BetOnline's Blog
Posted Thursday, September 24, 2009 02:44 PM
Rivalries are at the heart of NCAA football betting season, and it’s so
big that ESPN’s “Rivalry Week” is two weeks long. The fact that most of these
rivalry games are played late in the season, thus having a possible effect on
the polls, makes it even larger.
Ohio
State-Michigan (“The Game”)
It doesn’t matter where they are in the rankings, this
is always one of the most anticipated games of the season. 2006 may have been
the best of their 105 meetings, as the No.1 Buckeyes edged the No.2 Wolverines
42-39 at the “Horseshoe” in Columbus. Last year’s 42-7 romp was Ohio State’s
fifth in a row over the Wolverines, who are much more improved now and will
look for redemption when the Buckeyes come to the “Big House” on November 21st.
Florida-Florida
State-Miami (“Florida Cup”)
This is up for debate, as Miami and Florida don’t meet
every year, but the Gators won the Cup by thrashing their state rivals to the
tune of a combined score of 71-18. All three are currently ranked in the top 25
right now, which hasn’t happened in a while. The Seminoles will be looking to
break a five-game losing streak when they head to Florida’s “Swamp” on November
28th, and they’ve already lost a thriller to the Hurricanes to kick
off the season. Still, ... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 24, 2009 02:42 PM
It's easy for online betting fans to come up with the five
toughest places to play in college football based on noise, intimidation or
drunken fans—this list is a little different though. The quality of a team goes
a long way to establishing atmosphere in a stadium. Thus, in this Top-5 list of
hardest places to win in college football, we're not just talking size and
scope of the crowd—you better have a damn good football team as well. That
means no Michigan and no Oklahoma on this list (at least until Sam Bradford is
healthy). Let's do it:
1. The Swamp (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),
Florida Gators
Every Saturday, nearly 90,000 screaming maniacs crowd into
The Swamp to make lives terrible for opposing quarterbacks. Thanks to a design
that puts the playing surface below ground level, as well as several
expansions, fans are within feet of the action. Throw in humid temperatures,
loyal fans and the fact that Florida is a perennial top-5 program and you'll be
hard-pressed to pull off a victory in The Swamp.
2. The Horseshoe (Ohio Stadium), Ohio State
Buckeyes
With a capacity of over 100,000, few stadiums can compete
with the colossal size of The Horseshoe. How loud does it get there? In 1985,
Iowa head coa... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 24, 2009 02:41 PM
What is an online sports betting sleeper? Obviously, it’s not a contender. The Flyers aren’t
a sleeper; they’re a great team. It’s not necessarily a team that gets little
respect, either; the Canucks don’t get tons of fanfare but they’re clearly a
good team. A sleeper is ultimately a team flying under the radar – an
afterthought in most fans’ eyes. Here are five NHL teams expected to miss the
playoffs that could shock you.
5. Toronto
Maple Leafs
They’re not a sleeper in the sense of the media
coverage they get, but they are a sleeper in that everyone outside Toronto
expects them to flop. The rebuilding process won’t work overnight, but the
pieces are in place for a turnaround. Toronto’s top four defenseman are among
the best in the league and this team’s physicality could cause matchup problems
for small teams like Montreal and Buffalo.
4. Tampa
Bay Lightning
Like the Packers in NFL
betting, the Lightning probably need another year of seasoning before they
contend for a playoff berth again. However, you never know; Tampa has plenty of
new talent. Alex Tanguay should mesh nicely with fellow French Can... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 17, 2009 02:44 PM
Although everyone is focused on the weekly NFL
odds, it’s always fun to get away from the hard work of NFL picks and rip into some
of the franchises for other reasons than poor play. In this list, we take a
bite into the four teams with the four ugliest helmets in the NFL right now:
Cleveland Browns
NFL
betting fans know that it doesn’t get much simpler than the Cleveland
Browns helmet. It also doesn’t get much uglier. The color looks like a bunch of
fans from the Dawg Pound watched their team play, and then puked on the
helmets. The only thing worse to look at than the Browns’ current helmets is
their head coaching lineage since they moved the franchise back into Cleveland.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins may be one of the most recognizable
franchises in sports, but it’s time they updated their helmet. It’s the only
helmet in the NFL that shows the logo or team icon wearing another helmet with
another logo on it. The new wave of logos is to create something sharp and
something mean, and the Fish definitely is lacking. Beyond that, who thought
that a mint green, bright orange and white col... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 17, 2009 02:44 PM
While going over the NFL Week 2 matchups, you’ll look and see that
the home team is favored about 75% of the time, which isn’t unusual due to the
phenomenon on homefield advantage. So, where are the toughest and craziest
places to play in the NFL? Here go our picks.
