sports betting

Christmas has come early for many NFL football bettors from around the world as favorites are cashing at an alarming rate.
It was no different in Week 13 as the favs went 12-4 with both bailout games (late Sunday game and MNF) having the favorites cover the spread.
The only thing keeping the bookies sanity was that the unders hit going 11-4 Sunday with Monday's game being split with some over some under due to the opening line dropping down to 39.5

Weekend highlights for players and lowlights for bookies include:
The Indianapolis Colts continuing to roll their opponents and not only beating the spread but smashing it.
The Vikings are red hot going 6-1 against the spread despite a line move which saw late money come in on the Lions Sunday.
The Bears defense continues to hold them in games and even more importantly the nasty D which is being compared to that of the 80's Bears teams has led them to a stellar 9-2-1 record on the Unders.
To our surprise as we were screaming Browns at the top of our lungs Jacksonville nailed them and has completed a rare feat in winning back to back to back games on the road.
The KC Chiefs continue to roll at Arrowhead during the month of December with their 16th straight win. Despite Denver being a fairly solid team this year, why the Chiefs were a 1 point dog was beyond us. Most trends are garbage but it should be noted that it's a fact: KC is tough on their home turf December or not!
The Chargers continue to roll over opponents.
Ok, now let's get to the real reason for this article. While it's been a great betting season for the general public, this is going to change and fast for many. If you want to keep winning YOU will need to make some adjustments.
We're approaching the end of the NFL's regular season. With that being said many teams are playoff bound. Once these playoff bound teams grab a nice lead in a game or better yet once they've locked up their playoff position (and home field where applicable) their going to rest their starters!
Second string starters will mean skewed results. Good teams won't win by as much and bad teams will look better in the box scores as they won't be resting their starters like the playoff bound teams will. Bad teams may insert some rookies here and there, but it's not enough to make a huge showing in the final scores.
Just a little something to keep in mind!
Good luck in your action!
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Sports Betting

What is going in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference NBA where there is not one team presently with a winning record? New Jersey leads at 8-9 followed by Boston at 8-10, Philly 8-11, the Knicks 6-12 and the woeful Raptors at 3-17!
Meanwhile the talk of the league is the Clippers at 13-5 and leading the West with the Suns nipping at their heels after ripping off 8 straight wins.
Interesting and needless to say crucial game in Dallas this weekend as the Cowboys host the Chiefs and both teams have no margin for error. KC has a brutal schedule from here on in and is very iffy on the road. Yes they did win in Miami under trying circumstances, but also were brutal at Buffalo recently losing 14-3.
On the flip side though, will Dallas’s defense be able to handle the huge offensive line that will pave the way for Larry Johnson’s strong running. They may have to commit safety Roy Williams, but this will open up the play action to Tony Gonzalez.
The books have been getting killed this year and they will be sweating it out in several games, where the favorite is double digits. San Diego hosts Miami and are favored by two touchdowns, with a trip to Indy next week, staring them in the face. It is hard to figure out Nick Saban’s team as they are up one week and awful the next. Their running game is coming around with Williams and Brown so they may keep this around 10 points and a cover.
The major game on the college hoops scene will take place at a neutral site in East Rutherford, New Jersey as the second ranked Longhorns battle the number on Blue Devils of Duke. You may want to consider California as a play as they travel to Kansas to face the struggling Jayhawks. The problem here however is whether the Golden Bears will be awake for the 12:00 pm EST tipoff!
In the NHL the leagues best team the Ottawa Senators will square off with the Canucks in Vancouver tonight and then must turn around the plane and head to Calgary for a rugged game tomorrow. You may want to consider Calgary if they are the dog!
Back to the NFL where the Seahawks host the brutal 49ers, Denver has a dysfunctional Ravens team visiting and Cincinnati gets the Browns with a rookie quarterback and no wide receiver to speak of!
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Sports Betting

Inside the NFL Spread - Week 14
Sunday December 11, 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers -4.5 (37)Both teams come in off straight up and ATS victories. Bucs won on the road as 3.5 point favorites in New Orleans, while the Panthers won at home vs. Falcons as 3 point favorites. This will be another big divisional game for both teams. Carolina was just a 3 point favorite over the Falcons, yet they open up as 4.5 chalk over another divisional team that has a better record than their previous opponent and apparently the early money is all over them. New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills +3 (37)Patriots won as a 10.5 favorite last week while the Bills covered but lost in the final seconds of the game to rival Dolphins. Patriots attack mostly through the air but Corey Dillon finally appears healthy and gets to go against the second worst run defense in the league. Bills are 4-2 ATS at home but Patriots are 3-3 ATS on the road. Bills average just 140 yards passing per game but gets to face a team that gives up over 250 passing yards per game. This looks like a small number on the world champs that may be ready to make a run even if it is against weaker teams, and in all likelihood chalk players will lay more than 3 by game time. St. Louis Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings -7 (44.5)Vikings have won and covered 5 in a row. Offence continues to operate under Brad Johnson and has eliminated mistakes that cost them games early in the season. The Vikings also have a top ranked defense over the past month. This looks like a big number but the Rams will once again be down to their third string QB, and have glaring holes in the secondary as well as the line backer crew because of injury. This looks like a tale of two teams heading in completely opposite direction, but 7 is a hard number to move off of but could go either way Chicago Bears vs. Pittsburgh Steelers -6 (30.5)The best defense in the league visits the Pittsburgh Steelers who have lost convincingly back to back and have 3 losses in a row overall. Steelers just 3 point favorite last week over the Bengals but this week they are laying 6 points against a Bears team that has won 8 straight games with a mixture of fantastic defense that gets turnovers and scores points, a great running game and an offence that does just enough on the field despite looking terrible statistically. A big number here for the home team despite the fact they look to battling for the playoff lives. Interestingly enough, the number was actually bet up to 6 from the opening line of 4. Oakland Raiders vs. New York Jets +3 (37)Raiders could not cover 11 points last week in the San Diego and for some reason are now instilled as 3 point favorite over the Jets. Jets have been brutal on the road but are 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS at home. Raiders have to content with a 14 spread shift to get the cover, and also must content with themselves as they appear to be sulking on the field and are one of the worst offenders in the penalty department again this year. Jets look to be a live home dog as their defense matches up well against the Raiders offence. Last time the Jets opened up as a small home dog, they were bet up to a small favorite but could not get the cover against the Saints. Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars +7.5 (42)Colts go for win number 13 in a row facing a Jaguars team that has 5 games in row as well. Jaguar's injury problems well documented but you should see Fred Taylor back this week. Jaguars held the Colts to just 10 points their first meeting but could only score 3 points themselves in the defensive battle. Colts are making it look easy on offence recently and the defense is often pitching in with points as well. This game will be a huge step up in class for both teams as they beat the Titans and Brown last week respectively. Despite the fact the number is already big, like all Colts games this year, it will probably be bet up higher later in the week. Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans -6.5 (44)Houston the official leader for the number 1 overall draft pick as they are winners of just 1 game this year and have lost 5 in a row. They did look to have a little bit of jump against the Ravens last week and could look the same as the Titans are not much better, if at all. Titans got blown out by the Colts last week getting 17 points and this week look to cover a 23.5 point shift as they are big favorites at home. They were in this role just a few weeks ago and took care of the 49ers after a slow start. Houston is the worst team in the league, but this is a winnable game for them as they are 4-2 ATS as a visitor. Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals -12 (43)Bengals are fresh off a big win in Pittsburgh last week. Their offence is in high gear as they scored the most points ever against Bill Cower's Steelers defense. The Browns can bring it defensively and looked good last week for the first half offensively behind Charlie Frye, but absolutely dreadful in the second half. Begals will look to cover a 15 point swing as they were 3 point dogs last week. Cleveland is just 2-4 ATS on the road, but the Bengals carry the identical record at home. Dog players should wait to play this line as there is a good chance you will get more points on Sunday. Washington Redskins vs. Arizona Cardinals +3.5 (41)Redskins are road favorites on back to back weeks. Both these teams that used to be divisional rivals are in off wins in the road favorite role. The Cardinals actually lead the league in passing yards but the Redskins are 11th overall in defending the pass. Washington is average defending the ground game but the Cardinals are dead last in the league in rushing yards averaging just 65 yards per game on the ground. Redskins are still in the playoff hunt while the Cardinals are playing for pride while showcasing perhaps the best new one two punch receivers in the game. Skins will need to control Boldin and Fitzgerald to have any chance of winning SU and covering. New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles - No LineNo line is available as of this writing but the Giants will be small road favorite despite this being a divisional game. Eagles showed absolutely no life