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
09/01/2010 - Tallahassee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jimbo Fisher era in Tallahassee begins this weekend, as the 20th-ranked Florida State Seminoles open up their 2010 football season against the Samford Bulldogs.
Legendary coach Bobby Bowden's reign at FSU has come to an end and it will be up to Fisher to return the Seminoles to college football glory. The team did complete its 33rd straight winning season in 2009 and participated in its 28th straight bowl game, but a change was needed at the top to get the Seminoles back in the national title picture. With a solid nucleus returning, Fisher may just have the pieces necessary to do just that in his first season in charge.
Samford is an FCS program playing out of the Southern Conference. The team struggled in 2009 to a 5-6 overall record, including a 3-5 mark in its second season in the SoCon. The team returns 15 starters from last year and the hope is that Pat Sullivan can lead the Bulldogs to new heights in his fourth season at the helm.
This is just the second time that these two teams have ever meet. The first meeting took place 60 years ago, resulting in a 20-6 FSU win on October 14t, 1950 in Tallahassee.
Offensive consistency was certainly a problem for the Bulldogs in 2009, as the team managed just 19.7 ppg on a modest 306.6 yards of total offense. Junior QB Dustin Taliaferro is back to run the offense, after completing 59.2 percent of his passes, for 1,692 yards. However, his TD total (9) matched his interception total (9) and he will need to get better in that area if the Bulldogs are to make strides forward in 2010. Junior wideout Riley Hawkins may be the top option down the field, as the 5-10 187-pounder hauled in 34 balls last year, leading the way in receiving yards (638) and TD catches (four). The top offensive performer and the go-to-guy on this side of the football however, is senior tailback Chris Evans. The 6-0, 215-pounder led the team with 1,152 yards rushing last season, with seven TDs. He was also a valuable asset out of the backfield, pacing the team with 38 receptions and is an FCS All-American candidate.
While Samford's offensive struggled, the defense certainly held its own, limiting foes to just 17.5 ppg. A feverish pass rush was definitely a strength, with 28 QB takedowns. Senior DE John Michael Clay is the top playmaker along the line, leading the team with six sacks. Veteran leadership is found in the linebacking corps as well in senior MLB Bryce Smith (team-high 102 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, four INTs), who is clearly the defense's top performer and could garner All-American honors as well in 2010.
There wasn't much wrong with Florida State's offense in 2009, as the team averaged just over 30 points per game and did so on a balanced 421.4 yards of total offense. This year the team returns nine starters on this side of the football, including standout QB Christian Ponder. One of the top signal- callers in the nation, Ponder completed nearly 70 percent of his passes last year, for 2,717 yards, despite missing the last four games with a shoulder injury. Ponder will get one more chance to return FSU to football glory.
"I came into this program having high expectations. I wanted to compete at a national level and I expected to compete at a national level. That's something that has driven me. I've been given a great opportunity to try and change that. It's my last year and I'd like to get us back to that level."
The hope was that Ponder would have a slew of talented playmakers on the outside and while he still will, junior wideout Jarmon Fortson (45 receptions, for 650 yards, four TDs) was released from the team in the summer. The cupboard is far from bare in the receiving corps however, as juniors Bert Reed (60 receptions, 710 yards) and Taiwan Easterling (35 receptions, 442 yards, two TDs) will try to assuage the loss of Fortson. The ground game should see similar success in comparison to last year (149.5 ypg), spearheaded by the rushing exploits of junior Jermaine Thomas (832 yards, 5.1 ypc, nine TDs). A real strength for FSU is along the offensive line, where all five starters return, including All-American Rodney Hudson (6-2, 282) at left guard.
Not only did Bowden call it a career, but so did longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews. Mark Stoops (formerly at Arizona) takes over this side of the football and will be charged with getting back to what the FSU faithful expect from a Seminole defense. They didn't find it a year ago, as Florida State allowed 30 points per game, while getting gashed for just over 200 yards rushing per outing. Gone are standout defenders like LB Dakoda Watson and CB Patrick Robinson, but players like LB Kendall Smith (85 tackles) and DE Markus White (38 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, two sacks) provide a good base to work with. The secondary is a bit of a concern though, as only one starter returns in the form of senior CB Ochuko Jenjie (team-high four INTs).
Fisher is impressed with how far the defense has come in such a short time under Stoops.
"We have done a tremendously better job not giving up the big plays. It is hard to find big plays on these guys. You have to really stick balls in holes or someone has to break a tackle and run hard. They are being very sound in what they are doing, and that is the first thing. You have to get that foundation down first. But the way they have played with not giving up big plays and playing very disciplined has been the most impressive in a short amount of time."
<< Cornhuskers open season in Lincoln against Hilltoppers
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In what figures to be a complete mismatch, the
eighth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers entertain the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
in the season opener for both programs this weekend at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska beg
<< Seventh-ranked Sooners welcome Aggies to Norman in season-opener
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2010 college football season kicks off in
Norman this weekend, as the seventh-ranked Oklahoma Sooners welcome the Utah
State Aggies to Memorial Stadium.
The Aggies are in their second year under head coach G
<< 17th-ranked Hogs host Golden Eagles in 2010 opener
Fayetteville, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 17th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks open
up their highly anticipated 2010 season this weekend, as the welcome the
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles to Fayetteville.
Bobby Petrino is in his third year at the hel
<< Crimson Tide begin national title defense against visiting Spartans
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Alabama Crimson Tide, ranked atop the AP
Poll as the 2010 season gets underway, begins defense of their national title
when they play host to the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday evening at
Bryant-Denny
New Zealand deals Canada another loss at Worlds >>
Izmir, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kirk Penney scored 18 points to lead New
Zealand to a 71-61 victory over winless Canada at the 2010 FIBA World
Championship.
Casey Frank added 14 points for the Kiwis, who improved to 2-2 in Gro
Yobo move from Everton to Fenerbahce completed >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Everton defender Joseph Yobo has
completed his season-long loan move to Turkish club Fenerbahce, the English
Premier League club announced on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Nigeria internationa
Tottenham adds Van der Vaart from Real Madrid >>
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - English Premier League club Tottenham
Hotspur announced on Wednesday that it reached agreement with Real Madrid
for the transfer of midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart.
The 27-year-old's deal was s
Iowa gets things started against FCS foe Eastern Illinois >>
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ninth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes lift the lid
on the 2010 season this Saturday, as they play host to the Panthers of Eastern
Illinois in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Eastern Illinois, which pla
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds
Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.
The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.
The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.
Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.
MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:
Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)
Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)
Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.
Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with 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