NFL Week 4 Power Rankings – Steelers Lead the Way

You know the world has gone nuts when, what used to be considered the ‘right thing’ is now wrong, while all of the things that were once viewed as taboo, are now openly displayed for the whole world to see.

Having said that, let me just throw in the fact that the NFL has been tuned mostly upside down during the course of the first three weeks of the 2010 regular season – and this week’s NFL Power Rankings clearly show that.

Now, before anyone goes having some sort of conniption, remember, my weekly power rankings are based on just that – how each team in the league performed during their most recent contest, though I do use a bit of each team’s most recent history when making my final selections.

With that said, let me offer up my brief thoughts on this week’s NFL Power Rankings.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers are a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS – without Ben Rapelisberger! Sorry, but I had to go there!

2. Kansas City Chiefs – Young head coach Todd Haley was supposed to be an offensive genius, but the Chiefs have mostly shut down their stunned opponents in getting off to a fantastic 3-0 SU and ATS start.

3. Chicago Bears – Do I believe the Bears are the third-best team in all of football? Hell no, but here they are – and rightfully so following their 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS start.

4. New York Jets – The J-E-T-S (and second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez, have looked absolutely dominating in winning – and covering the NFL betting line – in each of their last two games.

5. Seattle Seahawks – Go ahead and say what you want about this ranking. All I’m going to say is that the Seahawks have risen up to beat two supposed playoff teams that were supposed to be far superior in San Diego and San Francisco.

[Click Here to check out the value-packed BetOnline Football Parlay and new Teasers Odds!]

6. Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons have an explosive offense and could challenge New Orleans for division supremacy if they play any sort of defense this season.  

7. New England Patriots – The Patriots moved to 2-1 SU by beating Buffalo in Week 3, but sit at just 1-2 ATS after allowing the lowly Bills to score a whopping 30 points.

8. Cincinnati Bengals – Carson Palmer looked really bad in Cincy’s week 3 win over the dysfunctional Browns and clearly have some work to do. Yet, the Bengals are still 2-1 ATS.

Click Here to get Live NFL Odds!

9. Baltimore Ravens – Baltimore got a win in Week 3 to move to 2-1 on the season, but didn’t look particularly good in doing so and are now just 1-2 ATS.

10. Indianapolis Colts – Indy is 2-1 SU and ATS, but I’m not sure how good the Colts are just yet after seeing them pound the lowly Giants and rebuilding Broncos the last two weeks.

11. Philadelphia Eagles – Despite his smart move to install Mike Vick as the starting quarterback, Andy Reid is still about as bright as a three-watt light bulb.

12. Green Bay Packers – The Packers took a tough loss on the chin on Monday night, but I still believe they are going to win the NFC this season.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

13. Tennessee Titans – The Titans spanked the Giants to move to 2-1 SU and ATS but I’m withholding judgment for a bit longer on the Titans until they play another quality opponent or two.

14. New Orleans Saints – If the Saints don’t improve their defense some as the regular season moves along, they may have some big problems in trying to defend their Super Bowl title.

15. Houston Texans – The Texans couldn’t get out of their own way in losing to Dallas in Week 3, but I’m still high on this team – for now!

16. Miami Dolphins – I’m a lifelong Dolphins fan, but I still only see an 8-8 SU outcome for the offensively-challenged Fins.

17. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys got a much-needed win in Week 3, but I still think they’ve got some serious problems to solve as they get set for Week 4.

18. Minnesota Vikings – Is it me or does Brett Favre suddenly look twice as old as he did last season?

19. St. Louis Rams – Rams’ rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is the real deal. Too bad his head coach has foolishly let him throw the ball a whopping 117 times while giving the rock to pro bowl running back Steven Jackson just 58 times.

20. Washington Redskins – The Skins nearly fell into the bottom third in my power rankings because of their dismal Week 3 loss to St. Louis, but I think they’ve still got n outside shot t compete for the division title in the NFC Least!

21. Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals are 2-1 SU and ATS, but have gotten it done mostly with smoke and mirrors.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Buccaneers got blown out by the Steelers in Week 3, but I still love Josh Freeman and think the Bucs are heading in the right direction with their rebuilding plan.

23. San Diego Chargers – Phillip Rivers is talented, but he’s also a hothead that can lose focus at times. His teammates are mostly underachievers – just like head coach Norv Turner.

24. Denver Broncos – Did anyone expect the Broncos to compete with the Colts in week 3? I thought not!

25. New York Giants – Tom Coughlin has better start looking for employment right now – like half of the out of work country.

26. Oakland Raiders – Head coach Tom Cable may be able to smack women around with the best of them, but when it comes to coaching professional football, the guy’s completely incompetent – just like senile owner Al Davis!

27. Jacksonville Jaguars – Goodbye David Garrard – and Jack del Rio!

28. Detroit Lions – I have no idea why I like the rebuilding Lions so much right now, but I sure do and think they’re the best winless team in the league.

29. San Francisco 49ers – Speaking of winless teams, the Niners look like they can forget about the NFC West title that many people had them winning before the start of the regular season.

30. Buffalo Bills – The Bills put up 30points after naming Ryan Fitzpatrick their starting quarterback, so at least they’re heading in the right direction, I guess.

31. Cleveland Browns – I guess Mike Holmgren made a big boo-boo in not bouncing head coach Eric Mangini after taking over Cleveland’s football operations this offseason.

32. Carolina Panthers – I like John Fox a lot, but his time has passed in Carolina – and so has the Panthers’.

Get all the lastest and greatest NFL wagering news in the knowledge-filled BetOnline NFL News Section.

Sources: nfl.com

Padres vs Cubs in Must Win for San Diego

The Padres picked a bad time to have an off night at the plate.

Their 1-0 loss to the Cubs on Monday night not only kept them a full game behind the idle San Francisco Giants for the NL West lead, but with a Braves win last night, moved them a half-game behind Atlanta in the Wild Card standings.

San Diego has three more games against the Cubs before heading on the road for what is shaping up to be the series of the year in the MLB against San Francisco, the final three games for both clubs.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

MLB Betting Line:

Spread: Cubs +1 ½ (-160), Padres -1 ½ (+140)

Moneyline: Cubs (+135), Padres (-155)

Over/Under: 6 ½

Date: Tuesday, September 28 – 10:05 PM ET

TV: WGN, 4 San Diego

Probable Pitchers:

CHC Ryan Dempster, RHP (14-11, 3.87 ERA) SD Mat Latos, RHP (14-8, 2.91 ERA)

But before they can start thinking about the Giants, they have to get past a Cubs team that has been out of it for a while now, but would love to play spoiler. Mat Latos, who had been the Padres most consistent starter all year until his current three-game losing streak, gets the ball tonight.

If he’s going to break out of the funk, there is no time like the present, but he’ll have to do it against another guy that has been known for his consistency in the past.

But Ryan Dempster has had possibly the worst stretch of baseball in his career the past two games, allowing 16 earned runs in his last 10 1/3 innings. This is coming off a stretch in which he set a Major League record by posting 15 consecutive starts that lasted at least five innings with two or fewer runs allowed.

So, which Ryan Dempster is going to show up? The guy that gave up nine runs on seven hits in just 1 2/3 innings in his last start, or the guy that didn’t give up more than two runs in a start for three months.

Here are some MLB Betting Trends for this contest:

• Under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings.
• Under is 21-10-1 in the last 32 meetings in San Diego.
• Cubs are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings in San Diego.
• Cubs are 2-9 in the last 11 meetings.

I think both pitchers have strong outings as their recent trends are not very indicative of their ability. Latos was on his game last time he face the Cubs, holding Chicago to two runs and striking out 10 batters in seven innings and I think he brings that kind of performance again tonight.

This one is going to be close, but the Padres will find a way to win.

MLB Betting Pick: San Diego -155

Check out the latest baseball game lines in the sportsbook, click here.

Chicago Is NFC Team to Back in the NFL Betting Sportsbook

The Chicago Bears, by virtue of their fantastic victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, have now become the top NFL betting team in the sportsbook.

