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08/18/2010 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Currently tied for first place in the Eastern Division, the Toronto Argonauts try to continue their recent run of success as they face off against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a divisional showdown at the Rogers Center on Friday night.
Toronto is the surprise team in the league to this point in the season, putting up five wins in seven tries and taking all three of its home games in 2010. The squad remained perfect at home by knocking off Montreal in this same building last weekend by a final of 37-22, exacting revenge for a disappointing 41-10 setback at the Alouettes just a few weeks ago.
Cleo Lemon attempted just 19 passes on the night versus the Als the last time out, completing 13, yet he still accumulated 269 yards and logged three touchdowns in the victory, while Cory Boyd tacked on a game-high 63 rushing yards and a major of his own on 17 attempts coming out of the backfield for the squad.
Chad Owens put together a monster effort with his six catches for 163 yards and two scores and was consequently named the CFL's Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday after rolling up 291 yards of total offense in the meeting. A unanimous selection for the weekly honor, Owens now leads the CFL in combined yards after seven weeks with 1,197 yards.
Another high point of the game for Toronto was kick returner Ryan Christian who, when the Als decided to kick away from Owens in the second quarter, collected a kick at his own goal line and then proceeded to race 110 yards for a touchdown, breaking the club's all-time record for longest kickoff return, surpassing the 109-yard effort by Terry Greer in 1981.
But not all the news was good for the Argos last weekend as Jeremaine Copeland went out with an injury that was later determined to be a dislocated left elbow and could have the wideout on the sidelines for as long as six weeks, following the results of an MRI taken on Monday.
As for the Tiger-Cats, they picked up their second win in as many games last Friday night when they topped Winnipeg on the road by a score of 39-28. It was the fourth matchup in the first seven games between the two clubs, with the Ti-Cats winning their third decision of the season versus the Blue Bombers.
Quarterback Kevin Glenn threw three touchdown passes in the first half, converting 18-of-26 passes for 274 yards, while working through a couple of interceptions to lead his team on to victory. Receiver Arland Bruce III, who had posted a couple of impressive efforts in the two weeks prior, tallied two catches for 64 yards and a score in the win.
While running back DeAndra Cobb registered both a rushing touchdown and a receiving score for the visitors, the bigger story for the Tiger-Cats was Marcus Thigpen who scored on a five-yard run on the first drive of the contest. While the run itself wasn't all that impressive, the scoring play represented the fifth different way (kickoff return, punt return, missed field goal return, pass reception) in which Thigpen has registered a major this year, becoming the first player in CFL history to achieve the feat in a single campaign and doing so in less than half a season.
From a defensive standpoint, tackle Matt Kirk made his presence known against Winnipeg by coming up with his first two sacks of the season, a performance worthy of being named the CFL's Canadian Player of the Week.
Thigpen enters this week ranked third in the league in combined yards with 1,016, one of only three players in the CFL to have already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Adding to Hamilton's attack is Bruce III who is easily the league leader in receiving yards with 744 and has five touchdowns on 45 receptions thus far. It also helps that Dave Stala has posted 34 catches for 398 yards and two touchdowns and Marquay McDaniel has reeled in 33 passes for 435 yards and a couple of scores in order to give defenses something else to thing about as they arrange their pass coverages versus Hamilton.
Glenn has one of the best efficiency ratings (102.2) in the league after seven games, thanks to throwing 14 TDs and having tossed just six picks on 244 attempts. His yardage total of 2,164 yards, thanks in large part to the big- play ability of Bruce III, is third in the league at the moment.
Lemon started off the 2010 campaign rather quietly for the Argos, learning the ropes as he went along in this his first CFL season, but he has come on of late and has now completed 60.7 percent of his passes and is finally getting his squad into the end zone on a consistent basis. But Lemon's success hinges greatly on Boyd who is first in the league in yards from scrimmage with 785 after seven games. In his first professional season in the Great White North, Boyd has provided a huge spark for the team in most of their outings, gaining at least 100 yards in four of seven contests and averaging 6.1 yards per carry as he ranks first in the league in rushing with 711 yards on 117 attempts.
As well as the Toronto offense has performed thus far, there has to be some concern for an Argos defense that is ranked last in the league with a whopping 451.1 yards per game allowed. Granted, the team has had to face Anthony Calvillo and the Montreal Alouettes a few times, but still the numbers look rather daunting on that side of the ball and tell the story of a team that is bound to crack sooner rather than later. Yet, as bad as the yardage numbers might be for the Argos, the fact remains that the team is in the middle of the pack when it comes to points allowed (28.4 ppg) and Hamilton is actually further down the list with 29.0 ppg. Some of that has to do with the fact that Toronto's pass coverage has tied Calgary for the league lead in interceptions with nine, while the Tiger-Cats are last on that chart with just four.
