NFL Thursday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The undefeated Indianapolis Colts (13-0) have a chance to take one more step towards greatness Thursday when they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars (7-6). For the home underdog, the win is equally important, but for a different set of reasons; like making the playoffs.

NFL Odds:

Line: Colts -3

Over/Under: 41.5

Jacksonville missed the post-season party last year and was labelled as one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. When Sportsbook Online posted win totals and odds for the Jags to improve this season the projections were much more modest and the team has responded positively.

Following a 41-0 loss at Seattle in Week 6 the Jags have played their best football since 2007, going 5-3 SU and at least putting themselves in position to make a charge at one of two AFC Wild Card spots. The Jaguars will make the playoffs as a wild-card team if they beat the Colts, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns in their final three games.

Okay, if the first two teams on that list suddenly made you cross the Jags off your playoff party invite list, consider that Indianapolis has one of the longest injury reports in the entire league right now. HC Jim Caldwell has publicly announced that he is treating this game just like any of the first 13 Indy has won this year, but keep in mind, the guy is a rookie. What else can he possibly say?

QB Peyton Manning and all of his receivers will take the field for the final Thursday night game of the year but there is no guarantee they will be out there for the full 60 minutes. On defense we can expect to see DE Dwight Freeney and LBs Clint Sessions and Gary Brackett along with safety Antoine Bethea for much of the first-half but Caldwell has been with the Colts through all of their success the past decade and knows that being healthy for a run to the Super Bowl is far more important than a perfect regular season record.

As for the Patriots and Browns, well, Jacksonville better concentrate on taking this one day at a time. The drama coming out of New England right now is already serving as a big enough distraction for Tom Brady and his crew.

The Jaguars need to be focused on cutting down the number of mental mistakes that were so common last week against the Dolphins because there is little margin for error available. Dropped passes and penalties are what cost the Tennessee Titans in Week 13 at Indy and even if Manning doesn’t plan to finish the game, it doesn’t take him long to capitalize on a mistake.

Jacksonville is the least penalized defense in the NFL and playing in their final home game of the season, which also happens to be their third straight at home, the opportunity for betting on the Jags to keep their playoff hopes alive still exists.

Sportsbook Online SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting balanced action on this game, with 56% of the volume on the road favorite Colts. This would be higher if the speculation wasn’t about a short game for some of the key Indy players. Hard to be on a team when you don’t know if Manning, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, etc. will be on the bench in the 4^th quarter.

The Over/Under has come down a point or two since opening at 43, as again, the sports betting public feel the Colts might rest key players. The betting trends show that all five Thursday Night Football games this season so far have stayed under the posted total.

I look at this game and like the home underdog. I think if they limit mistakes, they can stay close and have a great shot at the upset win. So I’m playing a unit on the Jaguars.

Good luck and enjoy the game.

Check out Sportsbook Online for Thursday Night Football Odds.

NCAA Football Bowl Season Betting – NCAA Football Bowl Predictions 2009-10

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Along with the holiday season comes NCAA bowl season, which kicks off this week and runs through to January 7^th, when the BCS Championship game will crown a champion for the 2009 season.

The New Mexico Bowl gets the first taste of the Bowl spotlight with its date this Saturday night.

It features a matchup of the Fresno State Bulldogs taking on the Wyoming Cowboys. Online Betting has installed the Bulldogs as 12.5-point favorites, with an Over/Under of 55.

Bowl Game Trends:- Fresno State has not thrived when favored by more than 8-points, going 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games with that situation.- Wyoming has been solid in their last eight games when listed as an underdog in general – the Cowboys are 6-2 ATS in such situations.

SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting 70% of all the betting action on this bowl game so far has come in on the favored Bulldogs.

St. Petersburg Bowl

Also on Saturday, a bowl game that harkens back to the Middle Ages with the University of Central Florida Knights and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights meeting in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

The line in this one is much tighter with Rutgers favored by 2.5-points and the Total at 44.5.