Surprised? So am I.

Let’s get to the NFC Top 5 and the NFC Bottom 5!

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

NFC Top 5 NFL Betting

1. Chicago Bears 3-0 (2-1 ATS) – - After barely covering a 6 ½ point spread against the Lions in Week 1 by ½ a point, the Bears have stormed to the top of the NFC. The 27 to 20 straight up victory against the Cowboys in Week 2 as 7-point dogs was very nice. Then on Monday Da Bears took out the NFC favorite to get to the Super Bowl this season, the Green Bay Packers, 20 to 17 as 3-point home dogs.

2. Atlanta Falcons 2-1 (2-1 ATS) – - In hindsight, the Falcons probably shouldn’t have been 1-point road faves over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. After all, the Steelers have turned out to be the best team in the AFC for the first 3 weeks. It’s hard to find a better a victory than Atlanta’s over the Saints on the road as 3-point underdogs this past Sunday. The Falcons appear to be a solid NFL betting team since the victory over the Saints came after they squashed a 7-point spread in a 41 to 7 pasting of Arizona in Week 2.

3. Green Bay Packers 2-1 (2-1 ATS) – - I can’t drop them too far from #1 since the only game they’ve lost both straight up and against the spread occurred this past Monday when Chicago beat them. Green Bay is a good team, but they have a couple of big flaws. First of all, their defensive backs, save for maybe Charles Woodson, aren’t good enough to guard wide receivers one-on-one and, so, they commit pass interference penalties. Second, they have absolutely no running game without Ryan Grant. Those are big issues that a lot of teams will try to expose the rest of this season.

4. Seattle Seahawks 2-1 (2-1 ATS) – - This is what solid NFL teams do. After suffering through a horrible loss, Seattle was blitzed 31 to 14 by Denver in Week 2, they go back to practice, regroup, and look to the next week. The next, that would be Week 3, ended in a 27 to 20 victory over the San Diego Chargers as 3 ½ point home underdogs. Okay, maybe Seattle didn’t exactly regroup. Chargers’ QB Phillip Rivers did pass for 429 yards against the ‘Hawks, but the Bolts signal-caller also threw 2 picks and the Chargers lost 3 fumbles. You can’t win when you turn the ball over 5 times in a game. This isn’t the Pac10 or WAC Conference, you know.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1 (2-1 ATS) – - Are the Steelers that good? Or, are the Bucs that bad? Tampa Bay was absolutely trounced by Pitt 38 to 13 as 2-point home dogs in Week 3. I don’t expect them to stay in the Top 5 after next week’s game versus Cleveland, but football handicappers can never know and nobody else appears capable of stepping it up in the NFC when it comes to covering wagering spreads.

NFC Bottom 5 NFL Betting

1. Carolina Panthers 0-3 (0-3 ATS) – - I have to use an adverb to describe how bad this team is. How does grotesquely horrible sound? The Panthers have been outscored 71 to 32 in the first 3 weeks of the NFL Season. Making wagers against these guys in the NFL wagering sportsbook is as good as a way of cashing as betting on one of the Top 5 NFC teams ATS.

2. San Francisco 49’ers 0-3 (1-2 ATS) – - Mike Singletary never showed fear as a player but he sure is showing fear as a coach. The man has benched 2 starters on defense as well as fired his offensive coordinator in the past 2 days. You only do that at the pro level if you’re petrified. SF has no excuse for the 31 to 10 loss to Kansas City as 2 ½ point road favorites. Here’s something for you, Mike, your awesome D allowed the Chiefs to rack up close to 500 total yards. The Niners’ brass should have gone after Pete Carroll when they had a chance because Singletary isn’t a good head coach. Even he might agree with that statement right now.