In terms of the all-time series between the clubs, Hamilton is ahead by a count of 117-86-2, dating back to the 1950 campaign. The Tiger-Cats won the most recent meeting last year, 26-17, in Toronto, giving them two victories in the last three encounters. Following a bye next week, the teams are set to face each other again on September 6 in Hamilton, and will also be back at the Rogers Centre in the middle of October to complete their season series.
<< Yankees resume series with Tigers in the Bronx
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees will once again be without star third
baseman Alex Rodriguez this evening when they continue their four-game series
against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
Rodriguez left Monday's tilt with
<< Eli Manning back on the field with Giants on Wed.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -Eli Manning is back on the field.The New York Giants quarterback joined teammates for stretching on Wednesday morning at training camp at the University at Albany.Manning, who needed 12 stitches to close a gash on the left side of
<< Hurricanes' Thomas granted extra year
Coral Gables, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami-Florida forward Adrian Thomas was
given an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA after injuries cost him nearly
two full seasons.
Thomas suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries four gam
<< Kershaw pitches Dodgers past Rockies
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clayton Kershaw pitched seven scoreless
innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-0 win over the Colorado Rockies
in the opener of a three-game series.
Kershaw (11-7) allowed five hits and recorde
Padres aim to keep rolling in matinee vs. Cubs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Continued dominance on the mound has given the San Diego
Padres their largest division lead of the season.
Clayton Richard will try to keep that momentum going and win a fourth straight
decision for the second time this ye
Red Sox go for ninth straight win over Angels >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox try to beat the Los Angeles Angels of
Anaheim for the ninth straight time this evening when the two teams continue
their three-game set at Fenway Park.
Boston continued its recent mastery of the
Phils put streak on line in second showdown with Giants >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies are certainly capable of winning
a fourth straight National League East title, but getting into the playoffs is
the ultimate goal.
Now a game up on the San Francisco Giants for the NL Wild Card po
Rays aim for sweep of Rangers at the Trop >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays go after their fifth straight win this
afternoon when they try to complete a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers at
Tropicana Field.
After rallying for a 6-4 win in Monday's opener, the Rays cruised
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Michael Vick is back, Brett Favre isn't and the NFC East remains the best division in the NFC, maybe in all of football.
As players start to gather for the start of another season, some things change and some stay the same in the world of the NFL.
The NFC East has been the dominant division in the National Conference for a while, despite limited playoff success, save for the New York Giants surprise Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
Hell, there's a generation of kids in Texas who have never seen the Cowboys win a playoff game (last win was in 1996).
But collectively, the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins (well, maybe not so much the Redskins) are as good as a division gets in an NFC conference that has struggled to stay competitive with the AFC side.
Sports bettors have both acknowledged the NFC East's dominance, as one glance at the NFL future odds menu will show.
Looking over the NFL betting odds at online sports book MySportsbook.com we see the top three teams listed to win the NFC Championship are all from the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys - 7 - 1
Philadelphia Eagles - 13 - 2
New York Giants - 9 - 2
Slotting in behind these three are two teams from the NFC North: the Minnesota Vikings (15-2) and the Chicago Bears (10-1).
Again, despite the lack of recent playoff success, the Dallas Cowboys are popular with the sports betting community, as they hold 14% of all the money wagered on who will win the NFC Championship.
So far, the New York Giants are the bettors' favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl, as they have 24% of the overall NFC Championship betting volume.
And what about the Philadelphia Eagles? For the most part, the Eagles had a very productive offseason, the kind that could bring them back to the top.
They had a good draft adding the likes of WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy.
Unfortunately, the team received a blow when long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away on Tuesday.
But this team will make a real run at the division title this year. Going into the regular season, Philly is listed at +240 to win the division.
Last season the Eagles were 9-6-1 SU and 10-6 ATS.
Teams from the NFC East will play teams from the AFC West in the regular season and the Eagles haven't really been a good bet in the last 20 games against the likes of San Diego, Oakland, K.C. and Denver, only going 8-12 ATS.
Two seasons removed from that Super Bowl title, the New York Giants see themselves listed as the odds-on favorite in NFC East championship futures at +162.
Plaxico Burress is gone and with him all the bad publicity surrounding the gun in the sweatpants incident, but can they replace him in the offense?
Last season the Giants were a very reliable bet going 12-4 ATS.
In the Giants' last 20 games against fellow teams from the NFC East; they are 13-7 ATS.
Dallas is listed at +240 to win the division.
Dallas went 9-7 SU and 7-9 ATS last season and with the amount of talent the Cowboys have, a similar performance won't do.
The Cowboys have been atrocious against divisional rivals, going 6-14 ATS in their last 20.
The Washington Redskins are longshots to win the division at +550.
Visit MySportsbook.com for free sportsbook odds RSS feeds go to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.
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