Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
12/22/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Patriots will become the latest team to try to solve the mystery of Alltel Stadium on Sunday, when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game rife with postseason implications.
The Jaguars, who are tied with the similarly 8-6 Bengals, Broncos, and Jets in a quest for two AFC Wild Card slots, have gone a dominant 6-1 at home in 2006, compared to 2-5 away from Alltel. Each of those six wins have come against teams that enter Week 16 in the playoff chase, including thrashings of the Jets (41-0), Colts (44-17), and Giants (26-10), as well as a takedown of probable NFC East champ Dallas (24-17).
In seven home games, the Jaguars have surrendered an average of 9.1 points per game. On the road, the clip swells to 21.6 per outing. Last week saw a continuation of typical Jacksonville form, as Jack Del Rio's team went to Tennessee and allowed three defensive touchdowns in a 24-17 loss to the resurgent Titans.
There is evidence to suggest that New England will present more of a challenge to the Jaguars than have most of their visitors, however.
The 10-4 Patriots, who can wrap up their fourth consecutive AFC East title with a win or a Jets loss in Week 16, are 5-1 away from Gillette Stadium this season, with their 21-0 loss to Miami two weeks ago snapping a seven-game regular season road winning streak. New England also has some positive history at Alltel, having defeated the Eagles there in Super Bowl XXXIX less than two years ago. In addition, Bill Belichick's club comes off a 40-7 throttling of the Houston Texans, the very same Texans that dealt Jacksonville a pair of setbacks earlier this season.
Sunday's game will mark a rematch of an AFC First-Round Playoff game held in Foxboro last Jan. 7, a game won by the Patriots, 28-3.
SERIES HISTORY
New England is 3-0 against Jacksonville in regular season games all-time, including a 27-13 win when the teams last met, in Foxboro in 2003. The Patriots' only regular season appearance in Jacksonville occurred in 1997, when they prevailed, 26-20.
The teams have also met three times in the playoffs, with New England holding a 2-1 edge there. The Patriots were 28-3 winners in the aforementioned AFC First-Round Playoff last year; New England scored a 20-6 home victory in the 1996 AFC Championship; and the Jaguars earned their only meaningful win against the Patriots in their history with a 25-10 home win in a 1998 AFC First-Round Playoff.
Belichick is 2-2 against the Jaguars, with both losses dating back to the 1995 season, when he served as head coach in Cleveland. Jacksonville's Del Rio is 0-2 against both Belichick and the Patriots in his career as a head coach.
PATRIOTS OFFENSE VS. JAGUARS DEFENSE
After a dismal performance in a shutout loss to Miami the week before, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (3055 passing yards, 20 TD, 12 INT) was his old efficient self against the Texans last week. The signal-caller completed 16- of-23 passes for 109 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no turnovers, posting a passer rating of better than 100 for the fourth time this year. Brady's touchdown passes went to Kevin Faulk (115 rushing yards, 41 receptions, 3 TD), who scored from 43 yards out to stake the Patriots to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, and ex-Texan Jabar Gaffney (7 receptions, 1 TD) near the end of the first half. Also contributing were wide receiver Reche Caldwell (53 receptions, 3 TD), who had a game-high six catches totaling just 25 yards, and tight end David Thomas (6 receptions), who hauled in three passes for 24 yards in the most productive game of his rookie season to date. Thomas was subbing for the injured Ben Watson (49 receptions, 3 TD), the New England leader in receiving yards (643), who is listed as questionable again with a knee problem for this week. The New England line is allowing a little under two sacks a game, and surrendered just one against Houston last Sunday.
Brady might want to steer clear of the side of the field occupied by Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis (53 tackles, 7 INT), who was this week named to his first career Pro Bowl. Mathis' seven picks on the year are just one off the NFL lead. The secondary is rounded out by Brian Williams (46 tackles, 1 INT) at the other corner, and Deon Grant (50 tackles, 2 INT) and Gerald Sensabaugh (36 tackles, 2 INT) at the safeties. A pass rush that ranks middle-of-the-NFL-pack with 31 sacks on the year is led by end Bobby McCray (29 tackles, 9 sacks). McCray had five tackles to go along with his team- leading ninth sack of the year last week. The Jaguars are seventh in the league against the pass (186.5 yards per game) as they head into Week 16.