3. Washington Redskins 1-2 (1-2 ATS) – - I have to grudgingly put these fellas in the Bottom 5 because they lost to St. Louis, yes, St. Louis, as 4 ½ point favorites straight up by a score of 30 to 16. That was probably the biggest upset in the NFL betting sportsbook in Week 3. I write grudgingly because I still believe they could be tough to deal with in the weak NFC East. They play against Michael Vick and the Eagles on the road this Sunday. We shall see…

4. New York Giants 1-2 (1-2 ATS) – - The G-Men are just a mediocre football team, but, get this, like the ‘Skins, I still feel that they might turn it around, at least a bit, very soon. New York has had to face Indianapolis on the road and Tennessee at home in their last 2 games. Both of those teams are better than anybody in the NFC save for maybe the Falcons, Bears and Packers right now. The Giants have too many quality players to keep getting punked like the way the Titans did them in the G-Men’s 29 to 10 loss. The Giants were 3-point favorites in that game this past Sunday.

5. Minnesota Vikings 1-2 (1-2 ATS) – - Yes, the Vikings covered the 13-point spread in their game against Detroit, but let’s not get too excited. Minnesota is still a tough team to back ATS in the NFL betting sportsbook because the cover against Detroit came by a single point, Minny won 24 to 10, and now the same team that got smacked by both the Saints and Dolphins in the first and second weeks of the season must face the suddenly en fuego New York Jets this Sunday.

Bet 9 ½ point teasers and buy up to 10 points in the NFL betting sportsbook, click here!

MLB Betting – Giants Aim To Wrap Up Final NL Division

After trailing the San Diego Padres in the NL West for most of the season, the San Francisco Giants are now in top spot in the division and control their own destiny the rest of the way.

Currently one game ahead of the Padres for first place in the only NL division where a winner has not yet been determined, San Francisco will play out the remainder of their schedule at AT&T Park, where they begin a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight, before closing out the regular season by hosting San Diego for three. 

MLB Betting Odds: 
Arizona Diamondbacks +190
Rodrigo Lopez – R
San Francisco Giants -230
Jonathan Sanchez – L 

Run Line: 
Diamondbacks +1.5 +110
Giants -1.5 -110 

Total: 
8 O -105
8 U -115 

Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
Game Time: Tuesday September 28, 2010 – 10:15 PM ET
TV: FSAZ, CSBA

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

The Week That Was: Diamondbacks 

The Diamondbacks enter this series with a little momentum on their side after a 5-4 comeback win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night. Arizona has won three of its past four series’, including their last two, and have gone 5-1 against the division over their last six despite being in the NL West basement. Rodrigo Lopez has won consecutive starts, and the Diamondbacks have no plans to change their starting rotation unless injured right-hander Brandon Webb can make his way back from the injured list before the season comes to an end.  

The Week That Was: Giants 

Fans and players in San Francisco are likely hoping that by the time San Diego arrives in the Bay area, their playoff hopes have already been crunched. Despite struggling through a period of mediocrity in the middle of September, San Francisco stayed side-by-side with the Padres the entire way, and victories in five of their last seven have them one game up for the division. The Giants lost two of three to these same Diamondbacks the last time they played in California, but won both of their games in Arizona at the beginning of September. The pressure will be on them to perform at home.  Jonathan Sanchez is coming off his first loss in over a month, and will look to rebound with one of his best starts. 

MLB Betting Matchup: Diamondbacks vs Giants 

There will be pressure on a Giants’ team that has come so far and now is in the driver’s seat to clinch the division. San Francisco has made no changes to its lineup or rotation that would hint that they are cheating towards next week’s series against San Diego, understanding that they need to win these games first in order to keep ahead. The Giants won’t travel outside of the Bay area the remainder of the season, and will look to ensure that continues in the postseason by clinching top spot in the NL West.

MLB Betting Pick: Giants

2010 Heisman Betting Race – Pryor Back On Top

1. Terrelle Pryor (QB – Ohio State Buckeyes)
To put how insane his performance against Eastern Michigan was, Pryor had 224 passing yards, 104 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. The crazy part is that he scored one of those touchdowns on a 53-yard run. The other crazy part is that he notched a 20-yard touchdown…as a receiver.