The Scarlet Knights are -140 on the moneyline and in their last 20 games overall are 15-5 straight up.

The UCF Knights (+120 on the ML) are a decent 7-4 SU in their last 11 games overall but have been a very profitable 9-2 ATS in their last 11 starts.

Meanwhile, Rutgers has been atrocious when favored by 4-points or less, going 2-7 ATS in their last nine in that situation.

Central Florida is 8-4 ATS in their last 12 when an underdog of 4-points or less.

Online Betting is reporting a lean to the Scarlet Knights in betting action to this point, with Rutgers getting 57% of the volume.

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

The 3.5-point favorite Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles will take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Sunday in the New Orleans Bowl but a more intriguing bowl takes place the following Tuesday when the No. 18 Oregon State battle the No. 14 Brigham Young Cougars in the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas.

The Beavers are favored by 2.5-points with the Total set at 61.

While Oregon State wanted a spot in a January bowl game (the Rose Bowl) it had to settle for one in December and bettors might want to look at their December numbers, as they are quite impressive.

OSU is 7-1 SU and ATS in their last eight December games and in their last 12 in that month are 9-3 ATS.

The Cougars, on the other hand, are 3-9 ATS in 12 December games dating back to 1996.

In the Beavers’ last 20 games when favored by 4-points or less, they are 15-5 SU.

The appetizers are being served and that should only whet the appetites of bettors leading up to the big January 1^st and all the BCS bowl games.

Enjoy the Bowl season kick-off.

For more information, check out Online Betting

NFL Power Rankings Week 15 – Top 20 Teams – 2009 Power NFL Rankings

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The Week 14 of NFL Season has been finished, now its time to check NFL Power Rankings for week 15.

The 49ers vs Cardinals’ Monday night football game has just wrapped up and now it’s time to release Online Betting’s week 15 NFL power rankings.

San Francisco just got done soundly beating Arizona in the Monday night game and we are ready to put out our week 15 NFL power rankings. Neither team in the 49ers/Cardinals game will get a spot in our top 10 power rankings and you might be surprised where some of the NFL teams ended up here.

Week 15 NFL Power Rankings: Top 10

1. Indianapolis Colts (13-0) – Colts playing much better than the Saints lately

2. New Orleans Saints (13-0) – Struggling against bad teams but still undefeated

3. Minnesota Vikings (11-2) – Dominant victory against the Bengals last time out

4. San Diego Chargers (10-3) – Heading into week 15 with 8 straight wins

5. Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) – 4 straights wins is good for a top spot in the power rankings

6. Green Bay Packers (9-4) – Green Bay might actually have a defense

7. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) – Will the real Cincinnati please stand up

8. Denver Broncos (8-5) – Still a top 10 team in our power rankings despite the Indy loss

9. New England Patriots (8-5) – Brady’s injury is affecting that offense and the rankings

10. Miami Dolphins (7-6) – Putting themselves back in the NFL playoff picture

Week 15 NFL Power Rankings: Middle 10

11. Dallas Cowboys (8-5) – Home loss to the Chargers sends Dallas down to #11

12. Arizona Cardinals (8-5) – Nothing went right on Monday night football

13. Baltimore Ravens (7-6) – Nothing went wrong against the Lions

14. New York Jets (7-6) – 3 straight victories has the Jets thinking playoffs again

15. Tennessee Titans (6-7) – Could move up in our power rankings with a week 15 victory

16. San Francisco 49ers (6-7) – 49ers showing life after a rough stretch

17. New York Giants (7-6) – So talented yet so inconsistent this NFL season

18. Houston Texans (6-7) – Offense is so good but the defense – not so much

19. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-7) – Maurice Jones Drew has been solid in fantasy

20. Buffalo Bills (5-8) – Another NFL team that could use some consistency

Check out Online Betting for the remaining Week 15 NFL Power Rankings.

Baseball Free Agency 2009 – Big Week in Baseball Free Agency 2009

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While last week’s winter meetings were supposedly the main shopping spot in baseball betting’s hot stove season, expect there to be more movement this week as teams begin to want to tie up some loose ends before heading off for the Christmas break.

