11/19/2008 - Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - ACC foes and state rivals will collide in Chapel Hill on Saturday, as the 25th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels take on the NC State Wolfpack.
The goal for NC State is simply, win the final two regular season games and earn bowl eligibility. The Wolfpack, who are 4-6 overall and 2-4 in conference, have won their last two outings to spark confidence among the players and fans. Last weekend, they showed a great deal of heart in a 21-17 triumph over Wake Forest.
As for North Carolina, it lost a crucial game at Maryland last weekend by a 17-15 final, and that setback halted a modest two-game win streak. The Heels had aspirations of winning the ACC title and appeared to be a front-runner to do so, but the loss to the Terps put the team on the outside of the title picture. UNC is 5-1 at home and figures to enter this rivalry game with plenty of confidence despite the recent disappointment.
North Carolina holds a commanding 63-28-6 series lead over NC State, but the Wolfpack won a thriller over the Heels last season by a 31-27 margin.
NC State is a confident and therefore dangerous team with Russell Wilson at quarterback. Against Wake Forest last weekend, the versatile signal caller threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 69 yards and a score. Sure, he didn't complete a high percentage of his passes, but Wilson did not throw an interception, and the offense made good on 9-of-16 third down conversion attempts. At 5-11 and 189 pounds, Wilson is considered undersized for the position, and the redshirt freshman is also considered too young and inexperienced to lead a major conference team to success, but he continues to make plays and defy odds. "Russell Wilson is able to get first downs," said coach Tom O'Brien after the game. "Hes great on his feet and hes smart about throwing the football. He's good at forgetting about a bad pass and he's able to move on to the next play."
NC State is averaging just 20.3 ppg this season and 301.1 total ypg, numbers that aren't going to scare many opponents. Still, since taking over control of the offense on a full-time basis, Wilson had made foes respect the Wolfpack for their offensive ability. The rookie quarterback has completed 55.2 percent of his passes for 1,270 yards and 12 touchdowns against one interceptions. He has also run for three scores. There is not a star-caliber player at tailback or receiver, making Wilson's accomplishments all the more impressive.
In the first half against Wake Forest, NC State yielded a pair of touchdowns, one of which capped a 91-yard drive. Fortunately, the Wolfpack played much better in the second half, surrendering only a field goal. "I give credit to our whole defense," said O'Brien. "They bought into the coaches mantra of finishing a play and getting ready for the next one." NC State did allowed 240 passing yards, but the defense permitted only 98 rushing yards in the tilt. Opponents are posting 27.5 ppg against NC State, which is giving up 405.1 total ypg.
The Wolfpack are surrendering 249.8 passing ypg and have yielded 16 passing touchdowns. They are also being run on for 155.3 ypg and 4.4 yards per attempt. There is room for improvement on third down, as foes are making good on 42 percent of their conversion attempts. Keep an eye on Willie Young, as he has registered eight TFLs, including 4.5 sacks.
North Carolina is averaging 29.2 ppg this season and 323.6 total ypg, and the 30 offensive touchdowns scored by the team have been split evenly between the run and the pass. The ground attack hasn't exactly been potent, however, as it is generating only 126.6 ypg and 3.6 ypc. As for the passing game, Hakeem Nicks is the go-to guy on the outside. He has made 53 catches for 911 yards and eight touchdowns, and he is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. The man entrusted with getting the ball to Nicks is Cam Sexton, who took over as the club's full-time starter midway through the season. Sexton has completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 1,230 yards and nine touchdowns against four interceptions.
UNC managed just 75 rushing yards against Maryland last weekend, and while the Heels did pass for 210 yards, Sexton completed only 10-of-24 passes with an interception. The lone touchdown scored by the offense came on a pass from Sexton that hung up in the win, was tipped and landed in the hands of a receiver who had gotten behind the defense. Overall, the performance of the offense simply wasn't good enough. every time Carolina had an opportunity our defense responded
North Carolina has only posted 15 sacks this season, but the team has registered an impressive total of 25 takeaways, including 18 interceptions. The Heels have been tremendous against the pass, holding opponents to 9.8 yards per completion and nine touchdowns in 10 outings. The run defense has been solid as well, surrendering just 3.8 yards per attempt. Bruce Carter has registered eight TFLs for UNC, and Trimane Goddard has tallied six interceptions.
Last weekend against Maryland, the North Carolina defense permitted the Terps to march down field in 19 plays to set up the game-winning field goal. During that drive, Maryland converted three third downs and one fourth down to break the hearts of the Heels, who allowed 336 total yards and 27 first downs in the contest. They did permit 195 rushing yards, although it took Maryland 53 attempts to reach that mark. "We just couldn't get them off the field on the final drive," Paschal said. "We haven't been great on last drives this year. We held them to a field goal, which is somewhat of a positive. But we couldn't turn it around at the other end."
<< Spartans battle Nittany Lions with Big Ten title at stake
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A trip to the Rose Bowl is on the line
for the seventh-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, as they play host to the
17th-ranked Michigan State Spartans in what figures to be a highly competitive
Big Ten battl
<< Lacking luster, Michigan visits Ohio State
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - College football's most storied rivalry will
add another chapter this weekend, as the 10th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes host
the Michigan Wolverines. In the past, this showdown has often determined the
Big Ten titl
<< 'Noles and Terps duke it out in key ACC contest
College Park, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ACC remains up for grabs, and
Saturday's game between the 22nd-ranked Maryland Terrapins and the Florida
State Seminoles has major implications.
Maryland sits atop the Atlantic Division with a 4-2 leag
<< No. 3 Florida gets late breather against The Citadel
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked Florida Gators will take
on The Citadel in a non-conference mismatch this weekend. Considering the
strength of the Florida program, it is unclear what the Gators hoped to
accomplish by schedul
Crucial Mountain West clash pits Falcons against Horned Frogs >>
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the possibility of earning a share of
the Mountain West Conference regular-season title, the 15th-ranked TCU Horned
Frogs hit the field in Fort Worth this weekend against the Air Force Falcons.
TCU, whi
Biggest game of weekend has Red Raiders visiting Sooners >>
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A huge matchup with possible national title
implications takes place in Norman this weekend, as the second-ranked Texas
Tech Red Raiders attempt to remain perfect on the season when they take on the
fifth-ranked Ok
ACC foes collide in Atlanta as Miami takes on Georgia Tech >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a crucial ACC Coastal Division battle, the
23rd-ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes square off against the Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium this Thursday.
After starting the season just 2-3, the
Beavers continue quest for Pac-10 title with trip to Arizona >>
Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 21st-ranked Oregon State Beavers will try
continue their remarkable run and move one step closer to capturing the Pac-10
title, as they take on the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson this weekend.
After losing to St
Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
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