Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
03/17/2010 -
MILWAUKEE (AP) -It's perhaps the most oft-repeated nugget of conventional NCAA tournament wisdom and it bodes particularly well for Wisconsin this year: Experienced guard play can be a decisive edge.
The Badgers start one of the tournament's most experienced guard pairs, Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon. Both are seniors making their fourth straight NCAA tournament appearances. Going into Friday's first-round matchup with Wofford in Jacksonville, Fla., both must excel if the No. 4-seeded Badgers are to make an extended run this month.
``It always gives you a pretty good chance,'' Badgers coach Bo Ryan said. ``If you want to put it down as percentages when you make out the batting lineup - who bats first and who's in the third spot and who's batting before the pitcher - you take all the percentages and you say, 'What is it in tournaments?' Guard play is extremely important.''
Wofford starts three guards in Brad Loesing, Junior Salters and Jamar Diggs. Salters is a senior, but none of the guards has the experience of the Badgers' backcourt.
Hughes and Bohannon have played in all seven of Wisconsin's NCAA tournament games during the previous three seasons. Hughes played sparingly in the tournament as a freshman, but Bohannon hasn't played fewer than 26 minutes in any NCAA tournament game during his career.
The two have experienced highlight-reel highs, including Hughes' overtime game-winner against Florida State in the first round last year. And when they've struggled, so has Wisconsin: They shot a combined 5 of 28 from the field in last year's second-round loss to Xavier.
Now given one last chance to play in the tournament, they're looking to create a few more highlights.
``Obviously, we're excited,'' Bohannon said. ``Me and Trevon have been fortunate enough to play four years in the NCAA tournament consecutively, and that's a great accomplishment. We're really looking forward to another chance to go out there and perform again.''
Hughes said he expects to make some noise in the tournament, especially after following up his fireworks against Florida State with a disappointing performance against Xavier. Hughes was 3 of 16 from the field in that game, while Bohannon shot 2 of 12. The duo combined to go 1 for 14 from 3-point range.
``Every time we step on the floor, we feel like we could do some damage,'' Hughes said. ``Everybody on our team, the coaching staff, we feel like we could win every game. We prepare for everybody the same way, so we figure we've got a chance every time we go into a match.''
Hughes is a point guard who can play good defense, create his own shot and come through under pressure. Bohannon is mostly known for his outside shooting, including 40.2 percent from 3-point range this year. He hasn't found as many shooting opportunities of late, putting up only 12 3-point attempts in the Badgers' last four games.
Bohannon was 1 of 10 from the floor in an ugly Big Ten tournament loss to Illinois that ranks among Wisconsin's worst outings of the season. Hughes wasn't much better, shooting 4 for 16 from the field, but his late flurry of 3-pointers at least managed to make the game close.
``Even though we lost a game, we've got to bounce back stronger and better than we have before,'' Bohannon said. ``And we've done that throughout the course of the season. When we had a loss, we would bounce back very strong, and we've got to have the same mentality going into this one.''
Never one to gush, Ryan sounds optimistic going into Friday.
``If you just take a look over the years, I know there are a lot of people who subscribe to the theory that talent is what's really important because lack of preparation time, things like that,'' Ryan said. ``But that's not always true. You need defense to keep you in it and you need some players to get hot offensively. I haven't seen a team advance without a combination of those things, so, we've got senior leadership, we've got some guys who potentially can be very hot in a game.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Bell signs offer sheet with Eagles
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles signed restricted
free agent running back Mike Bell to an offer sheet on Thursday.
The New Orleans Saints now have seven days to match the deal, which the
Philadelphia Inqui
<< Murray, Roddick advance; Federer bows out at Indian Wells
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Roger Federer was upset by
27th-seeded Marcos Baghdatis in third-round action, while fourth-seeded Andy
Murray and seventh-seeded Andy Roddick moved into the fourth round Tuesday at
the $4.
<< Tavares scores twice as Islanders handle Canucks
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie John Tavares posted two goals and
three assists to lead the New York Islanders to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver
Canucks at GM Place.
Matt Moulson added a goal and an assist for the Islanders, wh
<< Bryant, Gasol help Lakers down Kings for 50th win of season
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant posted a near triple-double and
Pau Gasol ended with 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting, as the duo led the Lakers
past the Kings, 106-99, at ARCO Arena.
The win was LA's fourth straight and 50th of
Red Sox prospect Westmoreland has successful surgery >>
Fort Myers, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland
had successful brain surgery Tuesday.
The procedure, which lasted five hours, removed a cavernous malformation that
was diagnosed earlier this month after he ex
Devils try to extend domination of Penguins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A huge battle in the Atlantic Division race is on tap
tonight in Newark, pitting the host New Jersey Devils against the Pittsburgh
Penguins at Prudential Center.
The Penguins, of course, are the defending Stanley Cup champ
Avs attempt to extend win streak over Flames >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche will try for their fourth straight
win overall as well as their seventh victory in a row over the Calgary Flames
tonight when the two teams clash at Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche's current winning stre
Blackhawks limp into Honda Center to battle Ducks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago has had a hard enough time picking up victories in
Anaheim without having injuries to worry about. Nonetheless, the Blackhawks
could be without as many as four key skaters tonight when they visit the
Honda Center to t
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.
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting