Birmingham, AL plays sponsor to the Compass Bowl on January 7th with the Panthers taking on the Mustangs. The Pitt Panthers come in following the one-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. Graham quit his post on December 14th to take the head coaching position at Arizona State. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will wear the headset for the Pitt Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU enters into play with the specter of the “Death Penalty” passed on in the 1980′s still being discussed today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is already in his 4th year on the side lines of Southern Methodist University. The wagering line has this set at Pittsburgh (-3) with the over-under of 47 points.
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Pittsburgh enters into play with a 6-6 record and also a 4-3 record in the Big East. Winning versus #16 South Florida 44-17 on September 29th, they’ve had one match versus a rated adversary. Pittsburgh’s offense puts up 25.8 points per game with their defense giving up 22.4 points per game. Junior Quarterback Tino Sunseri enters into the competition with 2,433 passing yards and a passer rating of 124.8. Junior Running back Ray Graham has tallied 958 rushing yards and 9 Touchdowns so far this season. Sophomore Wide receiver Devin Street is Sunseri’s fave target catching 48 receptions with 2 Touchdowns. Junior Wide receiver Mike Shanahan is a great 2nd target with 35 receptions and 4 Touchdowns.
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SMU comes in competition with a 7-5 record and a 5-3 record in Conference USA. Winning over #20 TCU and losing to #8 Texas A&M and #11 Houston, they’ve gone 1-2 versus rated opponents this year. The Mustangs grant up 24.5 points per game on defense whilst their offense averages 25.7 points per game. Depending on the run-and-shoot offense to put up substantial figures in offense, June Jones has traditional had pass-heavy teams in the past. This Mustangs squad this season has a 1,000 yard rusher, a rarity in the Jones’ program. Senior Quarterback J.J. McDermott with 3,182 passing yards and 16 touchdowns steadies the passing game. Junior Running back Zach Line has had a great season with 1,224 rushing yards and 17 Touchdowns. Senior Wide receiver Cole Beasley with 79 catches and 954 receiving yards and Junior Wide receiver Darius Johnson with 72 catches and 998 receiving yards steady the Mustangs receivers.
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Compass Bowl – Panthers vs SMU Mustangs
January 8th, 2012Pittsburgh steelers against Broncos in Football Playoff Gambling
January 8th, 2012The Pittsburgh steelers are matched up versus the Broncos in the nfl post-season. The Broncos concluded up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming victors of the AFC West, whereas the Pittsburgh steelers concluded as a wild card with an outstanding record of 12-4 in the AFC North division. The Steelers will be visiting Denver to compete versus them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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Denver has appreciated some success this season and a lot of media buzz encircling qb Tim Tebow after he took control the starting position with the loss of Kyle Orton. His play together with their strong defense has held them in contention in several matches this year and they were able to find some exciting comeback victories.
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Tebow will need to have confidence and keep calm under pressure to move forward in the playoffs and perhaps cement himself as the franchise qb for the Broncos. Former Broncos qb and current VP of operations John Elway has supplied Tim Tebow some words of support for the forthcoming game. It will be pretty tricky to turn it around versus the strong defense of the Pittsburgh steelers if the Broncos find themselves dropping behind early in this playoff match up. Both squads will count on their defense to keep themselves in the game and grant their offense an opportunity to step up and perform. Steelers qb Ben Roethlisberger has done well this season and wants to carry on that success in the 1st round of the playoffs. As Rashard Mendenhall is looking after a knee injury, additionally watch for running back Isaac Redman to step up.
The Broncos are not going to have an simple time versus the powerhouse Pittsburgh steelers, which is why the Steelers are slated as 8 point faves to move forward in the playoffs. The over/under on overall points in this match is 35.5.
BCS Tournament Game Wagering – Jan 9
January 8th, 2012It all boils down to this as the #1 ranked Tigers take on the #2 ranked Crimson Tide in the BCS National Championship Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January ninth. After winning the national tournament in 2009 and also winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this match. LSU head coach Les Miles is also no stranger at this time as he has won the national tournament in 2007. Two excellent squads and head coaches clashing on a collision course in what is certain to be a great game. The sportsbooks currently have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under scheduled at 40 points.
