Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
09/14/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Seahawks will face their first divisional test of the young season when the three-time defending NFC West champions head to University of Phoenix Stadium this Sunday to take on the upstart Arizona Cardinals.
Although the Seahawks figure to face some tough competition in order to maintain supremacy in a seemingly-upgraded NFC West, Mike Holmgren's club appeared ready to answer the challenge judging by last week's season-opening victory over Tampa Bay. Seattle got a stifling performance from a hard-hitting defense and a methodical one from its offense to hand the Buccaneers a 20-6 defeat.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was an efficient 17-for-24 for 222 yards and one touchdown for the Seahawks, while star running back Shaun Alexander totaled a workmanlike 105 rushing yards on 27 attempts.
Seattle picked up another signal-caller in the days leading up to this game, acquiring deposed Browns starter Charlie Frye on Tuesday. Although Frye will likely serve as the No. 3 quarterback this Sunday, his addition may enable the versatile Seneca Wallace to help out a banged-up receiving corps in the near future.
While the Cardinals are confident they'll improve off last year's five-win season under the direction of new head coach Ken Whisenhunt, the young team proved that it's not quite ready for prime time in Monday night's loss to division-rival San Francisco. The 49ers rallied for a 20-17 triumph, with Arnaz Battle's one-yard touchdown run on an end-around with just 22 seconds remaining providing the winning points.
Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart struggled in his first career Opening Night start, as the second-year triggerman completed just 14-of-28 throws for a mere 102 yards and was intercepted twice. The former Heisman Trophy winner did connect with wideout Anquan Boldin for a five-yard touchdown that gave Arizona a brief 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
Seattle will be shooting for back-to-back wins to start a season for the fourth time in the last five years. The Seahawks won their first three games, including a 21-10 decision over the Cardinals in Week 2, en route to a 9-7 campaign in 2006.
Arizona, on the other hand, has started 0-2 in three of the previous four years.
SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series between the Seahawks and Cardinals is knotted, 8-8, with the teams splitting a home-and-home last season. Seattle was a 21-10 winner at Qwest Field in Week 2, and Arizona returned the favor with a 27-21 home victory in Week 14. The Hawks swept 2005's home-and-home, including a 33-19 win at Sun Devil Stadium.
Holmgren has a 7-3 record against Arizona in his career, with all of those games coming during his tenure with Seattle. Whisenhunt will be meeting both Holmgren and the Seahawks for the first time as a head coach.
WHEN THE SEAHAWKS HAVE THE BALL
Seattle did an effective job of mixing the run and pass in the Tampa Bay win, with Alexander recording his 36th career 100-yard game and Hasselbeck completing better than 70 percent of his throws while not committing a turnover. The quarterback will be without one of his top receivers in D.J. Hackett, who will miss a few weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain in the opener. Speedy Nate Burleson caught two passes for 41 yards after Hackett went down and will line up opposite No. 1 wideout Deion Branch, who was held without a catch last week, on Sunday. Hasselbeck also has a pair of reliable veterans at his disposal in tight end Marcus Pollard and slot receiver Bobby Engram. Pollard led the Seahawks with five catches in Week 1, while Engram had a team-best 64 yards on three grabs.
Alexander was wearing a brace on his left hand during Seattle's practice on Wednesday, although the former league MVP did not miss any time. That could mean a little more work this week for backup Maurice Morris, who hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to seal last Sunday's win.
The Seahawks will be going up against an Arizona defense that was outstanding through most of Monday's tough loss. The Cardinals' new 3-4 look was able to effectively neutralize San Francisco's strong running game, with 2006 NFC rushing leader Frank Gore held to just 55 yards on 18 carries. Although Arizona yielded only 194 yards on the evening, 86 of those came on the Niners' game-winning late drive.
The unit boasts two outstanding playmakers in linebacker Karlos Dansby and Pro Bowl strong safety Adrian Wilson. Dansby amassed 11 tackles and forced a fumble with a sack of 49ers quarterback Alex Smith on Monday, while the physical Wilson finished with 10 stops.
WHEN THE CARDINALS HAVE THE BALL
Whisenhunt will try to ease the pressure on Leinart by feeding the ball to running back Edgerrin James (92 rushing yards, 1 TD in Week 1) early and often. The ex-Colt averaged just 3.5 yards on 26 carries against San Francisco, but those numbers don't really seem that bad considering the Cardinals' woes in the passing game. Since Seattle's run defense ranked just 22nd in the NFL last season (126.8 ypg) and wasn't anything special in the Tampa game, that may be a wise philosophy. Arizona will miss the interior presence of center Al Johnson, who sprained his left knee in the opener, but does have an experienced backup in Nick Leckey (11 starts in '06) and signed ex-Steeler Chukky Okobi earlier in the week.
Still, the Cardinals are going to need an improved showing out of Leinart if they want to win on Sunday. The young quarterback appeared rattled and confused for a good portion of Monday's loss, although he shouldn't receive all the blame for his offense's struggles. Arizona's All-Star receiving tandem of Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were held in check by San Francisco corners Nate Clements and Walt Harris, with Boldin mustering just 22 yards on four catches and Fitzgerald snaring only three passes for 20 yards.
