Football Betting

Bucs RB Graham likely done for season

Football Betting Lines

11/17/2008 - Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Earnest Graham is likely done for the season with a right ankle injury suffered in Sunday's 19-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Bucs head coach Jon Gruden addressed the injury in a Monday press conference.

"Graham's ankle looks to be a serious injury and his status for the rest of the season is very much in question," Gruden said. "His season could be in jeopardy right now. I'm just very disappointed for our guy. He's done so much for us here. he's a key reason why we are where we are."

The five-year veteran was hurt on his first carry of the game and had to be helped to the sideline. After being attended to by trainers, he was taken to the locker room for further examination. He had also been nursing a knee injury in the week leading up to the game.

"He just landed awkwardly in a pile and it's unfortunate," Gruden added.

The injury means former first-round draft pick Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, who was activated off the physically unable to perform list early last week, will most likely see extended time at the running back position.

Williams has not played an NFL game since September 30, 2007 when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in a contest against Carolina. He returned to practice late last month after an arduous recovery and rehab.

To make room for Williams on the active roster, the Bucs released running back Michael Bennett last week. He was quickly claimed by the San Diego Chargers.

"I don't live in hindsight," Gruden said, addressing the sudden need for another back. "You've got an injury -- you've got to respond to it. We'll bring in some other backs that we like."

Graham and Warrick Dunn had split the running back duties to this point. Graham leads the team with 563 yards and four touchdowns, while Dunn has chipped in 476 yards and one score. Both are averaging more than four yards per carry.


<< Sorenstam back to No. 2 in rankings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Annika Sorenstam moved back to No. 2 in the world rankings after tying for second place behind Angela Stanford at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday. Sorenstam moved up one position this week,

<< This Week in Golf - November 18th through November 23rd
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LPGA TOUR - ADT CHAMPIONSHIP, Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, Florida - This week's ADT Championship marks the end of a season -- and, more importantly perhaps, the possibl

<< Drogba admits FA charge, faces suspension
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has admitted a charge of violent conduct relating to the coin-throwing incident during last week's Carling Cup defeat by Burnley. The Ivory Coast striker was charged by

<< FCS weekly honors go to Gowins, Barnes, Parent and Warner
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edwin Gowins, Ryan Barnes, Matt Parent and Larry Warner have been named The Sportsbook Betting Lines's FCS national players of the week. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Edwin Gowins, Stony Brook, 5-10, 220, Freshman

<< Falcons' Dubnyk named AHL Player of the Week
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Springfield Falcons goaltender Devan Dubnyk has been named the American Hockey League Player of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, it was announced on Monday. In three starts this week, Du

Huskies are unanimous No. 1; LSU unranked >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Connecticut remained the top team in the latest Associated Press women's college basketball poll, but LSU's lengthy streak in the rankings came to an end. The Huskies (1-0) are a unanimous pick this

Runners-up Harrington and Els get bump in rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els got bumps in the world rankings this week after they tied for second place behind Jeev Milkha Singh at the Singapore Masters on Sunday. Tiger Woods remained No. 1, of c

Pro Bowl safety John Lynch retires >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pro Bowl safety John Lynch announced his retirement at a news conference Monday afternoon. Lynch was selected to nine Pro Bowls at the safety position during his 15-year career with Tampa Bay and Denver.

Guy out as Utah State head coach >>
Logan, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Utah State head football coach Brent Guy will not return to the team next year. Athletic director Scott Barnes announced Monday that Guy will step down effective the end of the current season. The

Falcons exchange wingers with Stockton >>
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Springfield Falcons recalled left winger Bryan Lerg from their ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder, and sent right winger Colin McDonald down, the American Hockey League club announced on Monday.


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.

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 visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your basketball sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.







What Is the Point Spread?

What are Sports Betting Point Spreads?

In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.

Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).

If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).

Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.

How to Read Point Spreads

New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)

In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:

  • Philly wins the actual game by any amount of points
    OR
  • Philly loses the game by less than 7 points.
  • There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.

    The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:

    Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots

    Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.

    For Those Who Like to Consider Things Mathematically

    Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:

  • Subtracting the point spread from the favorite’s score (thus the minus sign before the number) and then compare to the underdog’s score
    OR
  • Adding the point spread to the underdog’s score (thus the plus sign before the number) and then compare to the favorite’s score

    Who Really “Won” the Super Bowl odds ?

    Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21

    The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.

    Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.

    Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).

    Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.

    And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.

To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.