NCAAF Sports Betting News: LSU, Alabama Set For SEC Showdown

The BCS National title game results from the past few years have cleared any doubt about the fact that the SEC is the most dominant football conference in college sports, and although we haven’t even reached the bowl season for this year, the conference is already flexing its muscle this weekend with a showdown of the top two teams in the nation. The undefeated and No. 1 LSU Tigers are set to travel to Tuscaloosa to clash with the undefeated and No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide in a matchup that will determine first in the SEC, the national rankings, and provide the winner with the inside track to reach the BCS championship. While all eyes will be on that SEC battle, the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys will look to remain undefeated when they take on Big 12 rival Kansas State Saturday, while the No. 4 Stanford Cardinal are at Oregon State after climbing in to the top-five for the first time this season.

NFL Picks News: Division Rivalries Highlight Week Eight In The NFL

It seems as though the NFL week wouldn’t be complete without at least one major upset, and after the previously winless St. Louis Rams finally ending their skid with a 31-21 win over the New Orleans Saints, all bets are off about who this week’s upset pick will be. Both of the remaining winless teams are in the AFC, but neither of them stand much of a chance this week with the Miami Dolphins visiting the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts hosting the Atlanta Falcons Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, there are a couple of important divisional clashes with the New York Jets traveling to face the Buffalo Bills with the visitors one game back of Buffalo and the New England Patriots in the AFC East standings, while the Pittsburgh Steelers look for a measure of revenge against the Baltimore Ravens at home on Sunday Night Football. The Patriots will host the New York Giants following their second loss of the season in a Super Bowl XLII rematch.

NHL News: Defending Cup Champions Look To Overcome Slow Start

In a perfect illustration of a Stanley Cup hangover, the defending champion Boston Bruins have opened the season with just three wins through their first 10 games, struggles which were taken to another level with a home-and-home sweep at the hands of the division rival Montreal Canadiens. Boston will have time to focus and get back on track when they host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday before heading to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Meanwhile, the team they beat for the Stanley Cup a year ago will also look to break out from a slow start as the Vancouver Canucks are on the road for four games this week beginning in Calgary against the Flames after a .500 start through 11 contests.

NBA Pay Head News: NBA Players, Owners Should No Signs Of Remorse

Following the cancellation of more games, the NBA owners and players appear to have a strong imbalance between them that likely will cost them the remainder of this season. Neither side appears ready to relent in regards to the 2-percent share in BMI the two sides have been debating about, but with the college season right around the corner basketball fans should get their share of action soon, with an NBA season highly unlikely even with both sides talking.

There is no BetOnline scam when it comes to the lines for UFC 137; there are a trio of massive favorites on the main card, while the two big fights are relatively close and we’re going to tell you why.

B.J. Penn (16-7-2) vs. Nick Diaz (25-7, 1 NC) – Welterweight

Penn is favored at -135 while Diaz is rated at +115, and Penn gets the edge as he is more known to UFC fans, but Diaz earns some respect for a 10-match winning streak and he held the Strikeforce belt. BetOnline reviews for this match are picking a close battle and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this line come closer to even odds by fight night.

Cheick Kongo (16-6-2) vs. Matt Matrione (5-0) – Heavyweight

Matrione is a -135 favorite in this heavyweight clash against Kongo, who comes in at +135 and he is the typical mid-pack fighter in the UFC; not good enough to be a champion, but he’s better than the lower-tier fighters. Price per head services will favor Matrione as he is a fan favorite from his time on the “Ultimate Fighter”, and he has four KOs in his first five fights.

Mirko Filipovic (27-9-2, 1 NC) vs. Roy Nelson (15-6) – Heavyweight

Nelson is favored at -280 against “Cro Cop”, who is near the end of his career and he may even be finished if he loses this fight. Nelson has an iron chin and an outstanding ground game for a man his size, while Filipovic has looked disinterested and has been knocked out in his last two fights.

Scott Jorgensen (12-4) vs. Jeff Curran (33-13-1) – Bantamweight

Jorgensen is a -425 favorite according to price per head odds, even though this is his first fight on a UFC pay-per-view. Curran is a veteran, but Jorgensen had a title fight against Dominick Cruz just two bouts ago and is high in the bantamweight rankings, which is why he is such a big favorite on Saturday night.

Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) vs. George Roop (12-7-1) – Featherweight

Hioki is another sizeable favorite at -330 over Roop, and Hioki is also making his UFC debut against a fighter that matches up well for him; Roop has problems defending submissions, and Hioki is a submission specialist. Those in the know have Hioki up there in the featherweight rankings and some think it’s only a matter of time before he earns a shot at the title, while Roop is the quintessial mid-card fighter. He can take on the lower fighters, but he’ll never get a title shot. Hioki was brought in to fight for the championship at some point, which is why he’ll be a popular pick at sportsbooks on Saturday.

It’s not a Bet Online scam when you look in your sportsbook to find Stanford as a favorite this week at USC, as they’ve won 15 in a row and 10 of those have been 25 points or more. The Cardinal takes their show on the road to USC, where the Trojans are quietly putting together a solid season.

Stanford USC Odds – Saturday, 8:00 PM ET

The No.6 Cardinal (7-0, 5-0 Pac-12) didn’t need their Heisman-favored pivot to lead the way in a 65-21 thrashing of Washington, although future No.1 NFL pick Andrew Luck had a solid game with 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16-of-21 passing. Stanford ran for 446 yards, led by 138 yards on Stepfan Taylor and 117 from Tyler Gaffney. The defense forced three turnovers, but they also allowed 430 yards, including 172 yards on the ground, which goes against the norm as Stanford is 81^st in the nation in pass defense. That unit will have to step up this week, but their offense is second in the country in points scored and that makes Stanford incredibly tough to beat, either home or on the road.

The Trojans (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12) jumped out to a 17-0 lead in a 31-17 win on the road over their rivals from Notre Dame, and it may have been USC’s best game under head coach Lane Kiffin. Matt Barkley, who is a price per head underdog for the Heisman, was 24-of-35 for 224 yards and three touchdowns, but the Trojans also ran for 219 yards, powered by Curtis McNeal’s 118 yards. The defense pressured Notre Dame into three turnovers and the offense kept their slate clean, and even though they’re no longer a national power due to recruiting violations, Kiffin is holding this team together nicely.

Pay head odds have Stanford as a 7.5-point favorite on the road at USC, where they are 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five trips, with three games going over the posted total. The Trojans played well against Notre Dame, but they’ll have to play even better against Stanford and this is setting up to be a banner day for Luck as the Trojans are 104^th in the nation against the pass. If the ground game plays like it did against Washington, USC will have no way to stop the Stanford attack. This game will likely be close for the first half, but Stanford is an experienced team led by arguably the best player in the country and they’ll pull away in the second half. In a game that should cater to the offensive specialists, take Stanford to cover the college football betting spread.

College Football Betting Overview

There is always something interesting about two California-based schools meeting up in a critical BCS contest late in the season. Sixth ranked Stanford travels south to play the unranked USC Trojans in what has become a very interesting game to watch. USC is ranked 20^th on the AP Top 25 poll, but the Trojans do not appear anywhere on the BCS listing. When it comes down to positioning in bowl games, it is usually the BCS rankings that count. This Pac-12 battle is between two teams that only have one loss between them. The 6-1 Trojans blew their chance at a high ranking when it lost to Arizona State. But that does not mean that the Trojans cannot put it together and win this game.

The cost per head fans in Stanford are starting to believe that they are watching the beginning of a legend with quarterback Andrew Luck. The undefeated Cardinals were expected to compete this year, but a top-10 ranking seemed unlikely. Luck and his team have shown incredible resiliency. The fact that the closest score the Cardinals have seen this season was a 37-10 win over Arizona means that Stanford truly knows how to win. There is a reason why Stanford has earned a number six ranking, and one of those reasons is that the Cardinals never underestimate its opponent.

USC Trojans

The price per head services will agree that the USC Trojans have had some very impressive performances this season. But the performance that Stanford wants to be careful with is the USC win last week in South Bend over Notre Dame. The Cardinals are the first ranked team that the Trojans will face this season, but the battles between Stanford and USC have always been epic. The Trojans do not own the history of domination this season that the Cardinals have, but the Trojans do have a habit of winning games that it was not supposed to win. This could be the perfect ambush if the Cardinals are not careful.

Stanford Cardinals

Quarterback Andrew Luck has become one of the most anticipated NFL picks in recent history. Each loss by a lower-tiered NFL team has been referred to as another entry in the “Andrew Luck sweepstakes.” But it is easy to see why Luck will be so coveted when the draft opens in 2012. He knows how to win and he knows how to utilize his entire offense. Luck really spreads the ball around and can use any of his weapons at any time. The Stanford defense has proven to be an aggressive and effective group. Scoring points against the Cardinals is proving to be difficult, and the Trojans do not have much of a running game to support the passing game.