on Monday night and face a Giants team that is playing well on both sides of the football. Injuries could be an even bigger problem as RB Brian Westbrook could not finish up for the Eagles on Monday. Eagles have covered 4 of past 5, Giants have struggled on the road, are having huge problems in the kicking game and the Eagles defense can still play. If this line opens up too large their could be value in the Eagles. San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks -15.5 (44)The Seahawks have openened up as 15.5 point favorite and one has to imagine if this number is anywhere near high enough to draw any money on the dog. When a team wins as big as the Seahawks did on Monday Night Football the line is bound to be inflated. Despite the big line, its perfection vs. desolate perfection as the Seahawks put their 6-0 home record on the line vs. the 49ers 0-5 road record. Players should be laying closer to 17 points by game time. Miami Dolphins vs. San Diego Chargers -14 (45)This line also seems a little inflated but the Chargers are a spectacular 8-3-1 ATS this season and have dominated their past few home games. Miami comes in off a big last second victory in a game which they were laying 4.5 points against Buffalo so they do get the benefit of a big 18.5 point swing in their favor. San Diego rush defense is excellent but Miami does have options in the backfield. Dolphins will need to get a big performance from who ever is under center. Books will have a very hard time getting fish money. Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos -14 (40.5)Ravens come in actually having won 2 of their past 3. The problem is that Denver has won 8 of their past 10 including last week. Ravens are winless on the road at 0-6 with just one decent performance while Denver is perfect at home at 6-0 with mostly dominating performances. Broncos should dominate on the ground as they gain 70 more yards per game on the ground. This is a big number but rightfully so, and most of the money will be on the Broncos. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys -3 (44.5)Chiefs are off a huge win last week as they hosted the Broncos and are just 1 game behind the Broncos. Cowboys off back to back losses to the Broncos and Giants and need a win as they now chase the Giants in the division. Chiefs offence is averaging 34 ppg their past 3 game and 429 yards of offence. Cowboys give up just 81 rushing yards per game at home but will be severely tested. This line is going to get plenty action both ways and a move is unlikely as they Cowboys lay 3 for home field advantage. Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers -5.5 (36)Packers have been bet up to -6 in some spots in a match up of two teams that have 6 wins between them. Lions have covered 3 of the past 4 match ups including a 17-3 win on opening day this year. Since then both teams have struggled. These teams have combined for 35 thrown interceptions including 21 from Brett Favre alone. Both teams allow 20 ppg while the Packers have a point advantage on offence. Green Bay is just 1-4 on home field and the Lambeau mystic has been over for 2 years now. The Lions are perhaps the worst road team overall the past 3 years. Neither team would see much money as both play bad football are decimated by injury but it is the Sunday night match up and as usual the favorite will see some action in this one and will probably settle at -6. Monday December 12, 2005 New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons -10.5 (43.5)Falcons are a big home favorite on Monday Night Football and the line appears to be getting bigger despite the fact they have lost 3 of their past 4 games including their last two at home. The Saints are 5-6-1 ATS compared to the Falcons 6-6 ATS record and New Orleans can hang tough with anybody as long as they don't turn the ball over. The problem is that Aaron Brooks has thrown 17 interceptions this year. The Falcons continue to have the best rushing attack as they average 178 yards per game on the ground but continue to find ways to lose. Saints played Atlanta tough in their first meeting and the Falcons will be facing a line shift of over 13 points if they are to get back on the ATS winning track.
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Sports Betting

There is no "i" in team however it should be noted that there's one very large reason the San Diego Chargers and Ladainian Tomlinson are breaking off so many runs and having such a successful offense season. The answer is one if given 5 guesses you probably couldn't answer as well. Lorenzo Neal.
Neal, in his 13th season out of Fresno State is a battering ram. While not an threat on offense he works his magic in other ways by springing running backs for larger gainers by absolutely leveling opposing linebackers. If you don't believe me just watch some time. Neal always seems to get his helmet on somebody elses and he is rarely the one to get knocked backwards.
Neal's story is an interesting one. This ageless wonder was a rookie back in 1993 with the Saints and was actually the featured back. In his second game of the season he busted his ankle and was done for the season. Who knows what this guy would have turned out to be as a tailback as his average through 2 games was 8.3 yards per carry.
Oddly enough, the gentle giant claims that the ankle injury was a blessing in disguise and that it actually moved him to a position that extended his career. He said there's no way he'd have lasted this long as a running back. Since his injury, he hasn't missed a game in 12 years.
Speaking of lasting a long time, this guy is a closet workout freak which can also be attributed to his lengthy NFL careeer.
As a player, this guy does some great things that simply don't show up in the boxscores, hence the reason for this article (To alert you to check out teams fullbacks because they do indeed have quite a bit to do with a teams run game). Check out some of these feats:
He's blocked for big name RB's such as Adrian Murrell, Warrick Dunn, Mike Alstott, Eddie George and Corey Dillon. All had tremendous year's following Neal through the line. Since 1997, all of his backs have rushed for 1000 yards or more! It would make one ask why teams let him go? The answer is ugly. They don't want to pay big bucks for the FB position. Pretty ridiculous considering that his results speak for themselves.
