we’ll see these offenses, most notably the second and third string offenses, be able to put up a few points, enough for us to cash on this “Over” play.
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I was looking over the NFL future odds,Football Bets “NFL Regular Season Win Totals” betting options, looking for an edge. I always like to have a few Season Win Total bets in my pocket by the time the regular season kicks off. For one, I have a pretty good record over the years of making a profit on these future bets, and two, I like having the season-long action, as every weekend, regardless of what single game wagers you make, you’ll also have a betting interest in a few games.
So it was with this in mind that I put my NFL handicapping hat on and was looking over the AFC South division for a possible bet.
Looking at the NFL odds ,Football Bets at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com, the Indianapolis Colts have an Over/Under Season Win total of 10.5. At this point, before camp, I don’t have a feel one way or the other. The same goes for the numbers on Jacksonville (Over/Under 8) and the Houston Texans (Over/Under 8.5).
NFL Picks
But the Tennessee Titans line of Over/Under 9 caught my eye. Tennessee is coming off a near perfect regular season in 2008, sporting a 13-3 mark. I just don’t see a repeat of those lofty numbers, not with their 2009 schedule.
That said, I do see some value in playing the “Over” 9 wins for this team in 2009. Online sportsbook have added some juice to the “Over” play, but I’m willing to lay the -130 juice on this one.
Yes, the Titans lost All-World defensive player Albert Haynesworth, and while his absence will, of course, be felt, I don’t think it will be as significant as many others. Haynesworth makes everyone around him better, of that there is no question, but this Tennessee defense has played without him in the past, and played well. He has not managed to suit up for all 16 games in a season since his second year in the league. But more importantly for the sports betting crew who are looking at betting on this team is that defensive line coach Jim Washburn is one of the best position coaches in the league. He gets the most out of his players and knows how to scheme for opposing O-lines, creating mismatches. Don’t look for a big drop-off from this defense. They’re very solid at linebacker and have one of the best secondaries in the game.
Offensively, they have all the pieces in place. Kerry Collins isn’t going to dazzle anyone, but he proved to be a very steady pivot and one who could make plays when he needed to. The O-line is good at pass protection and very good at run blocking.
With Chris Johnson and Lendale White, the Titans will be tough to control when they run the ball. Look for them to continue to churn out the yards on the ground, which takes pressure off the passing game, opening the entire offense up. With the pieces still largely in place, this is a team that has a shot at going deep in the playoffs.
Looking at the current lineup and their schedule, I see them hitting 10 to 11 wins, which triggered the bet at SPORTSBETTING.com on the “Over” 9 wins.
Good luck with all your NFL betting as we get ready for the NFL Football Bets preseason. Next week I’ll be looking at the NFL preseason odds and preseason picks for Week 1.
The NFL Betting odds have been listed at online sportsbook for the opening week of the NFL preseason schedule. Leading off the start of the new NFL Betting season is the “Hall-of-Fame” game in Canton, Ohio featuring the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans. At SPORTSBETTING.com the Titans opened as 3-point favorites.
The early sports betting action from the preseason bettors came in on the designated visitor, the Buffalo Bills, and they currently sit as a 3-point underdog with -125 juice. The Titans are coming off an impressive 2008 campaign, but head into the 2009 season with several big question marks. Most notably, what will be the impact of Albert Haynesworth’s departure (free agency to Washington). It is difficult to overstate his importance in that defense. And the QB situation continues to be worth watching. Vince Young is entering his fourth season as a pro and it really is a critical year for him. If he ends up sitting on the bench this season, it could be very tough to resurrect his career.
Kerry Collins comes into camp as the #1 pivot. Give Collins credit, as he did a great job of managing this offense, but let’s all remember, this is Kerry Collins. He needs a ton of support from the running game and play-calling that keeps things very basic. In addition, he needs the benefit of a great defense to bail him out once in a while and to provide field position that puts them in highly advantageous situations. I wouldn’t count on Collins having another near perfect season.
Young will be looking to take the #1 spot away this preseason, and he has a shot – if he can hold it together and step up. This bodes well for those who are betting on the Titans in the preseason. Young is going to want to show very well when he is handed the ball, and in a lot of situations, he should have an edge facing other teams #2 units.
Looking back at the NFL gambling results from previous Hall of Fame Games, last year the Washington Redskins topped the Indianapolis Colts 30-16, with the Redskins covering the pointspread. In 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints kicked off the NFL Bettingpreseason schedule, with the sports betting world wading in and betting on the Steelers heavily in that matchup. The bettors won that battle, as the Steelers beat the ‘Aints 20-7, covering the spread.
You can watch this year’s Hall of Fame Game on NBC, starting at 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, August 9th.
Check all the NFL Preseason Schedule ,NFL Odds, NFL Betting at SPORTSBETTING.COM.
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A bench-clearing brawl erupted between Canada's men's senior national team and Italy during an exhibition basketball Betting match in Conegliano, Italy on Saturday.
The fight started when Italian Stefano Mancinelli elbowed Canada's Aaron Doornekamp in the back of the head during the second half.
Canada lost the match 81-75, with Belinelli leading the Italians with 22 points in Basketball Betting Match.
Jesse Young of Peterborough, Ont., had 27 points to lead Canada.
Canada was using the friendly to prepare for the FIBA Americas Championship, which begins Aug. 26 in Puerto Rico.
If you enjoy sports betting you probably know that football betting is truly an art.
Considered by many to be one of the toughest conferences in college football betting, the Southeastern Conference features a number of very good teams.
The Philadelphia Phillies couldn’t agree to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for Roy Halladay so they moved on.
Philly acquired Cliff Lee–last year’s Cy Young winner–and OF Ben Francisco from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for some minor leaguers.
The Phillies got their Cy Young winner.
After making a run at landing Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay before Friday's Trade Deadline, the Phillies instead acquired Indians ace Cliff Lee. The Phillies and Indians announced Wednesday evening that Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco have been traded to the Phillies for prospects Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson.
Lee isn’t exactly a winning pitcher this year however.
In his last 20 Baseball Betting games, Cleveland was only 8-12 SU.
It’s been reported that Brett Favre has let the Minnesota Vikings know that he won’t be playing football this season.
"It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made," Favre told ESPN. "I didn’t feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable."
The news came as a blow to the Viking organization and to those sports bettors who had put money on the Minnesota to win their division, the NFC and/or the Super Bowl. The Football odds Bets on the Vikings at most online sportsbooks jumped once news broke that they were chasing Favre. The team opened around +2200 at most online betting outs, but the money started to pour in on Minny, dropping the odds to as low as +1500.
At respected sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com the Vikings were sitting at 16-1 Tuesday evening, hours after the report he was not going to suit up.
This is a team with one of the best defences in the league and on the other side of the ball, they have one of the top running backs in the game, Adrian Peterson. The glaring weakness has been, and apparently will continue to be at the QB spot. If Favre stepped in to this offense, despite being 39 years old and clearly not as effective as he had been several seasons ago, he made this team a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Minnesota Vikings had seemed a perfect fit for quarterback Brett Favre, a playoff-caliber team that would give him an opportunity to play in a familiar offense while seeking the vengeance he craved against the Green Bay Packers.
Favre has talked about his retirement for so many years that no one was shocked when it appeared he was about to return to the NFL Football Odds Bets. again.
Minnesota won the NFC North division last year despite the lack of production at QB and there is every indication they could be better this year, with or without a chance behind center. Heading into camp the QB battle will now be left to Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Look for Rosenfels to win that battle, but he still needs to prove he can be an effective, consistent starter.
The NFC North division is wide open, particularly now that the Chicago Bears have a starting QB who might actually be able to move the offense. The future odds on the Bears to win the Super Bowl is currently 20-1, with odds of 15-8 to win the division.
NFL commish Roger Goodell has reinstated former Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick.
Vick’s return is conditional but he is free to practice with teams and take part in meetings should he sign with a team.
He will be able to play Football Betting in last two exhibition games and will be eligible for full reinstatement into the league by Week 6 of the regular season at the very latest–ESPN reports that Vick will apply for reinstatement as early as Week 1.
Seattle has been mentioned as a possible destination as head coach Jim Mora Jr. coached Vick in Atlanta.
The Seahawks are listed as 7-point favorites for their Week 1 regular season matchup against the St. Louis Rams.
Jimmie Johnson, last year’s winner of the All State 400 at The Brickyard, is favored in the BetUS online sportsbook to win again in 2009.