The Bottom Line

It may be considered a betonline scam to pick the Trojans over the Cardinals in this game, but it will be a very close contest. But Andrew Luck and his team will start to pull away at the end and show why the Cardinals deserve to be moved higher up the BCS rankings.

Pick: Stanford Cardinals

It’s not time for Breeders Cup betting yet, but wagering players can pass the time this week with some football betting to kick things off, the World Series is coming to an end, along with some NHL and college football action.

Monday

Ravens Jaguars Odds (8:30 PM ET): Baltimore are 10-point favorites on the road in Jacksonville, who have a rookie quarterback in Blaine Gabbert. That 10-point spread isn’t a BetOnline scam, as the Ravens have the best defense in the league and they’re coming off a bye. That means they’ve had an extra week to prepare and that’s not good news for Gabbert.

Tuesday

Ducks Blackhawks Odds (8:30 PM ET): Chicago should be the home favorites in this game as both teams are coming off a loss on the weekend, but the Blackhawks have yet to lose at home in regulation. You may read a sportsbook review that leans towards the over, but both goalies struggled in their last game and they’ll be eager to put that in the past with a solid performance on Tuesday.

Wednesday

Rangers Cardinals Odds (8:05 PM ET): Game 6 of the World Series sees the Fall Classic back in the Midwest as St. Louis will host Texas, who will give the ball to Colby Lewis. The Cardinals will go with Jaime Garcia, and these two went head-to-head in a 2-1 win for the Rangers in Game 2. Price per head services will likely favor the Cardinals at home, but this series is as close as it gets.

Thursday

Rangers Cardinals Odds (8:05 PM ET): It’s so close that there is a very good possibility that it’ll go to seven games, and tonight would be the deciding game in St. Louis. The tentative starters are Matt Harrison for Texas and Kyle Lohse for St. Louis, but check your sportsbook before making a bet. If this game isn’t necessary, Boston-Montreal in the NHL would be an excellent substitute as these two don’t like each other.

Friday

BYU TCU Odds (8:00 PM ET): The Horned Frogs are 12.5-point favorites at home against the Cougars, who have won five in a row after a rough start. TCU isn’t the power that they have been over the last couple of seasons, but a win over BYU would restore some of the swagger we’re used to seeing from the Horned Frogs, who also have a big game at Boise State in two weeks. BYU is looking to close out their first season as an independent with a flourish, and TCU is going to provide a stiff test. This will be a tough pick to make in your bookie software

Breeders Cup betting players still have some time before their events start, so they can fill their time next week as the World Series rolls on and there is a lot of NHL action on the slate but first, Monday Night Football kicks it all off.

Monday

Ravens Jaguars Odds (8:30 PM ET): The Ravens will be one of the most popular picks NFL fans will make this week, as they are favored by 7.5 points in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars will have to protect rookie pivot Blaine Gabbert from a fierce Baltimore defense.

Tuesday

Ducks Blackhawks Odds (8:30 PM ET): An exciting game should be on tap on Tuesday in Chicago, where the Blackhawks should be the pay per head favorites over the Ducks. Both teams feature a lot of young offensive talent and are able to get up and down the ice quickly, so take a long look at the total in this contest.

Wednesday

Rangers Cardinals Odds (8:05 PM ET): The World Series will probably head back to St. Louis for Game 6 as the Cardinals should be able to snatch at least one win in Texas over their three games. The two clubs split the first two games of the Fall Classic at Busch Stadium, where it was cold and damp, but the Rangers rallied late in Game 2 to pull it off. If the temperatures are the same on Wednesday, expect another low-scoring affair as the ball is heavier and more difficult to drive.

Thursday

Canadiens Bruins Odds (7:00 PM ET): The Bruins should be favored at home by cost per head odds against their bitter rivals from Montreal, who took Boston to seven games in the first round of last year’s playoffs. There is always bad blood between these two, but even more since last season’s incident with Boston’s Zdeno Chara and Montreal’s Max Pacioretty, who is off to a great start in his return from the disabled list. This will be his first meeting with the Bruins since that incident.

Friday

Red Wings Sharks Odds (7:30 PM ET): The Sharks should be the home favorites in this clash of Western Conference contenders, even though San Jose is off to a slow start. They made some moves in the offseason, so it’s going to take time for them to warm up, but you can expect San Jose to be there at the end of the season and Detroit is out to bounce back from last year’s disappointing playoff sweep at the hands of Phoenix. This will be a good game for the Sharks to gauge where they are in the grand scheme of things, and it should be an exciting contest for NHL fans.

