In the FCS Huddle: Coaches at dropped programs regroup
NCAA Football Betting Lines
09/08/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's unusual for a 59-year-old man who has
spent more than four decades in football to be calling himself an "apprentice"
at what he is doing, but Rocky Hager is joking about it today.
This time last year, Hager didn't have a clue that the Northeastern program he
guided as head coach would no longer exist. The same can be said for Dave
Cohen, who was the head coach at Hofstra.
To this day, anybody connected with either program has a hollow feeling about
both schools' decision to drop football following last season.
Affected most dramatically were the coaches and players. Many players
transferred to other programs across the country and gained immediate
eligibility this season. Cohen landed at Western Michigan as its new defensive
coordinator and linebackers coach. Hager, meanwhile, took a step back from
coaching and is serving as a technical assistant to Jim Maconaghy, the CAA
Football coordinator of officials. Hager's job is to evaluate the performance
of officials.
"At this point, I have some Patriot (League) games and I do anticipate that
I'll have a couple games in the Ivy (League), primarily evaluating officials,
helping to keep things organized there," Hager said. "The (CAA), the Patriot
and the Ivy have really good organization to the officiating part. I've always
felt very strongly about how they've gone about doing things. And when you
watch them on the field, they're disciplined, they're where they belong."
Where the 59-year-old Hager belongs is in football. His entire staff of
assistants at Northeastern last season has moved on to coach elsewhere, even
if
the head man is not himself patrolling the sidelines this fall. Hager hopes to
land another position next year, with his preference to remain a head coach.
"I just told somebody, the last time I didn't have fall camp is when I was a
senior in high school and that was the fall of 1968," Hager said. "Otherwise
I've been involved either playing or coaching since the fourth grade."
A two-time Division II national championship-winning coach at North Dakota
State, Hager struggled to revive Northeastern's program in the ultra-
competitive CAA. The Huskies' best records in his six seasons were 5-6 overall
and 4-4 in conference play, with last year's squad going 3-8 overall and 3-5
in
conference games.
But Northeastern's decision to pull the carpet out from under the football
program - citing financial concerns and declining attendance - still hurt
Hager and the rest of the program.
Hager remained on campus until March 12, helping coaches and players with
their decisions and placement in other programs. All he could do was regroup
and move forward.
"I understand the numbers as to what the primary factors in the decision for
Northeastern University were," Hager said. "I can't tell you that I completely
agree with them for the simple reasons that there were a lot of young men that
didn't have the opportunity to continue to play, although there's quite a few
out there playing right now (at other schools).
"They're virtually all over the place. And then there are some that are still
at Northeastern finishing their degree. Of course, the university was very
committed [that those who] stayed were going to be able to keep their
financial
aid until they completed either what would have been the clock on their
eligibility or their degree. So there's good involved, but there's still
disappointment.
"We made a good run at it. I would have liked to have been able to continue
it. I think we were on the brink of going to a much higher level with our
program. We had a staff together that was very compatible in the final year
and felt really good about how things were going.
"It was traumatic. Probably the hardest thing was seeing 6-foot-6, 300-pound
young men just absolutely crying their eyes out. That's gut-wrenching."
Hofstra enjoyed more success in recent years than Northeastern, including 7-4
overall and 4-4 conference records in 2007 - Cohen's third of four seasons at
Hofstra. In the Pride's final season last fall, they were 5-6 and 3-5.
Cohen declined an interview request about Hofstra dropping football, choosing
to concentrate on Western Michigan's season, which is 0-1 and continues
Saturday versus an FCS opponent, visiting Nicholls State.
"I think three things," Cohen told the Kalamazoo Gazette, summing up his
coaching philosophies. "No. 1, they have to know you care. If they don't, it's
never going to work. No. 2, they have to understand that you're here to get
them better. And No. 3, it's going to be our way, that it's not going to be
their way.
"But I think you can't get to No. 3 if you don't get to No. 1 first."
NO TIME TO CROWE
Fresh off its 49-48, double-overtime upset at Ole Miss, Jacksonville State
comes back to the FCS level for its home opener against Chattanooga on
Saturday.
