10/07/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy said the intensity and emotion his team played with in Sunday's 31-27 come-from-behind victory over the Houston Texans could be a season-saver.
Dungy can only hope the Colts will buy in to his philosophy now that they improved to 2-2 and remained second in the AFC South behind the 5-0 Tennessee Titans. It was an ugly game overall for Indianapolis, which went face-to-face with a 27-10 deficit in the waning minutes of the game and managed to come out on top.
Well-rested after their bye week, the Colts grabbed a 10-0 lead early on and seemed to have worked out the kinks from the previous three games that resulted in an uncharacteristic 1-2 start. But then the offense couldn't move the ball and the defense allowed Houston to score at will as the Texans grabbed a 17-point lead.
Then in some mysterious way, the Colts started to catch some breaks and gather momentum en route to a huge division victory.
All-Pro quarterback Peyton Manning, who had three touchdown passes and four interceptions entering the game, fired a pair of TD strikes on Sunday, including the game-winning toss to Reggie Wayne with 1:54 to go. Manning hasn't been his usual self this season but started to show signs of life, although only in the final five minutes of the contest.
He probably would have had to come back on the field if safety Melvin Bullitt, filling in for the injured Bob Sanders, hadn't picked off Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels to seal the triumph. The defense forced three turnovers in the final four minutes to help the cause.
Manning, who completed 25-of-34 passes for 247 yards with an interception for a 101.0 passer rating, should take some advice from teammate and defensive end Robert Mathis.
"Adrenaline is a fool, nothing short of it," Mathis said about the team's five-minute outburst. "When you have it, you have it. You just have to keep building on it. It was hiding for 55 minutes, and fortunately we found it the last five minutes. We needed it."
Manning has the adrenaline, as evidenced by his Super Bowl ring and numerous passing records. He just needs to dig deep for it in order to again lead the five-time defending AFC South champions back to the top of the conference. A popular preseason pick to reach the Super Bowl in each of the past few years, the Colts already have two come-from-behind wins in 2008, having previously rallied from a 15-0 deficit in the third quarter for an 18-15 victory over Minnesota in Week 2.
Middle linebacker and defensive captain Gary Brackett didn't want to start 1-3 either, and he helped the cause by returning a Rosenfels fumble 68 yards for a touchdown.
A loss would have placed the Colts into a last-place tie with the Texans and put their hopes for a seventh straight playoff appearance on ice for the time being. Indy is back at home Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens and is still in search of its first-ever victory at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In injury news for the Colts, cornerback Kelvin Hayden (knee) and wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (concussion) both left Sunday's game and did not return.
TITANS: The Titans celebrating their 10th year of existence in Nashville in style, as they improved to 5-0 this season after a nail-biting 13-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Head coach Jeff Fisher got another solid performance from veteran quarterback Kerry Collins, who passed for 163 yards and erased a 10-6 deficit with an 11- yard touchdown toss to tight end Alge Crumpler with 1:56 remaining in the game. It was Crumpler's first touchdown as a Titan since signing with them in the offseason.
Cornerback Nick Harper intercepted Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco on the ensuing possession to extend the best start in franchise history.
Collins continues to fill in for the now-healthy Vince Young and will be the starter as long as the Titans keep winning, according to Fisher. Young had been nursing an injured knee and has to be perturbed about all the confidence the coaching staff has put in Collins.
Tennessee had to rely mostly on its stifling defense while going up against a vaunted Baltimore stop unit on Sunday. It couldn't depend on running backs LenDale White and rookie Chris Johnson for that reason, leaving the offense in Collins' hands. But the defense has been huge for Fisher, a defensive-minded coach, and helped the Titans to their eighth straight win dating back to last season.
Titans safety Michael Griffin helped the cause by recording his fourth interception of the season on Sunday. Linebacker Keith Bulluck led the way with 13 stops, and also was involved in a skirmish with star defensive back Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan was assessed a double personal-foul penalty on Baltimore's lone scoring drive of the game after getting into a confrontation with Ravens wide receiver and former Titan Derrick Mason. Bulluck took it upon himself to discipline Finnegan by shoving him a few feet across the field and engaging in a verbal war on the sidelines.
Tennessee, which was penalized 10 times for 78 yards, can not afford to lose chemistry now, and the two players will work things out in the upcoming bye week. The Titans will then hit the road again for a showdown at Kansas City on October 19.
JAGUARS: The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't need any late heroics from placekicker Josh Scobee this week, because the Pittsburgh Steelers handed them a 26-21 loss Sunday night at home. Jacksonville's normally stingy defense was brutalized for 415 total yards, including 286 through the air.
