Football Betting: Best Lines this weekend

In NCAA College Football on Saturday night, the No. 23 Oregon Ducks visit the No. 9 Southern California Trojans in a battle of Pac-10 rivals at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (8 pm ET, ABC).

Oddsmakers are expecting the Trojans to bounce back from their upset loss to Oregon State last week, and have made the Trojans 16-point favorites. Bettors will find most sportsbooks are sticking to the 16-point spread, but Sportsbook.com is offering the lowest juice, -105.

USC, then ranked No. 1, was upset 27-21 by Oregon State Beavers last week, as 24-point favorites. The 48 points fell under the total of 55.

Oregon Ducks are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. USC is 2-1 SU and ATS.

In the NFL, The Seattle Seahawks visit the New York Giants on Sunday at Giants Stadium (1 pm ET, FOX).

Nearly every sportsbook opened the Giants as 7-point favorites and the line hadn’t moved as of Friday, but bettors will find the best juice – by far – at Bet Jamaica, which is offering the Giants at +100 on the 7-point spread. All other books are -110 or -105.  

Moneyline bettors will get the best price (-300) on the Giants at BetUS, with every other sportsbook at -320 or more. Those taking the underdog Seahawks will get the best odds (+270) at Bet Jamaica.

The over/under total of 43.5 is consistent at every book.

New York (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) has won three straight. Seattle is 1-2 SU and ATS.

The Pittsburgh Steelers face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday Night Football at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (8:15 pm ET, NBC).

The Jags are 4-point favorites, and NFL bettors will find the lowest juice at Sportsbook.com, which is offering -105 on the spread.

Sportsbook.com and BetUS have the best moneyline odds for Jacksonville, at -210. Most other books have the Jaguars at -220. The best moneyline price on the underdog Steelers is +180 at Bodog.

Under bettors will find the highest total (36.5) at BetUS.

Pittsburgh is 3-1 SU and 1-3 ATS. Jacksonville is 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS and has won two straight.

Live Betting available for MLB Playoffs, NFL, NCAA Football

Live Betting, which allows sports bettors to wager on a game while it’s in progress, is the fastest growing segment of the sports betting industry.

Sportingbet.com, a London, England-based sportsbook, has made Live Betting an art form through its IN:PLAY Betting system, and it will have Live Betting available for every game of the MLB Playoffs and the 2008 World Series.

“It looks very likely that we will get every MLB playoff game live,” said Sportingbet.com oddsmaker David Main.

Sportingbet.com will have all three MLB games on Thursday available for Live Betting.

MLB bettors can use IN:PLAY wagering when the Chicago White Sox face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of their ALDS (2:30 pm ET, TBS), Game 2 of the NLDS between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies (6:05 pm ET, TBS), and Game 2 of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs (9:35 pm ET, TBS).

NCAA College Football bettors can also wager live when the Pittsburgh Panthers visit the No. 10 South Florida Bulls Thursday night (7:45 pm ET, ESPN), and when the No. 20 Oregon Ducks visit the No. 9 USC Trojans in a Pac-10 matchup (8 pm ET).

And on Sunday, NFL bettors will have five games to choose from, including the Washington Redskins visiting the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC East matchup (1 pm ET, FOX) and the Sunday Night Football tilt between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars (8:15 pm ET, NBC).

Join Sportingbet.com and bet the MLB Playoffs live.

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

NFL Betting: Public backing Eagles against Steelers

NFL Football betting fans like the Philadelphia Eagles to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, according to public betting information from Sportingbet.com.

Philadelphia is a 3-point favorite in NFL Betting Odds at Sportingbet.com and the over/under total is 44.5. The Eagles are getting 64 per cent of the wagers placed on the game at Sportingbet.com.

Sportingbet.com oddsmaker David Main said Friday the main reason bettors are backing the Eagles is the play of QB Donovan McNabb, who is second among NFL quarterbacks, with 46 completions on 70 attempts for 642 yards and four TDs.

“McNabb looks like he is finally back to his best and may also have (wide receiver) Reggie Brown fit again after his hamstring injury, although even if Brown doesn’t play McNabb does seem very confident throwing to rookie DeSean Jackson,” Main said.  

Conversely, the fact that Pittsburgh pivot Ben Roethlisberger is nursing a sore shoulder isn’t helping the Steelers’ chances against the Eagles.

“Roethlisberger is playing with a bad shoulder and again the bettors seem to have picked this matchup out and decided that Philly is the better team.”