Considering Chattanooga coulda, woulda and shoulda beaten Southern Conference
power Appalachian State in its opener - falling 42-41 in a game it led 28-7 -
Jacksonville State coach Jack Crowe says, "If there is an ounce of arrogance,
we will seek to get it out by Saturday."
Fifth-ranked Jacksonville State, which got a lot of production from two
quarterbacks, Marques Ivory and Coty Blanchard against Ole Miss, will dedicate
its expanded Burgess-Snow Field before Saturday's game.
"I have watched extensively the game that Chattanooga played with Appalachian
State, the number three team in the country and missed three extra points from
winning that game," Crowe said. "We are playing the best Chattanooga team that
we have ever played and I think we are playing the best quarterback (B.J.
Coleman) that we will face this season. He is superb and I don't see why he is
not playing quarterback at Tennessee because that is where he transferred
from. We have a challenge of controlling a well-oiled offense. We made enough
mistakes on both sides of the ball that will get you beat. We are a team of
destiny if what I saw in that locker room after the game on Saturday, but
destiny can slip right through our fingers if we don't handle it the right
way."
LET'S GET IT STARTED
The two teams in The Sportsbook Betting Lines/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 that did not play
last week are both from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, No. 9 South
Dakota State and No. 14 Northern Iowa. Each opens play on Saturday.
South Dakota State plays in arguably the best FCS matchup of the weekend, a
visit to No. 16 Delaware for their first-ever meeting. Northern Iowa opens at
home, but gets a little more than it bargained for after watching North Dakota
State go to the University of Kansas and win 6-3 last Saturday.
"I think the environment that we're going to play in Cedar Falls is going to
be much more of a hostile environment than Memorial Stadium in Kansas. That
was pretty docile," North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl said. "And the type of
team that we're going to be playing is going to be a much more physical,
aggressive football team than KU. And quite frankly I think we're going to be
playing a better opponent. I know one school is in the Big 12 and the other
one is in the Missouri Valley. I think that gives an indication on how we see
Missouri Valley play and the respect we give Northern Iowa."
THE NEXT MAJOR UPSET?
Out in the Big Sky Conference, the feeling is Montana State can be this
weekend's slayer of an FBS program as the Bobcats visit struggling Washington
State. The Cougars of the Pac-10 were 1-11 last season and fell 65-17 at
Oklahoma State to open this season.
The 24th-ranked Bobcats trail 8-0 in the series, but have the physical style
and strong rushing defense to warrant thoughts of another FCS upset. Their
last win over an FBS team came against Colorado in 2006.
Junior college transfer Orenzo Davis rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown in
Montana State's 59-10, season-opening win over Fort Lewis. The Bobcats start a
freshman, Denarius McGhee, at quarterback, which could factor in against an
FBS team. They have experienced QB Cody Kempt backing up McGhee.
TAKE IT EASY
As Villanova won its first FCS national title last season, it ranked fourth
nationally with 240.3 rushing yards per game. All-CAA first-team quarterback
Chris Whitney led the way with 987 yards on 203 carries, rushing for six
touchdowns.
The senior has returned this season with more command of the offense, and he
was efficient in Villanova's 31-24, season-opening loss to Temple. But the
Wildcats might use him less in the rushing game to decrease the chance of
injury.
The Wildcats have only one other scholarship quarterback on their roster, true
freshman Dustin Thomas. Yikes!
"With Chris we didn't run a lot of option against them," head coach Andy
Talley said. "We just really felt like we wanted to keep him as healthy as we
could. He does have a bad back. It's something he's been laboring with all
summer. So we really are trying to limit his reps in the running game"
Whitney had nine carries for 29 yards against Temple. He completed 17-of-25
passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Villanova is well-stocked in the run game as its second-, third- and fourth-
leading rushers also returned this season. Matt Szczur, Aaron Ball and Angelo
Babbaro combined for 2,049 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground last season.
The second-ranked Wildcats visit Lehigh on Saturday.
