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07/21/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats looked the best of any team in week three, something that will have head coach Marcel Bellefeuille smiling - at least until their next game. One game won't solve everything, but at least Hamilton, and in particular quarterback Kevin Glenn, knows the spark from the latter part of last season isn't entirely snuffed out. Meanwhile, the Toronto Argonauts continue to surprise with a second straight victory, and Montreal sits atop the eastern standings with a 2-1 record of their own.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
It took a little longer than expected but chants of "oskee wee wee" were finally heard last week in Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats pulled off their first win of the season, displaying a great all-around brand of football against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a 28-7 win.
It was a much-improved performance from week one, when the Bombers ran away offensively against Hamilton scoring 49 points. The Ti-Cats had a renewed focus on defense in week three's rematch, as they didn't allow a first down until midway through the second quarter.
The offensive line stepped up big time, giving up just one sack compared with a monstrous seven in week one.
The key for Hamilton, however, was Glenn. If he continues to limit his interceptions - he had none against Winnipeg in week three - and spreads the ball around amongst his receivers, Hamilton will make its way back to being the top team in the east as projected before the season began.
Offensive key for next game: Getting revenge against Winnipeg was good, but now comes a much more important test - a road game against the Montreal Alouettes. Glenn will need to play his absolute best against a defense that limited the Lions to just 12 points in Week 3. Canadian David Stala has emerged as the best option amongst receivers and he'll need another huge game if the Ti-Cats want to get back to .500.
Defensive key for next game: Anthony Calvillo is as good as any quarterback to have played in the CFL, and though the Als have not dominated the way many were expecting, Hamilton can't afford to sleep on the skill set of Montreal's veteran QB. Hindering Calvillo's play is the production of his o-line. The Als have given up a league-leading nine sacks, something the Ti-Cats should be able to exploit on defense.
Look ahead: As if Montreal wasn't a tough enough task, Hamilton has to play the league's best team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the following week. It's entirely possible to lose both games - in fact, it's more than likely given how they are both road games - but Hamilton should not get discouraged if that were to happen. They have the weapons necessary to compete, it's just a matter of getting Glenn and company to perform consistently.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
In each of the past two seasons, the Argonauts probably would have lost the two games they managed to win in this young season. Both were come-from-behind, two-point victories in the fourth quarter, the latter via a one-yard TD run in the last two minutes of play.
Whether it's character, heart, or perhaps just a little luck, there's no denying that this year's team will not give up on any game.
Cleo Lemon has been getting better for the blue and white with each passing game. The 30-year-old is adapting to the CFL rather quickly, using the whole field and taking advantage of the bigger end zone, nowhere more evident than a towering toss to Chad Owens for a two-point convert late in week three's game against Calgary.
Perhaps an even bigger boost for the Argos has been the play of Cory Boyd. The rookie looked completely out of sorts in his first game, but has carried for over 100 yards in each of the last two games.
Offensive key to the game: The Toronto Argonauts play at home again, this time against the punchless BC Lions. As much as the Lions have been struggling offensively, they have been tough without the ball and the Argos will have to show their resiliency once again to get through it. Cory Boyd will need to be huge again for the Argonauts to have a chance.
Defensive key to next game: Running back Jamal Robertson makes his first visit to Toronto since signing with BC and will be motivated to not only perform against his former team but also erase his dismal 4-yard effort in week three. Stopping him will be key for the Argos to have a shot at winning three in a row for the first time since a run of seven back in 2007.
Look ahead: The schedule sure gets tough for the Argos after the Lions. Dates with the CFL's two best teams, Montreal and Saskatchewan, may derail what has been a good start for Toronto.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
The gamble worked for a little while, but Winnipeg's luck ran out last week.
After two weeks of strong play from newly acquired Buck Pierce, the quarterback found himself in familiar territory: on the sidelines, injured.
Reports indicate that the Blue Bomber will be out for two-four weeks, a big blow for a team looking to stay in the hunt in the east.
Steven Jyles will step in for the injured Pierce. He's been in the league for five years, but this will be just his second career start. Behind Jyles will be recently signed Joey Elliot, a former Purdue University player.
With such inexperience at the helm for the Bombers, it will be tough to bounce back from a devastating 28-7 loss to Hamilton last week.
Offensive key to next game: Fortunately for the Bombers, they start off the Pierce-less stretch against the league's worst team, the Edmonton Eskimos. Winnipeg's success will depend on how well Jyles can put it together, but running back Fred Reid must play out of his mind to take the pressure off his inexperienced quarterback.
Defensive key to next game: The Eskimos have been having trouble scoring touchdowns, thanks in part to dropped passes by the receiving corps. Winnipeg's defensive backs need to control the backfield and force Edmonton QB Ricky Ray to make a mistake.
Look Ahead: After hosting the Eskimos, Winnipeg travels to take on the other Albertan team. Calgary has been one of the year's best teams, though the sloppy play of Henry Burris is a concern for the Stampeders. If Winnipeg can win at least one of the battles against Alberta, it would be a huge boost of confidence for a team without their star quarterback.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
After giving up 54 points in the season opener, the Alouettes dropped it down to 23 in their second game, and 12 against BC last week.
The defense is coming around, which is bad news for the rest of the league.
Montreal grinded out a win in BC for the first time in 10 years, a positive step for a team that has yet to have a complete game this season.
But perhaps that's asking too much from even the defending champs. Going 2-1 on a three-game western road trip is usually a good showing no matter what team you are.
Offensive key to next game: The Ti-Cats were impressive defensively against the Blue Bombers last week. If that same defense shows up, Montreal will have problems sustaining long drives, meaning kicker Damon Duval may be leaned on for several field goals. What will help Montreal is if quarterback Anthony Calvillo and long-time teammate Ben Cahoon can find the chemistry Als fans know all too well. The slotback made just three catches in last week's game, and given Cahoon's career as a receiver who can get the clutch first down, now is the time to step up.
Defensive key to the game: Kevin Glenn has been lights-out for Hamilton and will be tough to contain for an Alouettes team who've shown some signs of weakness on pass defense. Stop the passing game, in particular receiver David Stala, and the Ti-Cats are in trouble.
Look ahead: Just as they opened the season on a three-game road trip, the Als return to Montreal for a trio of home games. After hosting Hamilton, the surprising Argos come to town. Both are crucial games for the Als to win and maintain their place as the east's best team.
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The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.
Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.
Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.
A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.
Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.
Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.
And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.
2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win
Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1
Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1
Donald Brown (IND) 5/1
Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1
Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1
Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1
Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1
Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1
Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1
Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1
Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1
Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1
Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1
Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1
Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1
Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1
Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1
LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2
Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1
Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1
Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1
Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1
Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1
Jason Smith (STL) 40/1
Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1
Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1
Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1
Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2
Pat White (MIA) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 9/1
To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.
For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.
My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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