As if the baseball sports betting God’s parted the rain clouds and smiled down on the city of St. Louis once again, the NL champion Cardinals were able to get the job done once again at home on Wednesday with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers. The Cardinals were banged up early in a literal sense, but they were able to get to Texas starter CJ Wilson for two runs in the fourth inning, and after Chris Carpenter gave up a two-run home run to Mike Napoli in the fifth, it was all St. Louis from there.

Perhaps the MLB surprise of the night came in the sixth inning when Wilson walked Carpenter with two out in the bottom of the inning to put runners on first and third before getting the hook, and in relief Alexei Ogando simply couldn’t get the job done as he gave up what would be the game-winning RBI single. The wet weather and cold wins pounded away at both teams for hours, but in the end it was the underdogs that once again emerged victorious.

All of the talk in these playoffs has been about the power of the teams that St. Louis has played, but with the terrible game conditions and a little optimism, the Cardinals were able to squeeze out the first of four wins needed to win the World Series. Nobody thought that St. Louis had a chance to come back at clinch the NL Wild Card ahead of the Atlanta Braves, and then beat both the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers in the postseason, but after knocking off both there seems to be a certain amount of swagger that has developed amongst the Cardinals’ players. Now comes the toughest test yet for the NL champions, as they look to hand the Rangers their first back-to-back pay head losses since late August.

If St. Louis is going to take anything from their game one win, it should be that in the past decade seven of the last eight game one winners have gone on to clinch the World Series, as well as 12 of the last 14 even beyond that. The team that has hosted game one has also won 20 of the past 25 World Series’, so perhaps there is more than good fortune behind what the Cardinals’ players are beginning to consider a team of destiny. The forecast for game two of the series on Thursday night calls for more chilly conditions with chances for rain, but that won’t take away any focus from the two sides that know just how important the next sportsbook reviews win will be. If Texas falters, then they head home for three straight knowing that they can’t clinch without winning back in St. Louis. If the Cardinals win, then they know that they could have a shot of ending the series on the road, and at the very least will get to defend their chances on home soil for game six. Colby Lewis will get the call for the Rangers while Jaime Garcia goes for St. Louis, as the Cardinals look to continue proving their skeptics wrong.

For the second consecutive season, the MLB juggernaut Texas Rangers are in the World Series. This year, the Rangers are led by a potent offense and stifling pitching core that all appear ready to win a title. If you recall, last season, it appeared as though the Rangers were just happy to be in the price per head World Series, and being a runner up was no big deal. With a title in mind, today we wonder if the Rangers can stop the red hot St. Louis Cardinals.

Entering Wednesday’s matchup in St. Louis, the Texas Rangers find themselves as a – 160 favorite over the feel good story of the MLB St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are being praised by everyone and their bookie software agents, because their veteran lineup was able to climb into the playoffs after losing staff ace Adam Wainwright for the year and being down 10.5 games at the end of August. However, in our books, the Texas Rangers and their ability to come back and play in a second World Series, is just as NFL pick admirable if not more so then St. Louis.

Consider, the Cardinals are one of the most complete teams in the MLB, as they have arguably one of the best pitching rotations, to go along with the trio of Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman and Matt Holiday. On the contrary, while CJ Wilson currently holds the title of staff ace in Texas, the truth is most teams would rather have built their staffs around Carpenter then Wilson. What’s more, Wilson has proven he isn’t an ace, as he has struggled considerably in the breeders cup betting post season.  Wilson is winless in three starts, including a nine to nothing loss to open the playoffs. Regardless, Rangers Manager Ron Washington has plans to use Wilson in game one and game seven if need be.

While CJ Wilson and the Rangers miraculous pitching staff go unnoticed in Texas, fans can’t help but notice their offense. This year’s team has been carried for the most part by former waiver wire pickup Nelson Cruz and the forgotten man in the Vernon Wells from Toronto to LA Angels deal, Mike Napoli. The duo has combined for eight home runs and nearly 20 RBI in the 2011 post season.

Cruz in particular has turned into an elite level hitter, as you could make an argument, that he single handedly defeated the Detroit Tigers. In Game two of the ALCS, Crus hit a game tying home run, before hitting a game winning Grand Slam in the 11^th inning. Then in he hit a game clinching three run home run in the 11^th of game four. Yet, it should be noted, that past Cruz and Napoli, the Rangers offense had struggled up until the 15 run output on Saturday. In order to clinch their first World Series, the Rangers offense will need to pickup steam again.

UFC fans in Toronto are going to get a treat at UFC 140 on December 10^th as the main card is a contender for best card of the year, highlighted by a title fight in the 205-pound division. Here is a preview of who we think will be favored.

Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida – Light Heavyweight Title Bout

The champion, Jones, will be favored and probably by a lot as he has run over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (who took the belt from Machida) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (who robbed Machida of a victory). But Machida is a former champion himself and smart Bet Online players will know not to count out the “Dragon”, who sent Randy Couture into retirement in the first UFC card in Toronto back in April.

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – Heavyweight

In this matchup of former UFC champions, look for Mir to be a slight favorite in your bookie software over “Big Nog”, who stopped Brandon Vera (who beat Mir) in Brazil in August. He really needed that win to keep him afloat in the division. Mir should still be favored, though, especially after knocking out “Big Nog” in December 2008 to take the interim heavyweight belt.

Rory MacDonald vs. Brian Ebersole – Welterweight

MacDonald should be the favorite among price per head bookmaking agents for a couple of reasons: he is riding a two-match winning streak, he will have the crowd on his side being a Canadian boy and the last time he was in Toronto, he was seen suplexing Nate Diaz all over the octagon. But don’t sleep on Ebersole, who is 2-0 in the UFC and has won nine fights in a row overall. The young MacDonald shouldn’t overlook Ebersole.

Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – Light Heavyweight

Both of these fighters need a win as Ortiz is 1-5-1 in his last seven fights, while “Little Nog” has dropped two in a row. Nogueria will probably come in as the favorite as his recent history is better and even though he hasn’t been that impressive since joining the UFC, he isn’t the one fighting for his job. President Dana White won’t confirm it, but it’s possible that Ortiz will be cut if he gets knocked out like he did against Rashad Evans in August.

Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Dung – Featherweight

Hominick, another Canadian fighter, should get the edge in your sportsbook in December, and this is his first fight since the last card in Toronto, where he fought through a massive hematoma against champion Jose Aldo, gamely losing in a draw. Dung earned a submission win in his UFC debut in March, but that was at a Fight Night card. A PPV card is a different animal, so nerves could factor into Dung’s performance and that’s why he’ll be an underdog in your online wagering picks.

The MLB playoffs are in full swing as we’re down to the final four, so it should be no surprise that it highlights our sports betting schedule for the week, but they’ll have to share the spotlight with the NFL and NHL.

Monday

Bears Lions Odds (8:30 PM ET): Detroit is a 4.5-point favorite at Bet Online, and the undefeated Lions have been the darlings of the early portion of the NFL season. But they’ll have their hands full against Chicago, who will be up for this NFC North rivalry contest and their defense is out to prove that they’re a better unit than they’ve shown so far.

Tuesday

Rangers Tigers Odds (8:05 PM ET): The ALCS switches cities to Detroit, and your price per head odds should have the Tigers as the favorite as they send out Doug Fister to take on Colby Lewis. Fister has been a remarkable pickup for Detroit and pitched in the ALDS clincher against the New York Yankees, but the stakes are even higher at this point.

Wednesday

Brewers Cardinals Odds (8:05 PM ET): The NLCS will also head into their third game, and this pitching matchup should be one to watch as the Brewers go with Yovani Gallardo, while the Cardinals counter with Chris Carpenter. The former Cy Young winner is coming off a near-perfect performance against Roy Halladay and Philadelphia on the road in the NLDS clincher, and he’ll have to reach back even more to give St. Louis a chance against their bitter Central rivals.

Thursday

Canucks Red Wings Odds (7:30 PM ET): Your price per head bookie should know that the road to the Western Conference title in the NHL will likely go through one of these cities, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them doing battle later on down the line. The Canucks are favored to get back to the Stanley Cup, but you can never count out the veteran Red Wings when it comes to Stanley Cup odds.

Friday

Brewers Cardinals Odds (8:05 PM ET): Finally, Game 4 of the NLCS features a rematch of Game 1, when neither Milwaukee’s Zack Greinke nor St. Louis’ Jaime Garcia had their best stuff in a 9-6 win for the Brewers. Greinke should get some special attention from the St. Louis crowd after making remarks about Carpenter, who he says is a “phony”, and it’ll be interesting to see how a pitcher with anxiety issues in his past handles what should be the most hostile environment he has ever had to pitch in. Look for St. Louis to be favored, but this is a game that could go either way in your sports betting book.