The major dominoes to fall will be some big-ticket free agents. Many reports on Saturday had the Red Sox abandoning hopes of resigning free agent outfielder Jason Bay after Bay reportedly turned down a four-year deal for $60 million. Other players believed in the hunt for Bay are the Mariners and the Mets.

Matt Holliday is another free agent outfielder that’s still out there. The Cardinals said that they made a proposal to Holliday’s agent, Scott Boras, for resigning the left-fielder. Knowing Boras’ style, it would seem unlikely that he would just take the first offer. The Red Sox, Yankees and Mets also figure in this mix as well. Ditto those names for John Lackey, the best starting pitcher on the market.

The Phillies have filled a number of holes already, but continue to look for arms in the bullpen. Now that the non-tender list is out, perhaps there are some names they would be interested in like Matt Capps (Pirates).

Ruben wouldn’t mind a lower-budget starter either to fill out the rotation and one that possibly could be out there is Chien-Ming Wang, the injury plagued but talented Yankees pitcher who was non-tendered over the weekend. Wang is only 29, came off two 19 win seasons in 2006 and 2007 before injuring his foot in 2008. He had authroscopic surgery in July on a tear in the right shoulder, but he should return at some point in the first two months of the season. It wouldn’t be a bad risk for the Phils at this point, better than the recycled crew of Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer.

There’s also the trade market for pitching, which includes this obscure Toronto starter that nobody ever talks about…

Check out the Baseball Betting Odds and Live Lines for latest Baseball Free Agents.

Sunday Night Football – Philadelphia Eagles Vs New York Giants

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Sunday Night Football – Philadelphia Eagles Vs New York Giants

The match between Eagles and Giants is going to happen on 13 December, 2009 (Sunday) at Giants Stadium. The Eagles vs Giants match starts at 8:20 p.m. i.e. Sunday Night Football.

In a game that may ultimately decide the winner of NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles travel to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants. Though the Giants made the game look easy against the Dallas Cowboys last week, Eli Manning and the Giants will have Trouble containing the offensive firepower of the Philadelphia Eagles headed by Quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Online Betting Sportsbook is providing odds on Sunday Night Football for Eagles vs Giants match.

Philadelphia is coming off a 34-7 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons and are looking to take control of the NFC East with a win and a Cowboy loss. The Eagles will once again be without Pro Bowl Running Back Brian Westbrook who is still suffering from concussion symptoms.

The Giants withstood a career day by Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo, who exploited the Giants dreadful secondary. The Giants made enough plays on special teams and in the running the game to come out successful last week. This week the Giants will not be as effective against a more mentally tough and physically imposing Eagles defense.

Donovan McNabb, DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy all equate to more weapons than the Giants slow and underachieving defense can equate for. I don’t envision a repeat of the 23 point domination the eagles handed the Giants in week 8 , but I do foresee the Giants coming up short of big plays on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Philly has undoubtedly found their groove and will improve to 9-4 after beating the giants. I like Philadelphia on an even spread.

Check out the Online Betting Lines and NFL Odds for Sunday Night Football.

Baseball Betting: Braves and Rays close to Soriano trade

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Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are close to a trade that would send closer Rafael Soriano to the Rays and Jesse Chavez to the Braves.

The teams were waiting for the medical reports to be approved and Soriano seemed set to approve the trade — a necessary component.

Online Sportsbook Baseball Betting is providing the information on Braves and Rays.

The Braves need to deal Soriano after signing free agents Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito. Soriano, who had 27 saves this season, surprised Atlanta by accepting salary arbitration. The Wagner and Saito signings made Soriano redundant.

Chavez was part of the trade this offseason that sent second baseman Akinori Iwamura from the Rays to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nats grab Wlodarczyk: The Washington Nationals picked Biscuits reliever Mike Wlodarczyk in the minor-league portion of Thursday’s Rule 5 draft.

