Some rebuild, USC reloads
NCAA Football Betting Lines
07/02/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Within the world of college basketball, there is a general consensus that the North Carolina Tar Heels have a huge recruiting advantage that helps bring a never ending supply of blue-chippers to Chapel Hill. Of course, a great reason for that advantage is the past success of the program, as the conference titles, Final Four appearances and national championships have piled up along the way.
The football equivalent is on the left coast, in the form of USC. The Trojans possess a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of talent, and the result is seven straight campaigns of 11 wins or more, seven Pac-10 crowns in a row, seven consecutive BCS Bowl appearances and a couple of national titles sprinkled in.
The 2008 campaign brought more of the same, as Pete Carroll's troops won 12 of their 13 games, with the one blemish being a 27-21 upset loss at Oregon State in late September. The Trojans buckled down after that, winning 10 straight, including a 38-24 victory over a good Penn State team in the Rose Bowl.
The team was once again stellar on both sides of the football, averaging well over 400 yards per game, while yielding just over 200 defensively.
The real question heading into 2009, is whether or not USC has the talent to remain on the top of the heap in the Pac-10 and stay in the hunt for yet another national title.
On the offensive side of things, the Trojans will go into the season with very little experience under center. Mark Sanchez has jumped ship to the NFL and from a financial perspective made the right move, considering the New York Jets made him the fifth pick overall.
The quarterback crop this year consists of Aaron Corp, Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain. Following the spring, Carroll announced that it will be Corp leading the troops, although competition will still be lively heading into the summer and fall. The main problem with the selection is that Corp, just a sophomore this season, completed only two passes last year as the third-string QB. Still, Carroll has plenty of confidence in Corp, who was a Parade All-American in the prep ranks. Mustain has the most experience, starting eight games at Arkansas before transferring to USC in 2007. Barkley is a true freshman and while he possesses a huge upside, he is still a year or two away from making a real impact under center.
The team's ground game, which averaged almost 200 yards per game last year, returns intact and is a real strength heading into the season. A limitless supply of quality backs will be difficult for defenses to contend with. Expect Carroll to lean heavily on his stable of thoroughbreds, most notably Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable and Joe McKnight.
The receiving corps loses big target Patrick Turner (third-round draft pick), but returns emerging star Damian Williams, who posted a team-high 58 receptions, for 869 yards and nine TDs in 2008.
The offensive line will also be a real strength, with five starters returning led by Preseason All-American Kristofer O'Dowd at center. There is plenty of depth behind the incumbents, and the result should be one of the nation's best offensive fronts.
The other side of the ball has its share of questions, with only five starters returning. The main concerns are within the front seven, which has lost standout linebackers Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews (both first round draft picks) and Rey Maualuga (second-round pick), as well as Fili Moala (second- round), Kyle Moore (fourth-round) and key reserve Kaluka Maiava (fourth- round).
The new-look front could be built around junior end Everson Griffin, who has star potential and served as an effective pass rush specialist last year.
The secondary loses a pair of steady performers as well in Kevin Ellison and Cary Harris (both selected in the NFL draft), but the crown jewel of the defense returns in the form of All-American safety Taylor Mays. The 6-3, 235- pounder could have left for the NFL after his junior campaign, but the two- time All-American returns to anchor the Trojan defense and is poised for another huge campaign.
With all the holes on both sides of the football heading into the season, most teams would chalk up 2009 as a time to recruit heavily and reload for 2010 and beyond.
However, if we have learned anything since the turn of the century, it is that USC does not qualify as "most teams."
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed forward Chris Thorburn to a multi-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Thorburn appeared in all 82 games for the Thrashers last season and r
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division champions will try to stay on top when they start up a four-game
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Chicago comes
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barry Zito tries to slow down Albert Pujols this evening
when the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals conclude a four-game set
at Busch Stadium.
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<< Reds, D-Backs close series in Cincy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds hope that Aaron Harang can have the
same type of outing Johnny Cueto had last night, as they wrap up a three-game
series Thursday afternoon from Great American Ball Park.
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Sylvania, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paula Creamer withdrew from her title defense at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic before teeing off Thursday. Creamer injured her left thumb last week and had received treatment on the injury since wi
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Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In one of the best women's matches
played here in some time, two-time champion Serena Williams snuck past Olympic
gold medalist Elena Dementieva on Thursday to reach her fifth Wimbledon final.
The second
Blackhawks sign Madden away from New Jersey >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks have signed center John
Madden to a one-year contract.
Financial terms of the deal for the long-time New Jersey Devils defensive
standout were not disclosed, but the Newark Star-Le
Flames sign Garth Murray >>
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Garth Murray and forward Riley Armstrong.
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Opelousas, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Retired jockey Shane Sellers begins his
return to the races tonight (Thursday) at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana.
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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Betting Football
NFL Football Betting OnlineIs there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.