Hamilton seeks first win of season in bout with Winnipeg
Football Betting Lines
07/13/2010 - Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All alone in last place in the East Division, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats again shoot for their first win of 2010 as they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Add the team's 34-27 overtime loss to British Columbia in the final outing of 2009 and Hamilton is looking at a three-game slide at the moment. Head coach Marcel Bellefeuille had a hard time finding anything positive to talk about after his club's 23-22 setback against the Calgary Stampeders last week. Perhaps most disappointing was kicker Sandro DeAngelis who missed a pair of field goals, but it also didn't help that the squad allowed a 105-yard return of a missed kick and could not get into the end zone on a first-and-goal at the two-yard line in the final period.
The bright spot for Hamilton was again the strong play of Marcus Thigpen who, on his first touch in his new home stadium, raced 93 yards on a punt return for a touchdown. Thigpen earned special teams player of the week honors following the opener in which he became the first player with two return touchdowns in a game since Keith Stokes of Montral did so in 2002, which means he is two shy of tying the record for return TDs by one player in a single season.
Quarterback Kevin Glenn connected on 26-of-34 passes for 356 yards and a score, the lone aerial TD landing in the hands of Thigpen as well. Receiver Arland Bruce III turned his seven receptions into a game-high 104 yards, but it failed to make up for the fact that the running game registered just 48 yards altogether.
As for the Blue Bombers, they saw their quarterback have a career game with 103 rushing yards and another 366 through the air, tossing three scores and scoring one of his own on the ground, yet Buck Pierce could not hold off a relentless Toronto squad all by himself in what turned into a disappointing 36-34 setback at home. Terence Jeffers-Harris did all he could to get Winnipeg into the win column again, capturing seven passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were game highs.
Pierce has clearly shown that he can operate the offense for the Bombers, but one has to wonder if he is putting himself in harm's way a bit too much in the early going. As someone who is no stranger to injury, Pierce continues to lay it on the line for his team and actually ranks among the league leaders in rushing after two games with his 192 yards on just 13 attempts. Thanks to a 43-yard romp, Pierce is averaging a whopping 14.8 yards per carry.
Playing for British Columbia during his first five years in the league, Pierce didn't exactly set the league on fire last year when he tossed just 10 TDs and was guilty of a career-high 12 INTs, but at least he is off on the right foot this time around with five TDs and just a single pick, with his aggressive manner of play earning the respect of his coaches and teammates alike.
In just his first year, Jeffers-Harris how shown why he is considered one of the top offensive options for the Blue Bombers, averaging 17.2 yards per catch, but already we have seen two sides of him with just 20 yards on three catches in the first game of 2010.
Pierce and Jeffers-Harris might not have to look far for some additional offensive help as the Bombers signed receiver/returner Markus Howell on Monday. Twice named Special Teams Player of the Week while with Calgary during a four-year stretch Howell, who played for Winnipeg from 2000-2004, could spread the field a bit for Pierce, giving the signal-caller not only additional passing lanes but also a bit more room to advance the ball down the field himself.
As a part-time starter for Hamilton last year, Glenn showed strong play in the pocket as he completed 62 percent of his attempts for more than 3,000 yards and, more importantly, delivered 18 touchdowns against only seven interceptions. Getting Bruce the ball down the field so he can create plays is certainly a key to the offense for the team, but the manner in which Marquay McDaniel has exploded onto the scene is tough to ignore. Even Bruce recognizes how dominant McDaniel has been, now just in his second season in the CFL. Last year McDaniel led the league in combined yards with 2,535, but this time around the coaching staff might see the significance of using him even more on offense in order to give the Winnipeg defense that much more to think about.
These same two teams met in the season opener on July 2, with Winnipeg crushing the Tiger-Cats by a final of 49-29. With the victory the Blue Bombers moved to 54-42 in regular-season meetings against Hamilton. The clubs are set to clash once more in the 2010 regular season on August 7.
