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06/15/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - My 2007 college football conference previews wont begin for another month but with the NBA Finals over and the Triple Crown races completed, its time to jump all over a week one contest that looks too good to be true - Georgia Tech at Notre Dame.
Yes, I know the game wont be played until September 1st. Nonetheless, how many five-star plays are so obvious they cannot wait to be released, even with two and a half months in the interim?
Notre Dame was the NCAAs medias darling last season, despite losing by a combined 73 points to LSU, USC and Michigan. The Fighting Irish had won three games over Georgia Tech, Michigan State and UCLA by a grand total of 10 points and their other seven victories came against teams with a combined record of 37-51.
The Irish finished the season at 10-3, but with a disturbing 4-8-1 mark against the spread (ATS). The much-ballyhooed offensive attack never materialized as the team averaged six points and 66 yards less per game in 07 as opposed to 06. The boys from South Bend ended with a 6-1 home mark with a disastrous ATS record of 2-5.
Georgia Tech had won nine of 10 games after dropping a 14-10 decision to Notre Dame in week one last year. However, three straight losses to end the year left the Yellow Jackets with a disappointing 9-5 record. One statistic that contributed to the losing ways was a turnover differential of -6 in those final three contests.
Calvin Johnson caught his last ball at Georgia Tech, which is a major negative, but the fact that Reggie Ball has thrown his last pass makes up for it. Taylor Bennett will start for the Jackets this season after completing 19-of-29 for 326 yards and three TDs in the Gator Bowl loss to West Virginia. The 326 yards were the most thrown in a game by a single Tech QB since 2001.
NOTRE DAME OFFENSE VS. GEORGIA TECH DEFENSE
We will finally see how much of a difference Charlie Weis can make with a team that returns just nine overall starters, along with a brand new quarterback, halfback and two wide receivers. There are three QBs vying for the number one job, including top prospect, Jimmy Clausen, but none have impressed the coaching staff enough to gain a decided edge.
Weis has already stated that the team will look to run the ball much more in 07, especially in the early going. Unfortunately, both guards from last year have moved on leaving the team extremely inexperienced inside the tackles for that type of offense.
Georgia Techs defensive strength resides in its front four. The Jackets' run defense ranked second to Miami in ACC play, giving up just 91 yards per game. They also tied the Hurricanes with 24 sacks, led by linebacker Philip Wheeler who had nine. The senior finished the year second on the team in tackles (89), including 10 against the Irish!
Another big negative for Notre Dame in this opening day match-up is the lack of height of its new wide receivers. David Grimes and George West are both under six feet, while last years starters Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight were 6-feet-5 and 6-feet-2, respectively. Both of Techs projected starting corners are 6-feet or over. The Yellow Jackets were one of only 30 schools to have more interceptions than TD passes allowed, and they return four players in the secondary who started at least seven games last season.
NOTRE DAME DEFENSE VS. GEORGIA TECH OFFENSE
A new coordinator will be roaming the sidelines for the Fighting Irish this year. Corwin Brown, who had been the New York Jets DBs coach, takes over for Rick Minter, and will institute a change from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4. Its a smart move since the club has lost three starters from 2006.
The back seven, led by super safety Tom Zbikowski and leading tackler, LB Maurice Crum, will be the strength of the unit, but the run defense is a major question mark. Last year, with an experienced front four, opponents rushed for just under four yards per carry. In addition, 19 of the clubs 31 sacks have to be replaced as Victor Abiamiri and Derek Landri have taken 17.5 of them to the NFL.
Georgia Techs superb rushing attack will take full advantage of NDs weak defensive line, which allowed 176 yards (4.9 ypc) to its own top four halfbacks in the Spring Game. Yellow Jackets running back Tashard Choice, who led the ACC in rushing last year with 1,473 and a 5.0 average, will have a field day vs. the Irish, especially since hell be running behind an experienced offensive line that returns four starters.
New quarterback Bennett Taylor cemented his position as Techs future signal- caller by completing 10-of-15 passes for 197 yards in the spring game. Even though Calvin Johnson is gone, look for James Johnson and redshirt freshman, Demaryius Thomas to pick up the slack. Johnson caught 39 balls last season, improving from just 14 as a freshman and Thomas was the talk of the spring with six receptions for 87 yards.
LAST YEARS GAME
They met in South Bend on September 2, 2006 with Notre Dame pulling out the four-point victory, failed to cover the 6.5-point spread. The Jackets raced to an early 10-0 lead only to see it whittle away midway in the third quarter. A questionable late hit called on Philip Wheeler gave Brady Quinn and the ND offense an automatic first down on third-and-10 deep inside Georgia Tech territory. The Irish cashed in when Darius Walker scampered 13 yards for the go-ahead and eventual winning score.
Most of the Notre Dame's yardage came from Quinn and Walker. They combined for 345 of the 384 total yards - a figure that wont be repeated this season. Even though the contest will be played in South Bend, Georgia Tech has the edge in all skill positions, and more importantly, on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
WINNING ON THR ROAD
The Jackets have fared well in their opening road contest each of the last three years, so being away from home will pose no problems. They handed Virginia Tech its first loss of the season last year, defeated Auburn the previous season, 23-14, and chopped down Clemson in Death Valley back in 2004. The Irish will be three to five-point favorites in this contest and they wont even win the game!
Throughout the season there will be many other opportunities to cash in, but none look as strong as this match-up of a team geared for a top-15 finish against a highly-overrated club that might get a bowl bid on name alone. Stay tuned throughout the summer, as I preview more opening week match-ups while unlocking the easiest wins in early September.
<< Oakland stays within striking distance
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland A's have caught fire and have won four
straight series to start the month of June (five straight overall).
The turnaround began two weeks ago when the A's took two out of three against
Minnesota befo
<< St. Louis still fighting for .500
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite a 28-35 record, the St. Louis Cardinals are still
very much alive in the National League Central standings. The Cardinals are
going through a very disappointing season after winning the 2006 World Series,
but have bee
<< Pops is tops!
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has cemented
his place in NBA history. Popovich has guided the team to an incredible four
championships and three of the last five NBA titles during his tenure with the
club.
<< And the winner is....
Oakmont, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - "These players are not good enough for this
golf course."
That's what one caddie, who will remain in anonymity said at the beginning
of the week. Even the "King" himself, Arnold Palmer, addressing the
Western rivals renew acquaintances in L.A. >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the Colorado Rapids visit Chivas USA on
Saturday it will be a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions.
While Chivas is riding a two-game win streak and looking to continue its
success
Jankovic sneaks into QFs in rainy Birmingham >>
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French Open semifinalist Jelena
Jankovic was among Friday's third-round winners on another rainy day at the
$200,000 DFS Classic. Rain completely wiped out all eight third-round matches
here on
Madrid on the brink of La Liga title >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid can clinch its first La Liga
title since the 2002-03 season on Sunday at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with a
win against Mallorca.
Madrid looked to have squandered its title hopes last wee
Roddick reaches semis; Nadal bows out in London >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three-time champion Andy Roddick was
among Friday's quarterfinal winners, while French Open champ Rafael Nadal was
shown the exit at the grass-court Artois Championships, a Wimbledon tune-up.
The t
Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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