The college football betting has reached the point where it is now bowl season and fans are in a frenzy. Teams from all over the country are gathering in neutral sites to determine which team will have bragging rights and which team will have to try again next year. The price per head sports experts are usually pretty accurate with their odds for these games and that always helps to add a level of interest to each contest. Let’s take a look at the games that are scheduled for New Year’s Eve and see who has the best chance to walk away as bowl champions.
Texas A&M (-10) vs Northwestern – Meinke Car Care Texas Bowl
Unfortunately for Northwestern, this is one of those games that the pay per head odds makers have gotten right. Northwestern has had a good season and deserves its bowl bid, but the Northwestern defense is just not going to be able to stop the Texas A&M offense. The running game in Texas will knock Northwestern right over and allow Texas A&M to win this game by a sizeable margin.
Pick: Texas A&M
Utah vs Georgia Tech (-2 ½) – Sun Bowl
It is hard to understand how a team like Utah winds up in the Sun Bowl when it should have been competing for a bowl with just a little more prestige. But Utah has most definitely earned its shot at a Sun Bowl title and will face a Georgia Tech team that will put up a good fight. Tech is favored because of its defense, but this game will be a shootout from start to finish. A betting sports news
review of the Utah season shows a potent offense that will turn this bowl game into a track meet. But the Utes should be able to put up the points to win. Pick: Utah
UCLA vs Illinois (-2 ½) – Fight Hunger Bowl
This is the bowl game with a message. UCLA has always relied on its quarterbacks to pull out late-season wins and win bowl games. But this year the Bruins are going to rely on its two-pronged running attack to stay with the Illini for as long as possible. In the end, Illinois has too much on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for UCLA to remain in this game for very long.
Pick: Illinois
Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt (-1 ½) – Liberty Bowl
NCAA football fans love the Liberty Bowl because it is so much fun to watch each year. The Liberty Bowl always puts two evenly-matched teams together to battle it out. This year is no exception. This year is no exception as Vanderbilt will win by a nose.
Pick: Vanderbilt
Virginia vs Auburn (-3) – Chick Fil-A Bowl
Everyone was wondering if Auburn would be able to grab a bowl bid the year after Cam Newton left. Newton left behind a pretty good team that was able to work its way into the Chick Fil-A Bowl this year. Virginia has had a good season, but it won’t be able to withstand the offensive barrage that Auburn will throw at it.
Pick: Auburn
NFL Betting Lines Overview
For the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, the entire 2011 season comes down to this one game. This is the game to see who wins the NFC East. The loser may be able to make the playoffs with a wild card, but there would need to be a long list of conditions that would have to take place for that to happen. According to the betting sports news experts, winning the NFC East is probably the best chance either of these teams has for making the playoffs. The Cowboys come into this game one of the luckiest teams in the NFL as it keeps finding replacement running backs for the backs that get hurt. Right now, Felix Jones is carrying the load in the Dallas backfield, but he is getting pushed by veteran Sammy Morris who was signed when DeMarco Murray was injured. But Jones is nursing a sore hamstring and his contribution to this game may be limited.
The Giants come into this game fairly health, although it is still missing Osi Umenyiora and Mario Manningham from the starting lineup. But the Giants have more to put into this fight than the Cowboys do. The key area where New York remains relatively healthy is the offensive line. Quarterback Eli Manning has shown that, when he is given time, he has been extremely effective this season. But what has been a real bonus for the Giants and helped the Giants pound the New York Jets in week 16, is the resurging Giants’ running game. The bookie software has the Giants’ running game ranked last in the league, but the Giants racked up 116 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Jets. The Giants running attack will make a significant difference in this game.