Next Game: Ohio State -17.5 vs. Illinois

2. Denard Robinson (QB – Michigan Wolverines)
Denard Robinson’s 2010 Heisman betting campaign seemingly took a hit when he was injured and only had 4 completions for 60 yards, but he did his damage by rushing for 129-yards on the ground and slashing in for two rushing touchdowns. His strength of schedule and insane playmaking abilities will keep him at the top of peoples’ lists.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

Next Game: Michigan -14.5 vs. Indiana

3. Kellen Moore (QB – Boise State Broncos)
I’m so sick of the Kellen Moore Heisman betting backers. Soft schedule and mediocre numbers don’t put this guy at the head of the class. They never have and they never will. Give it a rest already.

Next Game: Boise State -40.0 vs. New Mexico State

4. Cameron Newton (QB – Auburn Tigers)
Michigan’s Robinson isn’t the only quarterback bursting on to the scene. What makes Newton unique is that he’s 6-foot-6 and 247 pounds. Newton pumped in five touchdowns against a usually stingy South Carolina defense, bringing him to 683-yards passing, 485-yards rushing and 14 total touchdowns. If he cuts down on his interceptions (3 thus far), he’ll have enough highlights to keep him consistently in the top-5.

Next Game: LA-Monroe vs. Auburn -33.5

5. Mark Ingram (RB – Alabama Crimson Tide)
Uh oh. Look who’s baaaaaack! A 157-yard rushing day against Arkansas saw Ingram score another pair of touchdowns and suddenly he’s in the Heisman discussion again. What will hinder his ability to capitalize on his great odds is that he’s missed two games. Still, he gets a nod with the “best player on the best team” factor.

Next Game: Florida vs. Alabama -9.0

BIGGEST RISER – Patrick Peterson (CB – LSU Tigers)
I’m going to use this slot to pay respects to the best defensive player in the country. Patrick Peterson is another in a long line of great LSU secondary players, and the junior has already picked off a pair of interceptions. He also has two return touchdowns off kicks. He’d have to have at least 20 interceptions to break past the quarterbacks in the Heisman betting race, but at the very least he’s bolstering his draft stock.

Next Game: Tennessee vs. LSU

BIGGEST LOSER – Ryan Mallet (QB – Arkansas Razorbacks)
The tilt against Alabama was the biggest game on Mallet’s schedule, and not only did he cough up 3 interceptions, he also needed a win more than anything. Mallet still has huge numbers to help him stay relevant in the race, but they won’t be enough to prevent him from becoming an afterthought this week with a BYE on the schedule. The combination of the two kills his 2010 Heisman betting campaign.

Next Game: BYE

 

NFL Week 3 Review – Steelers Move to 3-0, So Do … Chiefs and Bears?

Okay, I can take the Pittsburgh Steelers being 3-0 after three weeks, even with former starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger chained to the bench following another offseason filled with foolish.

However, if someone had told me that the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs would be the only two other remaining unbeaten teams in league heading into Week 4, I might have given them a ‘Philadelphia-styled’ beat-down of epic proportions.

Okay, I know that might sound a bit violent, especially for a guy the size of Spud Webb, but you get the idea right?

Anyway, this look back at the week that was – should give avid NFL gamblers a small glimpse at what they can likely expect heading into this week’s upcoming Week 4 matchups.

[Click Here to check out the value-packed BetOnline Football Parlay and new Teasers Odds!]

Jets 31 Dolphins 23
I knew my beloved Dolphins were going down in this contest and told NFL gamblers last week that Miami’s Chad Henne doesn’t look like a franchise quarterback if you ask me … unlike New York’s Mark Sanchez.

Colts 27 Broncos 13
Peyton Manning and company are back on track following their Week 1 loss to Houston while the Denver Broncos have the distinct look of a team that’s going to hover around the .300 mark all season long.

Cardinals 24 Raiders 23
The Arizona Cardinals may be 2-1, but they could be the most mediocre 2-1 team of all-time at this point. Still, they’re nowhere near as bad as the blundering Oakland Raiders.

Click Here to get Live NFL Odds!

