Gaming: Ride the Sun Belt train for another week
NCAA Football Betting Lines
09/10/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After the first Five-Star play of the season proved victorious (Arkansas State plus the points at Auburn), let's roll with another Sun Belt Conference squad, this time against a Big East foe.
Florida International hosts Rutgers just one year after dropping a 23-15 decision to the Scarlet Knights in New Jersey. The Golden Panthers covered the spread with 15 fourth-quarter points after trailing 23-0.
Rutgers scored just one offensive touchdown the entire contest while picking up 10 of its 23 points off FIU turnovers. In addition, Tom Savage completed only 11-of-28 passes for 185 yards and the Scarlet Knights' quarterback was also sacked four times.
Fast-forward to this season and Savage is right back where he was a year ago with a 10-of-19 performance for just 148 yards in last week's matchup with Norfolk State. The sophomore signal-caller was sacked three times by the Spartans, who trailed by only six points (6-0) at the half.
The Rutgers offensive line, which features three new starters, still needs a lot of work as the ground game was non-existent in the first half with just 84 yards against the Football Championship Subdivision school. And even though FIU is one of the lower-echelon Football Bowl Subdivision clubs, the Golden Panthers have fared well in this type of situation in the past.
The Panthers are a perfect 3-0 in their FBS existence when getting two touchdowns or more at home. They also have not lost a home game by more than 10 points since the 2007 campaign, and that includes matchups with Troy and South Florida.
FIU sports a new quarterback this season as well. Wesley Carroll, who transferred from Mississippi State last year, has a bevy of top-notch receivers at his disposal, led by T.Y. Hilton, who is finally healthy after an injury- plagued 2009 season.
In order for the Scarlet Knights to gain a convincing victory, Tom Savage and the rest of the offense must show marked improvement from the previous game. And when you consider the fact the quarterback sports a 7-6 touchdown/interception ratio in his last seven games, it will be extremely difficult for the Knights to run away from the Panthers, especially in Miami.
Take FIU plus the points.
The second Five-Star play of the week is a matchup of the Mountain West versus the WAC.
San Diego State travels to New Mexico State after knocking off Nicholls State, 47-0. Defeating the Colonels by 47 isn't saying much considering Air Force crushed them by 72 last season, and the Falcons then proceeded to lose to Minnesota the following week.
Given the fact the Aztecs are 3-21 SU on the road over the last four years it is shocking they are such heavy favorites in Las Cruces.
New Mexico State began last season winning three of its first six games before dropping its final seven. The Aggies have an underrated offensive line and a running back in Seth Smith that ripped off over 1,000 yards last year. They also bring in a new quarterback, and more importantly, a new offensive coordinator to help revive the passing game.
These two teams met last season with San Diego State coming out on top, 34-17, with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Since this will be New Mexico State's first game in 2010, the extra week of practice, along with the fact the game will be played at home, should help the Aggies to give the Aztecs all they can handle and then some.
Take New Mexico State plus the points.
THE LONE THREE-STAR PLAY
Texas A&M has been slowly but surely building back its program after hiring Mike Sherman as head coach prior to 2008, but the fruits of all the hard work will pay off in 2010. The Aggies opened the year with a victory over Stephen F. Austin and should easily make it 2-0 when they take on Louisiana Tech.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of a major change in offensive philosophy moving to the spread behind new head coach Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. Unfortunately, the transition was not too smooth in week one when the offense picked up just 26 total yards in the entire second half against Grambling. In fact, the team also gained only nine yards in its final four first-half possessions.
Furthermore, the road wasn't too kind to Louisiana Tech last season with seven losses in seven games, so don't expect much improvement down in College Station where the Aggies went 4-1 ATS as favorites last season.
Take Texas A&M minus the points.
TWO-STAR PLAYS
Go with three favorites and two underdogs in week two. Take LSU (over Vanderbilt), Iowa (against Iowa State), and Kentucky (versus Western Kentucky), along with Kansas (plus the points against Georgia Tech), and Arkansas State (plus the points versus Louisiana).
ONE-STAR CHOICES
Three plays highlight the One-Star selections this week. Go with UTEP (plus the points at Houston), Oklahoma State (minus the points versus Troy), and BYU (over Air Force).
AFTER ONE WEEK
Yours truly went 6-3-2 last week for a 64% winning percentage. Breaking the totals down by the star system, the Five-Star plays are 1-0, the Three-Star selections are 2-0-1, the Two-Star picks are 2-1-1, and the One-Star choices are 1-2.
As a reminder, the Five-Star plays are those games where my key selections and my "Power Numbers" match. The Three-Star choices are my personal picks, while the Two-Star plays are the "power number" picks - games with at least a five- point differential between my line and the actual line. Finally, the One-Star plays are my personal secondary selections.
THIS WEEK'S JEFF FRANK "DIRTY DOZEN"
1) Ohio State, 101.5; 2) Boise State, 101; 3-T) Alabama and Oregon, 100.5; 5-T) Florida, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa, 98; 9) Texas, 97.5; 10) Oklahoma, 97; 11) LSU, 96.5; 12) Georgia, 96
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Online Sportsbook Football Betting
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.
The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.
MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.
Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Odds
| Ottawa Senators Detroit Red Wings Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Philadelphia Flyers Calgary Flames New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Dallas Stars New York Rangers Nashville Predators Vancouver Canucks Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Atlanta Thrashers Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Columbus Blue Jackets St. Louis Blues Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks |
7-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 80-1 80-1 100-1 100-1 |
NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games
| Team Ottawa Senators Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Dallas Stars New York Rangers Minnesota Wild Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Canadiens Team Los Angeles Kings Tampa Bay Lightening Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers Columbus Blue Jackets New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks St. Louis Blues Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins |
Over/Under 108.5 106.5 104.5 104.5 103.5 101.5 100.5 99.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 95.5 94.5 93.5 92.5 Over/Under 91.5 91.5 91.5 89.5 89.5 88.5 88.5 86.5 84.5 82.5 80.5 72.5 72.5 72.5 71.5 |
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