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07/28/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The East division took full advantage of home cooking last week, as Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg all won within their friendly confines. Hamilton was the lone East team to fall, as touchdowns in their matchup against Montreal were few and far between. Steven Jyles showed the league that Winnipeg would not roll over without Buck Pierce as their starting quarterback, while the Argonauts still refuse to give up in a stunning come-from-behind finish over the BC Lions.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
In the CFL, you can be sure of three things: lots of passing, exciting kick returns, and most of all, a Buck Pierce injury.
Winnipeg knew it had a talented, yet brittle quarterback on its hands going into the season. The gamble started off in the right direction, but Pierce is sidelined for 2-4 weeks with a right knee injury.
Heading into the Edmonton game, that left Steven Jyles and his one-game experience as a CFL starter to carry the team on offense.
Jyles was up to the task and then some, throwing a touchdown and running in two more to lead his team to a 47-21 thrashing of the Eskimos.
While Edmonton isn't exactly a powerhouse this season, Jyles and the Bombers did what they had to do to bounce back from an ugly week three, when they scored just seven points.
The Bombers better hope they continue to put up points when they travel to Calgary for the first western division matchup.
Offensive key to the next game: It's easy to say Jyles will need to shine again for Winnipeg to have a chance, but that is indeed the scenario. If he can combine the running game with the balanced passing last week, the Bombers will be tough to beat.
Defensive key to the game: Burris loves to pass, perhaps a little too much. The Bombers should force Burris to make poor throwing decisions, and interceptions have plagued the Stampeders all season.
Look ahead: A peek at the upcoming schedule includes some deja vu for Winnipeg, as it takes on Hamilton two weeks in a row. This is a crucial set of games for both teams in determining the playoff picture, as both teams have already split their first two matchups this season.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Just when it looked like Hamilton had straightened themselves out, the Tiger- Cats come out with a dud against division rival Montreal Alouettes.
The defense did well to allow just two touchdowns in the game, but that doesn't help when you allow a kicker to get close enough to the uprights for seven field goals.
Offense was the bigger concern as Kevin Glenn took a step backwards, completing just 16-of-32 passes for 201 yards. Even worse, Deandra Cobb still can't find his legs as he rushed for a measly 25 yards.
With Cobb struggling so much on the ground, the Ti-Cats will face extra pressure each and every night to find adequate offense elsewhere.
Offensive key to next game: Pressure will just increase next week when Hamilton travels to Regina to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. As Cobb has been unable to have that big game so far this season, the receiving combination of Marquay McDaniel and David Stala will be looked on again to provide all the offense against a very defensively sound team.
Defensive key to the next game: Calgary forced Durant to throw three interceptions last week. Hamilton better hope for the same luck if they want to limit Saskatchewan's scoring opportunities. Durant still had 354 yards passing, but the Ti-Cats can live with that as long as the deep receiving corps is tightly covered. Force Wes Cates or even Durant to run and earn their yards the hard way.
Look ahead: If Hamilton loses against Saskatchewan in week five, its record falls to 1-4. While it is too early to hit the panic button in such young a season, losing back-to-back against Winnipeg in weeks six and seven would certainly leave fingers within millimeters of pressing it. A split is the bare minimum during this important stretch.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
The Als are looking better and better with every passing game, and last week they can thank kicker Damon Duval for that. The veteran booted in seven field goals in eight attempts, scoring 23 of the 37 points scored in their win against Hamilton last week.
Quarterback Anthony Calvillo admitted after the game that his team should have scored more touchdowns, but it's a little difficult to complain when allowing just 14 points against a fellow eastern side.
With the exception of the ridiculous 54-51 loss to Saskatchewan in week one, the Als defense has carried Montreal all season.
Offensive key to next game: While the wins the Argos have been piling up are a surprise, the strength of their defense is not. The Argos field a better defensive squad than Hamilton and so the Als will have to work even harder to get the touchdowns that were lacking last week. Keeping drives alive, and limiting some of the dropped passes that have crept up amongst the receiving corps, will be key for Montreal this week.
Defensive key to the game: Stopping Cory Boyd is of the utmost importance. The rookie running back has been huge for the Argos and has become an integral part of the offense.
Look ahead: CFL fans already lie in wait for the rematch of the thrilling season opener between Montreal and Saskatchewan. Better defense will prevail this time around, though a clash between the league's two best teams will still probably be offense-first.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
The Argonauts found another way to win last week when Byron Parker returned a 41-yard interception in the dying minutes of the comeback win.
Parker now needs just one more TD return to match the CFL record of eight.
Last week's win marked the fourth time in as many games that the Argos have been forced to rally in the final quarter, and follows on the heels of a 27-24 come-from-behind win against Calgary two weeks ago.
These are the kinds of games Toronto lost each of the last two seasons, but the new swagger it has developed this year is all thanks to the newcomers who have transformed this team into a viable playoff contender.
The Argos better hope that swagger carries forward this week when they face a strong fourth quarter team in the Montreal Alouettes.
Offensive key to the game: Montreal's defense has been getting better as the season's gone along, which spells trouble for a Toronto side that has trouble scoring points. Cory Boyd will need to be the focal point again for the Argos to have a chance against the East's best team.
Defensive key to the game: He is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game, and though his offense has struggled this season, quarterback Anthony Calvillo must be the first name discussed when planning defensive strategies against Montreal. The Toronto defensive line is one of the best in the league and so will be charged with the task of pressuring the inexperienced o-line of the Alouettes.
Look ahead: Having two of the next three games against the defending champs may not be a pleasant experience, but sandwiched in between is a date with the punchless Edmonton Eskimos. Suffering two losses at the hands of the Alouettes is entirely possible, but so is a win in Edmonton for the resurgent Argos.
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What's different about him and the rest of Team Canada's 18-and-under
<< Campbell joins Newcastle on one-year deal
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Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thank goodness the NHL still has a few
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<< Royals demote Marte, call up Bullington
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals optioned reliever
Victor Marte to and recalled pitcher Bryan Bullington from Triple-A Omaha
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Sochaux adds Maiga from Le Mans >>
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Pironkova knocked out in Istanbul >>
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana
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St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams and rookie offensive
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Jim Dandy Stakes up for grabs Saturday >>
Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Saturday's $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course has attracted an evenly matched field of nine three-
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on Satu
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.
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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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