Other betting favorites of NFL football bettors this Sunday include the New England Patriots (12½-point favorites) over the Miami Dolphins, with the Pats getting 68 per cent of bets, and the New York Giants (13-point favorites) over the Cincinnati Bengals, with the Giants getting 67 per cent of wagers.

Bet this game at Sportingbet.com, where you get a free $50 bet on your first NFL wager.

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

NFL Betting: Bettors like Cowboys over Packers

The marquee matchup in Week 3 of the NFL season has the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football (8:15 pm ET, NBC).

Dallas is a 3-point favorite at Sportingbet.com and the over/under is 51.

About 63 per cent of bets placed on the game are on Dallas, according to Sportingbet.com NFL oddsmaker David Main.

The Cowboys beat NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles 41-37 in Week 2 action on Monday Night Football. Dallas failed to cover as 7.5-point home favorites and the score went over the 48-point total.

The Packers beat NFC North rival Detroit Lions 48-25 in Week 2. Green Bay easily covered the 3-point spread and the score went over the total of 47.

Dallas is 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS, and Green Bay is 2-0 SU and 2-0 ATS.

The total has gone over in 11 of the past 12 meetings. Dallas is 10-2 SU in the past 12 meetings. Dallas is 8-1 SU in its past nine on the road. The total has gone over in all five of Green Bay’s past five, both overall and at home. Green Bay is 7-1 SU in its past eight at home.

Bet this NFL Football game at Sportingbet.com

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

NFL Betting Picks: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cleveland Browns in a battle of AFC North division rivals on Sunday Night Football (8:15 pm ET, NBC).

Pittsburgh is a 6.5-point, -270 moneyline favorite in NFL Betting Odds at Sportingbet.com. The total is 44.5.

The Steelers are 9-1 SU and 7-2-1 ATS over the past 10 meetings. The teams last met on Nov. 11 last season, when the Steelers edged the Browns 31-28 as a 9.5-point home favorite.

The Steelers beat the Houston Texans 38-17 as a 7-point favorite last week. The score went over the total of 44. The Browns lost to 28-10 to the Dallas Cowboys as a 6-point underdog last Sunday. The score went under the total of 48.5.

Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in the past five meetings overall, and in the past five meetings in Cleveland. Seven of the past 10 meetings have gone over the total.

Pick: Steelers

Bet NFL Football at Sportingbet.com

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

NFL Betting Picks: New England Patriots at New York Jets

The New England Patriots play their first game without 2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady when they visit AFC East rival New York Jets on Sunday (4:15 pm ET, CBS).

New York is a 1.5-point favorite at Sportingbet.com and the total is 37.

New England is a dominating 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings with the Jets, including a 20-10 win last Dec. 16. The Pats failed to cover the 20.5-point home spread.

The Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 as a 16-point favorite in Week 1, and the score went under the total of 43. Brady was injured in the first quarter and lost for the season with a torn ACL.

New York, with new QB Brett Favre, defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-14 as a 3-point underdog last week. The score went under the total of 37. Favre completed 15-of-22 passes for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

New England is 5-0 SU and ATS in the past five meetings in New York. New England is 19-1 SU in its past 20. The Jets are 4-2 ATS in their past six. The total has gone over in four of the past six meetings.

Pick: Jets

Bet NFL Football at Sportingbet.com

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

Get Free $50 NFL Bet at Sportingbet.com

Sportingbet.com is offering NFL football betting fans something they can’t refuse – a free bet.

NFL football bettors who place a wager (minimum of $10) on any NFL game during September and lose will be given a free bet of the same value up to $50.

The offer is also good when using Sportingbet.com’s Live Betting, which allows bettors to wager while a game is in progress.

NFL bettors can wager live on the following NFL games on Sunday: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (1 pm ET); the Indianapolis Colts at the Minnesota Vikings (1 pm ET, CBS); the New England Patriots at AFC East rival New York Jets (4:15 pm ET, CBS); the San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos (4:15 pm ET, CBS); and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (8:15 pm ET, NBC). Live Betting will also be available for the Monday Night Football tilt between NFC East rivals Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys (8:35 pm ET, ESPN).  

The Patriots will be playing their first game without 2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady when they visit the Jets Sunday. The Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 as a 16-point favorite in Week 1. Brady was injured in the first quarter and lost for the season with a torn ACL.

New York, with new QB Brett Favre, defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-14 as a 3-point underdog last week. The former Packer completed 15-of-22 passes for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The $50 free bet offer is not available for NCAA Football.

