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02/10/2009 - Tallahassee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the second time in less than three weeks, the Virginia Cavaliers and the Florida State Seminoles will meet in an ACC tilt, this time in Tallahassee.
On January 24th, Florida State beat Virginia in Charlottesville by a 73-62 final, cutting the Cavaliers' lead to 17-16 in the all-time series.
Virginia limps into this evening's tilt with a seven-game losing streak that has dropped the club to 7-12 overall and 1-7 in conference. The Cavs have lost by double digits in five of the seven setbacks, including a 76-61 loss at North Carolina on Saturday. Virginia is 1-6 in true road games, not exactly a reason for optimism tonight.
As for Florida State, it has won its last two outings, including an impressive 65-61 road win over an extremely talented Clemson squad on Saturday. At 18-5 overall and 5-3 in conference action, the Seminoles, who are ranked 25th in the country this week, are in outstanding position to claim an NCAA Tournament bid, although plenty of regular season challenges await in the loaded ACC.
There are a few obvious reasons that Virginia lost to North Carolina on Saturday. The Cavaliers connected on only 36.5 percent of their field goal attempts in the contest, and they were outrebounded by a 46-34 final. An 11-5 deficit in points from the foul line also helped the cause. Jeff Jones scored 19 points for Virginia in the setback, and Sylven Landesberg pitched in 16 points. Sammy Zeglinski rounded out a trio of double-digit scorers with 11 points off the bench. Through 19 outings, the Cavaliers are posting 72.3 ppg, slightly less than the 73.7 ppg that the team is surrendering. Landesberg is just a freshman, but he is scoring 17.9 ppg. Mike Scott adds 10.5 ppg and 7.6 rpg, while Zeglinski is netting 9.5 ppg.
Toney Douglas was outstanding in the thrilling triumph over Clemson last time out, as the standout guard led Florida State with 23 points. Solomon Alabi came through with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Seminoles, who earned a 36-28 rebounding advantage in the clash while also forcing 18 turnovers. FSU actually trailed by eight points at intermission after shooting 30 percent from the floor in the first half, but 51.7 percent field goal efficiency over the final 20 minutes enabled the Seminoles to claim the come-from-behind win. Douglas is racking up 20.3 ppg this season, and no other player on the roster is scoring more than 8.4 ppg. With that in mind, it is fair to say that no other player in the ACC means more to his team than Douglas.
<< Top-25 foes meet in Big East clash
Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Villanova Wildcats will try
to continue their run tonight, as they host the 10th-ranked Marquette Golden
Eagles in a Big East battle at the Pavilion.
The Wildcats have clawed their way back fr
<< Tigers take on Eagles in Chestnut Hill
Chestnut Hill, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two ACC squads trying to get back in the
win column hook up at the Conte Forum tonight, as the Boston College Eagles
entertain the 12th-ranked Clemson Tigers in Chestnut Hill.
The Eagles were in play just
<< Stepanek avoids upset; moves into second round in San Jose
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fourth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek avoided a
huge upset Monday, but rallied to beat German qualifier Dominik Meffert, 5-7,
6-3, 6-1 in the first round at the $600,000 SAP Open, the first American stop
on the
<< Boston University wins Beanpot
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Bonino, David Warsofsky and Colin Wilson
scored short-handed and Boston University won the 57th annual Beanpot
tournament Monday night with a 5-2 triumph over Northeastern.
Colby Cohen and Jas
Nuggets resume road trip in South Beach vs. Heat >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Northwest Division-leading Denver Nuggets hit a bump on
their eight-game road trip and will try to steer back on the right path
Tuesday evening against the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Denver had a four-game w
Hawks, Wizards square off in Atlanta >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks haven't been playing so hot lately and
will try to close out a quick two-game homestand on a winning note Tuesday
night versus the lowly Washington Wizards at Philips Arena.
Since winning three straight g
Bulls welcome Pistons to Windy City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls will play their first home game in nearly
three weeks when the rival Detroit Pistons enter the United Center tonight for
a Central Division showdown.
Chicago returns to the Windy City after a moderate
Raptors, Wolves square off at Target Center >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors haven't won much at all as of late, but
they've posted plenty of victories over the Minnesota Timberwolves over the
past few years.
The Raptors will shoot for their ninth straight triumph over the T
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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