WHEN EAGLES DON'T TAKE FLIGHT
As first-year head coach Jeff Monken brings the triple option back to former
national power Georgia Southern - after recent seasons of a spread attack -
the Eagles got great first signs against Savannah State, rushing for 431 yards
and six touchdowns in a 48-3 win. Fullback Robert Brown's 122 yards and a TD
on 20 carries led the way.
On Saturday, the six-time FCS national champions (most recently in 1999 and
2000 when Monken was a Georgia Southern assistant coach) get a more formidable
assignment for their retooling process. It basically comes against a mirror
image in Navy, whose commitment to the run is on an even higher level.
"The schemes are very similar. What they try to do with the football and what
we try to do with the football, and how we try to accomplish gaining yards in
the running game are very similar," Monken said. "However, they are much more
efficient at it than we are. They've been doing it a lot longer. Those kids in
that program have not ever done anything else on offense but that offense. So
they're a lot more grooved in and a lot more efficient. And we're going to
have to be able to gain yards on them, be more efficient than we were on
Saturday night in terms of our assignments and our efforts and those things in
order to beat a very good Navy team."
CHRISTIAN ANTHONY UPDATE
It still appears unlikely Grambling State senior defensive end Christian
Anthony will play this season, but the FCS' most dominant defensive lineman
has been working out on his own following his hospitalization last month for
chest pains, which apparently amounted to a minor heart attack.
Anthony remains in good spirits and is taking classes at Grambling State. He
hasn't had any chest pains since his release from the hospital.
Anthony was the 2009 Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the
Year and made The Sportsbook Betting Lines All-America First Team. He was fourth in the
voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top defensive player in
the FCS.
THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER
The potential Legacy Bowl that could bring the winners of the MEAC and SWAC
back together after the regular season remains on hold. MEAC schools, which
still send their champion to the FCS playoffs, decided to postpone a vote this
fall regarding whether they should give up their automatic bid for a likely
more lucrative payday against the SWAC ... Speaking of the nation's
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tennessee State seems ready for
a successful season under new coach Rod Reed. The Tigers, a winner of 14 Black
College national titles, long ago moved on to the Ohio Valley Conference but
still play four of their first five games against MEAC and SWAC teams,
including Jackson State on Saturday in the Southern Heritage Classic in
Memphis, Tenn. ... Dominic who? No, nobody at Holy Cross is saying that about
three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Dominic Randolph. But
new quarterback Ryan Taggart got off to a big start this season by completing
17-of-29 passes for 186 yards and three touchdown passes against Howard in a
38-7 Crusaders' win ... Linebacker Jeffery Williams made a triumphant return
to
the Garder-Webb lineup last Saturday against Brevard, collecting 19 tackles
and
The Sportsbook Betting Lines/Fathead.com FCS National Defensive Player of the Week award
while helping to put an injury-plagued 2009 behind him. But Williams doesn't
have Marty Patterson by his side because the preseason All-America is
sidelined
for the season by a labrum tear in his hip caused by an irregular structure of
his hip socket, which he was born with. Tough break for the Runnin' Bulldogs
... Another preseason All-America linebacker, William & Mary's Jake Trantin,
is
expected back in the lineup against VMI after missing last Saturday's 27-23
loss at Massachusetts because of a concussion suffered in practice last week
... Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses became the Southland
Conference's all-time leader in completions last Saturday against Texas A&M,
upping his career total to 867 passes ... Cancel the rest of the Rocky
Mountain
Athletic Conference season, the Big Sky Conference apparently locked up the
title last weekend. The conference unmercifully beat four teams from the
Division II conference by a combined score of 233-12 ... Saturday's games will
be on the ninth anniversary of 9/11.
JUST THE PICKS
Last Week's and Season Record: 76-10 (.884)
X=projected winner
Saturday, Sept. 11
Bentley at X-Central Connecticut State, noon
Gardner-Webb at X-Akron, noon
South Dakota at X-Minnesota, noon
Illinois State at X-Northwestern, noon
Texas Southern at X-Connecticut, noon
X-Dayton at Duquesne, noon
X-Robert Morris at Sacred Heart, noon
Western Illinois at X-Purdue, noon
(2) X-Villanova at Lehigh, noon
St. Francis, Pa., at X-Morehead State, 1 p.m.