Eagles 28 Jaguars 3
Mike Vick clearly looks like the best quarterback in the NFC East at this point – and now, Philadelphia looks like a legitimate division title contender because of his jaw-dropping play. Jacksonville on the other hand, looks like a 6-10 team at the very best.

Seahawks 27 Chargers 20
The Seahawks have beaten the Chargers and Niners so far this season. Is an NFC West title out of the question for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks? I think not.

Cowboys 27 Texans 13
The Cowboys got a much-needed win, but I still think they’ve got some serious problems as Houston mostly beat themselves with one mistake after another in this contest.

[Offtopic: by the way, do you want to get a 60% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? Find out more exciting details HERE.]

Rams 30 Redskins 16
The Rams jumped all over the surprised Redskins and got a fine performance from rookie quarterback Sam Bradford in the win while Donovan McNabb mostly failed to get the support that he needed from his young offensive teammates.

Falcons 27 Saints 24
Atlanta has an absolutely explosive offensive and used it to eke out a narrow win over a New Orleans team that just seemed a bit out of it in this contest, starting with Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees.

Patriots 38 Bills 30
Sure the Patriots won this game, but I’ve got to believe they are not very happy about giving up a whopping 30 points to the lowly Bills, even in victory.

Titans 29 Giants 10
The Tennessee Titans got back in the win column following their Week 2 loss to Pittsburgh, but I’m not very impressed as they beat up on the lowly Giants, who mostly look like they’ve tired of head coach Tom Coughlin’s mostly foolish team rules.

Steelers 38 Buccaneers 13
Ho-hum, the Steelers absolutely throttled the young Buccaneers to move to a perfect 3-0 on the season. I say Pittsburgh continues riding veteran signal-caller Charlie Batch until further notice. Tampa Bay may have been on the wrong end of a loss the last time out, but I feel like they are still heading in the right direction with their rebuilding plan.

Ravens 24 Browns 17
Sure the Ravens won this game, but really,, shouldn’t they have blown Cleveland out of the water?

Vikings 24 Lions 10
Like the Cowboys, the Vikings got a win in Week 3, but still have some issues, mostly with their offense, that are readily apparent.

Bengals 20 Panthers 7
The Bengals beat the lowly Panthers in this contest, but they sure didn’t look very good at all in doing so as Carson Palmer and his veteran wide receivers consistently missed hooking up against the Browns’ suspect defense.

Chiefs 31 49ers 10
Yo go Kansas City! The Chiefs have beaten two supposed playoff teams in three weeks and look very for real right about now, particularly on defense. San Francisco looks like an absolute mess on both sides of the ball right now – and if you want to know how I feel about Alex Smith, just ask my boy Gary ‘The Glove’ Payton how he feels and mark me down for a ‘ditto’.

Bears 20 Packers 17
Love Smith runs the defense, Mike Martz runs the offense – and Devin Hester just runs! Sounds like a winning formula for the undefeated Bears, though they were still luck to beat a Packers team I have said is going to win the NFC this year.

Get all the lastest and greatest NFL wagering news in the knowledge-filled BetOnline NFL News Section.

Source: nfl.com

NCAAF Betting – Is the Season Over for the Texas Longhorns?

The UCLA Bruins defeated the No. 7 Texas Longhorns in decisive fashion last Saturday.  What happened to the Longhorns, a team that NCAAF betting fans were relying on for the win?

The Bruins’ Johnathan Franklin rushed for 118 yards and one touchdown in the win, as UCLA got 264 of their 291 yards on the ground.  This feat is quite surprising, as the Texas defense was touted as being one of the best in the nation.  The defense maintained the game, kind of, in the first half.  But the second half was all UCLA.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert was sacked for a turnover, and finished the game with 264 yards on 30-of-45 passing attempts. College football predictions nevertheless chose Texas to win this game, regardless of the greenness of Gilbert.  He has to get started playing Texas-caliber football at some point!

Next up for Texas are the Oklahoma Sooners, a highly-publicized and popular game, taking place at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Texas, on next Saturday, October 2. The Sooners come into the game with an undefeated 4-0 record, after harrowingly escaping with a win over Cincinnati last weekend, 31-29.