He’s also the favorite to get at least a Top 3 placing this Sunday, but there are a couple of drivers that actually make more sense to wager in this category than Jimmie. One of those drivers is Tony Stewart, the number one guy in the NASCAR Power Rankings.
Let’s take a look at some of the drivers who could finish in the Top 3 in the All State 400 at The Brickyard this Sunday.
1. Tony Stewart +180 - - Smoke is smokin’! An average finish of 7.6 with 11 top 5 finishes means that Smoke is the best bet in this race to get into the Top 3. He’s had a lot of success at Indianapolis. That means the hottest driver in 2009, so far, is going to a track where he usually does well. Tony is a tough guy not to bet in the All State 400.
2. Jeff Gordon +200 - - 10 top 5s on the year and 9 top 5s at The Brickyard means that Gordon could be an excellent bet to finish in the Top 3 on Sunday. Yes, Jeff has had some bad races, but last week he finished 2nd. If he can carry that over to this week, he could be very tough to keep out of the Top 3.
3. Jimmie Johnson +150 - - Jimmie won this race last year and because of that, he’s the favorite in this category in the sportsbook, but he really hasn’t had the overall success at The Brickyard that Gordon and Stewart have had. He could very well get into the Top 3 and he’s not a bad wager, but I prefer Gordon and Stewart at better odds.
4. Kasey Kahne +450 - - Kahne got into the Top 3 last week in the LifeLock.com 400. He finished third in that race and could be considered a “hot” driver after a victory, a 5th place finish, and a 3rd place finish in 3 out of the last 4 weeks.
5. Mark Martin +200 - - Martin usually wins or finishes off the board, but I’ve got he feeling that he will drive with more patience this week if he’s not in the top 5 early. He will have to because even though he has 4 victories on the year, he’s still only in 11th place in the Sprint Cup Points Standings.
6. Kurt Busch +350 - - Busch only has 6 top 5s this year. He has 1 top 5 at The Brickyard lifetime. He’s not the best bet in this category but because he finished 17th, he could surprise some folks on Sunday. Busch has a tendency to bounce back from bad races.
Best Long Shot
Juan Pablo Montoya +1200 - - Juan Montoya has finally gotten it together. He’s probably not ready to win the All State 400 at The Brickyard, but he’s driving well enough to make the Chase and he has done pretty good in 2009 with 9 top ten finishes. A move up the ladder to a third place finish isn’t out of the question.
For more information check out Nascar Betting section at SPORTSBETTING.com.
The Yankees have not only tracked down Boston, but currently enjoy a 2 ½ -game lead in the AL East and three another tiny shovel of dirt on the BoSox with their 6-3 win last night over Oakland.
Checking out the baseball odds at Online Sportsbook , SPORTSBETTING.com, in particular AL East division future odds, the AL Championship odds and the World Series of Odds, we see that the Yankees are listed at +110 to win their division. That has been a constantly changing number over the last few weeks as New York steadily made up ground on the Red Sox.
Mike Sullivan, betting analyst at SPORTSBETTING.com, said the online sportsbook has seen steady action all season on the AL East division winner future odds, but since the All-Star break the volume has increased, with the action fairly evenly split between the league’s two super powers, New York and Boston.
As you would expect, these two sit firmly at the top of the future odds list for World Series Champions. Currently both sport identical odds of 15-4 to win it all, with the LA Dodgers slotting in behind the two frontrunners LA’s odds are 4-1).
As mentioned, the Yanks started their four-game home stand against the Oakland Athletics with a win, as huge favorites (-270).
They face off again this evening. In the last 21 home games against Oakland, the Bronx Bombers have gone 13-8 straight up and they are currently on a 6-0 run.
Worth noting is that Total, as the last 21 meetings in New York have resulted in 6 Overs and 15 unders.
Tonight the Yankees send Chamberlain to the mound as a -200 favorite (overnight line). The Red Sox have Penny pitching for them in their home game vs. Baltimore with an overnight line of -155.
The Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels are both in the playoff hunt with the Twins 2.5 games behind Detroit in the AL Central and the Angels on top of the AL West.
The two teams are facing off in a big series in LA. In Baseball Betting the Angels won the first meeting as a -150 favorite (6-5 final). That takes the Angels home record vs. the Twins in their last 21 meetings to 14-7.
