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NCAA Football Betting - Big 12 Picks

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:09:15 +0000

Kansas Jayhawks @ Texas Longhorns
Sports Betting Odds: Texas -27

The Kansas Jayhawks and Texas Longhorns matchup was supposed to be a matchup of two of the best teams in the Big 12. Unfortunately, only one team ended up holding its end of the bargain.

The Jayhawks have been absolutely horrendous this year and have taken a nose dive that few Big 12 programs have ever seen. The Jayhawks have lost five straight games, are 1-5 overall in Big 12 play and are now mired in off field issues with head coach Mark Mangino. That's not exactly the recipe to that makes you think that they are ready to pull an upset over No. 2 Texas this weekend.

For Texas, this is senior day. This is going to be the final home game for quarterback Colt McCoy and the rest of the seniors on a very experienced Longhorns squad. McCoy and Jordan Shipley are going to connect on many big completions throughout the day as the Jayhawk defense is pitiful.

The Longhorns are on pace for a BCS Championship game and right now, nothing is going to stop this train. The Jayhawks have been a complete wreck of late and there is little reason to believe that they will be the first team to beat Texas this year - especially on their turf on their senior day.

Racebook Pick: Texas -27

Iowa State Cyclones @ Missouri Tigers
Online Sportsbook Odds: Missouri -13

Both the Iowa State Cyclones and Missouri Tigers have played better than most people thought they would this year and on Saturday, they'll battle for some Big 12 positioning as both teams try to get into better bowls.

The Cyclones weren't thought of positively after last year's two-win campaign and having a coach to replace. Meanwhile, Missouri lost Chase Daniel - one of the most decorated quarterbacks in school history - and Jeremy Maclin, which meant that the team was supposed to be rebuilding this year. Missouri could conceivably finish 8-4, which considering last year's squad only won nine games, would be an achievement.

The Tigers have a very good rush defense and that will be the main difference in this game. Iowa State isn't good enough to throw for a win on the road.

Look for the Tigers to hold a comfortable lead throughout most of this game en route to a big win.

Horse Betting Picks: Missouri -13

Cane/Nogueira Preview and Pick

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:33:12 +0000

Sports betting fans get their fight fix yet again this weekend as UFC 106 arrives on Saturday night. While it doesn't offer title fights thanks to Brock Lesnar's illness, the card features several important bouts between highly ranked contenders. One such fight is between Luiz Cane and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Let's break down these two skilled light heavyweights and make a pick.

Luiz Arthur Cane
Record: 10-1
Notable victories: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

STRENGTHS: Cane is one of the best strikers in the light heavyweight division. Well-versed in Muay Thai and kickboxing, he walks forward and pummels opponents with punches, knees and kicks. Eight of his 10 wins are via knockout and it's safe to assume he'll try to beat Nogueira that way this Saturday. He's powerful enough and quick enough to overwhelm opponents the same way Thiago Silva and Shogun Rua can.

WEAKNESSES: Though he's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Cane is fairly untested on the ground and doesn't look to take the fight there. Against a grappler of Nogueira's caliber, being competent on the ground doesn't cut it. Cane is also inexperienced compared to Nogueira, who will be his toughest, most well-rounded opponent yet.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Record: 17-3
Notable victories: Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem

STRENGTHS: Like his brother Minotauro, "Little Nog" is an amazing Jiu-Jitsu artist. He can hang with virtually anyone on the ground and has a significant advantage over Cane there. One thing Little Nog may actually do better than his famous brother, however, is box. Rogerio is technically crisp and quick with his strikes. While he doesn't have real knockout power, he can use his boxing to set up takedowns.

WEAKNESSES: Little Nog has no obvious weakness entering the fight but his lack of fight-changing power means Cane can walk forward on him without major worry. There's also a chance that Little Nog will feel pressure making his long-awaited UFC debut like Mirko Cro Cop did.