Regardless of Texas’ loss and Oklahoma’s up-and-down style of play on the season, this game will be just as fever pitch as it is every year.  Even though it will not be the Top 10 matchup expected, this game will offer exciting college football betting opportunities, as both sides are convinced they have the skill to get the victory.

The Longhorns hold the edge in the series in recent years, as the Sooners hope to change all that this year.  So it remains to be seen if Texas can bounce back from their terribly embarrassing loss and get their game faces on for the Sooners.  BetOnline Sportsbook has all the top analysis and expert predictions for the Red River Rivalry, as well as for every NCAAF betting game.

MLB Betting Odds – D’Backs vs Giants

The San Francisco Giants were idle last night but still added a half game to their National League West. Their rivals for the division title, the San Diego Padres, lost to the Dodgers as the baseball bettors won big on another San Diego under.  In tonight’s game, the Giants take on the last place Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park.

The MLB odds makers have set the Giants as big -230 favorites. The comeback on the Diamondbacks is +190. The game total is set at 8 runs.

MLB Betting Lines
September 28, 2010

Arizona Diamondbacks                  +1½ -110              +190
Rodrigo Lopez – R

San Francisco Giants                       -1½ -110               -230
Jonathan Sanchez – L

Game Total         8

Location: AT&T Park – San Francisco CA
Game Time: 10:15pm
TV: FSAZ, CSBA

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

The San Francisco Giants hold a one-game lead over the San Diego Padres. The two teams close out the season with a three-game series that could be for the Division, unless the Giants can add to their lead with a couple more wins and a couple more Padres losses.

The Giants have a chance to add three wins with a sweep over the very beatable Arizona Diamondbacks.

On the mound tonight for the Giants is Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez is 11-9 with a 3.16 ERA on the season. He has a chance to eclipse the 200-strikeout mark for the first time in his career tonight; he’s 6 K’s away. 

Sanchez has put together a brilliant month of September with a 2-1 record allowing only two earned runs in four starts. 

Sanchez is the only Giant throwing fire, the staffs ERA is just 1.66 since September 5.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been playing well lately, something that we couldn’t say a month ago. They have won five of their past six games but looking at the bigger picture, Arizona has just 15-39 in their past 54 road games.

The Diamondbacks send Rodrigo Lopez to the mound. Lopez is 7-14 with a 5.04 ERA on the season.  The Padres are just 3-10 in Lopez’s past 13 starts. Against the Giants, the Padres have lost their past five Lopez starts.

Looking at the total of eight runs tonight, I like the under a lot. The Giants pitching staff has been phenomenal during this run to the division title. I don’t think the Diamondbacks can get to them. The question we have to ask is whether the Giants will put seven runs on the board to counter the two runs AZ will score. I don’t think so.

I also like the Giants on the runline, I’m willing to give up 1½ runs for to bet -110 over -230.

MLB Betting Pick: SF Giants -1½ and Under 8 runs. 

Golf Betting – Ryder Cup Preview

Golf betting gets a treat this October with the playing of the 38th Ryder Cup.

The tournament, which pits the best golfers from the United States against the best in Europe every two years, takes place at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

The Ryder Cup betting odds have priced the Europeans as -160 favorites to win the 2010 Ryder Cup. Europe has captured the title in five of the last seven competitions, but is out for revenge on home soil after falling to the Americans 16 ½ to 11 ½ at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky back in 2008.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

Headlining the 12-man European squad, captained by Colin Montgomerie, are Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, and Rory McIlroy. McIlroy is one of six Ryder Cup rookies on the roster and is listed as a +200 favorite to finish as the top European rookie, ahead of Kaymer (+250) and Edoardo Molinari (+400) of Italy.

McIlroy is also a co-favorite to pick up the most combined points for the tournament, alongside American Tiger Woods at +900. Woods’ spot on Team USA came with much controversy following his off-course scandal, recent divorce, and poor performances this past season. He was not near the top in Ryder Cup points but instead was chosen by captain Corey Pavin.

