Sports Betting

The Buccaneers had won four of five and were coming off an encouraging 20-10 win on Dec. 11 over Carolina, but were outgained 336-138 by the Patriots. Quarterback Chris Simms was 21-for-34 passing for 155 yards, but had no touchdowns and was sacked seven times.
Tampa Bay was shut out for the first time in 103 games since a 45-0 loss on Dec. 19, 1999 to the Oakland Raiders. The Bucs had allowed the third fewest points in the league coming in, but gave up its second-most of the season. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, who entered with five 100-yard performances and 924 yards rushing, gained 23 yards on 14 carries, while the team managed just 30 yards on 18 rushes. The Bucs lost 47 yards on sacks.
The Falcons have lost four of six, including Sunday's 16-3 loss to the Chicago Bears. Vick ran for just 35 yards and completed only 13 of 32 passes for 122 yards and no touchdown. He threw two interceptions. he Falcons failed to score a touchdown for the second time in three games. Their wins are against teams with a combined 35-63 record, and their only win against a team with a winning record came against Minnesota on Oct. 2. Atlanta is one of four 8-6 teams still battling for the final NFC wild-card spot. A loss, combined with either a Washington or Dallas win, would eliminate Atlanta from the postseason race.
Steve Smith caught one touchdown, ran for another and finished with six catches for 85 yards last week as the Panthers moved one game ahead of the Buccaneers. Jake Delhomme had another solid game, going 13-of-22 for 176 yards to pull within two yards of his third straight 3,000-yard season.
The Panthers have scored 327 points, third-best in the NFC, and the defense has allowed only 16.0 points per game, second in the conference to Chicago. That opportunistic unit has also intercepted 21 passes, with Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas combining for 11. Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker lead the team with 7 1/2 sacks apiece as the Panthers have totaled 35.
A Carolina club rolling toward the playoffs should present a major challenge for the Cowboys, who have dropped three of four and were routed 35-7 at archrival Washington last week.
Dallas' erratic play has left the team in this desperate situation. The Cowboys are averaging 27.1 points in their eight wins and 12.3 in their six losses. That uneven play is due in large part to the quarterback position. Drew Bledsoe has thrown for 2,048 yards, 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions with a 106.8 rating in the wins, but only 1,140 yards with seven TDs and 10 interceptions for a 61.0 rating in the defeats.
Tiki Barber the Giants running back continued his stellar play last week with a team-record and NFL season-high 220 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns, powering New York past Kansas City 27-17 at the Meadowlands.
Barber's fifth straight 100-yard rushing game gave him a career-best 1,577 yards on the season, surpassing last year's 1,518. It was Barber's second 200-yard game of the season, the first coming against Washington, and he did it behind a banged-up offensive line that was missing starting tackles Luke Petitgout (back) and Kareem McKenzie (hamstring).
Appearing done after falling in overtime to San Diego on Nov. 27 for their third straight loss, the Redskins are now in control of their own destiny and can make the playoffs for the first time since 1999 by winning out. The Giants won't have much chance of winning this week if they can't do a better job than the Cowboys did against the Redskins' pass rush. NFC defensive player of the week Phillip Daniels had four of Washington's seven sacks of Drew Bledsoe and added a fumble recovery, and Marcus Washington had two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
San Diego lost control of its playoff destiny by falling 23-21 to Miami at home two weeks ago, dropping the Chargers into a tie with Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot. The Steelers hold the tiebreaker over the Chargers, having them beaten them 24-22 in Week 5. The Chargers are only one game behind Jacksonville, but the Jaguars and Steelers have easier schedules remaining. Jacksonville plays Houston (2-12) and Tennessee (4-10), while Pittsburgh faces Cleveland (5-9) and Detroit (4-10).
The Chargers have played 28 consecutive games, including playoffs, in which they have not lost by more than four points. It is the NFL's second-longest streak behind the 34-game mark of the Green Bay Packers from 1965-67. RB Larry Johnson extended his club record streak with his seventh straight 100-yard rushing game, gaining 167 yards on 31 carries in the loss to the Giants. He has rushed for 1,019 yards in that span.
This is the first game in regular-season history to match teams which have combined for at least 25 victories. This game also pits the NFL's highest-scoring teams, with the Colts having totaled 409 points and the Seahawks 407. While Indy tries to set a franchise record with its 14th victory, Seattle is looking to do the same by getting its 13th. The Seahawks have won 10 in a row, and are looking to finish with a perfect home record for the second time in three seasons.
Hasselbeck is the NFC's highest-rated passer and has been particularly outstanding the last two weeks, completing 42 of 52 passes for 511 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. Last week Shaun Alexander rushed for 172 yards and scored his 24th touchdown, three shy of Priest Holmes' NFL record set in 2003. He needs 29 rushing yards to break his own team record of 1,696 set last season.
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Sports Betting