Lambuth at X-Georgia State, 1 p.m.
Saint Anselm at X-Bryant, 1 p.m.
Maine at X-Monmouth, 1 p.m.
(9) X-South Dakota State at (16) Delaware, 1 p.m.
X-Old Dominion at Campbell, 1 p.m.
X-Hampton at Howard, 1 p.m.
(6) New Hampshire at X-Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Valparaiso at X-Franklin, 1:30 p.m.
X-Wofford at Charleston Southern, 1:30 p.m.
(12) James Madison at X-Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m.
(25) Colgate at X-Furman, 2 p.m.
Central Arkansas at (23) X-Eastern Illinois, 2:30 p.m.
Presbyterian at X-Clemson, 3:30 p.m.
Eastern Kentucky at X-Louisville, 3:30 p.m.
Jacksonville at (3) X-Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern at X-Navy, 3:30 p.m.
X-Fort Valley State at Savannah State, 4 p.m.
North Carolina A&T at X-Norfolk State, 4 p.m.
Mississippi Valley State at (15) X-South Carolina State, 6 p.m.
Butler at X-Youngstown State, 6 p.m.
Tusculum at X-Western Carolina, 6 p.m.
Morgan State at X-Maryland, 6 p.m.
X-Rhode Island at Fordham, 6 p.m.
Holy Cross at (18) X-Massachusetts, 6 p.m.
X-Samford at Northwestern State, 6 p.m.
X-Florida A&M at Delaware State, 6 p.m.
American International at X-Stony Brook, 6 p.m.
X-Winston-Salem State at North Carolina Central, 6 p.m.
Bucknell at X-Marist, 6 p.m.
Georgetown at X-Lafayette, 6 p.m.
Shaw at (8) X-Elon, 7 p.m.
North Dakota at X-Northern Illinois, 7 p.m.
Webber at X-Lamar, 7 p.m.
Austin Peay at X-Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m.
X-Southeast Missouri State at Murray State, 7 p.m.
UT Martin at X-Southeast Louisiana, 7 p.m.
Albany at (10) X-Stephen F. Austin, 7 p.m.
(22) Prairie View A&M at X-Southern Mississippi, 7 p.m.
Southern Arkansas at X-Texas State, 7 p.m.
Nicholls State at X-Western Michigan, 7 p.m.
(24) Montana State at X-Washington State, 7 p.m.
Jackson State at X-Tennessee State, 7 p.m.
Davidson at X-Lenoir-Rhyne, 7 p.m.
Arkansas-Monticello at X-Southern U., 7 p.m.
X-Wagner at Assumption, 7 p.m.
VMI at (11) X-William & Mary, 7 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at X-Towson, 7 p.m.
Chattanooga at (5) X-Jacksonville State, 7 p.m.
(13) McNeese State at X-Missouri, 7 p.m.
(19) Liberty at X-Ball State, 7 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at X-TCU, 7 p.m.
Central State at X-Alabama A&M, 7 p.m.
Missouri State at X-Kansas State, 7 p.m.
(4) Southern Illinois at X-Illinois, 7:30 p.m.
(21) North Dakota State at (14) X-Northern Iowa, 7:37 p.m.
San Diego at X-Southern Utah, 8 p.m.
X-Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama State, 8 p.m.
X-Drake at Missouri S&T, 8 p.m.
Idaho State at X-Utah State, 8 p.m.
Northern Colorado at (20) X-Weber State, 8:05 p.m.
Portland State at X-UC Davis, 9 p.m.
Central Washington at (17) X-Eastern Washington, 9 p.m.
(1) X-Montana at Cal Poly, 9:05 p.m.
Western Oregon at X-Sacramento State, 9:05 p.m.
The Citadel at X-Arizona, 10 p.m.
Northern Arizona at X-Arizona State, 10 p.m.
