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12/23/2009 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Losers of two of their last three games to close out the regular season, the Utah Utes try to get back on track Wednesday night when they challenge the California Golden Bears in the fifth annual Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Utah came into the 2009 season sporting the longest win streak in the country after finishing 2008 as the only undefeated program in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The team won two straight out of the gate but then bowed to Oregon on the road, 31-24. Down the stretch, after putting together a six-game win streak, Utah lost to both TCU (55-28) and BYU (26-23 in OT) in Mountain West Conference action. As a result, the Utes finished 9-3 overall and 6-2 in conference.
As for the Golden Bears, all four of their setbacks this season came against Pac-10 opponents. In those four decisions California, which finished 8-4 overall and 5-4 in league play, posted a total of 30 points as it was outscored by a combined 72-6 in back-to-back meetings with Oregon and USC early in the season.
The Bears are making their school-record seventh straight bowl appearance, beginning with a 52-49 win over Virginia Tech in the Insight Bowl back in 2003 and leading up to a 24-17 triumph versus Miami in last year's Emerald Bowl. As far as overall postseason history is concerned, Cal's involvement stretches all the way back to the 1921 Rose Bowl in which the squad shut out Ohio State, 28-0. Overall, the Golden Bears have a 10-8-1 mark in the postseason.
As for the Utes, their 31-17 upset win over Alabama in last year's Sugar Bowl was a national-best eighth straight postseason victory and pushed the team to 11-4 in bowl opportunities dating back to the 1939 Sun Bowl.
"We are looking forward to playing in the Poinsettia Bowl for the second time in three years," says Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. "We had a great experience when we played there in 2007 and our players and staff are excited to be going back. We have around 25 players on our roster from Southern California and we hope for a big turnout from our fans, as is typical anytime we play in Qualcomm Stadium."
Utah has won just two of the six all-time meetings with the Golden Bears, the most recent of those taking place in 2003 with the Utes claiming a 31-24 win at home in Salt Lake City.
Despite his freshman status, Jordan Wynn is slated to make the start at quarterback for the Utes in this contest. Clearly, coach Whittingham has confidence in the youngster to pick him over juco transfer Terrance Cain, but don't think that Cain won't make an appearance should the need arise. Wynn started four games late in the season for the Utes, responding with 991 yards and five touchdowns through the air, while Cain converted 63.7 percent of his attempts for 1,624 yards and 11 TDs.
No matter which player has been under center for the Utes, the likely target down the field has been David Reed who leads the program with 75 catches for 1,085 yards, resulting in five touchdowns. Jereme Brooks is responsible for 49 catches for 620 yards, resulting in a team-best six scores.
With the loss of Matt Asiata early in the season the team had to fall back on Eddie Wide and he has not disappointed with an average of close to six yards per attempt and 12 of the unit's 23 rushing scores.
With several changes in key positions on offense, the strength of this group is on the defensive side of the ball this season for coach Whittingham. The group ranked second in the MWC and ninth in the nation in pass efficiency defense with a rating of 100.1, permitting a mere 172.8 ypg through the air. Although he had a total of only 28 tackles in 12 games, Christian Cox actually led the team with his 5.5 sacks and was one of the top men on the roster with eight tackles for loss. Another key figure is Robert Johnson who posted five interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries, all while placing third on the team with 66 tackles.
The big story for the California offense at this point is that running back Jahvid Best will not be available for the squad. Head coach Jeff Tedford will instead have Shane Vereen coming out of the backfield according to the depth chart.
"Jahvid is doing excellent, but he's been out a long time and since this game is so early, to get him back in game-ready form I don't feel like that's something that we can get done to have him ready to play," coach Tedford said of the possibility of getting his star running back onto the field. "He's doing excellent with his rehab, but this game is so early."
Vereen, who has been the focal point of the running game since Best went out with an injury the first week of November, handled the ball 88 times for 443 yards and four touchdowns in the final three games of the regular season for the program. Overall, Vereen has been credited with 10 rushing TDs and 830 yards on 163 carries this season.
Vereen's strong play will provide some comfort for quarterback Kevin Riley who has completed 54.6 percent of his pass attempts for an average of 219.7 ypg and a total of 17 touchdowns, against just six interceptions. The team lists eight different players with double-digit receptions this season, with Marvin Jones at the top of the list with his 38 grabs for 607 yards and six scores, while Vereen is third with 22 grabs for 224 yards and another two TDs.
The run defense for the Golden Bears has responded this season by limiting foes to just 117.1 ypg, fourth-best in the Pac-10 and 27th in the nation heading into bowl season. Mike Mohamed may lead the unit with his 105 tackles, of which seven have come behind the line of scrimmage, but Tyson Alualu (60 stops) is the one who has had the more significant stops with team highs of 10 TFLs and 7.5 sacks in 12 appearances.
Mohamed also paces the program with his three interceptions, yet the pass defense overall for Cal has been less than stellar, permitting 260.9 ypg to rank last in the conference and 108th in the country.
<< Rebels and Mountaineers mix it up in Morgantown
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers
and the 15th-ranked Old Miss Rebels will collide this evening in what figures
to be an entertaining non-conference affair.
Ole Miss has never beaten a non-conferen
<< No. 3 Kentucky hosts Long Beach State in first-ever meeting
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off the 2,000th win in program history,
the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats are slated to host the Long Beach State 49ers
in non-conference action today at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Long Beach State suffere
<< Hoyas host Crimson in Wednesday matinee
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas and the
Harvard Crimson are set to collide in Washington D.C. this afternoon.
Harvard has won four of its last five games to move to 7-2 overall this
season. The team has b
<< No. 8 Villanova welcomes Delaware to The Pavilion
Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Villanova Wildcats are
clearly favored in tonight's non-conference clash with the Delaware Blue Hens.
Delaware has won two of its last three games, good news considering the fact
that the te
Heat, Jazz tangle in South Beach >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat should be glad to the Utah Jazz are on the
schedule, as they welcome Deron Williams and Company to south Florida tonight
for a showdown at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Heat have won three straight and 10 of t
NBA's worst clash in the Meadowlands as Nets host Wolves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle of the NBA's worst is on tap for tonight at the
IZOD Center, where the lowly New Jersey Nets play host to the just-as-bad
Minnesota Timberwolves.
New Jersey has lost seven straight to fall to 2-26 and opened a sev
Pistons aim to snap skid vs. Raptors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Since winning a season high five straight games, the
Detroit Pistons have lost five in a row and will try to get back on track
Wednesday versus the Toronto Raptors at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The losing ways continued f
Hornets welcome Warriors to the Big Easy >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Golden State Warriors will try to put the brakes on a
six-game losing streak Wednesday, when they pay a visit to the New Orleans
Hornets down in the Big Easy.
Golden State suffered its sixth consecutive defeat on Tuesd
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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