NBA Handicapping
NBA Power Rankings Week 8An ugly, four-game losing streak has caused the Minnesota Timberwolves to suffer the biggest fall in the Power Rankings this week, from the No. 4 spot all the way down to No. 15 on the list. Other than that tumble, however, much of the top positions in the rankings stay the same this week. The Detroit Pistons continue to be our No. 1 team, followed by the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs and the No. 3 Dallas Mavericks. Jumping five spots from No. 9 to No. 4 are the Indiana Pacers, who are overshadowed by the Pistons in the Central Division but have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. And taking up spot No. 5 on this week's list yet again are the Memphis Grizzlies, who managed to hold off challenges from the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns for that position. The Toronto Raptors reclaim spot No. 30 this week, thanks in equal part to their own inept play and the surprising surge of the Atlanta Hawks. In fact, the Hawks move all the way from No. 30 to No. 27 on this week's list after picking up three wins in the past seven days. Atlanta jumps over both the No. 28 New York Knicks (who have lost six games in a row) and the No. 29 Charlotte Bobcats (who were trounced twice last week) in the process. Rounding out this week's bottom five are the turbulent Portland Trail Blazers, who occupy spot No. 26. Here is the Week 8 edition of the NBA Power Rankings. 01 - Detroit Pistons (Last Week 01)Won 103-78 versus the Bobcats on Saturday, with Charlotte only managing to score 26 points in the first half. 02 - San Antonio Spurs (Last Week 02)Lost in overtime to the Clippers on Tuesday, but bounced back with slim wins over the Timberwolves and Kings. 03 - Dallas Mavericks (Last Week 03)Won a big matchup with the Suns on Wednesday night, with Dirk Nowitzki scoring 29 in the 102-96 home win. 04 - Indiana Pacers (Last Week 09)The Pacers seem to be doing fine without the services of Ron Artest, but they need to settle that situation soon. 05 - Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week 05)Shane Battier played through a finger injury on Saturday, scoring 13 points in the Grizzlies' win over the Suns. 06 - Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week 06)Corey Maggette could be back in the lineup Tuesday night; he's missed the past couple of weeks with a foot injury. 07 - Phoenix Suns (Last Week 07)Which will come first, a slump by the Clippers or a surge by the Suns? Or is Phoenix not going to win the division? 08 - Golden State Warriors (Last Week 08)Hanging tough in the Pacific Division, but they're not the only team in that division that's putting up lots of wins. 09 - Miami Heat (Last Week 11)The loss to the Cavs was Pat Riley's first as head coach of the Heat this season. Shaq was limited to 10 points. 10 - Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week 10)Beat both the Knicks and the Celtics last week, but came up short in games against both the Heat and the Jazz. 11 - Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week 12)LeBron sunk the Heat almost by himself on Saturday, scoring 41 points and adding 10 assists in the big victory. 12 - Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week 15)Took care of the Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Wizards last week to move their record a healthy distance above .500. 13 - Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week 16)Allen Iverson hurt his thumb against the Heat on Friday, but it wasn't bad enough to keep him out of Sunday's game. 14 - Chicago Bulls (Last Week 14)Lost big to the Pistons on Friday night, but bounced back with a 118-86 win over the Celtics in a Saturday matchup. 15 - Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week 04)Mediocre records on the road and within the Western Conference has kept them from joining the league's elite. 16 - New Jersey Nets (Last Week 20)Playing just well enough to stay close to the 76ers in the Atlantic Division, but not well enough to climb the ladder. 17 - Denver Nuggets (Last Week 13)With the Timberwolves cooling off, a slump by the Nuggets at the same time has kept them out of the division lead. 18 - Utah Jazz (Last Week 21)Andrei Kirilenko left Saturday's game versus the Bucks with a back injury, but is expected back in the lineup Tuesday. 19 - New Orleans Hornets (Last Week 25)Is Chris Paul's Rookie of the Year campaign enough the keep the Hornets fans in Oklahoma City interested? 20 - Seattle Supersonics (Last Week 17)Started last week with losses to both the Warriors and Rockets, but then picked up a win over the Blazers on Friday. 21 - Houston Rockets (Last Week 23)Won back-to-back against the Warriors and SuperSonics last week, but then fell 89-81 to the Clippers on Saturday. 22 - Sacramento Kings (Last Week 18)Shareef Adbur-Rahim scored a season-high 25 points against the Spurs on Saturday, but the Kings still lost. 23 - Orlando Magic (Last Week 19)Grant Hill scored 28 points in just his second game back on the court on Friday, a Magic loss to the Mavericks. 24 - Boston Celtics (Last Week 22)Somehow held the Pacers to only 71 points on Wednesday, but then gave up 100 and 118 to the Bucks and Bulls. 25 - Washington Wizards (Last Week 24)Gilbert Arenas played through a sore back on Friday, and he picked up 29 points in his return to the Wizards' lineup. 26 - Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week 26)Sebastian Telfair's thumb injury could keep him out indefinitely, and Ruben Patterson could soon be on the move. 27 - Atlanta Hawks (Last Week 30)Beat the Cavs, the Knicks, and the Nuggets last week, so maybe they will get to double-digit wins this year after all. 28 - New York Knicks (Last Week 27)The Knicks' game results from last week: Lost on Monday, lost on Wednesday, lost on Friday, lost on Saturday. 29 - Charlotte Bobcats (Last Week 29)Not only were they trounced by the Pistons last week, but they were also beaten pretty badly by the Nuggets. 30 - Toronto Raptors (Last Week 28)Back in the cellar again, and Jose Calderon missed Sunday's game versus the 76ers after suffering a bruised heel
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Sports Betting