Despite his heavy odds, Woods doesn’t have an impressive Ryder Cup resume. He’s been a member of Team USA four previous times, going back to 1997, and has only been on the winning side once, in 1999. Woods missed the 2008 Ryder Cup due to knee surgery and carries a 10-13-2 Ryder Cup record into this weekend’s matchplay event.

Woods is the biggest name among the Americans. His teammates include Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, and Jim Furyk, who is fresh off a victory at the Tour Championship and a FedExCup title which earned him a $10 million prize. There are five first-time Ryder Cup players on the U.S. team, with Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar each set at +200 to finish as the top American rookie.

Oddsmakers have also set prices for the final points score. Europe to win 14 ½ to 13 ½, which is the same score the Europeans won by in 1995 and 1997, is set at +900, as is Europe to win 15 to 13.

However in recent Ryder Cup action the final scores have been more lopsided.

The Americans took their biggest victory since 1981 two years ago, knocking off the Europeans 16 ½ to 11 ½, which books have set at +1,500 this year. In 2004 and 2006, Europe won 18 ½ to 9 ½, which is paying off at +2,000 for the 2010 final score.

Check out the latest Golf game lines in the sportsbook, click here.

Free Contests at BetUS – Football and Basketball

In the gambling world there is nothing like a free shot. Whether it’s a free bet or a free contest, you can’t go wrong when you have a chance to show off your expertise, win some cash or prizes and it doesn’t cost you a dime.

Every year BetOnline gives bettors a ton of “Free Contests” to allow them to show off and make some money. Everyone knows about the best sportsbook deposit  bonuses, but not everyone knows about the fantastic BetOnline contests.

It doesn’t matter if you are a football or baseball man or if basketball is your game or choice, BetOnline has free sports contests that are easy to enter and can put some cash in your wallet.

BetOnline has two $25,000 free football contests running this season.

First is the Gridiron Guru, which gives football bettors the opportunity to flex their handicapping skills. The key to winning the big $25,000 prize is to bet make a series of correct football selections. You need to bet a minimum of just $10 on college football lines or NFL spreads or totals. 

The $25,000 grand prize goes to the contestant that is the first to make 25 straight correct spread and or total bets.  Even if you don’t make it to 25, you can still cash in with 15 and 20 consecutive correct selections. If you win 15 in a row, you will win a $1,000 free play and if you can win 20 in a row, the free play prize is $5,000.

The second huge contest this football season is the $25,000 BetOnline NFL Pick’em contest. It’s a lot like other Pick’em contests, but with a $25,000 grand prize!  Contestants will make their selection for every NFL game against the spread and the contestant with the most correct selections at the end of the year wins the $25,000 grand prize. 

This totally free $25,000 Pick’em contest also offers weekly prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 for first, second and third each week. 

The fun doesn’t stop there, more people bet on the NFL’s Sunday and Monday night primetime games than any other game on the regular season schedule. BetOnline offers the Sunday Night Quarters contest and the Monday Night Quarters for these primetime NFL games.

The goal of the Quarters contests is to make the most correct spread and totals selections on each quarter of the primetime games. The winner for each game wins a $250 free play and, if at the end of the season you are the top handicapper, you win a $2000 free play and a $500 gift certificate from Amazon.com. 

Both contests are separate entities so you could win $500 each week playing the BetOnline Quarters contests.

Basketball fans can look forward to the BetOnline $25,000 Court King Contest and the Marquee Quarters contest once the NBA betting season begins. The Court King operates like the Gridiron Guru contest but the wagering is open to college basketball and NBA games. 

The NBA Marquee Quarters is just as the NFL Quarters contests except that the games used in the contest are the Thursday night TNT national games.  You will need to make the most correct selections in both of the games to win the weekly prize of a $250 free play. At the end of the season, if you are the top Quarters handicapper, you will win a $1,000 cash prize and a customized Pro NBA jersey.

There’s nothing better than free betting contests, so take advantage of these with BetOnline.

Next Page »