CFL East: Argos dig deep again; Als stay on top

Football Betting Lines

08/10/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a rematch of the epic season opener, the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders battled it out again in Week 6. Though the game had little chance to match the fireworks of a 54-51 double overtime Riders win in Week 1, the two teams still put on a brilliant show worthy of the two best in the league. Meanwhile, the Argos pulled off another late-game upset to move to 4-2.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The Als can thank their defense for getting through a tough second half against the Riders in Week 6.

Facing a determined Saskatchewan quarterback in Darian Durant, the defense made the big stops when it had to en route to the win.

Linebacker Chip Cox provided the key defensive play with an interception late in the fourth quarter, switching momentum permanently in favor of his Montreal squad.

Offensively the Alouettes struggled to get anything going over the final two quarters.

The Als proved they can win a gritty game when they have to, even if it's against as formidable an opponent as the Riders.

Offensive key to the next game (Toronto Argonauts): The Als have so many weapons at their disposal they could blindfold themselves, spin around in a circle, and randomly point at a player and have him dominate. In Week 5, Avon Cobourne was the weapon. This time around, after the Argos study game film from two weeks ago, it will most likely be someone else.

Defensive key to the next game: Just like in its last meeting, Montreal must stop Cory Boyd, who has been one of the league's best players over the first third of the season.

Look ahead: With the way Montreal has played this season, combined with its recent history of winning records, it's hard to believe the Alouettes finishing anywhere other than first in the East. Wins against Toronto and Winnipeg in consecutive weeks will help confirm that belief.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

What a way to celebrate a birthday.

Cory Boyd had three touchdowns against Edmonton last week, including a game- winning one-yard run in the waning seconds of the contest.

In a season full of surprises for the Argos, Boyd's emergence as not only the team's most important player but also one of the best in the CFL has to be the biggest.

Boyd's stellar play has also allowed Cleo Lemon to acclimate himself to the Canadian football brand at a more comfortable pace.

The former NFL QB looks better every week but, with Montreal on the horizon, he will have to skip a few steps in his development if he wants his team to get a win.

Offensive key to the next game (Montreal Alouettes): The Argos have lost twice, and both times were the only games Boyd failed to hit the century mark in rushing yards. Boyd ran for just 53 yards the last time he faced Montreal and unless Lemon breaks out with a tremendous performance, the running back will have to be lights out once again for the Argos to have a chance.

Defensive key to the next game: First and foremost, prevent Cobourne from amassing 200-plus combined yards of offense as he did in Week 5. Easier said than done, but the Argos need to do a better job anticipating when the Als will rush.

Look ahead: After Montreal, Toronto has a home-and-home series with the Tiger- Cats sandwiched around a bye week. Considering Hamilton is Toronto's biggest obstacle in maintaining second place in the East, these two games will be perhaps the most critical of the season.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

It took six weeks but the CFL's most accurate kicker finally made an impact.

Sandro DeAngelis went 3-for-3 on his field goal attempts, a vast improvement over the 58.3 percent he had heading into Week 6.

It's a big boost for the Ti-Cats and they can only hope DeAngelis will get back to the form he showed in his five previous seasons with Calgary, where he kicked to the tune of nearly 84 percent.

Stealing the show from DeAngelis, however, was another incredible performance from Arland Bruce. Coming off a record-tying 16 receptions in Week 5, Bruce was at it again against Winnipeg with 11 catches for 197 yards.

With Bruce playing at such an elite level, and DeAngelis kicking at his normal efficiency, the Ti-Cats can feel better about finishing the season with a roar rather than a purr.

Offensive key to the next game (Winnipeg Blue Bombers): It's unlikely that Bruce will record 200 yards receiving again, meaning other receivers will have to step up. Bruce and Stala have been the main recipients of Kevin Glenn's bombs, and it's time for the wealth to be shared, especially since DeAndra Cobb has yet to rush the ball with any consistency.

Defensive key to the next game: Strategy shouldn't change for the Ti-Cats in the second part of their home-and-home with the Bombers. The defense pressured quarterback Steve Jyles enough to get him off rhythm, including a crucial fumble in the late stages of Week 6 that led to Hamilton's winning touchdown. Pressure Jyles again and the Ti-Cats will control the game.

Look ahead: A win against Winnipeg would be a great stepping stone to a critical stage of the season: a home-and-home series with the Toronto Argonauts. Catching up to the boatmen is still a possibility. A split is the bare minimum of what they need to accomplish.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Winnipeg was the only team to lose in Week 6 and now shares the worst record in the division with Hamilton at 2-4.

Jyles had the best game of his career, throwing for 367 yards with two touchdown passes. However, his penchant to run with the football led to two fumbles, one of which ultimately cost the Bombers the game.

Holding onto the football should be Jyles' primary focus if he wants to continue to think about running, though he showed improvement in his overall game so the Bombers can afford to feel some optimism.

Offensive key to the next game: While Jyles has to find a better grip on the football, he should also keep getting Arkee Whitlock touches. The running back needs to hit the 100-yard rushing mark if they want to exact revenge in Week 6.

Defensive key to the next game: It takes more than stopping Bruce from making huge catches to defeat the Ti-Cats. Last week, the Bombers managed to stop Bruce in the final quarter, but they couldn't maintain Stala in the process. With little contribution elsewhere among receivers, the focus should be on getting both Stala and Bruce under wraps.

Look ahead: Of the next three games, the match against Hamilton is by far its best chance of picking up a win. On either side of its bye in Week 8 are matchups against Montreal and Saskatchewan. Not a friendly schedule by any means, making this week's tilt against Hamilton even more important to stay within reach of a playoff spot.

Wwwsho Football Betting News


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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.

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards

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Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

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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