Looking at the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies had a 10-game winning streak snapped two nights ago when the Chicago Cubs defeated them 10-5 and covered as -113 faves. The Phillies bounced back with win last night over the Padres as a big favorite.
Currently, Philadelphia are listed as a -600 at SPORTSBETTING.COM to win the division.
Welcome to another edition of our summer series Arena Wars, where we've summoned the fans to defend their home court.
Each week we pit two arenas and fans against each. Could be arenas of rival teams, arenas with similar characteristics or arenas that are simply historically significant. Then it's put up to vote and you decide which arena has the greatest home-court advantage.
We turn to the bluegrass state for this week's featured matchup and that can only mean one thing -- the University of Kentucky's Rupp Arena vs. the University of Louisville's Freedom Hall. The state loves its basketball and both arenas annually rank top five in attendance and you place March Madness Bets.
Freedom Hall, 20 years the elder of Rupp having opened in 1956, has been a great arena for the Cardinals, who have posted a home record of 669-137 through the years. Alas, its days are numbered. Following the 2009-10 season, the Cardinals will move to a new state-of-the-art arena in downtown Louisville featuring a minimum capacity of 22,000 for men's basketball.
While Kentucky's Rupp lacks the amenities of most arenas of its size, it hasn't kept fans from turning out in record numbers. In fact, it's the bleacher seating and absence of luxury boxes that allows Rupp to cram 23,000+ into the arena for every home game. Since opening in 1976, the Wildcats have lost just 60 home games while claiming 426 victories.
If you've visited either of this week's featured arenas, chip in with your experiences in the March Madness Bets.
Oklahoma Sooners Betting Odds 2010 BCS National Championship - NCAA football betting players are awaiting the new season to begin, but Oklahoma is even more impatient after losing to Florida in the BCS title game. Early odds have the Sooners just behind the Gators to begin the season, and they'll have the defending Heisman winner back to lead the way. The NCAA Betting Odds list at Online sportsbook in SPORTSBETTING.com
Sam Bradford nixed the pros for his junior season after a phenomenal season which saw him lead the nation in quarterback rating, but he's one of only five returning starters. That doesn't matter to the Sooners, who had better backups last year than the first string of some teams. How often is it that you have two 1,000-yard rushers coming back? Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray should run all over the Big 12, even behind a line with just two returning starters. Jermaine Graham should step into the No.1 receiver slot nicely, as he led the team in touchdown catches with 14. The Sooners' depth makes them very attractive to handicapping software. Bet NCAA Odds at SPORTSBETTING.com
The entire defensive line makes up four of nine returning starters for the Sooners, who will be looking to improve a 68th-ranked defense. Travis Lewis, Ryan Reynolds and Keenan Clayton are a formidable trio of linebackers, while Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks are solid corners, although Franks would do well to keep his mouth shut after calling out Florida's Tim Tebow before the BCS title game. The Big 12 is now an offensive conference, which means all of their defenses got pulverized last year, but the Sooners should be much better in 2009, which makes them one of the top sportsbook picks of the fall.
The Sooners are rated at +500 to win the BCS, and tied with Texas at +150 in the Big 12. All eyes will be on Dallas on October 17th, when the Sooners look to avenge last year's loss to the Longhorns, who are still angry about being passed over for the national-championship game for Oklahoma. The Sooners also play BYU and Tulsa, while a tough closing stretch will see them travel to Nebraska and Texas Tech before closing the season at home against rival OklahomaState. The Sooners have reached a BCS bowl in seven of the last nine years, and they should get there again. Bradford will be just as good, and the defense will be even better, so take a chance on the sportsbook Oklahoma Sooners odds this year.
SPORTSBETTING.com provides live NCAA football odds Free College Football Picks, Football Betting Lines, NFL Gambling and much more this NCAA football Odds season. Check out the handicappers at the site for College Football Picks and College Football Predictions. Don't miss this 2009 College Football season and start winning with our handicappersCollege football betting lines and College Football predictions. Don't forget to join us this fall for top handicappersCollege Football Picks and College Football predictions. Check the site daily for updated NCAA Football Odds and College Football Betting Odds.
Hall-of-Fame game - The kick-off to the 2009 NFL Preseason schedule is closing in, with the first matchup taking place Hall-of-Fame weekend. That launches a little more than four weeks of NFL action, featuring 11 nationally televised games and is the official start of the NFL betting season.