Dallas Cowboys
On that short list of things the Cowboys absolutely wanted to avoid was a week 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys did not put up much of a fight against the Eagles and, as a result, Philly won the game 20-7. Quarterback Tony Romo banged his throwing hand on the helmet of an Eagles’ pass rusher and wound up coming out of the game in the first offensive series. Backup Stephen McGee did a decent job throwing for 182 rushing yards and one touchdown. But the Cowboys could not generate anything on the ground and that could be a big problem for this week 17 game against the Giants. Another important question is the status of Romo. A 5 dimes review of the injury shows that the impact looked pretty significant but the Cowboys are claiming there was no serious damage done. Romo is expected to play, but his effectiveness will need to be seen.
New York Giants
The Giants were extremely happy to see its running game come back to life in the last couple of weeks. A balanced attack has been lacking in New York for some time, and Ahmad Bradshaw finally started to bring some of the swagger back to the New York running game. With the Giants’ defense relatively healthy and the rest of the team wanting to avoid missing the playoffs again, this could be the Giants’ chance to shake that monkey that has been on its back for three years now.
The Bottom Line
The NFL schedule could not have come together any better for the fans and players. Now the fate of the NFC East gets to be decided by the two teams in the running. This will be a good game, but the Cowboys inconsistency will prevent it from being able to mount much of an attack.
BSNblog Pick: New York Giants
It is still early on in the college basketball season, but considering that only four of the top-10 ranked teams in the country are still undefeated, head coach Rick Pitino has to be proud of what his fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals have done so far. The Cardinals overcame their only challenge from a nationally ranked opponent so far when they were able to hold off the Vanderbilt Commodores in overtime at the KFC Yum! Center, and with two more tough challenges in the No. 16 Georgetown Hoyas and No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats right around the corner, Louisville will attempt to remain focused this week against unranked Western Kentucky as 10-point sports betting favorites.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers @ Louisville Cardinals (4)
Friday December 23, 2011 – 7:00 PM ET
KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky
College Basketball Betting Line: Lousiville Cardinals – 10
The Hilltoppers come in to this game on the heels of consecutive losses, and while they haven’t played a nationally ranked opponent yet this season, they did lose back-to-back meetings against VCU by a combined 28 points.
College Basketball Betting Preview: Western Kentucky
This game won’t be as much about winning and losing as it will be keeping it respectful for Western Kentucky, a Sun Belt team that has struggled just to remain out of the basement in the Sun Belt conference early on. After registering three wins in four games as they entered the month of December, Derrick Gordon and the Hilltoppers have dropped back-to-back games by at least eight points, and will have a tough time rebounding against the toughest challenge on their schedule so far.
College Basketball Betting Preview: Louisville
Pitino has liked what he has seen from his team early on, particularly with senior Kyle Kuric, who leads the team in points per game with 12.7, and junior Peyton Siva, who is second in scoring and first in assists with averages of 10.6 and 6.8. There is a lot to like about a Cardinals’ team that has been able to score points while taking care of business at their own end of the floor, especially on the board where they rank 12th in team rebounding. Louisville is one of a handful of unbeaten teams remaining in the top-25, but there is no doubt that they will be tested over the next couple of weeks, so they will need to remain focused.
College Basketball Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
The pay head bookies have the Cardinals listed as 10-point favorites, and as long as they don’t get caught looking ahead to their back-to-back games against Georgetown and Kentucky they should be fine. Unlike with some of the other surprise losses we have seen early on this year, Louisville appears to be at an even keel, and ready to take every game one at a time along with what comes with it. The Cardinals have a chance to gain some momentum and confidence heading in to their tough doubleheader, and they likely won’t give up that chance if taken on betonline.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Louisville Cardinals - 10
NFL Betting Lines Overview
It looks like the good Lord is not interested in the Denver Broncos when the Broncos play the best offense in football. The Denver loss to the New England Patriots in week 15 was not so much a matter of any failure by Tim Tebow; the Broncos just lost a shootout to Tom Brady and the New England offense. Tebow and the Broncos should not get discouraged because a lot of teams lost in shootouts to Brady and the Patriots’ offense in the last few years. That week 15 loss was actually a great thing for the Broncos because the team learned how to face real adversity. It looks like a blow out on the score sheet, but there were a lot of positive things that the Broncos took from that game.
