Former WAC rivals meet, as No. 5 Boise State visits Fresno State
NCAA Football Betting Lines
10/05/2011 - Fresno, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No longer combatants in the Western Athletic Conference, the rivalry between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the fifth-ranked Boise State Broncos carries on this week as the teams meet in a Friday night affair in California.
Boise State, which made the jump to the Mountain West Conference beginning this season, is picking up where it left off last year by posting four straight wins to begin the 2011 campaign. Last weekend, the Broncos clashed with another former conference rival in Nevada and took advantage of the fact that the Wolf Pack was playing on the road for the fourth time in as many games, by claiming a 30-10 victory. The 30 points were the fewest put up by the Broncos this season, but still the effort allowed BSU to log its 34th straight home win, second-longest behind the 39 in a row logged by Oklahoma.
Since 2000, Boise State has a mark of 70-2 at home, a winning percentage of .972 which is the best in the Football Bowl Subdivision during that stretch.
As for the Bulldogs, a team which will also be taking leave of the WAC and soon joining Boise State in the Mountain West, their willingness to play anybody, anytime, anywhere may have caught up with them because the team is just 2-3 on the season thus far, and only one of those victories has come against another member of the FBS (Idaho).
In addition to back-to-back road defeats at California and Nebraska to begin the season, the Bulldogs also suffered a 38-28 setback to Ole Miss at home last weekend to drop them back under .500 on the season.
BSU owns a 9-4 edge in the all-time series and crushed the Bulldogs in an ugly 51-0 decision last season.
That setback is not something Fresno State head coach Pat Hill will soon forget, "Boise State is one of the best teams to come down the ramp since I've been here, and one of the best teams we've ever played. When I say the word 'Team,' that's why... they're a great football team in all phases. They might not have the five star (recruits) or the four stars like some of the individual athletes from teams we've played, but they play as a team which is a very strong compliment to them. They are tied together, they don't make many mistakes."
Last season Nevada ruined Boise State's chances of running the table for the second year in a row and perhaps challenging for the national title, so last week the Broncos had something to prove as they suited up against the Wolf Pack and pulled out the 20-point win. The victory could have easily been more lopsided, but once again the Broncos brought quarterback Kellen Moore to the sidelines long before the final gun in order to get some snaps for Joe Southwick. Moore finished the day just 19-of-33 for 142 yards and a couple of touchdowns, not to mention a pair of interceptions which were uncharacteristic for him.
Doug Martin, who ripped off several impressive runs, finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns, easily topping the combined efforts of the Wolf Pack who tallied a collective 59 yards.
"The line did a really good job today, as well as the receivers blocking down field," Martin said after he helped carry the Broncos to victory.
From a defensive standpoint, BSU had a rather easy time of it as the group held Nevada to a mere 123 yards through the air, not to mention just 59 yards on the ground by a team that, until this season, had been one of the best in the nation at charging up and down the field, and the effort was not lost on Boise State head coach Chris Petersen.
"They (the defensive line) stepped up and we were proud of those guys. There are some good players there and when they can get in that backfield, it's going to give our defense a good chance to be good that day."
So far this season the Broncos have managed to hold opponents to just 298.8 ypg of total offense and a mere 16.8 ppg, which is something that frequently goes unnoticed given the dominance of guys like Martin and Moore on the other side of the ball.
Perhaps most encouraging for the Broncos last week was finding out that the team could still dominate even though Moore had a sub par effort. One of the top passers the last several years in college football, Moore is on his way to becoming the winningest starting quarterback in NCAA history, yet he can now see that he doesn't have to do it all by himself. Then again, it doesn't hurt that Moore has thrown multiple TD passes in 17 straight games.
The Bulldogs know all about how crushing it can be to settle in against Moore after the signal-caller threw for 333 yards and four TDs in last year's debacle.