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The Tigers come into play undefeated at 13-0 with an 8-0 record in the SEC. They’ve also gone an astounding 8-0 against ranked squads with wins over #3 Oregon, #25 Mississippi State, #16 West Virginia, #17 Florida, #20 Auburn, #2 Alabama, #3 Arkansas, and #14 Georgia. This match is a rematch of the classic November 5th game at Alabama with the LSU Tigers winning in ot over the Tide 9-6. The LSU Tigers have a great offense ranked 12th in the country with 38.5 ppg landed. LSU’s actual weapon is their defense which is ranked second in the country with simply 10.5 ppg given up. Senior Qb Jarrett Lee with 1,306 passing yards and a 152.0 rating mans the LSU Tigers passing attack. With each adding up over 700 yards on the ground, the team of sophomores Michael Ford and Spencer Ware pace the LSU running attack. CB Tyrann Mathieu finished 5th in the Heisman race whilst nabbing 6 picks and getting 173 yards off of those picks which rate first in the country.
College football odds
The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this match trying to avenge their loss to LSU back in November. The Tide has gone 11-1 total with a 7-1 record in the SEC. They’ve gone 4-1 against the Top 25 this year with wins over #23 Penn State, #14 Arkansas, #12 Florida, and #24 Auburn. The aforementioned game against LSU in November was their simply loss. The Tide has averaged 36.0 ppg on offense with a stellar running game. As excellent as LSU is on defense, the Tide are even greater at it position first in the country simply permitting a mindboggling 8.8 ppg. The Tide place the offense in sophomore Qb AJ McCarron’s hands, McCarron has 2,400 passing yards and a 149.8 passer rating. Junior RB Trent Richardson finished second in the Heisman whereas getting 1,583 rushing yards and 20 td’s on the ground.
Jan 7 – Lions against Saints Game Preview
January 8th, 2012Perhaps the Detroit Lions just are unlucky when it comes to scheduling. 1st, they conclude their regular season vs their division rival Packers, who also possess the league’s best record. They then follow that up by drawing the Saints in the first round of the playoffs.
NFL odds
The Jan 7 – Lions versus New orleans saints game will be the 2nd meeting of the 2 squads this season. New Orleans won the first matchup in New Orleans 31-17. This is perhaps part of the reason New Orleans is a 10.5 point favorite to beat Detroit this week.
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The other is that the Saints are on a roll. They’ve won eight competitions back to back arriving into this week’s competition with Detroit, beating 3 other playoff squads during that stretch. After kicking an rival competitor with his cleats, defensive star Ndamukong Suh was suspended for 2 competitions, but Detroit were able to pull things together. Merely losing a tight game to 15-1 Green Bay, they won 3 out of their last 4 competitions of the season. When they last played New Orleans, they were lacking Suh, and Detroit is praying the return of his existence to the defensive line is the difference they must stop Drew Brees and the effective New Orleans offense.
Sadly for Detroit, that Saints offense has been amazing for the 2nd half of the season. They’ve scored over 40 points in their last 3 competitions, and gone over 40 in four of their last 6. They’re 8-0 in their home stadium this season and earlier this year in New Orleans they dropped 62 points on Indianapolis.
Detroit has had trouble this year vs higher quality competition, going 1-5 vs playoff squads (simply beating Denver). Their offense has the possibility to be high-flying, and therefore it will likely be up to their defense to keep them in this game. If Suh will almost certainly atone for his two-game suspension, the time has come.
Nfl Post-Season Betting – Jan 8 New York Giants against Falcons
January 8th, 2012After finishing with the top record in the league a year ago, and getting dismissed in the 1st round by the Green Bay Packers, the Atlanta Falcons hope that slipping into the playoffs undetected in 2012 will give them greater results. Atlanta concluded 10-6 this season, earning them a 1st round wild-card game with the NFC East winning Giants (9-7).
Sportsbook
New York appears to have the momentum going into the playoffs for the Jan 8 – Falcons against New York Giants game, nonetheless. Oddsmakers have acknowledged this, and made New York a 3-point fave. This is perhaps a shocking position for a squad that lost four contests back to back in November-December. In order to give them an possibility to get to the playoffs, the New York Giants had to depend on colossal errors by their division foe Dallas Cowboys. A win over Dallas in week 17 assured them the division championship.
