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09/01/2010 - Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In what figures to be a complete mismatch, the eighth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers entertain the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the season opener for both programs this weekend at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska begins its 121st season with high expectations after a strong showing in 2009. In their second year under head coach Bo Pelini, the Huskers posted a 10-4 record and were just seconds away from winning a Big 12 Championship before Texas stole a 13-12 victory in the league title game. Now in his third year at Nebraska, Pelini has the program in great shape and ready to compete for another conference title. However, this will be the program's last shot at winning a Big 12 title, as the Huskers announced this offseason their plans to move to the Big Ten in 2011.
As for the Hilltoppers, they are the newest team at the FBS level and it showed in 2009. In their first full-fledged season as a FBS member, WKU went winless at 0-12, and the program brings the nation's longest losing streak into 2010 with 20 straight setbacks. Obviously a change was needed, as Willie Taggart, a former standout quarterback at WKU, was brought in to turn the program around. Taggart, who recently spent time as Stanford's running backs coach, brings a winning attitude and a fresh start for the Toppers.
"I have always followed Western Kentucky University, ever since I was in school here," said Taggart. "When I saw this opportunity, I knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime."
This game marks the first-ever clash between WKU and Nebraska on the gridiron.
The Toppers previously ran a spread-option attack, but under Taggart, they are now set to use a West Coast style of offense. The change is drastic and it should help improve the unit in the long run. Kawaun Jakes was recently named the starting quarterback by Taggart, as the sophomore beat out junior Matt Pelesasa in the offseason.
"Kawaun did the things we were looking for to be the starting quarterback. He was consistent, made plays and became a leader," stated Taggart.
In 11 appearances, eight starts last season, Jakes threw for 1,515 yards and nine scores, while adding 366 yards and five more touchdowns on the ground. The Toppers, though, have a relatively inexperienced group of wideouts and are in need of someone to step up as the top option.
The team however, is settled at running back with the return of Bobby Rainey, who rushed for 939 yard and six touchdowns as a sophomore last season. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry and is clearly the best playmaker on this club.
WKU is also switching schemes on the defensive side of the ball, going from a 3-4 to a 4-3 under first-year coordinator Clint Bowen. A change is certainly needed considering the Toppers ranked 118th nationally in total defense (478.3 ypg) and 119th in scoring (39.6 ppg) in 2009.
The line is anchored by end Jared Clendenin, who had 40 tackles in 2009. He will look to become a better pass rusher for a defense that registered only 10 sacks in '09.
The most experienced part of the defense is the linebacking corps, and Thomas Majors leads the way. Majors paced WKU with 101 stops last season and he will be joined by Chris Bullard and converted safety Orlando Missalefua, who combined for 91 stops a year ago.
The biggest area of concern is the secondary, where WKU brought in many new faces to compete for playing time. Safety Mark Santoro is the most recognizable returnee after ranking second on the team with 91 tackles last season.
If the Huskers are going to build off last year's run, they will need more from an offense that managed only 25.1 ppg and 322.8 total ypg in '09. With that said, Nebraska has yet to announce a starting quarterback, though Pelini doesn't seem to think that is a big deal.
"The team is going to rally around whoever is out there. They've been practicing with all three guys and all three guys have gotten reps with the first unit. It's kind of like any other position."
The three man race is between returning senior starter Zac Lee, sophomore Cody Green and freshman Taylor Martinez. Lee, coming off elbow surgery, played with the injury most of last season and struggled at times, throwing for 2,143 yards with 14 touchdowns against 10 picks. Green, meanwhile, passed for 317 yards and two touchdowns as the back to Lee and he also added 158 yards and two more scores on the ground. As for Martinez, he caught the eye of everyone with his speed and athleticism in the spring.
An offensive line that returns nearly intact should help whomever ends up under center, as should the continued success of senior tailback Roy Helu Jr., who ran for 1,147 yards and 10 touchdowns despite being slowed by a shoulder injury last season. Niles Paul also returns as the team's top target after leading the way with 40 receptions and 796 receiving yards in '09.
Nebraska's defense was the cornerstone of the '09 team, as the unit surrendered a mere 10.4 ppg to lead the nation. Replacing the nation's top defensive lineman in Ndamukong Suh, however, will be no easy task and the Huskers need to prove then can be successful without him.
"I think we have the potential to be really good on defense, but we're not right now," stated Pelini. I think we're getting better. I think we're better in some areas, I think there are other areas we need to work on."
While Suh may be gone, the line does still have a star performer in tackle Jared Crick, who tallied 73 stops, 15 TFLs and 9.5 sacks last year. Crick has All-American potential, but must prove he can be successful without Suh garnering most of the attention.
The linebacking corps isn't as stacked as other positions, and sophomore Will Compton will be counted on to emerge into more of a threat after registering 40 stops in '09.
The Huskers' secondary is deep and versatile and should benefit from the new Peso defense, which uses a hybrid linebacker/safety position. Filling that spot is senior Eric Hagg, who is a key performer that posted 40 stops and seven TFLs last season.
<< 17th-ranked Hogs host Golden Eagles in 2010 opener
Fayetteville, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 17th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks open
up their highly anticipated 2010 season this weekend, as the welcome the
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles to Fayetteville.
Bobby Petrino is in his third year at the hel
<< Crimson Tide begin national title defense against visiting Spartans
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Alabama Crimson Tide, ranked atop the AP
Poll as the 2010 season gets underway, begins defense of their national title
when they play host to the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday evening at
Bryant-Denny
<< Nittany Lions set to pounce on Penguins in season opener
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 19th-ranked Penn State Nittany
Lions lift the lid on the 2010 season against FCS foe Youngstown State in what
appears to be one of college football's most obvious mismatches of opening
weekend.
A n
<< 'Horns and Owls hook up in Houston
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns kick off the
2010 season with an intrastate matchup against the Rice Owls at Houston's
Reliant Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Texas, fresh off yet another Big 12 Conference titl
Fisher begins reign in Tallahassee as FSU opens year against Samford >>
Tallahassee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jimbo Fisher era in Tallahassee begins
this weekend, as the 20th-ranked Florida State Seminoles open up their 2010
football season against the Samford Bulldogs.
Legendary coach Bobby Bowden's reign at F
CFL Previews - September 3-6 - Week Ten >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS (1-7) AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (6-2)
DATE & TIME: Friday, September 3, 7:30 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: The Montreal Alouettes find out what life without one of the top
offensive st
New Zealand deals Canada another loss at Worlds >>
Izmir, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kirk Penney scored 18 points to lead New
Zealand to a 71-61 victory over winless Canada at the 2010 FIBA World
Championship.
Casey Frank added 14 points for the Kiwis, who improved to 2-2 in Gro
Yobo move from Everton to Fenerbahce completed >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Everton defender Joseph Yobo has
completed his season-long loan move to Turkish club Fenerbahce, the English
Premier League club announced on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Nigeria internationa
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.
The 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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