With that being said, Neal has taken the ultimate compliment and moved on each time getting a better raise in pay.
His stats aren't going to wow anybody:
In 13 years he's averaged less than 1 carry per game.He's played for 6 different teams in 13 season.He leaves a team and the running backs stats get WORSE.He has 5 career rushing touchdowns.
With that being said, why this guy has only been to the NFL Pro Bowl 1 time in 13 years is beyond us. We can however confidently say that we do believe San Diego realizes the value of the big battering ram and we don't expect him to be going anywhere soon.
We'll leave you with this.... If your betting on or against a team that has a strong run game, be sure to check out the injury status of the teams fullback as well as how good/bad that fullback blocks for his tailback.
Disclaimer: A crappy offensive line makes this all a moot point.
Until next time, good luck in your action!
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Sports Betting

A smorgasbord of betting optionsThis time of year reminds me of an all-you-can-eat buffet for bettors. There are tons of food choices out there, and you feel like you need to sample all of it to get good value. But the truth is you'll feel just as content picking a few of your favorite items.That's how I look at the betting season upon us right now. College football is just winding down but there are all those bowl games. Then there's the pro game. Pick your poison, whether it's NFL, NBA, NHL or even soccer. The danger is you'll start making bets on games - or even sports - that in the lean times you'd never look twice at.A veteran bettor over at the covers forum offers himself up as Exhibit A of how a successful season as a capper can go into the crapper in a matter of a few short weeks. Or, as he says in one of the posts, "Rome may not have been built in a day, but it sure can burn in one - or over the course of three weeks." Joe_Public joined the Covers forum community back in 2001, so he knows of what he speaks.Mr. Public reaches out for advice over the age-old debate of money management, under the subject heading: Question for the vets about money management, etc. He started the year, as most of us do, with a variety of outs. We do this to get the best value on a particular game. The difference between one book and another for the point offering can be significant depending on the play. Shopping for points is always a good idea. Mr. Public uses three books and he deposited the same amount in each book. His goal at the start of football season was to double the money in each account. Until three weeks ago, he was right on target. But then, as he explains in the post, the luck started to run dry."I had a few really big plays crash and burn, nothing bigger than I had been betting before, only now they all went sour. Then I had a ton of little plays go the wrong way --and so now here is where I sit. One account back to where I started, just about even. Another about 50% up and the third way down, about 60% down." Mr. Public wants to know what his next move should be. And the response was strong and varied.First, he was told to stay away from the little plays. Just like the buffet, why go for the little stuff when you know the big ones will satisfy you. With the big plays, you know what to expect and have an idea of how the food will settle. The side dishes are always a wild card. Here's what Spottie2935 said: "I have been gambling for 10 years! I don't know it all! What I have learned though is bet your best games. No more, no less. Forget the small plays, at least for now! Keep it simple! If your best games lose, you lose with no regrets." Simple advice, yet so hard to follow.Mr. Public responded, "I think that the advice of making sure to limit your plays is a good one - perhaps the best suggestion, and here's why: This is the time of the year when it is easiest to place a bet. "All the sports are going except baseball … and everything is getting to that point where you've seen enough games to think you know something about the league. Also, it's the holidays. You're off work or you're over at the family's place, there are games on every night, it's easy, too easy, to bet for action. Or to say, 'Northern Illinois, I know Northern Illinois; they won me $500 six weeks ago.' So, I suppose that would be what I'm taking from this."Spottie2935 chimed in with one other piece of advice: "As far as your allocation of money, and I'm saying this to everyone: Know your books! If you know MOST of your best lines come from pinny, then pinny should hold a lot more of your money!"A good point. It would be much harder to double your money at a book with tough lines or a book you use infrequently. So, instead of trying to use a strict mathematical equation to determine when to cash out of each book, look at the big picture and maybe give more of a percentage allocation to a more frequently used book than one only used when a good line pops up. There are other suggestions for Mr. Public, but the one underlying theme was to stay focused on the games you know. And don't dabble for the sake of dabbling.If you know you'll like the prime rib, don't fill the side plate with quiche. Chances are if you both, you'll wind up leaving the restaurant disappointed. Just ask Mr. Public.
