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
03/05/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 34th-annual Big Sky Conference Tournament is set to begin this weekend, with quarterfinal action from campus sites and semifinal and championship games to be played in Ogden, Utah.
The Weber State Wildcats, by virtue of their 15-1 league ledger, captured the regular season crown and in the process, earned the top seed in the postseason, a first-round bye, and the right to host the final two rounds of the tournament. The Wildcats were dominant for much of the season, posting a 21-8 overall record, and closed out the regular season with a 12-game win streak.
Last year's tournament champion, Portland State, finished in a tie with Montana for second place in-conference at 11-5, but picked up the second-seed and the only other bye thanks to a tie-breaker. The Vikings were the only other team in the Big Sky to reach the 20-win plateau on the year (21-9) and enter this tournament with a four-game win streak in tow.
The Grizzlies picked up the third-seed and will host a quarterfinal matchup against Montana State on Saturday. Montana was 17-11 overall this year, but dropped two of its last three games to close out the regular season. The Bobcats had their ups and downs, but snuck into the postseason with the sixth and final seed in the tournament, tying Eastern Washington at 6-10 in league play, but edging out the Eagles, who did not make the cut.
The final two teams in the Big Sky Tournament are fourth-seeded Idaho State and fifth-seeded Northern Colorado. The Bengals will get a home game in the quarterfinals, thanks to a 9-7 conference mark. Idaho State, which finished 12-18 overall, was one of just four teams in the conference to post a winning record in league play, thanks to wins in five of the last six games. The Bears, who are making their first appearance in this event, picked up the fifth seed by going an even 8-8 in-conference. They bring a bit of momentum into tournament play as well, with wins in five of their last seven outings.
The winner of this event receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The first of two quarterfinal matchups features in-state rivals Montana and Montana State. The Grizzlies are no stranger to success in this tournament, having captured six titles and posting a 25-23 overall record. However, the last championship occurred in 2006. Still, Montana has the makeup of a team that could do some damage here. The team is not an offensive juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination, but it does play great defense, leading the conference in scoring defense (64.7 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.420) and blocked shots (3.89 per game). The scoring pool isn't deep in Missoula this season, but there is some star power, led by Big Sky leading scorer Anthony Johnson (17.5 ppg). Jordan Hasquet (10.9 ppg) provides a second option, although Montana averages a rather pedestrian 66.1 ppg (fifth in the conference).
Montana State is also putting up just 66.1 ppg this season, so expecting a barn-burner in the quarterfinals is probably a stretch. The problem for the inconsistent Bobcats is that the defensive effort wasn't exactly top-notch either, ranking seventh in the league at 69.9 ppg. The team hasn't shot the ball very well this year, ranking eighth in the conference in field-goal percentage (.411) and dead-last in three-point accuracy (.315). Bobby Howard and Will Bynum are the top offensive threats on the team at 10.7 ppg apiece, followed by Divaldo Mbunga (10.2 ppg), who ranks second in the conference in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.545).
The other quarterfinal matchup features Idaho State against Northern Colorado. The Bengals are led by the duo of Amorrow Morgan and Matt Stucki, who are averaging 13.7 and 12.1 ppg, respectively, to rank among the conference's top 10 scorers. Stucki is much more than a scorer though, as he leads the conference in assists (113) and ranks sixth in steals (41). The team as a whole is averaging a modest 65.6 ppg, good for just seventh in the league, while allowing 68.9 ppg, sixth in the conference.
The Bears have certainly asserted themselves in their first full season in Big Sky play and the team has done it with timely scoring. UNC ranks third in the conference in terms of offensive proficiency, averaging 70.9 ppg. The Bears have shot the ball well (.462), especially behind the arc, where they lead the conference with a 40.3 percent clip. Northern Colorado boasts of three of the conference's top 11 scorers in Jabril Banks (12.3 ppg), Will Figures (12.0 ppg) and Devon Beitzel (11.9 ppg). John Pena is a valuable role player as well at 9.0 ppg. Banks is the most versatile performer though, ranking second in the league in field-goal percentage (.635) and sixth in rebounding (5.6 rpg).
Weber State is the most decorated team in the Big Sky postseason, having won eight tournament titles, while amassing a 34-23 mark in this event all-time. The Wildcats not only get to play their postseason games at home this year, but will also get the lowest remaining seed after the quarterfinal smoke clears. It has been balanced play at both ends of the floor that earned the Wildcats the regular season crown. Weber State ranks second in the Big Sky in both scoring and scoring defense, averaging 71.2 ppg, while allowing just 66.2. In addition, WSU ranked first in the league in free-throw shooting (.732). Kellen McCoy is the top offensive option for the Wildcats at 14.1 ppg. He is joined in double figures by Damian Lillard (11.7 ppg), with Daviin Davis (9.9 ppg), Steve Panos (9.7 ppg) and Kyle Bullinger (9.1 ppg) not far behind.
Portland State will await the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinals are completed. The Vikings have just one tournament title to their credit, but that came last season with a 67-51 decision against Northern Arizona. The defending tournament champs are also strong offensively, ranking first in the conference at 74.1 ppg. The Vikings also excel on the boards, tied with Montana State for the top spot in the league with 34.6 rpg. Jeremiah Dominguez was last year's Big Sky Player of the Year and hasn't disappointed this season either, ranking seventh in the league in scoring at 12.6 ppg. Dominic Waters (11.9 ppg), Phil Nelson (11.2 ppg) and Andre Murray (10.7 ppg) provide plenty of offensive support.
<< Report: Denver signs QB Simms
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos continued their off-season
spending spree by reportedly adding free agent quarterback Chris Simms to
their roster.
The Denver Post reports the 28-year-old Simms has joined the team, presumably
<< Gay helps Grizzlies top Clippers, snap eight-game skid
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rudy Gay poured in a season-best 35 points
and pulled down eight rebounds and Memphis snapped an eight-game skid with a
118-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Marc Gasol had 20 points, eight boards
<< Kurt Barnes leads New Zealand PGA
Christchurch, New Zealand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kurt Barnes fired an eight-under
64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the New Zealand PGA
Championship.
Ryan Hammond birdied six holes in a row during the middle of his
<< Jazz down Rockets for ninth straight win
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deron Williams scored a game-high 26
points and dished out 14 assists to propel Utah to its season-high ninth
straight win, 101-94 win over Houston.
"You know we always have battles with th
2009 America East Conference Tournament Preview >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There are nine members of the America East
Conference, and all nine are set to participate in the 30th-annual America
East Conference Tournament. The prize awarded to the winner of this event is a
bid to the
2009 Southern Conference Tournament Preview >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 88th-annual Southern Conference
Tournament is set to begin on Friday from the McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga.
Once again the top team in the Southern Conference was the Davidson Wildcats,
who finished w
2009 West Coast Conference Tournament Preview >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West Coast Conference Tournament will
be held at a neutral site for the first time, as Orleans Arena in Las Vegas
will serve host to the 23rd annual event.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs, the only ranked team in
Dayton visits Xavier in pivotal Atlantic 10 battle >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dayton Flyers and 17th-ranked Xavier
Musketeers will do battle tonight in a game with major implications in the
race for the Atlantic 10 Conference title.
Xavier sits atop the A-10 standings with an 11-3
Sportsbooks that take credit cards are not always easy to come by....Everything from credit card companies denying gambling transactions to the fear of chargebacks by customers has slowed down sportsbook credit card transactions by a high percentage.
There are however still sportsbooks that take credit cards.
When using your credit card it is highly recommended that you try either: MySportsbook.com or Sportsbooks.com. Both sportsbooks have a high rate of accepting credit cards and will save you the time and hassle of looking around the web to make a credit card transaction.
Furthermore, Sportsbooks.com is one of the oldest sportsbooks on the web and Sportsbook offers security in that they are the biggest online sportsbook in the world! Publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, they are ROCK SOLID!
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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