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08/22/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - 2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: Taking on anyone and everyone who would even dare put them on their schedule, the Fresno State Bulldogs bit off more than they could chew in 2006, ending up with a mere four wins and a fifth-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference standings as a result. Head coach Pat Hill has never been scared to reach for new heights and challenge not only top-flight programs but also his own players. However, last year that drive veered wildly off the road as the squad dropped a total of eight games, the worst of those being a 13-12 setback on the road to Utah State, accounting for the only victory of the campaign for the Aggies. Everything appeared to be fully operational when the Bulldogs opened their campaign with a 28-19 conference victory against Nevada at the start of September, but then something went drastically wrong and the team found itself suffering through a monumental seven-game slide. Non-conference losses to Oregon, Washington and Colorado State during the first month of action were too much to bear, as was a 38-6 thrashing at the hands of nationally-ranked LSU on the road. The team was crushed by Hawaii at home, 68-37, and then watched as Boise State took them apart (45-21) on the road. There was a stretch of three consecutive wins late for the Bulldogs, topping New Mexico State, Idaho and Louisiana Tech, but considering those programs posted a combined 11 wins in 2006, the wins were little consolation to Hill, who stripped his players of the Bulldog on their helmet as a way of telling the fans that he sympathized with their pain and was far from happy with the team's performance on the field. While the team finished in the middle of the pack in many stats a year ago, the one glaring issue was in the passing game, with the squad posting a mere 158.2 ypg to rank eighth in the conference and 101st in the nation.
2007 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: First and foremost, the offense for the Bulldogs will only be as good as the men up front, which is a good thing considering there's a total of four returning starters (Bobby Lepori, Adam McDowell, Ryan Wendell and Cole Popovich) ready to again dig deep into the trenches. The quartet, which teamed with tackle Chris Denman, set a team record for the fewest sacks allowed last season, giving up a mere 12 in as many games, and still Tom Brandstater had serious issues making plays. Now a junior, Brandstater played in all but one game for FSU, completing 54.5 percent of his pass attempts, and yet he connected on a mere 13 touchdowns and was picked off 14 times by defenses that opted to sit back in coverage and allow the signal-caller to make his own mistakes in judgment. Hopefully the fact that the Bulldogs have so much experience and chemistry on the front line will give Brandstater better opportunities in the pocket as he seeks out players like Chastin West and Bear Pascoe. West, now only a sophomore, led the unit with 33 receptions for 365 yards and reached the end zone three times out on the wing in addition to his kickoff return for a score versus Boise State. Entering his junior campaign, Pascoe has made himself into one of the premier tight ends in the WAC and has been placed on the John Mackey Award Watch List after collecting 22 passes for 307 yards and two TDs a season ago.
DEFENSE: One of the more glaring stats, as far as the defense was concerned last season, was that the unit allowed opponents to convert 46 percent of their third-down plays, which means the squad was forced to stay on the field far too much and the offense in turn was kept from trying to score. With three senior returning starters on the defensive line for 2007, the Bulldogs are hoping to swing that stat in their favor once again. Defensive end Tyler Clutts, a candidate for all-conference honors, returns as the leading sack man for the Bulldogs after posting five a season ago, but beyond that he failed to record any other stops for negative yardage, something the coaching staff will have to work on in order for him to become even more feared than he is right now. Although he played only seven games and made a grand total of 10 tackles, Charles Tolbert showed a lot of promise with two sacks and 3.5 TFLs, while fellow lineman Jason Shirley made almost a quarter of his 20 tackles in the backfield for Fresno State as well. As the most experienced performer among the linebacking corps, senior Ahijah Lane will be joined by Quaadir Brown and a healthy Marcus Riley, which makes the unit very fast and instinctive. Of the mere five interceptions that the Bulldogs logged a season ago, two of those were registered by Damon Jenkins, one returned for a touchdown. He will again be called upon to make things happen from his cornerback position.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Placekicker Clint Stitser didn't get as many opportunities to knock through field goals last year, but as long as the Bulldogs show some more growth on offense and gain significant yards he will again be a serious factor for Fresno State. Averaging almost 37 yards per punt, Kyle Zimmerman did what he could to pin down the opposition in 2006, nailing a third of his 42 kicks inside the 20, displaying more than enough ability to help out both units as only he can. West, who averaged 22 yards per kick return, will again assume that role for FSU, giving him more opportunities to create big plays for the team.
OUTLOOK: Picked third by the league's media in the preseason poll, Fresno State has a much brighter outlook this time around than it did a season ago. However, Hill has not backed down from his mantra of playing anyone, anywhere at anytime which means there still might be some bumps in the non-conference road as the team faces Texas A&M, Oregon and Kansas State later in the campaign. Road trips to Nevada and Hawaii will not be treats either, but the players are well aware that coach Hill is not accustomed to losing, which means they won't be allowed to slide much this season.
<< Sebo loaned out to Valenciennes
Valenciennes, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rangers striker Filip Sebo joined
Ligue 1 side Valenciennes on a season-long loan on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Slovakian has yet to make an appearance for Rangers in the
club's first three
<< A's activate Loaiza from DL
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics reinstated pitcher
Esteban Loaiza from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday in time for his start
against the Blue Jays.
This will be the first start of the season for Loaiza, who
<< Loaiza makes '07 debut for A's in Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Veteran right-hander Esteban Loaiza makes his 2007 season
debut today, when the Oakland Athletics play the Toronto Blue Jays in the
finale of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.
A 35-year-old native of Tijuana,
<< Nationals attempt to continue pleasant stay in Houston
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals will try to
stay on the winning track tonight, when they continue a four-game series
against the Houston Astros from Minute Maid Park.
The Nats ended a four-game losing str
NCAA Football Preview - Hawaii Warriors >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: Hawaii has been known as a passing team ever since head
coach June Jones took over the Warriors almost a decade ago, and yet there
were still more surprises in store for Jones
NCAA Football Preview - Idaho Vandals >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: The resignation of former head coach Nick Holt signaled
a new era in Idaho football that had a familiar ring to it when the Vandals
took the field for the 2006 campaign. Dennis
NCAA Football Preview - Louisiana Tech Bulldogs >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: With so much promise heading into the 2006 season,
Louisiana Tech's campaign felt like it ended long before it ever had a chance
to start when defensive coordinator Randy Bate
NCAA Football Preview - Nevada Wolf Pack >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: As the team that many believed would be the
eventual Western Athletic Conference champion at the conclusion of the 2006
campaign, the Nevada Wolf Pack didn't exactly s
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.
Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).
If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).
Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.
New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)
In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:
There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.
The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:
Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots
Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.
Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:
Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21
The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.
Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.
Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).
Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.
And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.
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