According to the price per head sports experts, Miami running back Reggie Bush racked up 203 rushing yards against the Buffalo Bills in Miami’s week 15 win in Buffalo. The Buffalo Bills could not stop the run last year and the Buffalo Bills cannot stop the run this year. The Bills sign quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a six-year, $59 million contract and Fitzpatrick instantly becomes ineffective. No matter what the Bills do, it just cannot seem to get the winning part of football right. The Buffalo Bills are about to face an offense in the Denver Broncos that thrives on running the ball early in the game. If the Bills cannot stop Tim Tebow and running back Willis McGahee, then it could be a long day in Buffalo.
Denver Broncos
Tim Tebow remained optimistic after the 41-23 shellacking the Broncos took at the hands of the Patriots in week 15, and he should. The pay per head sports experts noticed that Tebow’s passing is getting better and that this game against the Patriots could be Tebow’s best passing performance of the season. Tebow has showed enough improvement to warrant serious consideration for the full-time starting quarterback job in Denver. More than likely, John Elway and head coach John Fox will wait until the season is over to make that determination. The Broncos’ defense was shredded by the Patriots’ offense and that is something that should be a concern as the Broncos stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Buffalo Bills
A bodog review of the Bills’ season shows that injuries, once again, plagued the team. The Bills lost players in the defensive secondary to injury all season long. The team’s top offensive player, running back Fred Jackson, is missing the rest of the season with an injury. But the Bills don’t need excuses; it needs a win. After a strong start, the Bills fell apart and have lost seven in a row. Something is going to have to change in Buffalo, but no one is really sure what that something would have to be.
The Bottom Line
The NFL scores the Broncos have been posting have steadily increased over the past few weeks. The Denver defense seems to have problems containing an accurate passer like New England’s Tom Brady. But Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has been anything but accurate as of late and should not give the Broncos any problems at all.
BSNblog Pick: Denver Broncos
It seems as though with the BCS Championship game projected to be a defensive battle between the top two teams in the nation, the BCS has done everything in its power to make sure that its other BCS bowl games feature a ton of offense, as they have done with the Rose Bowl Game Presented By Vizio. The No. 5 Oregon Ducks and No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers rank third and fourth in the nation respectively in scoring offense, and it should be another high-scoring affair when the two programs clash on the national stage.
Rose Bowl Game Presented By Vizio
(10) Wisconsin Badgers @ (5) Oregon Ducks
Monday January 2, 2012 – 5:00 PM ET
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
College Football Betting Odds: Oregon Ducks – 6.5
The Ducks will be sound sports betting favorites for this game, even though Wisconsin has won five straight including the Big Ten Championship game. Oregon will bring back several of the big name stars that fought in the BCS Championship game a year ago, while the Badgers introduce a couple of new stars, including Heisman trophy candidate Montee Ball.
College Football Betting Preview: Wisconsin
Ball was the third runner-up in the Heisman voting simply because he started out late in one of the most stacked classes to ever compete for the award, but the job he did leading the nation’s fourth-ranked offense cannot be overlooked. Ball averaged 6.4 yards per carry to reach 1,759 yards on the ground with an unbelievable 32 touchdowns, proving that he could become a superstar with his will and determination after shedding weight in the offseason to become lighter on his feet. Senior quarterback Russell Wilson showed incredible improvement with the emergence of Ball, and with a defense that ranked 6th in the country in points against, the Badgers became one of the most complete NCAA football teams in the country.
