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
09/01/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Stampeders try to continue their winning ways on Monday evening as they take on the Edmonton Eskimos in a Western Division clash at McMahon Stadium.
The Stamps have the best record in the CFL through eight completed weeks of competition, losing just once to Toronto back on July 14 by a score of 27-24. Last week, the team outlasted a spunky British Columbia squad and captured a 48-35 victory. The last time Calgary started out 7-1 was 1996 when current BC head coach Wally Buono was at the helm. Even though he tossed a total of three interceptions, Henry Burris stepped up with 20-of-34 passing for 276 yards and a couple of touchdowns, while backup Drew Tate contributed with one passing major and another on the ground for the group as they generated 510 yards of total offense.
Wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambo was not only on the winning side with Calgary, he was also a unanimous choice for CFL Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his nine catches for 108 yards and two scores. Having come back strong from a knee injury that ended his 2009 season, Rambo now has four touchdowns in as many games.
As for the Eskimos, they've been a disappointment for much of the season, winning just once through the first seven games. But last week the team awoke from a slumber and came up with 17 unanswered points in posting a 17-14 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at home. Edmonton spotted the visitors a pair of touchdowns and then roared back by holding the Roughriders scoreless for the last three frames.
Kicker Noel Prefontaine was key to the comeback win as he converted a 37-yard field goal in the final minute of play to secure the upset win. Prefontaine, who was named the CFL's Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time, was responsible for all of the points scored in the second half and a total of 11 overall as the Eskimos snapped a two-game slide.
Edmonton starting quarterback Ricky Ray was pulled early in the game, but came back to move the ball down the field late and finished the outing 6-of-11 for 63 yards, although his one interception also led to the first points of the game when James Patrick picked off the first of three and ran it back 35 yards for the score. Backup Jared Zabransky tossed one touchdown to Arkee Whitlock, but was also picked off twice as he converted 8-of-17 passes for 109 yards in the victory.
Even though the Eskimos picked up a rare win last week, the quarterback position is still in disarray. Ray may be one of the more accurate passers in the league to this point with his 66.8 percent accuracy, but the fact that he has just as many interceptions (six) as he does touchdowns doesn't paint a pretty picture for this team. As a unit the Eskimos are sixth in the CFL in passing with 2,130 yards through eight games, but again the team has more INTs (10) than TDs (eight) through the air.
Having Whitlock help out on the ground certainly takes some of the focus off the troubles at quarterback, but the running back can only do so much as he averages a solid six yards per carry and is now second in the league with his 686 yards coming out of the backfield. With 764 yards from scrimmage, Whitlock is fifth in the CFL and at least gives the illusion that he could be a bigger player in the passing attack if needed.
While Burris has more passing majors than anyone else in the league at this point with 18, he is also tied with Darian Durant for the most interceptions with a dozen, so with the good also comes the bad in his case. But for the most part, throwing those picks has not hurt the Stamps all that much. When it comes to Burris hitting the airwaves against Edmonton over the years, the signal-caller has twice as many TDs (36) as INTs (18) over the course of 20 appearances. Of late the numbers have really favored Burris in fact, the QB having tossed 14 majors and a mere four interceptions in the last six meetings. In all but one of those six games Burris, who is on the verge of overtaking Dieter Brock for 10th place on the CFL's all-time passing list, has thrown for at least 305 yards, so to change the mode of attack at this stage might be foolish.
Even though Edmonton owns a convincing 121-79-3 mark in the all-time series dating back to the 1949 campaign, it is Calgary that has dominated in recent years with four straight wins and five in the last six encounters overall. The most recent meeting took place on August 15 with the Stamps stomping the Esks by a final of 56-15 at home.
<< Winnipeg tangles with Saskatchewan on Sunday afternoon
Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Back in action after a lengthy layoff, the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head back to the gridiron on Sunday afternoon to
challenge the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium.
The Bombers have had a tough time of it
<< Alouettes play host to slumping Lions
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Alouettes find out what life
without one of the top offensive stars in the league is like this week as the
team hosts the British Columbia Lions at McGill Stadium on Friday night.
The Alouettes ha
<< Boston hopes Lester can remain perfect against O's
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox may not have had the success they've
enjoyed in the past against the Baltimore Orioles this season, but Jon Lester
has certainly been able to maintain his dominance over the course of this
series.
<< Howard, Phillies seek to heat up versus Dodgers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - September is the time of year for temperatures to drop, but
for Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard it's his month to start heating up.
Howard and the Phillies will shoot for back-to-back winning series Wednesday
afternoon in
Struggling aces try for much-needed win in Rockies-Giants finale >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of aces desperate for a win collide tonight in the
Bay area, as Ubaldo Jimenez leads the Colorado Rockies into the finale of a
three-game series with Tim Lincecum and the rival San Francisco Giants.
Jimenez is tied
Angels take on Seattle's Vargas in series finale >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have had plenty of
difficulty producing runs as of late, and recent history says the team could
be in for a tough time again in tonight's matchup with Jason Vargas and the
Seattle
Heavy-hitting Yanks continue series with A's >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Six homers in two games and four consecutive victories have
helped the New York Yankees regain sole possession of first place in the
American League East. If they want to stay there, A.J. Burnett better figure
things out in a
Nationals, Marlins to wrap up charged-up set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's tough to get excited about a September matchup between
the Nationals and Marlins, but Nyjer Morgan's actions last night may have
given this series some extra juice.
Morgan and Washington will conclude what could end u
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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.
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