In light of the presence of Jacksonville's formidable front-seven, the fact that New England running back Laurence Maroney (624 rushing yards, 18 receptions, 5 TD) appears set to return to the field is an encouraging development for the visitors. The rookie sensation has missed the last two games with knee and rib problems, and continues to be listed as questionable on the injury report, though he was practicing by mid-week. In Maroney's absence, veterans Corey Dillon (715 rushing yards, 10 TD, 13 receptions) and Faulk were handling a bulk of the workload in the backfield. Dillon carried 20 times for 61 yards against the Texans last Sunday, also adding five catches for 20 yards out of the backfield, while the multi-dimensional Faulk totaled 68 yards and two touchdowns on just six total touches. Fullback Heath Evans (103 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 1 TD) also logged an impact in the blowout, carrying a season-high eight times for 24 yards. The Patriots are 13th in NFL rushing offense (120.1 yards per game) as Week 16 begins.
The Jaguars have re-established their reputation as a run-stopping team in recent weeks, as now-healthy defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (17 tackles, 2.5 sacks) has led the unit's climb to third in NFL rushing defense (83.8 yards per game) over the past month. Stroud and fellow interior lineman John Henderson (45 tackles, 3.5 sacks) were at the heart of a group that held the Titans' Travis Henry to 37 yards on 12 carries last Sunday, combining for five tackles and half-a-sack on the afternoon. The young linebacking corps has played well in recent weeks, with rookie Clint Ingram (60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) pacing the Jags in tackles with seven last Sunday, and Daryl Smith (80 tackles, 2 sacks) notching a trio of stops from his place in the middle. Three New England running backs combined for 97 yards on 24 carries in last year's playoff game with Jacksonville.
JAGUARS OFFENSE VS. PATRIOTS DEFENSE
A Jaguars running game that ranks second in the NFL (163.1 yards per game) behind only that of the Atlanta Falcons could be somewhat depleted this week. Veteran Fred Taylor (1120 rushing yards, 5 TD, 22 receptions) is listed as questionable with a nagging hamstring injury that he aggravated in last Sunday's loss to the Titans, meaning the six-time 1,000-yard rusher could miss his first game of 2006. Luckily, the Jaguars have a star-quality backup in Rookie of the Year candidate Maurice Jones-Drew (764 rushing yards, 36 receptions, 13 TD), who has rushed for 264 yards in his last two games and has a touchdown in six straight contests. The UCLA product carried a season-high 25 times for 98 yards and a touchdown in last week's loss to the Titans. If Taylor can't go, either LaBrandon Toefield or second-year man Alvin Pearman (89 rushing yards, 1 TD) would likely spell Jones-Drew. Toefield carried six times for 25 yards last week, in what was just his third appearance of the season. Pearman had a career-high 13 totes for 71 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis the previous week.
Whoever does the running for Jacksonville won't have it especially easy, as they will be facing a New England team that is ranked No. 4 in the league against the run (87.7 yards per game). Maintaining that standing could be somewhat difficult for the Patriots, however, with space-eating nose tackle Vince Wilfork (50 tackles, 1 sack) regarded as questionable with an ankle injury. Michael Wright (19 tackles, 1 sack) is set to make his second straight start in Wilfork's place, with Richard Seymour (35 tackles, 4 sacks) and Ty Warren (74 tackles, 6.5 sacks) holding down their usual end spots in the 3-4. Wright had four tackles and a sack versus Houston, while the perennial Pro Bowler Seymour logged his first interception since 2002. Inside linebackers Mike Vrabel (83 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 INT) and Tedy Bruschi (101 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) continue to make a generous amount of tackles behind the three- man front.