<< Serbia knocks Spain out of Worlds
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milos Teodosic drilled a long three-
pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining to lift Serbia to a 92-89 victory over
Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Spain trailed throu
<< CFL Previews - September 10-12 - Week Eleven
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
CALGARY STAMPEDERS (8-1) AT EDMONTON ESKIMOS (2-7)
DATE & TIME: Friday, September 10, 9:00 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: Friday night brings out the best and the worst in the Canadian
Football League as
<< Dolphins sign Clifton Smith
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins have signed former Pro Bowl
return specialist Clifton Smith, who spent the previous two seasons with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Smith has played 20 games in his NFL career and was Pro Bo
<< No. 21 Tigers, Bulldogs feature potent offenses
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -In one of the ugliest games in recent college football history, Auburn and Mississippi State punted, fumbled and stumbled their way to a 3-2 finish in 2008 that made both schools cringe.Auburn won - on the scoreboard.But real
<< Vikings-Saints: Great way to get going
Maybe this time Brett Favre won't get picked off with victory in his grasp.In as juicy a season opener as the NFL could provide, Favre marches the Minnesota Vikings into New Orleans on Thursday night for a reprise of January's NFC championship game.
Star QBs dot Pac-10 landscape >>
PHOENIX (AP) -The Pac-10 has always been known as the quarterback conference, churning out stars such as John Elway, Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe.After a few down years under center, the Pac is back.Led by four potential first-round NFL draft picks,
Is the wild card hurting the division races? >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before I get started here, let me state that I was a big
proponent of the wild card when it was implemented back in 1995, and I am still
in favor of it today. In fact, I am on the side of those who wish to expand the
playoffs
Alabama's Ingram likely to miss Penn State game >>
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alabama junior running back Mark Ingram will
likely miss Saturday's game against Penn State as he continues to recover from
knee surgery performed last week.
Ingram was hurt during practice on August 30
Pass-happy Big 12 boasts nation's top 3 rushers >>
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -The Big 12 is ready to run again.The pass-happy league that's been known in recent years for producing Heisman Trophy finalists at quarterback is now the home of the nation's top three rushers.Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter,
NFL Capsule: Minnesota at New Orleans >>
MINNESOTA (13-5) At NEW ORLEANS (16-3)8:30 p.m. ET, NBCOPENING LINE - Saints by 4 1/2RECORD VS. SPREAD - Minnesota 11-6-1; New Orleans 10-9SERIES RECORD - Vikings lead 20-8LAST MEETING - Saints beat Vikings 31-28, Jan. 24, 2010VIKINGS OFFENSE - OVER
MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines
Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow. Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season. Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints. These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order. As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS. The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens. The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.
MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:
Saints +6 @ Colts -6
Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)
Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)
Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5
Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1
Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3
Patriots -5 @ Jets +5
Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5
Steelers -4 @ Browns +4
Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6
Bears +6 @ Chargers -6
Lions +3 @ Raiders -3
Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5
Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4
Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3
Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3
Super Bowl line (2008)
NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5
MySportsbook is a large, publicly traded company with strong financial backing. You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
There is little doubt that the NFL is where the sportsbooks see the most action and also make the most loot. The NFL possesses betting friendly attributes that are unlike any of the other major sports. First off, there are relatively few teams to keep track of in comparison to college football betting or college basketball. And second, these teams play only once a week which makes staying on top of the results much easier than it is in the daily leagues such as the NBA, NHL, and MLB.
These dynamics, along with the sheer excitement of watching and wagering on football, brings more square action to the table than any of the other sports. Almost every Tom, Dick and Harry in America is an NFL expert in their own mind and that is precisely what the oddsmakers prey upon.
Understanding who bets the games is just as important as understanding which teams are playing the games. The market at times will dictate price, which in the betting world means the oddsmakers cater to the public rather than reality.
Knowing the market inside and out is the basis of our NFL handicapping model. That is, our approach to NFL handicapping is of the contrarian or value seeking variety. We will at times place a higher premium on public sentiment than on the fundamentals. This strategy dictates playing dogs and/or lesser competent teams, or teams the public wants nothing to do with. Or better yet, fading the teams the oddsmakers want you to bet on.