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New York competitors might argue that their losing streak this season came when starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw was injured. And this is a valid argument, as 3 of four losses in that streak came while Bradshaw was on the sideline. Now that he’s back the New York Giants have looked like a changed squad, winning 2 must-win contests back to back over hard tournament (Jets and Dallas).
Atlanta has had trouble all season against winning squads, though Atlanta won 3 of their last four contests arriving into the playoffs. Atlanta is only 2-4 against squads that concluded over .500. Only 2 weeks ago, they were eliminated by the Saints, 45-16.
Both squads are directed by quality quarterbacks, the New York Giants by Eli Manning and the Falcons by Matt Ryan. The change in this match, nonetheless, may be in quarterback pressure. The New York Giants defensive line can get to the quarterback, and registered 48 sacks this year, good for 3rd in the league. The game will be dependant on how well Matt Ryan and the Falcons offensive line can endure the pressure of the Giants’ defensive front.
Football Playoffs Gambling – Bengals vs Texans
January 8th, 2012The Bengals will be competing against the Texans in the nfl playoffs. The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Reliant Stadium in Houston for the game. Cincinnati finished their season with a record of 9-7 and arrived at the playoffs this season as a wild card in the AFC North division. Following coming out ahead as the leading team in the AFC South this season, Houston finished with a record of 10-6.
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Both squads have still had their fair share of challenges this season with the Bengals losing every single game against playoff quality squads and the Texans having significant accidents to quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. Both quarterbacks were lost for the season with their accidents and rookie T.J. Yates has taken control. Houston has also viewed major accidents to linebacker Mario Williams as well as wide receiver Andre Johnson. The two squads have already faced one another in the course of the regular season and the Texans made a last effort comeback try with a game winning td pass captured by wide receiver Kevin Walters with mere seconds left on the clock.
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The Cincinnati Bengals are going to have to try and stay with what has worked for them this year which has been their outstanding run game with running backs Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott. If they are able to make this happen they may have the edge and ultimately wipe out a playoff team and advance past the first round for the first time in only over 20 years.
This will likely be a close one and may boil down to the wire yet again. The Texans are slight faves in spite of many accidents to several essential celebrity competitors. The over/under for total in total points for this specific game is 38. The line is set with the Texans as three point faves at their home turf to the long shot Cincinnati Bengals.
Nfl Week 17 Wagering – Arizona Cardinals against Seattle Seahawks
January 3rd, 2012The Seahawks (7-8) are going to be going to challenge the Cardinals (7-8) in an NFC West divisional match. There’s a little bit of motivation that a victory will grant either squad a winning record even though each individual squad has dropped just shy of playoff contention this year as they were looking for a wild card location. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has yet to lose a game against the Cardinals in his stint, but Arizona qb Kevin Kolb might return and start for his squad after recouping from a concussion.
Super Bowl odds
Arizona is going to have to stop the powerful run game from the Seahawks with foremost rusher Marshawn Lynch looking to continue to add to his outstanding career high of 1,118 yards. Lynch has furthermore won a touchdown in a squad record eleven contests.
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Both teams would love to finish strong with a winning record and are getting ready as if this were every other game. They both have prospective bright futures ahead with many players being added to the Pro Bowl lineup including Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive players Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was furthermore selected for the Pro Bowl squad and all these top players ought to be taking part in this final battle with the exclusion of Peterson who is questionable with an injury to his left Achilles’ tendon. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch likely feels he ought to have been chosen for the Pro Bowl honors too and after being omitted more than likely will need to demonstrate why he genuinely does belong there.
This match will be a fascinating one to see who can end on a good note and maintain a winning record for the 2011 year. The Cardinals are a favorite over the long shot Seahawks with a spread of -3. The over/under for in total points in this game is 40.5.