Leinart also faced considerable pressure throughout the game and could be running for his life again when he faces a Seahawk defense that can really get to the quarterback. Seattle had five sacks in Week 1 and knocked Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia temporarily out of the game in the third quarter. Disruptive outside linebacker Julian Peterson (7 tackles) had two of those takedowns, while veteran end Patrick Kerney (5 tackles) had 1 1/2 sacks in his Seattle debut.
The Seahawks also forced Tampa running back Cadillac Williams out of last week's contest with bruised ribs, and induced three fumbles. Standout middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu caused two of them and ended the day with eight tackles.
FANTASY FOCUS
Alexander is basically a must-start every week, but keep in mind that he failed to rush for 100 yards in both meetings with Arizona last season and had only one touchdown over those games. Hasselbeck should find success against a Cardinals secondary that still needs to prove itself, but none of the Seattle receivers particularly stand out as good plays. The Seahawks defense piled up an impressive point total last week and has a chance to do so again if Arizona doesn't show more on offense.
For the Cardinals, look for rebound games out of both Boldin and Fitzgerald on Sunday and a solid fantasy day from James, who had 115 rushing yards and a score in Arizona's home win over the Seahawks last year. It would also be a shock if Leinart can't improve significantly off last week's poor numbers, although he's still too risky to start at this point.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
What we all witnessed out of the Cardinals in the dawn of the Whisenhunt era isn't likely what we'll typically see out of this team over the remainder of the season. It's hard to believe that Arizona's defense, one of the worst in football last year, can be consistently as good as it showed in the San Francisco game, and it's equally as unbelievable to think Leinart will remain as bad as he looked on Monday night. The Cardinals should be able to move the ball effectively against a Seattle stop unit that will give up some yards, and Arizona's defense is capable of preventing Alexander from running wild. But in what should be a close game, go with the team with the better quarterback. Hasselbeck is less likely to make a costly mistake under center, while the Seahawks are also more equipped to come up with a tide-turning play on the defensive end.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Seahawks 24, Cardinals 20
<< Looking for a quick buck?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There are two weeks in the NFL season
that gamblers can come out ahead of the game with ease. It also doesn't take
any research or number crunching. All one has to do is put his/her bets in and
sit back and
<< Hearts hopes to turn it around vs. first-place Rangers
Edinburgh, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Heading into the Scottish Premier
League season, many thought that if any team could compete with Celtic and
Rangers, it would be Hearts.
However, through five matches, it appears that Hearts
<< Real Madrid aim to keep perfect record against Almeria
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending champions Real Madrid are the
only team in Spain to take a perfect 2-0 record into this weekend, and they
will try to extend that mark to three straight against promoted club Almeria
on Satu
<< Juventus attempts to continue strong start against Udinese
Turin, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juventus has gotten off to a great start in
its return to Serie A this season, winning its first two games and scoring
eight goals in the process. On Sunday, Juventus will try to make it three wins
in thre
QB Change Likely In Raiders-Broncos Meeting >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One quarterback will be making his regular-season debut in
an Oakland Raiders uniform this Sunday, but it won't be JaMarcus Russell.
Daunte Culpepper is expected to be under center when the Raiders visit the
Denver Broncos
Ravens, Jets, Both Seeking Week 2 Rebound >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's all about maybes for the New York Jets.
Maybe the first-week home blowout at the hands of New England wasn't as
indicative of season-long failure as it seemed.
Maybe the Patriots' clandestine sideline videotaping pr
Can Saints Recover in Tampa Bay? >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a nightmare beginning to their 2007 season, the New
Orleans Saints will attempt to turn the page when the defending NFC South
champions visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a divisional matchup Sunday at
Raymond James Stad
Youth to be Served in Lions-Vikings Battle >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two rookies with seemingly limitless futures will showcase
themselves this Sunday at Detroit's Ford Field, where the Lions will hold
their 2007 home opener against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings
It's not often that a
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs.
New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.
The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.
MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.
Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.
| Ottawa Senators Detroit Red Wings Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Philadelphia Flyers Calgary Flames New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Dallas Stars New York Rangers Nashville Predators Vancouver Canucks Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Atlanta Thrashers Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Columbus Blue Jackets St. Louis Blues Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks |
7-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 80-1 80-1 100-1 100-1 |
NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games
| Team Ottawa Senators Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Dallas Stars New York Rangers Minnesota Wild Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Canadiens Team Los Angeles Kings Tampa Bay Lightening Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers Columbus Blue Jackets New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks St. Louis Blues Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins |
Over/Under 108.5 106.5 104.5 104.5 103.5 101.5 100.5 99.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 95.5 94.5 93.5 92.5 Over/Under 91.5 91.5 91.5 89.5 89.5 88.5 88.5 86.5 84.5 82.5 80.5 72.5 72.5 72.5 71.5 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting