Baltimore Ravens 2007 NFL Draft Preview
Football Betting Lines
04/02/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ravens filled their most pressing offseason need by trading for running back Willis McGahee on March 8th, but following the defections of right tackle Tony Pashos (Jaguars), guard Edwin Mulitalo (released) and fullback Ovie Mughelli (Falcons), finding some people to block for McGahee will be a priority. Perennial Pro Bowl tackle Jonathan Ogden is talking retirement, so help at that spot is of utmost importance. Baltimore will probably add a quarterback to grace the depth chart behind 34-year-old Steve McNair and contractual short-timer Kyle Boller, but probably not until the second day. At linebacker, Baltimore lost its most dynamic player, Adalius Thomas, to free agency, and soon-to-be-32-year-old Ray Lewis has begun to show his age in the middle. Elsewhere on defense, cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle took turns serving as pariahs in Charm City last year, and a player to push one or both could be helpful.
2006 Record: 13-3
First Pick: No. 29
Number of Selections: 8 (1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6)
RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2006 - Haloti Ngata (DT, Oregon); 2005 - Mark Clayton (WR, Oklahoma); 2004 - none; 2003 - Terrell Suggs (DE, Arizona State), Kyle Boller (QB, California); 2002 - Ed Reed (S, Miami); 2001 - Todd Heap (TE, Arizona State); 2000 - Jamal Lewis (RB, Tennessee), Travis Taylor (WR, Florida); 1999 - Chris McAlister (CB, Arizona); 1998 - Duane Starks (CB, Miami); 1997 - Peter Boulware (LB, Florida State); 1996 - Jonathan Ogden (OT, UCLA), Ray Lewis (LB, Miami).
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite expectations that he would introduce his 4-3, Tampa-2 defense in Pittsburgh, new head coach Mike Tomlin appears set to keep Dick LeBeau's 3-4 zone-blitz scheme, at least for now. Still, you can expect the Steelers to
<< Houston Texans 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Since Houston's braintrust of head coach Gary Kubiak and
general manager Rick Smith focused much of their attention on defense last
season, tabbing defensive end Mario Williams and linebacker DeMeco Ryans in
the first two rou
<< Tennessee Titans 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Titans' needs could change drastically between now and
draft day, depending on what happens at two important positions. After losing
Travis Henry to free agency, Tennessee is in need of a running back, and is
reportedly c
<< Line of Scrimmage: Draft '07 - What Will Oakland Do?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - We all want choices in life, but there can
be no denying that having a multitude of options can be both a blessing and a
curse.
Too many options can lead us to overanalyze, and the more choices we have, th
<< Pressel soars to fourth in women's world rankings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Morgan Pressel claimed her first LPGA Tour
win Sunday, and her first major title, as she won the Kraft Nabisco
Championship.
The big win helped Pressel soar 13 places to fourth in the late
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Patriots have endured perpetual health problems in the secondary, particularly at safety, where Rodney Harrison has missed most of the last two years due to injury. If New England doesn't target secondary help with one of
New York Jets 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jets could use some assistance in the secondary, where
safety Kerry Rhodes is the only player that warrants special notation in the
opposing scouting report. New York added a wealth of players to the front
seven via free
Miami Dolphins 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The million dollar question for the Dolphins involves the
quarterback position. Joey Harrington was released, Daunte Culpepper cannot
realistically be viewed as a reliable option, and Dan Marino does not appear
ready to come
Kansas City Chiefs 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though defensive-minded head coach Herm Edwards would
probably rather shore up his area of expertise, there is no disputing that
Kansas City has more significant needs on offense. The Chiefs have long lacked
a first-rate No.
Cincinnati Bengals 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati had its problems defensively last season, then
lost reliable players like linebacker Brian Simmons (released) and safety
Kevin Kaesviharn (free agent to Saints) in the offseason. The Bengals need to
get younger and
Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends
We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS. Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned. For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go. As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190). Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet. For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction. On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later. Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick. Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com
New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors
Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season.
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times.
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons
Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season.
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers
In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS.
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”. With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit. Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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