College Football Betting Preview: Oregon
That defense will be tested by a powerful Oregon offense, which returns to bowl season with Darron Thomas under center and LaMichael James at running back. Thomas threw for 2,493 yards and 30 touchdowns, while James rushed for an average of 7.4 per carry, with 17 scores on the ground as those two players combined to once again form one of the most dangerous backfields in the game. The Ducks ranked fifth in rushing yards, and as they proved against Stanford’s front-seven, are a load to handle at the line of scrimmage. Oregon’s defense struggled in losses to LSU and USC this season, and will need to tighten things up front to give the Ducks’ offense a chance to win this game as the favorites according to the pay head bookies.
College Football Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
There is expected to be a ton of fireworks when these two teams meet in Pasadena, and rightfully so given the strength of the respective offenses. However, if there is one difference in the makeup of these teams, it will be the Badgers’ ability to slow down Oregon up front, and whether or not the Ducks will be able to contain Ball in the ground game.
College Football Betting Pick: Wisconsin + 6.5
The Aztecs program made a great move when they hired head coach Rocky Long to replace the departing Brady Hoke. 
The man worked wonders with nothing at New Mexico, going 65-69 SU in 11 seasons with the Lobos (UNM has gone 3-33 since fi ring Long), and Long made an immediate impression when SDSU opened the gambling season 3-0 for the first time since 1981.
Likewise, the hiring of Mark Hudspeth by La-Lafayette paid major dividends: the Ragin’ Cajuns enjoyed their first winning season since 1995 and, amazingly, qualified for their first bowl in 41 years!
In fact, a win today would match La-La’s only previous 9-win season in school history (1976). Spread history ‘points’ us toward the Cajuns as they’re 3-0 ATS versus bowlers this season and all Sun Belt dogs are 4-1-1 ATS as bowlers since 2005.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, San Diego State has cashed only once in four bowl appearances since 1986 and bowl favorites with fi rst-year coaches are 11- 21-1 ATS (Long himself is just 1-4 SU and ATS in the postseason).
Look for the bayou dwellers to do it with defense – their 7 interceptions returned for TD’s ties the FBS all-time record established in 1971.
The Aztecs also seem to fare better against weaker foes.
They’ve gone 6-1 SU versus .600 or less opponents this year while going only 1-3 SU versus greater-than .600 foes. And with today’s game taking place in the Superdome, you know there will be a LOT more crawdad-eatin’ Loozie-annans in the stands than sun-tanned Californians.
With the LSU game still three weeks away, this matchup is reason enough to throw a party in the Crescent City – and all that positive mojo should propel the Cajuns to a crowd-pleasing upset here.
Sportsbooks currently have the Aztecs listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Ragin` Cajuns, while the game's total is sitting at 60.
Online Betting Overview
The price per head sports experts obviously feel that Tebowmania has its limits. Even though this week 15 contest between the Broncos and the New England Patriots is taking place in Denver, the odds makers are still not willing to give in to Tebow’s magic. But there may be more than magic at work in this game. The Broncos’ defense was able to hold the Chicago Bears to only 10 points in the Broncos’ overtime win in week 14. The Bears are without its starting quarterback, but the Bears have a very powerful running game. The Denver defense was able to step up and neutralize the Chicago offense until, once again, Tebow pulled the trigger and put his magic to work. It is important to remember that Broncos field goal kicker Matt Prater had to make a 59-yard field goal to tie the game and then a 51-yard field goal to win it. The entire Broncos team plays to the last whistle with Tebow in at quarterback.
About the only thing that the Patriots can do is get into a shootout with Tebow and the Broncos’ offense. The Patriots’ defense has not shown any ability to sustain a pass rush or pick off even the most errant passers. A look at the bookie software stats for week 14 shows that New England quarterback Tom Brady threw three interceptions but was still able to win over the Washington Redskins. As opportunistic as the Broncos’ have been in this six-game winning streak, the Patriots do not want to give the Broncos any chance to win this game.
Denver Broncos
Regardless of how you feel about Tim Tebow’s mechanical abilities as a quarterback, the simple fact is that the guy wins football games. But he gets a lot of help, and he is the first to acknowledge that help. A bodog review of the week 14 win over the Bears shows that kicker Matt Prater was actually the hero of the game by using the thin Denver air to his advantage and kicking two 50+ yard field goals at critical moments. The Broncos’ defense should also be credited with picking up a key turnover late in the game that gave Prater the chance to kick for the tie. However they are doing it, the Broncos just keep winning and the team has built a significant amount of momentum.
New England Patriots
The thing that prevents a lot of the sports betting blog experts from getting completely on the Patriots’ Super Bowl bandwagon is the New England defense. The Patriots have the second-best offense in the league but the worst defense. A good offense can only carry a bad defense for so long before something has to give. This game will be more of a test that the Patriots and its fans are expecting.
The Bottom Line
The Denver Broncos are on a roll unlike any roll the fans in Denver have seen in a very long time. While many fans want to give credit to Tim Tebow, the truth is that the entire team is playing very desperate and inspiring football. In this game, fans will get a chance to see if the Broncos are able to exploit a weak defense like the one in New England.
Considering the support that a potential SEC rematch between the No. 1 LSU Tigers and No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide has gotten since that memorable field goal at Tuscaloosa back in November, it is no surprise that they are the two teams that will clash at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans this January. The BCS got it right this time around with the top two teams in the country set to face one another with the national title on the line, and it has all of the makings of a sports betting classic.
Allstate BCS Championship Game
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers
Monday January 9, 2012 – 8:30 PM ET
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
College Football Betting Lines: LSU Tigers – 1.5
Although the two teams didn’t do much scoring in their first meeting, a 9-6 overtime decision in favor of the Tigers, that doesn’t necessarily mean things won’t break open in the rematch. Both NCAA football teams have scored at least 41 points in each of their final two games, and an early score could break things open.
College Football Betting Preview: Alabama
Even though the first result didn’t go in their favor, you have to think that the Crimson Tide would like to rely on their top-ranked defense when they make the trip to New Orleans. Alabama allowed an average of just 8.8 points per game, an incredible accomplishment considering some of the competition they faced in the SEC. It looks as though running back Trent Richardson will continue to be asked to handle the majority of the offensive burden as he has all year, after compiling 1,583 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns as the focal point of the Tide offense. Quarterback AJ McCarron has shown improvement, but it’s unlikely head coach Nick Saban will ask him to open things up unless they fall behind early.
College Football Betting Preview: LSU
While Alabama ranked first in points allowed, the Tigers were right behind them with an average of 10.5 points allowed per game, so it isn’t much of a surprise that their first meeting was so low scoring. But LSU’s offense did come alive in their final two games with wins over then No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks and the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game, with Kenny Hilliard scoring three combined touchdowns. What makes the Tigers that much more dangerous is the ability for their defense to score, which we saw in the SEC title game with Morris Claiborne’s 45-yard interception return.
College Football Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
The pay head bookies have this spread listed at just 1.5 points, and the truth of the matter is that with two evenly matched teams that are so similar in style anything can happen. The problem for Alabama is that the Tigers have been able to dictate the pace of a lot of supposedly evenly matched games, including the first meeting between these teams. This game should be close until the end once again, but look for LSU to close out their perfect season in style by bringing home the BCS championship as undoubtedly the best team in the nation this year.
BSNblog Betting Pick: LSU Tigers – 1.5
Sports Betting Overview
The Philadelphia “Dream Team” nightmare is finally over. The Eagles will not be making the playoffs this season and now the speculating begins over what changes will be made in the off-season. The Eagles’ management spent a lot of money to put together the team that the Eagles have. Some would argue that a better coach would have used the parts better to create a more effective machine. But the Eagles’ investments were not all in key need areas. The Philadelphia offensive line is terrible. Michael Vick has been injured most of the season due to injuries and now back-up Vince Young is forced to run for his life on a regular basis. A closer look at the Eagles shows that a couple of good offensive linemen and the Philadelphia season may have turned out differently.
The Miami Dolphins are playing to not get coach Tony Sporano fired. When the price per head sports experts were declaring the Dolphins one of the worst teams in football and the seats in Miami’s stadium were empty, Sporano’s head was definitely on the chopping block. But the Dolphins have gone 4-1 in the last five games and suddenly look like one of the better teams in the league. There were questions about the teams that Miami was beating but those questions were laid to rest when Miami pummeled the AFC West leading Oakland Raiders by a score of 34-14. Things are very interesting in Miami and they look to get more interesting when the Dolphins travel to Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles will play this game without Michael Vick, who is still nursing a rib injury. The bookie software gives some interesting numbers for back-up quarterback Vince Young. But the most interesting stat for Young so far in his three-game stretch as the Eagles’ starter is the eight interceptions he has thrown in three games. It doesn’t matter how well an offense or a defense is playing, a quarterback that throws eight interceptions in three games is not going to win a lot of games. The Eagles just cannot protect the quarterback and if the Miami pass rush gets to Young then the Eagles may have to look to its third string quarterback to finish the season.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have been winning with great defense and a running game that has suddenly come to life. The NFL schedule looked to be a little tough for Miami when the season first started, but running back Reggie Bush and the rest of the Dolphins have seemed to pick up their game as the season wears on. The team would probably have to finish 8-8 to save Sporano’s job, and it looks like it could very well do that.
The Bottom Line
The Eagles don’t play well at home or on the road, but the team is much more unpredictable on the road. This does not look like a good matchup for the Eagles as the persistent Miami pass rush could be getting to Vince Young all day. This should be another long day for the “Dream Team.”
BSNblog Pick: Miami Dolphins
While the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys have all lived up to expectations and in many ways exceeded them in the NFC this season, the same cannot be said about a handful of teams that were expected to contend but have struggled through the first 12 weeks. Then Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were all expected to challenge for a title in their respective divisions this season, but as we enter the final sports betting stretch, neither of the three are on track to even make the postseason.
Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
A season that many projected would finish with the Eagles fighting for a spot in the NFC Championship game has turned in to a year where Philadelphia is not only destined to miss the playoffs, but where fans are already calling for head coach Andy Reid to be fired. In fairness to Reid, the Eagles’ defensive front seven has been an absolute mess, and it doesn’t help that Michael Vick has missed the passed two games with broken ribs. As slim as their playoff chances are the Eagles will still be expected to win on the road this week against a Seattle team that has played just as poorly minus the lofty expectations, and unlike the way things have gone for most of this NFL season Philadelphia should be able to deliver.
NFL Betting Pick: Philadelphia Eagles - 3
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (- 3.5)
Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
The Buccaneers have lost five straight and at 4-7 won’t be competing for a playoff spot this year, yet they are still 3.5-point favorites at home against a Carolina team that has proven they have the offense to win games this pay head season. Panthers’ rookie quarterback Cam Newton has been incredible both with his legs and with his arm, and there is no reason to think that he won’t be pumped up for a divisional game as he looks for his best chance to win against an NFC South opponent in his rookie year. The Buccaneers have looked sloppy and undisciplined for most of this season, and that won’t change suddenly this week against a determined Carolina squad.
NFL Betting Pick: Carolina Panthers + 3.5
Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints (-8.5)
Sunday, 8:30 PM ET
The 5 Dimes reviews changed this game to Sunday night after it was originally scheduled for the afternoon, so they won’t be happy when the Saints run away with it in a blowout. Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense proved against the New York Giants that they can score at will on Monday Night Football, and it’s scary to think of what they will now to do the Lions, who will be without their best defensive player as Ndamakong Suh serves the first of a two-game suspension. Matt Stafford and the offense have been inconsistent all year, and while they may go through solid stretches, they won’t be able to keep pace with the Saints for four quarters.
NFL Betting Picks : New Orleans Saints – 8.5
