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01/04/2010 - Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the four undefeated teams left at the FBS level meet in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Monday night, as the sixth- ranked Boise State Broncos battle the third-ranked TCU Horned Frogs from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The two teams faced each other in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, with TCU prevailing in a 17-16 final.
The Broncos are making their second appearance in a BCS game, the first considered one of the greatest college football games ever played when they outlasted Oklahoma in a triple-overtime thriller in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, 43-42.
Boise State, which is 5-4 all-time in bowl games, is coached by Chris Petersen, and he owns an incredible 48-4 record in four years at the helm.
Coach Petersen expressed his elation in being invited back to the Fiesta Bowl, "We had one of the most memorable times, certainly of our football careers, here a few years ago. I'm not necessarily just talking about the game, I'm talking about the whole week of the experiences and the festivities we had."
As nice as it is to return to the scene of arguably the biggest win in program history, Petersen is quick to point out that the majority of his players are experiencing this for the first time. "I think for our players, we have so few of them back, that their eyes are wide open. And that's a good thing. It's one of those experiences they will appreciate as the week goes on."
Both the Broncos and Horned Frogs won their respective conferences this year, with BSU claiming the crown in the Western Athletic Conference and TCU taking the Mountain West.
TCU is 12-0 for the first time in school history, and its No. 3 ranking is its highest since the 1956 team placed fourth. The Frogs' No. 4 ranking in the final 2009 BCS standings is the highest-ever by a team from a conference without an automatic BCS bid. The Horned Frogs own a 11-13-1 record in 25 previous bowl games.
Gary Patterson is 85-27 in charge of the TCU football program, and spoke recently about the road his team has traveled to get to this point. "Twelve years ago people said this couldn't be done. When we came to TCU, they were 1-10. We've worked ourselves up the ladder. We came here to try to give you a great ball game."
Patterson is confident his team will give a good showing and hopes that those around the country will sit up and take notice of what some of the smaller [profile] schools are capable of doing. "I've watched the Fiesta Bowl and when they were the representative of the national championship game and know that a lot of great teams have come before us. That's the way we want to be remembered. When we leave the state of Arizona, we want to be remembered that they were glad that TCU was there."
The all-time series between these two teams in knotted at 1-1, with both meetings taking place in bowl games. In addition to last year's Poinsettia Bowl, the first encounter took place in the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl, TCU's home turf. Despite playing in enemy territory, the Broncos rode off with a 34-31 win.
Led by star QB Kellen Moore, Boise State has one of the most potent offenses in all of college football, averaging a national-best 44.2 ppg behind 460.5 total ypg. Moore, just a sophomore, has hit the mark on 64.8 percent of his passes this season for 3,325 yards with an eye-popping 39 TDs against only three INTs. His 39 scoring strikes are a school record, and his 167.35 passer rating had him ranked No. 1 in the nation at the end of the regular season. Receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis have been the primary beneficiaries of Moore's exploits, hauling in 71 and 62 passes, respectively, and combining for 1,819 yards and 24 TDs.
The BSU run game has done a nice job in keeping opposing defenses honest, churning out 194.5 ypg and accounting for 29 TDs. Jeremy Avery finished the regular season with 1,131 yards and six scores, while Doug Martin reached the end zone 14 times in averaging 6.4 ypc and totaling 723 yards.
Defensively, Boise State has gotten it done time and time again, yielding 17.7 ppg and only 299.6 total ypg. The effort against the pass has been particularly impressive with opponents coming up with just 172.8 ypg. The Broncos have allowed a total of 35 points in the first quarter of games this season, and have outscored the opposition by a whopping 334-92 margin in the first half.
BSU has been credited with 33 forced turnovers this season, 21 of which have been INTs. Jeron Johnson has four picks to match Brandon Thompson in that department, and he leads the team as well in total tackles with 88. Ryan Winterswyk is the club's top sack man with 8.5, coming in just ahead of Billy Winn who has six QB takedowns to his credit. The Broncos average nearly 7.5 TFLs per game.
TCU, which owns the nation's second-longest winning streak (14 games) behind only Texas (17 games), is fourth in the country in scoring (40.7 ppg), and the Horned Frogs utilize a formidable rushing attack that generates 256.5 ypg (fifth nationally) and has accounted for 35 TDs. The aerial assault generates 212.6 ypg and has resulted in 23 scores.
The Frogs had four guys rush for more than 500 yards this season, with Joseph Turner heading the group with 732 yards and 11 TDs. Three of the four averaged in excess of five yards per carry, a testament to not only their skill, but also that of the offensive line.
Andy Dalton is TCU's starting QB, and the 6-3 junior has thrown for 2,484 yards with 22 TDs against only five INTs. He also did some damage with his feet, rushing for 522 yards and hitting paydirt three times. Devoid of a star at the wide receiver position, Jeremy Kerley led the team with 38 grabs for 467 yards and two scores. Antoine Hicks has made the most of his 19 catches, taking six of them across the goal line.
From a defensive standpoint, few teams in the nation can match the Horned Frogs' intensity or ability to shut down the opposition. TCU is giving up just 12.4 ppg, and foes have found it nearly impossible to run the football, averaging a mere 80.5 ppg, and the Frogs have permitted just seven rushing scores all year. TCU has also done a tremendous job defending the pass, permitting a mere 152.8 ypg through the air with only 10 TDs. The opposition is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry and only 5.1 yards per pass attempt.
Linebacker Daryl Washington is the team's leading tackler with 99 stops, and he is tied for the club lead in INTs with Tejay Johnson with three apiece. Jerry Hughes is a force along the TCU defensive line, logging 11.5 sacks.
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Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
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Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.
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