The offer is open to all Sportingbet.com customers who place a losing first bet on an NFL game up until Sept. 30. Qualifying customers will be notified within 72 hours of their first bet being settled and the bonus credited to their account. Free bet bonuses not used by May 31, 2009 will be removed from player accounts.

Bet NFL Football at Sportingbet.com

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

Brady injury shakes up NFL future betting odds

Tom Brady’s season-ending injury has had a major domino effect on NFL Futures, causing lines to move on everything from MVP to Super Bowl betting.

Hours after the Patriots’ pivot suffered a torn ACL on a hit by Kansas City Chiefs’ safety Bernard Pollard on Sunday, New England rose to 9-1 from about 3-1 in Super Bowl Futures Betting at Sportingbet.com.

The main benefactor of Brady’s bum knee has been the Dallas Cowboys, who dropped from 7½-1 to 3-1 and are now the top pick to win Super Bowl XLIII at Sportingbet.com.

Brady, the 2007 NFL Most Valuable Player, will miss the entire 2008 season because he will need surgery to repair the injury that occurred in the first quarter of New England’s 17-10 Week 1 win over Kansas City.

Sportingbet.com’s David Main said Super Bowl futures betting has been very active since Sunday, and not just because of Brady’s injury. A number of Week 1 upsets have also caused line movements.

The Chicago Bears 29-13 road win over the Indianapolis Colts helped push Chicago to 33-1 Super Bowl odds from 50-1 before the game started. And the Carolina Panthers’ odds were cut in half (20-1 from 40-1) after an upset win over the San Diego Chargers.

Despite the loss, however, the Chargers moved up slightly, from 7½-1 to 7-1.

“This is a case where it is partly because of Brady, partly a result of Indianapolis losing to the Bears,” Main said.

Other teams benefiting in Super Bowl odds are the Philadelphia Eagles, up to 14-1 from 20-1, the New Orleans Saints (16-1 from 20-1), the Pittsburgh Steelers (14-1 from 25-1), and the New York Jets (33-1 from 50-1).

As for the AFC Championship, former favorite New England is now 7-2 while the San Diego Chargers are up to 3-1. But interestingly, the Pats are still favored to win the AFC East division at Sportingbet.com, at 4-9 (-225) odds. AFC East odds for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets have moved up slightly, to 7-2.

In NFL MVP betting, Brady’s injury not only killed his chances at a second-straight award, but dropped MVP odds for teammate Randy Moss. Main said the Pats’ WR had been 16-1 but will be up to about 25-1 when MVP betting resumes later this week. Dallas QB Tony Romo is now the favorite.

The Tennessee Titans also lost quarterback Vince Young for up to four weeks when he was injured Sunday, but that hasn’t changed future odds for the team.

“The Titans have pretty much stayed constant at 40-1 to win the Super Bowl,” said Main. “Obviously the loss of Young will hurt them, but backup Kerry Collins is experienced enough to take the reins.”

By Rob Gerein

Bet on NFL and NCAA Football at Sportingbet.com

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

NFL Football Betting: Redskins at Giants

The New York Giants head into the 2008 NFL season opener against the Washington Redskins on Thursday without their top defensive weapon, but that hasn’t stopped football betting fans from taking the Giants to beat the spread and win outright.

New York is a 4-point, -200 moneyline favorite against their NFC East division rival in NFL Betting Odds at Sportingbet.com.

The London, England-based sportsbook said Wednesday that about 61 per cent of wagers on the game are on the Giants.

The heavy action on the Giants comes despite the fact they’ll be without Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who is out for the entire season after undergoing surgery for knee cartilage damage suffered during a preseason game against the New York Jets.

Umenyiora’s 13 sacks last season helped the Giants lead the NFL in that category with 53, and his four tackles paced their surprising Super Bowl win over the heavily favored New England Patriots.

Combined with the retirement of defensive end Michael Strahan, the all-time NFL sack leader who called it quits in June, the Giants defensive line is a shadow of the one that shut down the Patriots last February.

The over/under total for Thursday’s opener is 41, which is up from the opening line of 39½.

Sportingbet.com will have Live Betting available for the Redskins-Giants game (7 pm ET, NBC).    

Bet NFL and NCAA Football at Sportingbet.com.

Sportingbet Plc, the world’s largest online betting and gaming group, is based in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE: SBT). The company has over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over 1,000,000 bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.

Top 10 Chokes in Sports

With visions of the Lakers epic collapse in game 4 of the NBA Finals still keeping Jocelyn up at night, I thought it timely to take a look at some of the biggest sports chokes of the last 30 years.

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