"The guy is uncanny accurate with the ball," notes coach Hill. "Up until this last week against Reno, he was completing 80 percent of his passes. That's unheard of. That guy is really special and he has the eyes to be able to see where the matchups are going to come and he gets the ball delivered to where it's got to go, with pin-point accuracy."
For the most part this season, the pass defense for Fresno State has been rather solid, limiting foes to 209.0 ypg and showing an efficiency rating of 120.14 which is second-best in the WAC right now, but the Bulldogs also have to recognize that they really haven't gone up against a passer as great as Moore in 2011.
Against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs permitted a modest 214 yards and just a single TD through the air. It was the run defense that took most of the hits as the group gave up 216 yards and four touchdowns, wearing down the defensive line as much as it could. Logan Harrell responded with five quarterback hurries and Kyle Know tallied a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss for the Bulldogs, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Derek Carr continued his growth at quarterback as he hit 25-of-37 passes for 281 yards and a score, while Jalen Saunders caught six balls for 127 yards and also scored once on a 26-yard run as well. Robbie Rouse checked in with a team-best 123 yards and a TD on 28 carries, but his handle on the ball wasn't all it could have been.
Rouse has four straight 100-yard rushing games for the Bulldogs, matching his career total heading into this season, but those efforts have not always paid the ultimate dividend in the win column and that can be troubling for someone like Carr, who is trying to keep himself upright in the pocket as the offensive line allows just over two sacks per game.
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys are one of the most explosive offensive teams in the nation, and they are clearly favored in Saturday's home clash with the Kansas Jayhawks, a Big 12 Conference foe.
<< No. 17 Florida comes to Baton Rouge to battle No. 1 LSU
Baton Rouge, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The nation's top-ranked team hopes to
dominate yet another opponent, as the 17th-ranked and short-handed Florida
Gators travel to Baton Rouge for an SEC affair against the LSU Tigers.
Florida opened 4-0 und
<< Pac-12 showdown pits California against No. 9 Oregon
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of 3-1 Pac-12 Conference teams will
collide in Eugene on Thursday night, as the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks play
host to the California Golden Bears.
Cal has been idle since a 31-23 loss to Washington two w
<< Boston College visits No. 8 Clemson
Clemson, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Clemson Tigers are one of the
nation's most surprising and impressive teams through five weeks, and they
hope to remain unbeaten this weekend when the Boston College Eagles come to
town for an AC
<< Auburn and Arkansas square off in pivotal SEC affair
Fayetteville, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of 4-1 SEC teams are set for a
battle under the lights this Saturday, as Bobby Petrino's Arkansas Razorbacks
entertain Gene Chizik's Auburn Tigers.
Auburn, the defending national champion, suffered
Stanford, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Buffaloes will continue their foray into Pac-12 competition this weekend when they travel to meet the seventh-ranked Stanford Cardinal, who own the nation's longest winning streak and continue to rol
Demon Deacons host Seminoles in ACC clash >>
Winston-Salem, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 23rd-ranked Florida State Seminoles
will whip into Winston-Salem this weekend for ACC showdown with Wake Forest,
which is looking for its first 3-0 start to conference play in school history.
Good new
Big 12 battle pits Bears against Cyclones >>
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Iowa State will travel to Waco this weekend for a
Big 12 matchup with No. 25 Baylor, which suffered its first loss of the season
to Kansas State last weekend.
Iowa State is coming off a 37-14 loss against national
Sun Devils and Utes mmet up in Salt Lake City >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Back in the Top 25 for the second time
this season the 22nd-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils will try to remain there
when they head to Salt Lake City for the first time since 1977 to take on the
Utah Utes i
Gamecocks hope to rebound in bout with visiting Wildcats >>
Columbia, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off their first loss of the season, the
18th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks will attempt to bounce back strong this
weekend against the Kentucky Wildcats, a fellow SEC club.
Kentucky is in a much worse
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
Football Betting
NFL Football Betting OnlineThe San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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