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Sports Betting

Don't bother looking at the divisional standings before Sunday's games because there's a good chance they will look much differently on Monday morning, with 12 intra-divisional matchups on this week's schedule. With only four weeks left in the regular season the races are tightening up, and the contenders are separating themselves from the pretenders. As well, the Wild Card races are getting increasingly complicated to call each week. Here's a closer look at four of this week's best matchups: Atlanta (7-4) at Carolina (8-3) - 1:00 pm ESTThe Atlanta Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon in a decisive NFC South battle. The Falcons head into this game trailing the Panthers by a game for the lead in the NFC South, and are tied with Tampa Bay for second place at 7-4. Atlanta dropped Detroit 27-7 in the Thanksgiving Day game last week to snap a two-game losing streak. With Michael Vick behind center and Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett sharing the backfield duties, the Falcons boast the No. 1 rushing attack, averaging 183.1 yards per game. That running game will get one of its biggest tests of the season so far against a Panthers rush defense that has held opponents to 82.4 rushing yards per game. Even if the Panthers' defense can continue to stuff the run, their offense still needs to get back into gear to secure a win. The Panthers' defense has only allowed 22 points in their last two games, but their offense has only been able to muster 16 points. That was against Chicago and Buffalo, two of the better defenses on the league, but with weapons like Jake Delhomme, Stephen Davis, and NFL receiving leader Steve Smith the Panthers should be able to put more points on the board. The Panthers opened as a small 3-point favorite in this game. Dallas (7-4) at New York Giants (7-4) - 1:00 pm ESTWhen the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants clash on Sunday afternoon, the winner will get sole possession of the NFC East. These two teams met back in Week 6, when Dallas edged New York 16-13 in overtime as a 3-point home favorite. Both teams played sloppy football in that contest as each turned the ball over four times. Dallas looked like they had that game in hand before Eli Manning marched the Giants downfield and scored the game-tying touchdown with less than a minute on the clock. Both teams are coming off losses heading into this rematch, as Dallas lost to Denver 24-21 in overtime and New York fell 24-21 to Seattle also in overtime. Drew Bledsoe tossed a pair of touchdown passes and a pair of interceptions in the Cowboys' loss, while Manning also threw two touchdowns, but limited his picks to one. The key to this contest could be the running game, which has been a problem for Dallas in their last few outings versus teams that weren't Detroit, while the Giants continue to get strong games out of Tiki Barber (who rushed for 151 yards on 26 carries last week). Barber was a non-factor and was held to only 64 yards on 14 carries when New York played Dallas earlier this season. The oddsmakers expect this to be a pretty close affair and set the Giants as a 3-point favorite. Cincinnati (8-3) at Pittsburgh (7-4) - 1:00 pm ESTIn Pittsburgh this week the Steelers need a win to keep the Cincinnati Bengals from all but locking up the division. The Bengals currently hold a one-game lead on the Steelers in the AFC North and can take a two-game lead with only four games left with a win Sunday. The Steelers should be feeling somewhat confident about this game as they defeated the Bengals 27-13 as a 1.5-point road favorite in Week 7. The Steelers have dropped their last two games though, and need a win this week to not only keep pace in the division, but to avoid falling behind in the Wild Card race. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned last week, but couldn't lead Pittsburgh past the Colts on Monday night. Big Ben still isn't 100 percent, but he will have Willie Parker, who rushed for 131 yards on 18 carries versus Cincinnati last time out, to lean on in this game. The Bengals' offense is one of the most potent in the league, and they've scored 79 points in their last two games. Quarterback Carson Palmer leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes and has two prime receivers in Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. That duo has combined to catch 27 passes for 471 yards and three touchdowns in their last two games. Despite the powerhouse Cincinnati offense the oddsmakers have gone with the Steelers in this game, setting them as a 3.5-point favorite. Denver (9-2) at Kansas City (7-4) - 4:15 pm ESTThe Kansas City Chiefs need a win versus the Denver Broncos Sunday to keep pace in the AFC West. Luckily for the Chiefs they have owned the Broncos at home in recent years, compiling a 7-3 record versus Denver in their last 10 meetings at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs will try to win their third in a row for the first time this season after defeating New England and Houston in their last two games. The Chiefs pummeled the Texans 45-17 and confounded Tom Brady to get past the Patriots 26-16. Kansas City picked off Brady four times, including three by Greg Wesley, as Larry Johnson continued to impress in Priest Holmes' absence, rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. The Broncos have a four game winning streak of their own going after they knocked off Dallas 24-21 in overtime last week. Ron Dayne was the hero as he rushed for 98 yards on seven carries, including a 55-yard scamper that set up the game-winning field goal. Dayne may get another chance to prove his worth alongside Mike Anderson this week as Broncos running back Tatum Bell is listed as questionable with the same chest injury that kept him out last week. The oddsmakers expect this game to go down to the wire after setting the Broncos as a slim 1-point favorite.
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