Sportsbook pick: Nogueira. He's the more versatile fighter so he has more ways to win this fight. Cane will make noise in the UFC before long but he's due to take a step back against the most talented opponent he's ever faced. Go with experience; pick the Colts' Super Bowl odds and Nogueira at UFC 106. Who says NFL betting and the UFC can't mix?

Big Ten Picks

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:48:44 +0000

Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Sports Betting Odds: Iowa -9.5

The Iowa Hawkeyes are going to have to avoid a letdown this week if they want to finish their season on a high note.

Just two weeks ago, the Hawkeyes were the toast of the town in the Big Ten and were a perfect 9-0 for the first time in school history. They were as highly ranked as they had ever been and they were talking about the possibility of a BCS Championship game or at the very least, a Rose Bowl berth. Enter Northwestern. The Wildcats upended the Hawkeyes but not only that, they took their starting quarterback away from them after Ricky Stanzi was injured in the first half. That led to a loss to Northwestern and precipitated another loss against Ohio State at the Horseshoe last week, which cost the Hawkeyes the Big Ten.

It's still been a very good year for Kirk Ferentz' team but they have to avoid a huge let down this week if they want to go to a New Year's Day bowl. They host the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who are a decent team but nothing special. If they are focused, they should win this game rather easily but if they don't play smart or if their freshman quarterback replacement can't play as sharp as he did last week, the Hawkeyes could be in danger losing three straight and ending the season on a very sour note.

Sportsbook Pick: Iowa -9.5

Purdue Boilermakers @ Indiana Hoosiers
Sportsbook Lines: Purdue -3.5

Two teams that have had wildly inconsistent seasons now face each other in their final Big Ten games of the year.

The Purdue Boilermakers have a win over Ohio State, who is the Big Ten winner and likely a Rose Bowl contestant, and they also played Oregon very tough. By the same token, they are coming off a home loss to Michigan State and a 37-0 loss to Wisconsin.

For Indiana, their team has been very competitive but they haven't been able to hold leads whatsoever. They have sizeable leads against Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State only to lose all of those games. So close, yet so far.

This is a bad matchup for Indiana and the Purdue offense should be able to dominate.

NCAA Football Picks: Purdue -3.5

Suns, Rockets Set For Western Shootout

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:34:42 +0000

Sportsbook players should definitely check out the posted totals for Tuesday's game between Houston and Phoenix, as both are averaging at least 103 points a game. Who gets the upper hand in this track meet?

Suns vs Rockets betting odds - Tuesday, November 17, 8:30 PM ET

No one has held the Suns under 100 points, although their 101-100 win over Torotnto on Sunday was the closest anyone has come. Six Suns average at least 11.3 points a gme, led by Amare Stoudemire's 19.2 points, but the key to the Suns' NBA odds is, of course, Steve Nash. The heady point guard has 17.6 points, and his 11.5 assists is easily the best in the league. Of course, the Suns' defense is still terrible as they're fourth-worst in the league in that respect, but they're second in points scored, which always makes them fun to watch.

The Rockets were an afterthought in NBA odds after Yao Ming went down for the season, and Tracy McGrady is still in street clothes. But Houston has won six of their first 10 games of the year and perhaps more surprisingly, they're not far behind Phoenix at seventh in points scored. With the stars out, Houston is forced to play a team game, and in Rick Adelman's motion-oriented offense, ball movement is more important than isolation players. If you're looking for an online betting sleeper, the Rockets could be one to watch.

NBA odds should favor Houston as an online sports betting favorite at home, where they are 3-1 this season. The Suns have dropped three of their last four in Houston, but prior to that, they had won six in a row there. Houston won two of three with Phoenix overall last year, and Aaron Brooks had 19.3 points, while the Rockets may miss Yao's 17.3 points and 14.0 boards. Nash had 22.3 points and 11.0 assists against the Rockets, who play better team defense. We all know that defense is what gets you by in the NBA, and the Suns can't win all the shootouts, especially on the road. It'll definitely go over the posted total, though.

