Lions seek second straight upset in clash with Argos

Football Betting Lines

09/08/2010 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off a huge upset win against the Montreal Alouettes, the British Columbia Lions shoot for back-to-back victories for the first time in 2010 as they entertain the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon at Empire Field.

The Lions, who defeated Edmonton in the season opener (25-10), had been slipping away ever since and were trapped at the bottom of the Western Division standings with a seven-game losing streak before entering the month of September. A team that is winless at home in four tries thus far, British Columbia caught front-running Montreal at the right time and used the opportunity to come up with a stunning 38-17 win over the Alouettes on the road.

Granted, the Als were without quarterback Anthony Calvillo who was still nursing a chest bruise, but still it was assumed that Montreal had enough quality players to get them by the Lions, yet that wasn't the case at all. Quarterback Casey Printers connected on 14-of-28 passes for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping offset Travis Lulay who had as many completions to the opposition (two) as he did to his own teammates (2-of-6 for 54 yards). Surprisingly, BC was able to overcome 12 penalties for 115 yards to gather the victory, partly because Montreal was flagged 11 times for a loss of 127 yards.

As for the Argonauts last week, they saw quarterback Cleo Lemon open up the offense and throw for a career-high 350 yards by completing 32-of-44 passes, but he was sacked three times and was guilty of three interceptions as well in his team's 28-13 loss to Hamilton on the road. Toronto kicker Grant Shaw kept the team involved in the first half with field goals of 39 and 16 yards, while running back Cory Boyd tacked on a seven-yard scoring run to cap a nine-play, 63-yard drive in the third period, but it wasn't nearly enough with the number of turnovers the Argos committed.

Boyd finished the game with 54 yards on 11 attempts, but no one else on the team was credited with more than a single carry in the setback. Toronto ended up with a pair of lost fumbles and that defeated a defensive effort that held the Tiger-Cats to just 34 yards rushing on 14 attempts.

Even though he had a lackluster game last week, the fact remains that Boyd is still the leading ground gainer in the CFL after nine games with 846 yards, averaging close to six yards per attempt. For much of the early part of the 2010 campaign the Argos had to lean heavily on Boyd because they were not sure what they'd be able to get out of Lemon, but now they know there is potential in the first-year signal-caller as long as he can cut down on his mistakes. In the first game of the season between these two squads, Lemon threw for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but at he same time he was touched for a pair of interceptions, fumbled once and was sacked three times so really the only way to go is up for him versus the Lions at this stage.

In his first ever game against Toronto, Printers had huge production with three passing scores and one on the ground and his legs have since proven to be a lethal weapon versus the Argos. In two meetings back in 2008, the QB threw for a combined 332 yards but just one TD, while coming up with an even 100 yards on the ground and four majors, so at least Toronto knows what to plan for heading into this weekend.

Unfortunately for Printers and the Lions, 2008 seems like a lifetime ago because this season the passing attack for BC has fallen far short of the mark. At this stage the position has accounted for just seven touchdowns through the air and a league-low 55.2 percent completion rate. Add to that a total of 13 picks and it is easy to see how the program ranks dead last in the CFL in efficiency rating at 68.2.

In a bit of irony Toronto, which has allowed opponents to complete 70 percent of their pass attempts and is giving up a league-high 428.1 ypg, is actually better than the Lions when it comes to scoring defense, allowing 27.0 ppg compared to the 27.1 ppg permitted by BC entering this week's action.

With regards to the all-time, regular-season series between the programs, British Columbia owns a 46-31-2 edge dating back to 1954. The Argos won the most recent meeting earlier this season by a score of 24-20 at home, but that victory for Toronto was the first against the Lions since October 2004 when the team posted a 22-16 triumph. In between Toronto victories, BC had rattled off 10 straight wins in the series.

Sportsbook-online-sportsbook Football Betting News

<< Familiar foes do battle in Winnipeg
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the second time in as many weeks the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers find themselves pitted against each other on the gridiron, this time at Canad Inns Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

<< Als seek return to win column in clash with Tiger-Cats
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Alouettes continue to compete without the services of quarterback Anthony Calvillo as the team challenges the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this weekend at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Calvillo, who suffered a chest

<< A's hope to build a win streak versus Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - At seven games off the pace in the American League West Division, time is running out on the Oakland Athletics and their hopes for a postseason berth. The A's will try to get a winning streak going tonight in the finale of a

<< Marlins to skip Johnson's next start
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson will miss his next scheduled start because of shoulder and back pain. Johnson was slated to pitch Friday against Washington, but the Marlins now plan to start Alex Sana

<< 2010 World Basketball Championship update - September 8th
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - QUARTERFINALS Spain vs. Serbia, 11 a.m. Slovenia vs. Turkey, 2 p.m.

Stampeders and Eskimos meet for second time this week >>
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Friday night brings out the best and the worst in the Canadian Football League as the slumping Edmonton Eskimos entertain the high-flying Calgary Stampeders in a Western Division showdown at Commonwealth Stadium.

Mets to wrap up long trip with matinee against Nats >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Apparently, winning four straight games just isn't the Washington Nationals' thing. After failing to win more than three games in a row for the seventh time this season, Washington instead seeks a series victory over the N

Red Sox, Rays ready for rubber match at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Wakefield gets the call on short notice this evening when the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays play the rubber match of their three-game series at Fenway Park. After getting blown out in the opener of this set

Orioles aim for rare sweep of Yanks in the Bronx >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have been the worst team in the American League all season. Today, though, the Orioles will have a chance to do something against the best team in baseball that they haven't done in more than 2

Injury-riddled White Sox resume set in Detroit >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Injuries are starting to pile up for the Chicago White Sox. Today, the short-handed White Sox will continue their push towards the postseason, as they play the third installment of a four-game series against the

Big Ten Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa

Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.

Should be in:

Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?

Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.

Work left to do:

Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.

Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.

Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.

Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.


MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.