Wlodarczyk, who turned 27 last week, was 1-4 with five saves and a 5.40 ERA in 47 games for Montgomery this year. He made one regular-season appearance and pitched in the playoffs for Triple-A Durham.

The left-hander was a seventh-round draft pick by the Rays in 2005.

Rays trade drafted Zerpa: Left-handed pitcher Armando Zerpa went from the Boston Red Sox to the Rays in the major-league portion of the Rule 5. The Rays then traded Zerpa to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Zerpa, who has never pitched above Class A, has to stay in the major leagues all of next season or the Red Sox can reclaim him.

Zerpa, 22, was a combined 2-3 with a 2.68 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 742/3 innings this season, his first with a full-season team. Zerpa was a South Atlantic League All-Star after beginning the year with a 1.20 ERA in 22 appearances with the Greenville Drive.

Rays take 1, lose 1: The Rays lost one pitcher and added another in the minor-league Rule 5.

Doug Salinas, who was 5-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 22 games at short-season Hudson Valley, went to the Cincinnati Reds. He’s 22.

Tampa Bay picked right-hander Miguel Sierra from the Cubs. Sierra, 21, finished 2-2 with a 5.73 ERA between two short-season teams this year.

Check out the Baseball Betting section for more information on Braves and Rays.

NFL Thursday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

Is it too soon to tag this as a must-win for the Steelers….I suggest absolutely not. A loss here would be devastating for the defending champs.

NFL Thursday Night Football Betting: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

The Steelers don’t want to be reminded about how many times they’ve beaten Cleveland the past five years. For all they’re concerned this matchup has the importance of a playoff game. Pittsburgh is one of four AFC teams with a 6-6 record on the season and of those four they are by far in the worst slump.

The latest of those four straight losses – a 27-24 home defeat in which they surrendered 21 fourth quarter points to the Oakland Raiders – may have stung the most. Everyone is sharing the blame, but it’s been who’s not in the lineup more than who is, that seems like the biggest problem.

Without Troy Polamalu the Steelers are 2-5 this season and now it looks like he may not return at all this year. For a pass rush that’s struggled, taking away their playmaker has left the Steelers secondary vulnerable and no one has stepped up in Polamalu’s absence.

Cleveland QB Brady Quinn will make his first career start against Pittsburgh and with nothing to lose, we can expect to see the Browns attack with the deep ball to test a defense on a short week of preparation. The Steelers rush defense has allowed 92.5 yards per game during this four-game slump, nearly 40-percent more than the team’s first half numbers, but Cleveland’s run-by-committee ground game has yet to appoint a proven leader.

Online sportsbooks have been under pressure from bettors hitting the Total on this game. The number opened at 36 but with money pouring in on the “Under”, it has moved down to 33.5 at many sportsbooks. The reason is a combo of a bad weather forecast and the fact neither offense is clicking. Pittsburgh will likely be missing their top receiver in Hines Ward, Big Ben is fresh off that concussion and the Brown offense is, well…the Brown offense.

SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting almost 70% of the money wagered on the Total has been placed on the “Under”.

Looking at the Football Betting action on the side, it has been Pittsburgh money all the way. Laying 10-points, clearly bettors are hoping that QB Ben Roethlisberger will still find success against a Browns secondary that was shredded for 394 passing yards last week by San Diego.

Big Ben admitted this week that although the light is small at the end of what looks like a very long tunnel, his team is still confident.

The Browns will need to perform above their normal level if they hope to win this game straight-up and the NFL’s 29th ranked run defense will be under pressure all day. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 103 yards against Oakland but it was his first time hitting triple-digits since the team’s Week 9 win at Denver.

Pittsburgh’s back is up against the wall and while I see a win, I’m not comfortable laying double digits with this current Steeler team.

I do like the “Over” though, going against the sports betting public. I expect the Steelers to score 20-plus, but I also think this Cleveland offense opens the playbook up more this week and starts to stretch the field.

Good luck and enjoy the Thursday nighter.

You can check all the NFL Thursday Night Football Odds