Week One Highlights
NCAA Football Betting Lines
09/07/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Could the 2010 college football season gotten off to a better start? It began with some of the nation's top teams flexing their muscles. There were shootouts, defensive struggles and thrilling overtime affairs. That was all before the last game on the docket, a premier showdown between two of the nation's best on Labor Day. If week one is any indication of how the season is going to shape up, we all are in for a big treat.
BREAKING THESE BRONCOS WON'T BE EASY: We had to wait until Labor Day to watch the game of the week, but it was well worth it, as the top-10 showdown between Boise State and Virginia Tech definitely lived up to the hype. The Broncos jumped out to an early lead only to watch the Hokies battle back and take control of the game. Then, as he has done on several occasions during his career, All-American candidate Kellen Moore came up huge when it counted most, leading BSU to the decisive score with just over a minute to play in the game. With the win, the Broncos have certainly gotten past what seems to be the season's toughest test, and very well could catapult into the BCS Title Game.
FINALLY ARRIVED? Steve Spurrier was supposed to take South Carolina football to new heights when he took over in Columbia a few seasons ago and 2010 may just be the year that the former Gator guru delivers. The veteran-laden Gamecocks completely outclassed a decent Southern Miss team in the opener, behind a balanced offensive attack that amassed over 200 yards on the ground and through the air. This week we all will get a better gauge of the Gamecocks, as they welcome the Georgia Bulldogs to Columbia for SEC action.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: There was plenty of noise coming from football programs all over the country this summer and with first impressions now in, here is a run- down of those that walked the walk after talking the talk. It was only Marshall, but Ohio State looked awfully good on both sides of the football in routing the Thundering Herd this past week. Joining the Buckeyes in terms of good starts include the aforementioned Boise State and South Carolina, along with defending champion Alabama and Oregon. Michigan had a tough opener against UConn and a big win (30-10) certainly had to cool the seat that Rich Rodriguez is sitting on these days. Brian Kelly's debut in South Bend resulted in a victory. It wasn't pretty at times, but the Irish definitely showed flashes of potential in their victory over Purdue.
BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT: Now for the teams that failed to deliver in their season-openers. They may have won the game, but the 2010 Florida Gators looked sluggish at times in a 34-12 win over Miami-Ohio and certainly lacked the same intensity that the squads led by Tim Tebow brought to the field. John Brantley has the toughest job in the country in trying to replace a legend and although Urban Meyer is a gifted coach and mentor, it will be Brantley that is under the microscope each and every week. He will definitely have to improve his play if the Gators want to be a real threat to win the SEC. Another team that failed to impress in week one was Pittsburgh, which lost to Utah in overtime. North Carolina came up just short against LSU, but a lot of that had to do with mass suspensions handed down to the Tar Heels just prior to the game. Finally, Washington didn't get the job done on the road against a talented BYU program. Following five wins in Steve Sarkisian's debut season in 2010, the Huskies were perhaps poised for a big year, especially with Jake Locker back under center. Locker was good in the opener, just not good enough. Hopefully that isn't a theme in Seattle this season.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: There were several players who got their 2010 campaigns off to rousing starts. QB standouts included Matt Barkley (USC), who threw for 257 yards and five TDs against Hawaii; Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), who threw for 301 yards and three TDs in a win over Tennessee Tech; T.J. Yates (North Carolina), who threw for 412 yards and three TDs vs. LSU; Cameron Newton (Auburn), who passed for 186 yards and three TDs, while rushing for 171 yards and two scores against Arkansas State, and fellow dual-threats Taylor Martinez (Nebraska), who passed for 136 yards vs. Western Kentucky, while rushing for 127 and three TDs and Joshua Nesbitt (Georgia Tech), who rushed for 130 yards and three TDs in a win over South Carolina State.
Tailbacks of choice include Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State), who rumbled for 257 yards and four TDs against Washington State, Kenjon Barner (Oregon), who decimated New Mexico with 147 yards rushing and five TDs, and DeMarco Murray (Oklahoma), who rushed for 218 yards and two TDs against Utah State.
Wideouts who stood out include Kealoha Pilares (Hawaii), who amassed 176 yards and three TDs against USC, Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma) with 142 yards and two scores against Utah State, Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), 125 yards, three scores against Washington State and Jheranie Boyd (North Carolina), who had 221 yards and one TD against LSU.
Of course, LSU's All-American CB Patrick Peterson, who amassed 257 return yards, scoring once on a kickoff and once on a punt return and leading the Tigers to a hard-fought victory over top-25 foe North Carolina was the special teams player of the week.
SNEAK PEEK: Week two of the college football season is shaping up to be even better than week one. There are three top-25 battles on the docket, as the Miami Hurricanes invade Columbus to put the Ohio State Buckeyes to the test. Next it is Florida State at Oklahoma and finally a classic duel between Penn State and top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Other quality matchups include Oregon at Tennessee, Michigan at Notre Dame, Georgia at South Carolina and Auburn at Mississippi State.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies have put together a couple of strong Septembers over the past few years. They've been even more successful in recent meetings with the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field. Colorado shoots for an eighth cons
<< Padres try to string back-to-back wins together against LA
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After finally being able to end a potentially-costly 10-
game skid on Monday, the San Diego Padres will try to start up a winning
streak behind their best pitcher when the National League West leaders resume
a three-game seri
<< Braves seek to bounce back in second test with Pirates
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta's offense has been mostly shut down during its
current stretch of four losses in five games. That is exactly what starter Tim
Hudson has done to Pittsburgh over the last few years, though.
Hudson looks to extend a
<< Giants eye first place as they continue series in Arizona
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -Runs were hard to come by in Monday's opener of a three-
game series between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, and
another pitcher's duel could be in the works when the two National League West
foes square off
<< Hard-charging Phils continue key series with Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have been inconsistent on offense
all year, and it was never more evident than during Monday's doubleheader
versus the Florida Marlins. That still didn't stop the club from pulling
within a half-game
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though the St. Louis Cardinals appear to be loaded at the top of their pitching rotation, the back end could use some work. Kyle Lohse gets a chance to claim his rotation spot this evening, when St. Louis tries to gain mor
Rookies to go head-to-head in Mets-Nationals clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the Washington Nationals already looking ahead to next
year -- and maybe even 2012 given Stephen Strasburg's need for Tommy John
surgery -- a couple of young players are looking to show the team they can
contribute.
Twins continue set with Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Capturing a second straight American League Central title
may be the Minnesota Twins' main objective, but judging by the team's
performance at Target Field this season, having home-field advantage for the
opening round of the
2010 World Basketball Championship update - September 7th >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
Halftime - Lithuania 43, China 40
Argentina vs. Brazil, 2 p.m.
The Real Deal on the AL Cy Young Race >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With 28 days left in the regular season, the
American League Cy Young award is still up for grabs. It seems the New York
Yankees' CC Sabathia is considered the leading candidate, although I think
there's another
Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
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Horse Betting
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.