1.
Lambeau Field, Green Bay
The longest occupied stadium in the NFL, Lambeau seats
almost 73,000 diehard “Cheeseheads” each game, and there is a 74,000-person
waiting list for season tickets. There is also the “Lambeau Leap”, which is
when a Packer scores and leaps into the stands to get congratulated by the
fans. Cincinnati’s Chad Ochocinco is planning to try his own “Lambeau Leap”
when his Bengals head to Lambeau this weekend. I wouldn’t recommend it. One
thing I’d like to know, though: can you still call it the “frozen tundra” in
the summer?
2.
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
Heinz field opened in 2001, and seats just over 65,000
people, and the Steelers share it with the NCAA’s Pittsburgh Panthers. Most of
those fans will be waving the recognizable yellow “Terrible Towel”, and it was
almost blasphemy when some of the Tennessee Titans stomped on the towel after
winning 31-14 at Heinz Field last December. The Steelers then beat the Titans
in the season ope... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 17, 2009 02:43 PM
In NFL
betting, there are teams you hate, teams that frustrate you – and then
there are the douchebags, guys everyone loves to hate. Let’s explore the top
five most hated NFL players, and let’s do it on a deeper level than normal;
instead of picking the guys the fans hate (Hello – Michael Vick), let’s examine
who the players hate. Who has the rep
among NFL picks of being
the guy everyone wants to punch in the face?
5. Phillip
Rivers, quarterback, San Diego Chargers
Is this one justified? Rivers is a gamer; he plays
hard, with a scowl on his face, and he doesn’t get much respect despite leading
the NFL in passer rating and touchdowns last season. For whatever reason,
though, the players seem to think he’s a douche. I guess he is a bit mouthy.
4. Joey
Porter, linebacker, Miami Dolphins
Is there a bigger trash talker in the NFL? Porter chirps
everyone he plays, every single week – enough that his own teammates don’t even
seem to like him that much. He’s lucky he’s a pretty good player.
3. Terrell
Owens, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills
T.O. gets kn... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 10, 2009 02:54 PM
To be an NFL
betting favorite, you have to have a stout defense, as proven by last
year’s Super Bowl win by Pittsburgh. Even Arizona needed to tighten their
defense just to make it the big game. Here’s a look at this year’s top five
defenses, beginning with the reigning kings.
1.
Pittsburgh
Try and find a better group of linebackers in the NFL,
we dare you. Defensive Player of the year James Harrison leads the way, while
LaMarr Woodley had a breakout season. James Farrior hasn’t lost a step heading
into his 13th year, and they’re just waiting for Lawrence Timmons to
get healthy again. Troy Polamalu is now an all-around safety, and the Steelers
will be fine at corner with Bryant McFadden gone to Arizona, as Deshea Townsend
may be better anyway.
2.
Washington
Two additions should make the Redskins even better on
defense, as Albert Haynesworth and rookie Brian Orakpo should make an impact.
Haynesworth is the best defensive lineman in the league, and he’s equally good
against the run or the pass, while Orakpo is a pass-rush specialist who showed
a good nose for the ball in preseason. LeRon Landry could be the next great
safety in the league. If corner DeAngelo Hall can rebound from a tough season,
the Redskins will cause some ... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 10, 2009 02:53 PM
In NFL
betting, there are two different ways to define “tough to tackle.” There
are those guys who are difficult to wrap up simply because you can’t catch them
– the shifty types like Chris Johnson and Reggie Bush – and there are the
bulldozers. This top five list of NFL picks is dedicated to the latter group – the bruising
runners who make opposing defenders afraid to engage because it hurts to tackle
them.
5. Brandon
Marshall, wide receiver, Denver Broncos
The lone wideout on this list, “Baby T.O.” has
earned a rep from corners around the league as an extremely difficult load to
bring down. He’s a beast at 6’4” and 230 pounds, built almost like a small
tight end, and it’s almost unfair when he breaches the secondary after a catch.
4. Marion
Barber, running back, Dallas Cowboys
The online betting odds of Barber getting hurt this
season are pretty good. Why? Because he enjoys
contact. He loves running into – and over – guys so much that Cowboys
management has reportedly begged him to stop purposely initiating contact when
he gets the rock.
[More]
Posted Thursday, September 10, 2009 02:53 PM
Tom Brady, New
England Patriots
Let’s start with the obvious: Tom Brady is the favorite for
the NFL MVP. He’ll get a good start as his NFL week 1 matchup is the Buffalo Bills and
their shoestring defense. Expect him to get both a nice three-touchdown effort
and a good lead in this race. Given his role on the best team in the league,
Brady should be the easy pick.
LaDainian Tomlinson,
San Diego Chargers
NFL
betting fans might not want to admit it, but Tomlinson could still be an
MVP candidate. Keep this in mind: he’s still the centerpiece of one of the most
explosive offenses in the NFL. Also, the Chargers will be a playoff team and
possibly a 12- or 13-win team. Add in the fact that Tomlinson will get six
games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos, and
he might just be able to rack up MVP numbers in those six games alone. He’s
still money.
Tony Romo, Dallas
Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are led by Tony Romo, who has continually
made a mess in his bed in December. But the Cowboys are a different team this
year. There is no pressure heading into the season ... [More]
Posted Friday, September 04, 2009 10:45 AM
Oklahoma State
Cowboys
A lot of NCAA football betting cappers are talking
about Oklahoma State as being a potential Big 12 Champion this year and maybe -
just maybe - a National Champion. Sounds good, sure, but I’d like to smoke some
of that too. The truth of the matter is that the Cowboys are in a position to
be what the Texas Tech Red Raiders were last year, but potentially worse.
The Cowboys have an opportunity with Georgia coming to town
in Week 1, and if they can win that game, it will vault them into the Big 12
debate. But the Cowboys have a soft defense, just lost their starting middle
linebacker for the season, and Georgia is one of the best road teams in the
country. An SEC school versus a Big 12 school? I’ll take the SEC.
Look for the Cowboys’ bubble to burst very early on. Then
they’ll add losses to Texas and Oklahoma later in the year.
Mississippi Rebels
For the first time in a long time, some people are
mentioning a potential BCS berth at The Grove. Myself and a lot of other online betting
cappers would like to wish Ole Miss good luck in their future endeavors. The
Rebels are a good team and a contender, but th... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 03, 2009 03:36 PM
It’s that magical time of the year in online betting, as
football is finally back. The NCAA season kicks off tonight as the major
contenders begin their quests for undefeated seasons and a possible BCS
Championship. Who are the top five candidates to run the table?
Utah Utes
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +1000
Any time a team goes undefeated – which the Utes
did last year – they warrant consideration to do it again the following year.
However, it’s important to remember that this is college football, not the NFL;
huge turnover can turn a contender into a pretender in a single offseason. So
many pieces of what made Utah go last year are gone. From last year’s team,
quarterback Brian Johnson, not to mention his top targets, Freddie Brown, Brent
Casteel and Bradon Godfrey, is out. With so few offensive starters returning,
Utah is a major long shot to go undefeated again.
Ohio State
Buckeyes
NCAA football odds to go undefeated: +800
Even without Beanie Wells taking the rock, Ohio
State could be a force this season. Terrelle Pryor, a darkhorse Heisman Trophy
candidate, is a duel-threat at quarterback, capable of gunslinging or beating
defenders with his feet. If Ohio state can beat USC... [More]
Posted Thursday, September 03, 2009 03:36 PM
For a college football betting player, the
“cool” factor for a coach may not be the first thing you think of before you
head to your offshore sportsbook. But if you look at the polls, you’ll see that
most of the top 25 is dominated by coaches with strong personalities, which
they have to have while dealing with the media. Here are the top five (or six)
guys that you’d most want to hang out with after the game.
Urban
Meyer, Florida
Meyer’s coolness comes from his ruthlessness, and
Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin should have watched tape from last year’s 49-10
whipping that the Gators gave Georgia. In 2007, the entire Georgia team ran out
on the field and started celebrating…after their first touchdown. Meyer wasn’t
impressed, to say the least. After destroying the Bulldogs, Meyer saved his
last two timeouts for the last 1:30, just to extend the loss for the Bulldogs.
Tell me that’s not a guy you’d want in your corner. Why? Simply because he’s
not in the other corner.
Mike
Gundy, Oklahoma State
Players would run through a wall for this guy, because
he’d do the same for them. Who can forget 2007’s explosion when he attacked a
reported who wrote a negative (and erroneous, depending on who you talk to)
article on one of his players. His ... [More]