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12/23/2006 - Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The defending champs gave Greg Oden a lesson, as Corey Brewer played overwhelming defense and Taurean Green scored a game-high 24 points in fifth-ranked Florida's 86-60 rout of third- ranked Ohio State.
Oden struggled to recognize double teams and played through constant foul trouble, scoring just seven points with six rebounds and four blocks. The Buckeyes were held to their lowest point total of the season, 12 below the previous low against Cincinnati on December 16.
The young Buckeyes (10-2) were blown away in a swarm of poor long-distance shooting. A club that shoots 42 percent from three-point range on the campaign made just 7-of-23 (30 percent).
Mike Conley had 13 points and Jamar Butler was the other Buckeye in double figures with 11.
Florida (11-2) made a huge statement to the nation, and striked against the claim that the collection of Buckeye guards, combined with Oden in the middle, was unbeatable.
Brewer scored 18 points with five rebounds, Lee Humphrey donated 12 points and Al Horford compiled 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Horford's double-double came after many didn't even expect him to play 12 hours ago with a sprained ankle. Joakim Noah contributed seven points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The game began as billed, going back and forth with Green's layup squaring the contest at 20-20 with 6:08 left. The Gators scored the next 13 points with consecutive dunks by Noah and Horford then a three by Humphrey capping the stretch.
The Gators led 38-29 at the break.
Ohio State started the second half on a 9-0 run to tie the contest. Ivan Harris' three-pointer made the score 38-38 with 17:44 left.
It was all Gators from there.
An 8-0 run capped by Green's layup several minutes later opened a 55-43 edge.
The lead kept swelling, as Green's three with 8:39 on the clock opened a 70-47 advantage.
Game Notes
Florida shot 60 percent from the floor...Ohio State made just 37 percent of its shots...The Gators held a 42-25 edge on the glass...Ohio State still leads the all-time series, 5-3...Freshman Daequan Cook totaled seven points for the Buckeyes.
<< South Florida cruises in inaugural Papajohns.com Bowl
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Benjamin Williams scored a pair of first-
quarter touchdowns to lead South Florida to a 24-7 victory over East Carolina
in the inaugural Papajohns.com Bowl.
Matt Grothe threw for 81 yards and a touchdow
<< Chalmers, Wright lead Kansas past Boston College
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mario Chalmers scored 22 points and Julian
Wright recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, as No. 11
Kansas jumped to a large lead by the half, then cruised to a 84-66 victory
over Bo
<< Ziani doubles up on Nancy
Montbeliard, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Karim Ziani scored two second-half
goals in a four-minute span to lift Sochaux to a 2-1 win over Nancy at Stade
Bonal on Saturday.
The teams entered the contest separated by only one point,
<< UCLA remains undefeated with rout of Michigan
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Shipp scored 18 points and Arron
Afflalo added 17, leading top-ranked UCLA to a 92-55 rout of Michigan at
Pauley Pavilion.
Darren Collison contributed 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting with e
No. 21 Oregon stomps Mercer >>
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Brooks scored a game-high 27 points as
21st-ranked Oregon defeated Mercer, 84-64, at McArthur Court.
Brooks was 10-of-20 shooting, but only 1-of-6 from three-point range. Maarty
Leunen chipped in w
No. 10 Crimson Tide rolls over Coppin State >>
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alonzo Gee scored a game-high 26 points and
added nine rebounds as 10th-ranked Alabama hammered Coppin State, 99-49, at
Coleman Coliseum.
Gee was 12-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three-point
Knight ties Dean Smith for most wins >>
Lubbock, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight tied the
legendary Dean Smith for most career wins in NCAA Division I history after
notching No. 879 in a 72-60 triumph over Bucknell on Saturday.
Knight now has the
NFL Inactives (Saturday, December 23, 2006) >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The following is a list of the players
placed on the inactive squad for this week's NFL games.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS, 8:00 P.M. (ET)
Chiefs - 3rd QB Brodie Croyle, RB Michael Bennett, CB
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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