As long as Pierce can stay in the game and not put himself in perilous situations, Winnipeg definitely has a strong chance of landing a win on the road this week. Victories away from home were not exactly a strong suit for a Bombers club that was only 3-6 in such situations last season, but following the miserable outcome recently the team might be a bit more motivated than usual.
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In an effort to finally put to rest their weakest defensive effort of the 2009 season, the British Columbia Lions entertain the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night at Empire Field in Vancouver. British Columbi
<< Winless Eskimos pay visit to undefeated Roughriders
Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The highest scoring team in the CFL takes the
field at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders
attempt to move to a perfect 3-0 when they clash with the winless Edmonton
Eskimos in a Wes
<< Ronaldinho set to join Flamengo
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reports in Brazil suggest Ronaldinho
is set to leave AC Milan and join Flamengo in his homeland.
The GloboEsporte website suggests that the former Barcelona star has verbally
accepted an offer to
<< Blue Jackets re-sign Boll
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed right
wing Jared Boll to a two-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.
Boll is coming off his third season in the NHL, all of which he's spent with
Columbus, and
<< Magic make it official with Richardson
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic have signed swingman Quentin
Richardson, the team announced Tuesday. Terms of the contract were not
disclosed.
Richardson, 30, averaged 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 76 games last
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic has confirmed the signing of midfielder Joe Ledley on a four-year contract. Ledley, 23, has joined the Hoops on a free transfer following the end of his contract with Championship side Card
Warriors top pick Udoh could miss six months >>
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Golden State Warriors rookie forward Ekpe Udoh
will reportedly undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his
left wrist.
The San Jose Mercury News reported that Udoh, the sixth overall pick
Redknapp pledges future to Spurs >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Harry Redknapp has committed his long-term
future to Tottenham Hotspur by penning a new contract that will keep him at
White Hart Lane until the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
The veteran former Bournem
Stamps seek 3-0 start in mid-week clash with Argos >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With their nine-game losing streak now a
memory, the Toronto Argonauts try to continue their strong play on Wednesday
night as they host the Calgary Stampeders at the Rogers Centre.
Getting an early jump on the
Imrie signs extension with Hamilton >>
Hamilton, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hamilton striker Dougie Imrie has signed
a two-year contract extension to keep him at New Douglas Park until the summer
of 2013.
The 26-year-old joined the Accies in January from Inverness Caley thistle
MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds
According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.
Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet. The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.
MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State. Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.
Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL. In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
ODDS TO WIN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
| Notre Dame Ohio State West Virginia Texas USC Florida California Auburn Oklahoma Iowa Louisville Florida State Michigan Miami (FL) LSU Penn State Virginia Tech Nebraska Tennessee Georgia Arizona State Oregon Clemson Texas A&M Texas Tech Alabama Arkansas Boston College Michigan State Maryland South Carolina Colorado Purdue Georgia Tech TCU UCLA Arizona Pittsburgh Iowa State Wisconsin North Carolina State Virginia North Carolina Fresno State Hawaii Northwestern BYU Oregon State UNLV Field (Any Other Team) |
5-1 7-1 8-1 8-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 18-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 70-1 70-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 150-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 250-1 250-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 400-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 1000-1 1000-1 40-1 |
ODDS TO WIN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
| Miami (FL) Florida State Virginia Tech Clemson Georgia Tech Boston College Maryland Virginia North Carolina State North Carolina Wake Forest Duke |
2-1 2-1 3-1 7-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 500-1 |
ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
| Texas Oklahoma Nebraska Texas Tech Colorado Iowa State Texas A&M Kansas State Missouri Kansas Baylor Oklahoma State |
7-5 9-5 9-2 12-1 14-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 35-1 100-1 100-1 |
ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
| Auburn Florida LSU Georgia Tennessee Arkansas Alabama Mississippi South Carolina Mississippi State Kentucky Vanderbilt |
5-2 11-4 4-1 6-1 7-1 7-1 9-1 20-1 28-1 75-1 100-1 300-1 |
For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.
Betting Football
NFL Football Betting OnlineIs there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.