If the Jaguars wish to score their ninth win of the season this week, they will require a much stronger effort than the one they received from quarterback David Garrard (1400 passing yards, 8 TD, 8 INT) last week. Garrard committed four turnovers (three INT, one fumble), three of which were returned the other way for Tennessee touchdowns, overshadowing the quarterback's 22- of-37, 233-yard passing performance. Garrard, who carries a mediocre 77.1 passer rating into Sunday's game, is now 5-3 as a starter this year. The Jaguars haven't had much in the way of consistent targets this season, but wideouts Reggie Williams (44 receptions, 4 TD) and Matt Jones (32 receptions, 3 TD) have both had their moments. Williams logged four catches for 88 yards last week, while Jones caught Garrard's only touchdown pass of the day in the fourth quarter. Tight ends Marcedes Lewis (11 receptions, 1 TD) and George Wrighster (35 receptions, 3 TD) combined for eight receptions in the defeat. The Jacksonville offensive line has been renowned for its run-blocking abilities this year, but has struggled at times to protect the quarterback. The Titans sacked Garrard five times last Sunday.
Though they've faced the likes of Carson Palmer, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre already this season, the Patriots find themselves entering the second- to-last week of 2006 having surrendered the fewest touchdown passes in the league (9). Much of the credit for that standing goes to a secondary led by cornerbacks Asante Samuel (59 tackles, 8 INT) and Ellis Hobbs (37 tackles, 2 INT), both of whom had a major impact in last week's win over Houston. Samuel notched his team-leading eighth interception of the year against the Texans, a figure that is also tied for the NFL lead along with Denver's Champ Bailey. Hobbs also had a pick, and followed up the Texans' only touchdown of the day with a 93-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. In other good news for the secondary, strong safety Rodney Harrison (44 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) has a chance to play on Sunday after missing six games with a broken scapula. Harrison is listed as questionable. The Patriots' 38 sacks rank eighth in the league, with outside linebackers Roosevelt Colvin (48 tackles, 7.5 sack) and Tully Banta-Cain (35 tackles, 5.5 sacks) ranking at the heart of the pass- rushing effort. Banta-Cain had two sacks of David Carr last Sunday.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
There are a couple of certainties going into this game. One is that the Jaguars, apart from a fluky slip-up against the Texans, have been dominant on their home field. The other is that this game is a great deal more important for Jacksonville, which likely needs to win out, than it is for New England, which could claim the AFC East title without winning another game. Talent- wise, these teams match up evenly. But give the edge in the areas of both desire and emotion to the Jaguars, who are the only participant in this contest that are fighting for their playoff lives.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Jaguars 27, Patriots 19
<< Yankees ink Cuban prospect Miranda to four-year deal
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees signed Cuban-born infielder
Juan Miranda to a four-year Major League contract on Friday and added him to
their 40-man roster.
Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The
<< Seahawks can Wrap up NFC West Vs. Chargers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's NFC Champions and one of the favorites to win
this season's AFC title get together Sunday in Seattle, as the Seahawks
welcome the powerful San Diego Chargers to Qwest Field.
The AFC West champion Chargers curre
<< Raptors eyeing division lead
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of a four-game road
trip and will need to keep pace with Boston and New Jersey in the Atlantic
Division standings.
The Raptors have won four of their last five games and are tied
<< Browns, Bucs, Play for Pride, Draft Position
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a year where it seems like every team has a shot at the
playoffs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns meet this Sunday in a
battle for draft positioning.
With two weeks left in the regular season, Tampa Bay an
Colts Carry New-Found Momentum into Houston >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indianapolis Colts will attempt to move one step closer
to securing a first-round playoff bye this Sunday at Reliant Stadium, where
the AFC powerhouses visit a Houston Texans team they have owned in recent
years.
The
Determined Bengals Await Broncos, Cutler >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Appropriately, the Denver Broncos' quest for a spot in the
AFC Playoff bracket could come down to a wild card.
He wears No. 6.
Rookie Jay Cutler will make his fourth career start when the Cincinnati
Bengals invade Inves
Will Bears Take it Easy on Lions? >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears will have to put together a plan of
attack for Sunday's game at the Detroit Lions, and that strategy will have
little to do with run-pass balance, taking shots down the field, or safety
blitzes.
The NFC
Desperate Falcons, Fading Panthers Battle at Georgia Dome >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Falcons hope to take advantage of a Carolina
Panthers team in disarray and record a much-needed victory when the two rivals
square off this Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
This late-December matchup was thought to
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting