Calgary hopes to continue hot streak in bout with Edmonton
Football Betting Lines
09/01/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Stampeders try to continue their winning ways on Monday evening as they take on the Edmonton Eskimos in a Western Division clash at McMahon Stadium.
The Stamps have the best record in the CFL through eight completed weeks of competition, losing just once to Toronto back on July 14 by a score of 27-24. Last week, the team outlasted a spunky British Columbia squad and captured a 48-35 victory. The last time Calgary started out 7-1 was 1996 when current BC head coach Wally Buono was at the helm. Even though he tossed a total of three interceptions, Henry Burris stepped up with 20-of-34 passing for 276 yards and a couple of touchdowns, while backup Drew Tate contributed with one passing major and another on the ground for the group as they generated 510 yards of total offense.
Wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambo was not only on the winning side with Calgary, he was also a unanimous choice for CFL Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his nine catches for 108 yards and two scores. Having come back strong from a knee injury that ended his 2009 season, Rambo now has four touchdowns in as many games.
As for the Eskimos, they've been a disappointment for much of the season, winning just once through the first seven games. But last week the team awoke from a slumber and came up with 17 unanswered points in posting a 17-14 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at home. Edmonton spotted the visitors a pair of touchdowns and then roared back by holding the Roughriders scoreless for the last three frames.
Kicker Noel Prefontaine was key to the comeback win as he converted a 37-yard field goal in the final minute of play to secure the upset win. Prefontaine, who was named the CFL's Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time, was responsible for all of the points scored in the second half and a total of 11 overall as the Eskimos snapped a two-game slide.
Edmonton starting quarterback Ricky Ray was pulled early in the game, but came back to move the ball down the field late and finished the outing 6-of-11 for 63 yards, although his one interception also led to the first points of the game when James Patrick picked off the first of three and ran it back 35 yards for the score. Backup Jared Zabransky tossed one touchdown to Arkee Whitlock, but was also picked off twice as he converted 8-of-17 passes for 109 yards in the victory.
Even though the Eskimos picked up a rare win last week, the quarterback position is still in disarray. Ray may be one of the more accurate passers in the league to this point with his 66.8 percent accuracy, but the fact that he has just as many interceptions (six) as he does touchdowns doesn't paint a pretty picture for this team. As a unit the Eskimos are sixth in the CFL in passing with 2,130 yards through eight games, but again the team has more INTs (10) than TDs (eight) through the air.
Having Whitlock help out on the ground certainly takes some of the focus off the troubles at quarterback, but the running back can only do so much as he averages a solid six yards per carry and is now second in the league with his 686 yards coming out of the backfield. With 764 yards from scrimmage, Whitlock is fifth in the CFL and at least gives the illusion that he could be a bigger player in the passing attack if needed.
While Burris has more passing majors than anyone else in the league at this point with 18, he is also tied with Darian Durant for the most interceptions with a dozen, so with the good also comes the bad in his case. But for the most part, throwing those picks has not hurt the Stamps all that much. When it comes to Burris hitting the airwaves against Edmonton over the years, the signal-caller has twice as many TDs (36) as INTs (18) over the course of 20 appearances. Of late the numbers have really favored Burris in fact, the QB having tossed 14 majors and a mere four interceptions in the last six meetings. In all but one of those six games Burris, who is on the verge of overtaking Dieter Brock for 10th place on the CFL's all-time passing list, has thrown for at least 305 yards, so to change the mode of attack at this stage might be foolish.
Even though Edmonton owns a convincing 121-79-3 mark in the all-time series dating back to the 1949 campaign, it is Calgary that has dominated in recent years with four straight wins and five in the last six encounters overall. The most recent meeting took place on August 15 with the Stamps stomping the Esks by a final of 56-15 at home.
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The only matchup of the week that pits two teams that are at least .500 so far this season against each other has the Hamilton Tiger-Cats entertaining the Toronto Argonauts at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Monday afterno
<< Winnipeg tangles with Saskatchewan on Sunday afternoon
Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Back in action after a lengthy layoff, the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head back to the gridiron on Sunday afternoon to
challenge the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium.
The Bombers have had a tough time of it
<< Alouettes play host to slumping Lions
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Alouettes find out what life
without one of the top offensive stars in the league is like this week as the
team hosts the British Columbia Lions at McGill Stadium on Friday night.
The Alouettes ha
<< Boston hopes Lester can remain perfect against O's
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox may not have had the success they've
enjoyed in the past against the Baltimore Orioles this season, but Jon Lester
has certainly been able to maintain his dominance over the course of this
series.
<< Howard, Phillies seek to heat up versus Dodgers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - September is the time of year for temperatures to drop, but
for Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard it's his month to start heating up.
Howard and the Phillies will shoot for back-to-back winning series Wednesday
afternoon in
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers may have a few reinforcements in the lineup when the American League West front-runners conclude a three-game series tonight with the Kansas City Royals from Kauffman Stadium. Second baseman Ia
Struggling aces try for much-needed win in Rockies-Giants finale >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of aces desperate for a win collide tonight in the
Bay area, as Ubaldo Jimenez leads the Colorado Rockies into the finale of a
three-game series with Tim Lincecum and the rival San Francisco Giants.
Jimenez is tied
Angels take on Seattle's Vargas in series finale >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have had plenty of
difficulty producing runs as of late, and recent history says the team could
be in for a tough time again in tonight's matchup with Jason Vargas and the
Seattle
Heavy-hitting Yanks continue series with A's >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Six homers in two games and four consecutive victories have
helped the New York Yankees regain sole possession of first place in the
American League East. If they want to stay there, A.J. Burnett better figure
things out in a
Nationals, Marlins to wrap up charged-up set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's tough to get excited about a September matchup between
the Nationals and Marlins, but Nyjer Morgan's actions last night may have
given this series some extra juice.
Morgan and Washington will conclude what could end u
College Football Betting Tips From a Pro
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.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.