Online sportsbooks will have all the NFL preseason odds posted soon, as teams head to camp. NFL preseason Week 1 odds will be up, plus you can look at Week 1 NFL odds which are live now.
View NFL Betting odds.
The annual Hall-of-Fame game features the Buffalo Bills vs. the Tennessee Titans in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, August 9th. The matchup, which will be nationally televised on NBC, was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League.
When you’re involved in online sports betting, you are probably already starting to think about these preseason games, reading one or two NFL annual preview magazines and cruising NFL-focused sites.
Preseason NFL betting takes some finesse, as handicapping the exhibition games is quite different than handicapping NFL regular season tilts.
The first thing I do when betting on the NFL Football Betting Online during the preseason is look at QB depth and then quickly move on to handicapping the situation. If a team has a real QB battle going on, with two or three decent pro-level pivots on the roster who are going to be playing, this is of real interest. Look for quality on the depth chart below the starter. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady won’t have a significant impact on the NFL preseason betting results over the first couple of weeks. But the second and third stringers will. Keep this in mind.
The situation is also highly relevant. Particularly look for coaches and teams that are in spots where they might be really motivated to win. Preseason NFL games is the only time of the sports betting year when you will find varying motivations coming into a game. One coach might not care at all about whether his team wins or loses, he simply wants to get some players reps, evaluate a few key newcomers or watch for a positional battle or two. But it is not uncommon for a team like that to be facing a coach who does actually want to record a “W”, for whatever reason.
If the coach is a rookie and lost in Week 1, or the team is coming off a bad season and a new coach is looking to install a winning attitude early, etc. Fact is, some coaches simply don’t care about winning during the preseason and others do. Try and read local papers for pre-game interviews and see if you can pick up whether the coaches have been gameplanning for their preseason matchup. It’s unusual for a coach to spend time gameplanning for an opponent during the exhibition season, as they’re more focused on player evaluation, getting their schemes in place, etc. But if they’re studying film and putting in place plays to counteract or go after another team’s schemes, pay extra close attention. This is important to know when handicapping preseason games.
Looking at the betting odds during preseason games is not as critical as it is during the regular season. The first step in NFL handicapping during the “real” season is to check out all the NFL odds for that week and start the process of looking for value somewhere on the betting board.
That isn’t the case during August. You really don’t see significant favorites through the first couple of weeks of preseason ball. You’ll see many of the lines hover around 3, the obligatory number of points given to the home side. Don’t get too caught up with the pointspread when online sports betting during the early going of the NFL preseason.
Check out the sports betting blog for odds updates, injury news, trends and sports betting tips all day, every day.
The Duke Blue Devils lost their final five games last season to finish their 2008 campaign at 4-8. They were just 1-7 in ACC play but have clearly narrowed the gap. Find out if narrowing the gap further will translate into more wins for the Blue Devils in this 2009 college football betting preview. Duke is listed at +6500 to win the 2009 ACC championship.
Bet your NCAA football picks at BetUS and get up to 145% in sign up bonuses this season! Betus has the team listed at +800 on the moneyline to repeat as champion in the bookmaker's Cincinnati Bearcats 2009 Online College Football Betting Odds — BCS Odds 2010.
Offense – While Duke finished just 4-8 in David Cutcliffe’s first season, the season has to be viewed as a major step in the right direction considering that the Devils’ four wins equaled their tally from the previous four seasons. While the defense was better than expected, the offense ranked just 101st nationally in points per game (20.1). Cutcliffe is hoping to see more offensive production in 2009 due to the experience gained last year. Senior quarterback Thad Lewis steps under center following a 2,171-yard season in which he threw for 15 scores against just six picks. Lewis also saw his completion percentage go up from 55.3 to 62.0 percent last season. He appears poised for a strong senior campaign, but he will not have the luxury of throwing to wide receiver Eron Riley. Riley has departed after leading the Blue Devils in receiving and scoring over the last two seasons. Sophomore Johnny Williams, the team’s top returning receiver with 30 grabs for 327 yards in 2008, will be counted on to step in as Lewis’ new no. 1 target. The running game figures to get a boost from the return of Re’quan Boyette, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, as long as the new starters on the offensive line can hold their own.
If Nick Saban makes $4 million, pay Meyer $5 million.