Along these same lines, we carry a similar notion that the first week of the NFL season presents one of the ripest opportunities for the astute gambler. This conflicts with conventional wisdom and/or handicapping lore, as most would say it is better to watch a few games and assess each team before jumping in with both feet. That’s all fine and dandy, but there are some interesting trends to exploit in Week 1 and we’d be remiss to ignore them. Let us quickly explain.
Gone are the days of dynasties, where the same core players stay intact and dominate the league year after year. Free agency and player movements can completely transform teams from one season to the next. In today’s parity-driven NFL, poor teams typically don’t stay poor for all that long and excellent teams must constantly reinvent themselves to stay on top.
The temptation might be to assume prior year results are the best indicator of who is going to cover in Week 1. To Joe Public, playoff teams from the prior season, home teams, favorites, and so one, look even more enticing than usual since there is no current season performance to judge them against. But the question begs: are the oddsmakers setting a trap?
To find the answer, we culled five years worth of Week 1 NFL data. As always, all of our analysis is done from an ATS perspective. The purpose here is to share the most important angles we unearthed and try to explain the logic behind them. So strap on your helmet, throw on your shoulder pads, and follow our lead as we expose some rare holes in the oddsmakers’ line of defense.
Home vs. Away Teams
Over the past five seasons, NFL home teams in Week 1 are just 31-42-7 ATS (42 percent). This of course implies that roadies are a 58 percent winning proposition during this time. The public at large has a tendency to overvalue home teams and this is especially true in Week 1 when there is no current season data to make predictions from. Consequently, the oddsmakers almost surely shade the home teams, by and large making road teams the choice for the value player.
Conclusion: Look long and hard at road teams first when handicapping the opening week.
Price ranges
Favorites are just 31-42-7 ATS (42 percent) in the opening week over the past five NFL seasons (Coincidentally, home teams hold the same ATS record as noted above). This means that underdogs bark at a 58 percent clip. Mid-range favorites performed the worst among our specified price ranges. In particular, favorites priced between –3 1/2 and –6 1/2 are only 8-15 ATS (35 percent) during this time.
The same basic pattern holds true when looking at home favorites (road favorites gravitate towards a 50 percent mean). Home favorites indeed are just 21-32-3 ATS (40 percent) in the first week of NFL action since 1999. Again, mid-range favorites are similarly the poorest performers when we look at home teams. Consider that home teams priced between –3 1/2 and –6 1/2 have stumbled to a 6-13 ATS (32 percent) mark in Week 1 games the past five seasons.
Conclusion: Like home teams, favorites and particularly mid-range favorites are generally overvalued in Week 1.
Playoff teams
It might surprise you to learn that playoff teams from the prior year versus non-playoff teams from the prior year are a mere 16-23-3 (41 percent) ATS in NFL Week 1 games over the past five seasons. Home teams which made the playoffs versus teams which did not make the playoffs from the prior season drop to a meager 7-14-1 ATS (33 percent) during this time.
Why are playoff teams, and in particular those at home, such bad bets the past five openers? Just as the case with home teams and with favorites, oddsmakers intentionally overprice playoff teams in the opening week to compensate for the public’s propensity to over bet them.
This theory holds true just looking at straight-up records from the past season as well. That is, home teams with winning records from the prior season vs. road teams with losing records from the prior season are just 8-13 ATS in Week 1 NFL games since 1999.
Conclusion: Playoff teams from the prior year and in particular, home playoff teams, are overvalued in Week 1 NFL games.
Scoring defense and scoring offense
Do good defenses and for that matter good offenses from the prior season fare better against the number the following year in Week 1 games? Well, sort of. Generally speaking, teams with a solid offense or defense from the prior season tend to do well in the opening week so long as they are on the road. As a host, however, the best offenses and best defenses from the prior year tend to be overvalued in Week 1.