Internet betting pick: Houston

Big 12 Picks

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:36:45 +0000

The sportsbook will be buzzing with the Pacquiao Cotto odds this weekend as the boxing event of the year takes place but there is some good college football action on the day before it. Here's a preview of a couple of key Big 12 games.

Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Oklahoma State Cowboys

So both teams turned out to be disappointments this year. After so much success last year, the Red Raiders were expected to take a step back but head coach Mike Leach emphatically stated that they would be just as good. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State was as high as No. 5 in the nation this year but have now lost twice in ugly fashion and are out of the BCS picture. Even so, this figures to be the most entertaining game in the Big 12 this week.

The Red Raiders are at a bit of a crossroads right now as quarterback Taylor Potts, who is still feeling the effects of a concussion, has been playing poorly of late while backup Steven Sheffield, who doesn't have the same talent, has been filling up the stat sheets.

Regardless, the Cowboys offense should be very efficient behind quarterback Zac Robinson and the potent running game. This will be a shootout and Texas Tech's quarterback situation figures to hamper them at some point in the game.

Sportsbook Review Picks: Oklahoma State -4

Texas Longhorns @ Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears were expected to be a team on the rise in the Big 12 this year but it just hasn't turned out that way. The biggest issue has been the fact that the Bears lost star quarterback Robert Griffin to an injury and the team just hasn't been the same without him.

Baylor's offense hasn't done anything whatsoever since Griffin went down with a knee injury. This week, the No. 2 Longhorns come to town and Baylor just doesn't figure to have much of a chance.

Texas put forth a sluggish effort last week in a win against Central Florida and it's unlikely they play half asleep two weeks in a row.

Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy can tie former Georgia quarterback David Greene for the most career wins as a starting quarterback. He should have a relatively easy time doing that as the Longhorns roll over the Bears this week.

Sports Picks: Texas -23.5

How Will The AFC North Shape Up?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:29:01 +0000

While most people in the sportsbook will be focused on boxing betting with the Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto mega event, the people in the North part of the country will be squarely focused on football. This week, the AFC North division in the NFL will keep things in house as all four teams play divisional games. The Cincinnati Bengals will faceoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place while the Baltimore Ravens will try to pummel the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. Below is a preview:

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns

The Baltimore Ravens have had a rough time in the last month of the season. The Ravens started the season 3-0 and appeared to be one of the best teams in the league but since that time, they have lost four of their last five games.

To be fair, the Ravens have had some tough losses. The Ravens have lost twice to Cincinnati, who is atop the AFC North and is clearly one of the better teams in the league, and also Minnesota and New England, who are also division leaders.

On Monday night, they'll have to play on the road but they get a softball as they head to Cleveland. The Browns are one of the worst teams in the league and while they are coming off a bye week, they have spent the week off firing their general manager and questioning their head coach. Most recently, running back Jamal Lewis suggested that head coach Eric Mangini is wearing out the team.

The bottom line is that the Ravens are the significantly better team in this matchup and shouldn't have any problems disposing of the Browns.

Sports Betting Pick: Ravens -10

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Cincinnati Bengals have already beat the Steelers once this season but they may have a tough getting the season sweep. For starters, the first matchup took place in Cincinnati and this one will be in Pittsburgh. Beyond that, the Steelers have gotten healthier since then with the return of Troy Polamalu to the starting lineup and they have developed a rushing attack with Rashard Mendenhall.

The AFC North still goes through Pittsburgh and the Steelers will make a statement this week. The winner of this game takes control of the division and while the Bengals have been doing well this year, they aren't good enough to beat the Super Bowl champs on the road.

Sports Picks: Steelers -7

UFC 105 Betting - Quick Picks

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:24:29 +0000

From Pacquiao Cotto betting to the NFL to UFC 105, we have a busy sports weekend ahead. Now is therefore a good time to figure our your quick picks for UFC 105, which takes place Saturday in England. Here's a parlay to try for the main event.

Randy Couture -120 over Brandon Vera

Randy Couture is ancient at age 46 and certainly past his prime but that doesn't mean he can't overcome Brandon Vera. After three years fighting giants like Brock Lesnar and Gabriel Gonzaga at heavyweight, Couture returns to light heavyweight. If he could hold is own as a wrestler in a higher weight class, he'll clearly be the stronger man battling Vera at 205 pounds. Couture still always shows up for fights in great shape and will attempt to tire out Vera, who still has a reptuation for not training as hard as he should. Expect Randy to try and get inside Vera's striking range and pin him against the cage for some Greco-Roman wrestling and dirty boxing. Couture will make it his fight and win ugly. Tom Brady may do the same in NFL betting on Sunday.

Sportsbook heartbreak: If Couture tries to stand and trade with the speedy, technically sound striker Vera, he's in trouble. Randy's chin isn't great anymore after years of punishment.

Mike Swick -210 over Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy is no slouch; he's a solid boxer who proved against Rory Markham two fights ago that he does have significant power in his hands. But Mike "Quick" Swick does the same things Hardy does and more. Swick can win on the feet with his kickboxing or take the fight to the ground and use his lanky frame to create leverage and set up submissions. Don't be surprised if he goes for the takedown against Hardy. In the end, Swick is the safest of the three main UFC sports picks; he's simply a more polished fighter than Hardy.

Sportsbook heartbreak: Hardy will try and get Swick to brawl and trade punches, hoping he can land a haymaker. If Swick gets into a streetfight, he could get caught.

Michael Bisping -115 over Denis Kang

It's hard to believe how quickly Michael Bisping's star has fallen; that just shows how devastating Dan Henderson's knockout victory over him was. In reality, though, Bisping's only losses are to Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson -- two world-class fighters. He has a tough battle against the versatile Kang but Bisping, a former light heavyweight, is the bigger, stronger fighter. He'll be much more careful and likely will control the fight with well-time strikes and perhaps takedowns.

Sportsbook heartbreak: Kang is definitely more of a finisher than Bisping -- he wins most of his fights via knockout or submission. Bisping will thus have to keep his chin tucked and avoid getting caught in bad positions on the ground.

Gamecocks Aim To Pull Out Upset Of Top-Ranked Gators

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:03:14 +0000

The sportsbook odds aren't tilted towards an upset when No.1 Florida heads to South Carolina on Saturday, and an old Gator will be aiming to take down his former team: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is a legend at Florida, winning the Heisman in 1966 before leading them to the national title as a coach in 1996.

Florida at South Carolina odds - Saturday, November 14, 3:30 PM ET

The Gators (9-0, 7-0) put in a solid, if unspectacular effort in a 27-3 win over Vanderbilt, and Tim Tebow was 15-of-20 for 208 yards and a touchdown, along with 27 yards and a score on the ground. The Gators also held the Commodores to 199 yards of offense, but the nine penalties they committed may be worrying to coach Urban Meyer. The Gators are still the online betting favorites to win the national championship, but they haven't been very convincing at all this year.

The Gamecocks (6-4, 3-4) fell 33-16 at Arkansas for their second straight loss, and they collapsed in the second half as they held a 16-10 lead just 13 seconds into the third quarter. Stephen Garcia was 20-of-34 for 327 yards, one touchdown and a pick, while adding a score on the ground. South Carolina's defense has let them down over the last two games on the road, allowing an average of 32 points.

Online betting odds have the Gators listed as 15.5-point favorites, and they've won five of their last six trips to South Carolina, who are 5-0 at home this year. After losing two in a row on the road, the Gamecocks will be itching to get back home, and their defense will be the thing that keeps the Gators from covering the spread. The Gators' No.2 defense will keep the South Carolina off the board, but the Florida offense isn't as explosive as past seasons. Due to high expectations, college football lines for the Gators' games have been very high this year, and they're only 3-4-1 against the spread. Take Florida to win straight up in your NCAA football picks, but don't expect them to cover, especially away from home.

Hawks, Nuggets Off To Hot Starts

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15:48 +0000

The sportsbook odds for Saturday's matchup between Denver and Atlanta have yet to be set as both teams play on Friday, but heading into those games, the Nuggets were one of two remaining unbeaten teams at 5-0, while the Hawks were 4-1. Who will come out on top?

Nuggets vs Hawks odds - Saturday, November 7, 7:00 PM ET

The Nuggets' online betting odds are tied to the exploits of Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 32.0 points throughout the first five games of the year. Chauncey Billups put up 21.0 points, but rookie Ty Lawson has surprised to average 11.8 points. In two games against the Hawks last year, the duo of Billups (22.0 points, 6.0 assists) and Anthony (19.5 points, 7.0 boards) led the way again.

If the Hawks are going to make some online betting noise, they'll have to be balanced, and Joe Johnson leads a group of six players in double digits with 22.8 points per game. Jamal Crawford, who came over from Golden State, is a much more dependable second option than Josh Smith. Johnson put up 25.5 points per game in two meetings with the Nuggets last year, while Marvin Williams added 21.5 points.

Online betting odds for this game should be relatively close, as the Nuggets have won three of their last five against the Hawks, but they've dropped three of their last four in Atlanta. Whatever the posted total is in your sportsbook, take a look at the over because these two are currently filling the basket at a tremendous pace (Denver leads the league in points scored, while Atlanta is fifth). Smith will probably get the task of guarding Anthony for the Hawks, but who is going to guard Johnson for the Nuggets? J.R. Smith is still suspended due to off-court problems, and Dahntay Jones left for Indiana. Also, take into account the previous night, as the Nuggets play in Miami, while the Hawks are in Charlotte, and that is definitely in Atlanta's favor. Combined with the homecourt advantage, take the Hawks' sportsbook betting lines.

Internet sports betting pick: Hawks

Keys to Winning Game 6

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:47:29 +0000

NFL odds will be the only thing that matters in the City of Brotherly Love for a while unless the Phillies can stay alive in Game 6 of the World Series. In a matchup of World Series legends, Pedro Martinez gets the ball for the Phillies and faces Andy Pettitte, Major League Baseball's all-time playoff wins leader. Here are each team's keys to victory.

Phillies keys to victory

1. Score first. Everyone knows the "Who's your daddy" story by now; Pedro Martinez continuously struggles to beat the Yankees in the playoffs. In his last five starts and six appearances against the Bronx Bombers in the postseason he's winless. He also had a 5.66 road ERA this regular season versus 1.88 at home. Even though he was decent at Yankee Stadium in Game 2, allowing three runs over six innings, Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui each took him deep. The Yankee faithful were just starting to get to him before he got the hook. If New York scores first and the fans get inside Pedro's head, the Phillies' sportsbook odds of rallying will take a huge hit.

2. Don't be afraid to use any pitcher at any moment. If Cliff Lee wants to pitch, use him. If Cole Hamels wants to pitch, use him. At any point in the game. Brad Lidge clearly can't be trusted right now and the Phillies can't get cocky and "save" any starters for Game 7 if they're losing in Game 6. They have to take things one game at a time.

Yankee keys to victory

1. Pitch around Chase Utley. The Yankees have lefty Andy Pettitte taking the hill and they know Ryan Howard, who bats fourth, can't seem to solve lefties. He hit .207 against them in the regular season. There's thus no reason for the Yanks to pitch to Utley and risk allowing a sixth homer to him in this series -- which would set a new World Series record.

2. Let Mariano Rivera pitch as many innings as he wants. Like the Phillies, the Yanks shouldn't take Game 6 for granted. Rivera has allowed one earned run in 14.1 playoff innings this season -- none to Philly in the World Series. The Phillies can't figure him out; if Andy Pettitte pitches seven adequate innings, why bother giving the ball to shaky Joba Chamberlain? New York should go right to Rivera and let him pitch two innings.

Pick

Take the Yankees at -208 to win tonight. Andy Pettitte has pitched well at home this postseason so online betting fans should trust him -- and his run support -- with their MLB picks tonight.