Jan 01 – Steelers at Cleveland browns
January 3rd, 2012This match between the Pittsburgh steelers and the Cleveland Browns will offer 2 teams who have distinct goals for the last 2 games of the season. The Steelers are presently in the playoff competition and are simply just getting ready for the playoffs. The Cleveland browns on the flip side have had a very negative season and are just attempting to save their season with a handful of more wins. Both teams nonetheless will be competing hard even with the difference in their records. It will be a very tight game if both teams play hard.
Super Bowl betting
The Steelers are presently 11-4 and have just come off a huge win against the St. Louis Rams. The Cleveland browns have lost 5 straight games whereas the Steelers defeat the Rams 27-0 and exhibited awesome defense. The Cleveland browns last game against the Ravens demonstrated just how hard it is for the Cleveland browns to score plus they are surely going to have a tough time with the Steelers defense. However, a good portion of the game will rest on the squad’s stars and how they will play under pressure. Watch for both teams finish with a flurry since the regular season is nearly done.
NFL odds
The Steelers are focusing on Big Ben to drive the team for huge passes that will lead to several touchdowns whereas the Cleveland browns will pray that Hardesty will control the ground game. The Cleveland browns nonetheless will need to work together as a unit to be able to beat the Steelers as the talent is surely on Pittsburgh’s side. Both teams will look to play hard and keep it a decreased scoring game but look to see a dominating performance by Big Ben and the Steelers. The Cleveland browns will only have an opportunity if the Steelers totally break down offensively but this is very unlikely.
Week 17 News & Notes: Philadelphia Eagles at Redskins
January 2nd, 2012The Eagles (7-8) will be visiting the Redskins (5-10) in an NFC East divisional match-up in their final game. Both teams have been removed from playoff contention this season and are at the bottom of the division standings. Philadelphia had a huge amount of press hype before the start of the season being tagged the dream team with their impact in the free agent market.
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However, they haven’t quite lived up to the very high anticipations and have had their fair share of battles this season with accidents to crucial players such as qb Michael Vick. They still have something to play for as Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid is perhaps on the hot seat for remaining the squad’s coach next season.
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Redskins running back Roy Helu is doubtful to play one time again with an injury to his toe. With crucial Philadelphia Eagles defensive players doing well such as defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole, their lack of depth at the running game combined with their weak offensive line will be challenging to overcome. It’ll be up to Redskins qb Rex Grossman to have an amazing passing game for them to have any type of chance. The Philadelphia Eagles are averaging about 400 yards on offense per game and you can expect them to do just as well with the pair of a well Michael Vick at qb and running back LeSean McCoy. Philadelphia cornerback Asante Samuel is not likely to play with a hamstring injury.
They still would like to end on a positive note and come out ahead for the final game of the year, in spite of both teams not earning a playoff berth for the 2011 season. The Eagles are favorites in this particular game to the long shot Redskins with a line of -9. The over/under for points is at 46.5.
Football Week 17 – Detroit Lions versus Packers
January 1st, 2012Week 17 of the nfl Season is often full of trap competitions. The match between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in Green Bay is one of this sort of game.
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The Detroit Lions have had a renaissance year. They’ve already qualified for the postseason with a win over the Chargers this past week, on top of already having a winning record. Having said all that, however, the Detroit Lions pale in contrast to the Packers who are 14-1 and already defeat the Detroit Lions 27-15 in Detroit earlier in the year. One has to wonder why oddsmakers are making the Detroit Lions a 3 point fave in the game although all of it says this ought to be a Packers win. The answer is…
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The Packers come into this game with the seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Packers have nothing to play for since win or lose, they are going to be the seed. With all this, all signs are the team will rest major players on its offense and defense. For instance, stud quarterback Aaron Rodgers may play simply the first quarter. As the team tries to get rest for its battered offensive line, this is particularly true. All in all, the Packers appear to be all set to sleepwalk through this game.
The Detroit Lions take a different approach. It is now seeking to get the highest seed [5th] feasible, even though the team has qualified for one of the 2 wild cards in the division. The edge of this higher seed means the Detroit Lions would play a less strong pick of division winners depending on the outcome of the other competitions in week 17. That can be the difference between being one and done in the playoffs or having a deep run. All and all, the Detroit Lions will be really enthusiastic for this game.
