Eskimos and Lions duke it out in Vancouver
Football Betting Lines
09/28/2011 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - BC Place is scheduled to be open for business this week as the British Columbia Lions entertain the Edmonton Eskimos in CFL action on Friday night.
The Lions, who have been playing their home games at Empire Field while BC Place has been getting a facelift, have a record of just 2-3 in their home dates thus far in 2011, so perhaps the change of scenery will perk up the club. Although, after an 0-5 start to the campaign there's been no team hotter than the Lions who have won five straight and six of their last seven outings in order to become a major player in the Western Division where they are just a game off the pace set by the Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders.
For the third time in the last five games the BC defense came ready to play as it held Saskatchewan to a meaningless five points in a 37-point romp. It was the third time in four games that the Lions had held the opposition to single digits in scoring and during this current win streak British Columbia has allowed an average of less than 10 points per outing. And really, the defense for the Lions has been even better than that, considering the Roughriders scored their final two points of the meeting after BC kicker Paul McCallum conceded in the end zone.
Lions quarterback Travis Lulay found plenty of gaps in the Saskatchewan defense as he converted 19-of-26 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, with one of his passes to Arland Bruce in the second quarter measuring out to 100 yards. Bruce finished with just two catches, but with an average of 58 yards per grab. Geroy Simon accounted for a game-high nine catches for 96 yards and the other touchdown through the air for the visitors.
McCallum was a hefty contributor to the bottom line as well as he knocked through all four of his field goal tries and finished with 16 points, compared to just three points for his counterpart on the Riders.
Against the Montreal Alouettes last week, Edmonton again got off to a slow start with just a single point through the first quarter, eventually posting just 10 points in the second half en route to a 34-21 setback at home. Defensively the Esks managed to knock out Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo in the third quarter, but still the Edmonton offense struggled to produce when it had the opportunity.
Ricky Ray connected on just 14 passes the entire night, on 26 attempts, leading to 213 yards and a major, but he was picked off once and sacked three times, the latter bringing the team's overall rushing efforts down to only 100 yards. Fred Stamps caught a one-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter from Ray, but it was Adarius Bowman who did the majority of the damage for the Eskimos further down the field with his five catches for 132 yards.
For the first three games of this season there was no one better than Ray with the ball in his hands, throwing for more than 1,000 yards and six touchdowns, without a single interception. In August the gunslinger hit a few bumps in the road with a couple of games in which he tossed three picks and had just a single passing major to show for his efforts, but in the last four outings he's back to being more conservative, and that might be just what the Eskimos need right now to keep them level.
Over on the other side, Lulay has thrown for a career-high 3,168 yards, although that should be taken with a grain of salt seeing as how this is just his third year in the league and really his first as a full-time starter for the Lions. But still, Lulay's progress has been very promising, even if he is the only regular starter who is converting passes at less than 62 percent, hitting just 58.3 percent of his attempts thus far.
Unfortunately for Lulay, the Lions have one of the weaker rushing attacks in the CFL this season, averaging just 96.8 ypg, which is why the team needs him to perform at a higher level than most.
The good news for Lulay and the BC offense is that the defense has been dominant this season, allowing a league-low 20.8 ppg, thanks in part to a pass defense that has collected a league-high 16 interceptions in order to make the Lions one of only two teams in the league to have a turnover margin that is in double digits in their favor.
Edmonton owns a huge lead in the all-time, regular-season series between these two programs at 102-69-4, although the Lions crushed the Eskimos in an unsightly 36-1 final on the road in the most recent meeting back on August 19.
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off a huge win in the second annual Touchdown Atlantic game last weekend in Moncton, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats get back to a traditional venue this week as they challenge the Toronto Argonauts at Rogers Centr
<< Roughriders and Stampeders mix it up in Calgary
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Still tied for first place in the West Division
standings, the Calgary Stampeders try to get back on the right track this
weekend as they entertain the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a divisional
showdown at McMahon
<< Top two teams in East meet on Friday night in Winnipeg
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle for supremacy in the East Division
this week, the matchup between the Montreal Alouettes and the Winnipeg Blue
Bombers at Canad Inns Stadium is as much about who will be on the field and in
the middle of
<< Huddlestone set for ankle operation
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone is set
to undergo ankle surgery, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp revealed on Wednesday.
Huddlestone has not featured for the club since a 5-1 defeat to Manchester
City
<< Sunderland's Bramble arrested
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland defender Titus Bramble was
arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug.
The 30-year-old is being held for questioning by police after an incident in
the early
Wolverhampton, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wolverhampton striker Kevin Doyle has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2015, it was announced on Wednesday. The 28-year-old had two years left on his previous de
Appalachian State's Kimbrough suspended for Wofford game >>
Boone, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Appalachian State linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough
must sit out the Mountaineers' game against Wofford on Saturday after getting
ejected in a win against Chattanooga last weekend, a newspaper reported.
Kimbrough was f
Lyon agrees to new deal with Bastos >>
Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyon announced on Wednesday that the club has
agreed to a new contract with Michel Bastos that will keep him at the Stade de
Gerland until 2015.
The Brazil international joined Lyon from Lille in 2009
Braves try to stop bleeding and extend season against Philadelphia >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - This is not where the Atlanta Braves wanted to be.
Once proud owners of a 10 1/2-game lead in the National League wild card
standings, the Braves are mired in a four-game losing streak, but can still
clinch a playoff spot
CFL Previews - September 30-October 1, Week Fourteen >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
MONTREAL ALOUETTES (7-5) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (8-4)
DATE & TIME: Friday, September 30th, 7:30 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: A battle for supremacy in the East Division this week, the matchup
between
Football Betting
NFL Football Betting OnlineThe 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)
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Sportsbooks to bet on football
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.