Consider that the top five scoring defenses (i.e. points allowed) from the prior season are a nice 8-4 ATS (66 percent) on the road in NFL openers the past five seasons. Meanwhile, the top five scoring defenses from the prior season are just 3-8-2 ATS (27 percent) as a host in Week 1 during the same time period.
There is no discernable advantage or disadvantage for teams with a top five scoring offense (i.e. points scored) in Week 1 games. However, when we look at scoring offenses from the bottom up (isolating the five worst offenses from the prior season), the results are rather interesting. In particular, teams ranked in the bottom five in scoring offense from the prior season are 9-4-1 ATS (69 percent) when on the road in Week 1.
The logic is simply that the public perception is a poor scoring offensive unit from the year prior will have little chance of winning on the road in Week 1. In turn, the oddsmakers compensate for this perception and these poor offensive teams from the year prior carry extra line value on the Week 1 trail.
Conclusion: Teams with top-ranked defenses from the previous season are good bets when playing on the road, but poor bets when playing at home. Also, teams ranked among the bottom five in scoring offense from the prior season are generally a good value in their Week 1 openers, provided they are playing on the road.
Scoring margin
An exceedingly straightforward way of measuring scoring offense and scoring defense together as a whole is to look at a team's “margin." Margin is simply scoring offense minus scoring defense, which is a fairly clear-cut measure of how a team does on both sides of the ball. Typically, the higher the margin, the better the team.
In this regard, it might seem counterintuitive that teams carrying the higher margin from the prior season in week one matchups are merely 31-42-7 ATS (42 percent). Furthermore, road teams with the higher margin are 14-20-6 ATS (41 percent), while home teams with the higher margin are 17-22-1 ATS (44 percent). Once again, these results line up with the theory that better teams from the prior year are overvalued come opening day of the following season.
Conclusion: “Better” teams, which often boast a higher margin than their opponent, are overvalued the following season in NFL openers.
In sum
Oddsmakers cater NFL betting lines to match public perception and also to bait the public into poor bets. The temptation to use the prior year’s success as a buy sign for how a team will perform against the spread in Week 1 of the following season is an enormous trap.
The fact is, isolating road teams, road dogs, non-playoff teams vs. playoff teams, teams with a losing record or low margin vs. playoff teams or ones with a high margin from the previous year is where the line value resides. Quite simply, taking the road less traveled is your surest path to NFL betting profits.
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
your source for online betting
As the web was just getting it's footing in the business world in 1997, My Sportsbook was breaking new
ground in the online sportsbook arena. Offering over 20 Las Vegas Games and backed by Sporting Bet UK,
the largest publicly traded Internet gaming company in the world today, My Sportsbook offers betting lines
on every major sporting event in the world, including Online MLB Baseball Betting. With a wide array of bonuses including a 10% Free Money bonus
to all new customers, My Sportsbook is a top online sportsbook, poker room, casino and racebook -- join today!For those that feel that a site like My Sportsbook is only a sportsbook we would like to introduce you to
a place where a single login allows you to not only bet on every major sporting event in the world but also
to bet on horses at over 90 different tracks or play at over 20 Las Vegas style table games in their top online
casino. My Sportsbook has won many awards for it's site design and ease of use as well as it's 24/7
customer support. Get all your gaming done in one spot - try My Sportsbook Today!
|
Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
read more
|
online sportsbook and casino
Since 2000, Best eCasino has maintained a 98.5% payout rate on all their more than 20 Las Vegas style games.
Each of their award winning games including, blackjack (and blackjack super 7s), Baccarat, Roulette and Craps are
available as either a downloadable program or as java programs that can be played directly within your browser. Don't
know how to play a certain game? Read the details and strategy here and start with their Play for Fun section which
allows you to practice a game before taking on the casino. Let's see any Vegas casino do that... Best eCasino doesn't stop there, they now offer horse wagering and sportsbook lines to round off all the online
gaming industry have to offer. They are consistently at the forefront of the industry with new innovations consistently
starting with their site. These guys are the entrepreneur's of the online gaming world and they set the standard for others
to follow. So bet with a leader that's backed by the largest online gaming company in the world with 24 hour customer support,
Best eCasino.
|