If Bob Stoops makes $6 million, pay Meyer $7 million.
If Pete Carroll makes $8 million, pay Meyer $9 million.
Yes, there is an alarming and troubling "arms race" going on in college football right now to see which of the nation's best coaches will make the most money.
Oklahoma just renegotiated Stoops' contract to pay him nearly $4 million a year. Alabama is currently renegotiating Saban's contract to pay him even more than that. LSU Coach Les Miles has a clause in his contract that says he must make at least $1,000 more than any other coach in the Southeastern Conference.
Meyer currently makes $3.25 million annually, and UF President Bernie Machen has rightfully said his coach should be the highest paid in the SEC.
With Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy coming back for another season of college ball, which should result in another wild contest for the Heisman Trophy.
Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com posted the Heisman Trophy odds and it looks good that we could have a two-time winner, something that has only happened once before (Archie Griffin of Ohio State won the Heisman Trophy twice in back to back years - 1973-74).
Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow is the odds on favorite to win the trophy in 2009.
SPORTSBETTING.com currently have him listed at 3-2. Tebow was the 2007 winner. Early action being wagered at the online sportsbook has about 20% of all the betting action coming in on Tebow.
The 2008 winner, Sam Bradford, is at 2-1 odds.
Those two are followed closely by Colt McCoy at 5-2.
All three have a great shot at winning, but Tebow is the favorite for a reason and it’s not about marketing (although that helps). He is the best player in college football, not a question. People who have been around college football for a long time are even prone to saying Tim Tebow could be the best college football player in history. Add to the fact he is playing on the best team in the nation and you have a perfect combination. What can trip up his ride to New York to accept the award – if Florida loses a couple of games or if he gets injured.
It is very difficult to see Tebow not winning this if the Gators go undefeated (very likely) and he stays healthy.
A repeat is going to be more difficult for Bradford in 2009, as he doesn’t benefit from a team stacked with great players. His supporting cast has dropped off heading into the new season.
And while it’s hard to bet on Tebow with such a short price (I feel he has a great shot at winning), I won’t be touching Bradford. I just don’t think he can get the support he needs from this Oklahoma squad.
Can Colt McCoy step up into the spotlight – quite possibly. He has a distinct advantage over the other two, something that Tebow doesn’t have – an experienced O-line. McCoy almost hit 4,000 yards passing (34 TD passes). I like this Texas team and think they can make a real run at the Championship, backed not only by McCoy, but they’re solid on both sides of the ball.
Tiger has been close in the two previous majors, and now he gets a shot at winning his first of the year when he tackles Turnberry.
As usual, all eyes will be on Tiger. Sports bettors have been loading up on Tiger action at their online sportsbooks.
Eldrick warmed up for the Open by taking the AT&T National at the Congressional a little over a week ago, defeating Hunter Mahan by a single shot.
Tiger won back-to-back British Opens in 2005 and 2006 but has failed to win the past two years; he missed last year’s event due to knee surgery.
Woods is always the odds-on favorite in the tournaments he takes part in and going into Thursday, the situation is no different as Tiger is listed at +225 at SPORTSBETTING (dot)com to add his fourth British Open title.
As mentioned, Hunter Mahan lost by a measly stroke to Tiger at the AT&T and while he has taken part in a number of Golf Betting tournaments in 2009, he has really shown improvement the last three.
While he won two majors and three events overall last year, Harrington has missed the cut in four out of his last five events and in the one event he made the cut in—The Players Championship—he finished out of contention in 49th.
Will he add the British Open this year? He’s listed at +4000.
Angel Cabrera finished 54th at the U.S. Open but he did get a cool green jacket when he won the Masters at Augusta National earlier in the year.
Can he wipe the bad taste out of his mouth brought on by his poor finish at Bethpage Black?
The 2009 Masters Odds champ is listed at +8000 to win the British Open.
When it comes to matchup betting, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson is a pair that draws attention, unfortunately, Mickeslon isn’t playing this week as he stays close to home to support his wife and mother in their battles with cancer.
However there is an interesting matchup bet at SPORTSBETTING(dot)com featuring the two golfers who have taken the last four British Opens.
In the matchup bet between Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington, Tiger is listed at -550 and Harrington is a big underdog at +400.
Who will take home the Claret Jug this year? We’ll know soon.