DA BEARS HAD BETTER ZIP IT UP!Removing Orton as Starter Good or Bad for Bears Betting?
Don’t get me wrong folks I admire the talent that the young Bears defense has exhibited this season and you have to love the blue collar mentality that this ferocious defense plays with, but enough with the Rex Grossman for Mayor verbiage please!
The players on the team should be ashamed of themselves for their treatment of rookie QB Kyle Orton who never asked to be put in the position of starting quarterback this year. All Orton did was manage the offense to 10 wins before Grossman came in for the save this past Sunday and for this he gets dumped on by his teammates.

I mean you have experienced quarterbacks like Brett Farve, Vick, Ferotte and Brooks with comparable QB ratings and these guys have been around for many more seasons.
As for Grossman this guy has less then 12 starts in his NFL career and has been either snake bitten or injury riddled up until this point in the big leagues. While the guy clearly has some talent, the Bear organization and fans had better be careful as he is just one solid hit away from being on the injury list again.
If by chance this occurs, how do you feel the psyche of Orton will be after his so called family has dumped on him so brutally the past month? This is a team that has been solid at home but when on the road against quality teams, has shown itself to be quite vulnerable.
About the only guarantee you have with the Bear’s is that they will be a solid bet whoever they play to keep the total score below 30 points!
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Sports Betting

Someone once suggested that consistent victory gives us as a false sense of security, whereas defeat makes us ponder and it is that process that makes eventually makes us winners! No it wasn’t William Shakespeare, rather yours truly Robert Vincent Acton.
Yes it was I that suggested in Week 9 that Indy would go 16-0 and I was wrong, although Colt’s coach Tony Dungy played a huge part in the Indianapolis fall from grace. Down 10-0 in the second quarter Dunge decided against the opportunity to kick a short field goal and instead called for a Peyton Manning rollout run from the one yard line.
Indy missed out there as Manning was rundown, but they had another opportunity to kick or attempt shall I say, a 54-ield go with three minutes left in the game. I have seen Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt kick that distance in an outdoor game, so a 54-yarder in the Dome was attainable.
Dungy instead decided to punt in hopes of stopping the Chargers running game but Michael Turner scampered 80 + yards and the Colts were losers. As for San Diego they are right back in the hunt!
You can be sure that the various AFC defensive coordinators will be dissecting yesterdays Indy game and looking very closely at how Chargers coach Wade Phillips was able to maul Manning and his mates. The Colt’s offensive line looked inept at handling a strong pass rush and James looked disinterested.
All of a sudden there is hope in New England who no doubt are feeling very good about themselves today as their thumping of playoff bound Tampa Bay has everyone back on the bandwagon.
San Diego proved once again that they are capable of beating anyone and that means traveling east to play a 10:00 am PST game. They have smoked the Patriots on the road and beaten Washington and Indy in their own cribs so NOBODY in the NFL looks forward to meeting Marty’s troops.
The Cowboys are in a very dicey predicament after Washington laid the wood on them. Remember Redskins coach Joe Gibbs has already won one professional sports championship this year as Tony Stewart and the Gibbs Racing team won the Nextel Cup NASCAR Championship.
The favorites were 8-7 against the spread yesterday which gave the the type of two way action that makes them lots of cabbage. Having a poor 49ers and a weak Titans team cover against playoff bound Jacksonville and Seattle certainly didn’t hurt, but the public loves betting against the Detroit Lions!
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