The Steelers were without their top two running backs (Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall), but still managed to rack up 129 yards on the ground, with Mewelde Moore finishing with 99 yards on 17 carries.
Rashean Mathis highlighted a poor performance from the Jacksonville secondary with a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ended with 309 yards passing and three TD strikes. Big Ben definitely took advantage of the absences of starting safety Reggie Nelson and cornerback Drayton Florence, as Pittsburgh had two receivers with 90-plus yards for the game.
Head coach Jack Del Rio watched his team have a two-game winning streak come to an end and fall to third place in the AFC South with a 2-3 record.
If the Jaguars thought Sunday's defensive effort was atrocious, especially against the pass, then they don't know what's at stake this week at Denver. Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler can pick apart a defense's weakness with ease, and will do so if the Jags do not tighten up some loose ends. Mathis, the only healthy safety valve in the defensive backfield, posted his third career interception for a score on Sunday, a franchise high. He also owns a franchise-best 23 career interceptions.
The Jags' offense was no better on Sunday, as the running back tandem of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were held to a combined 26 yards on 15 carries. On the bright side, the Broncos are near the bottom in run defense at 134.0 yards per game allowed.
TEXANS: Besides blowing a 17-point lead and losing Sunday versus the Colts, the 0-4 Texans also had the health of starting quarterback Matt Schaub to worry about. Schaub was ill Saturday night with a stomach virus and was taken to a local hospital. He was released shortly afterward and served as backup Sunday to Rosenfels, who threw for 246 yards and a touchdown along with a costly pick in the 31-27 loss.
Rosenfels went 4-1 in five starts for the Texans last year and passed for 1,684 yards and 15 touchdowns. Unfortunately for him, Schaub will most likely resume starting duties on Sunday versus the surprisingly-hot Miami Dolphins in the second of three straight games for Houston at Reliant Stadium.
The Texans were coming off a tough overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars before losing another AFC South matchup Sunday to remain last in the division standings.
Sunday's setback overshadowed the performances of three Houston playmakers, as rookie running back Steve Slaton impressed again with 93 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Defensive end Mario Williams posted a pair of sacks for the second time this season, while Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson enjoyed just his second outstanding game of the year. In Week 1, Johnson had 112 yards on 10 catches, then recorded just five receptions for 67 yards over the following two games. He broke out for 131 yards and a score on nine catches against the Colts, however, including a career-high 98 receiving yards in the first half.
There were no significant injuries suffered by Houston against Indianapolis.
<< Isles place trio on injured reserve
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders placed center Mike
Sillinger and defensemen Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton on injured reserve
Tuesday.
Sillinger is recovering from hip surgery. The veteran pivot compiled
<< NFC East: Giants buck trends with latest win
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - History dictated that the New York Giants might have some
trouble coming back from their week off when they took the field for Sunday's
clash with the Seattle Seahawks. The absence of game-changing wide receiver
Plaxico Burre
<< AFC East: Bills lose unbeaten record, QB Edwards
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the beginning of AC/DC's hit song "Hell's Bells", the
sound of a ringing bell can be beard before and during the opening guitar
riff.
A ringing bell is probably all Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards could
hear af
<< Nalbandian, Ancic move on in Stockholm
Stockholm, Sweden (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top seeds David Nalbandian and Mario
Ancic were among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $980,000 Stockholm Open.
The Argentine Nalbandian blasted American Bobby Reynolds 6-1, 6-1, while the
Croa
Stars place D Zubov on IR >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Stars placed defenseman Sergei Zubov
on the injured reserve list Tuesday.
The 38-year-old Zubov is out indefinitely while recovering from hip surgery.
Injuries limited the veteran blueliner to
Saints CB Porter out for season >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy
Porter had risen to the top of the depth chart in his rookie season only to
see it all come to an abrupt end Tuesday as the team placed him on injured
reserve
NFC North: Rodgers up, but Packers falling down >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Rodgers did his best Brett Favre impression this past
Sunday, but the new Green Bay Packers quarterbacks gutsy effort under center
still wasn't enough to prevent his team from enduring a revealing 27-24 loss
at home to
Baylor out as Clippers VP; Dunleavy adds GM role >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers announced Tuesday
that head coach Mike Dunleavy is taking on the added role of general manager,
replacing vice president of basketball operations, Elgin Baylor.
There are confli
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
The 2008 NFL betting lines season is almost upon us! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join sportbook today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond!
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While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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