Holiday time is here but we have a full plate of sports to go along with all the holiday offerings. Lets start with as look at the long but fun College Football Bowl season.
Its bowl time. The NCAA postseason kicked off Dec. 19th, with 33 games being played in a three week span. I talked about the Vegas Bowl in my other blog so lets take a look a longer another bowl game this week with a quick look at the Vegas Bowl.
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
* Dec. 22 (Tuesday), 8pm. ESPN.
* #14 Brigham Young (10-2) vs. #18 Oregon State (8-4)
Here’s your first bowl of the year featuring ranked opponents. BYU started the year off with that shocking win against Oklahoma (which looks less shocking now) and finished only dropping games to FSU and TCU. This will be BYU’s fifth straight Las Vegas Bowl appearance; they are 2-2 over four years.
Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl
* Dec. 24 (Thursday), 8pm. ESPN.
* Southern Methodist University (7-5) vs. Nevada (8-4)
Two reasons to watch this bowl: 1) this is SMU’s first bowl since the NCAA handed down the “death penalty” in 1987 (read that wikipedia piece if you’ve ever wondered why there is no SWC to match the SEC) and 2) Nevada runs an uniques offense called the “Pistol” which was created by current head coach Chris Ault.
Lets take a look at these two teams and the matchups.
Southern Methodist University (7-5) vs. Nevada (8-4)
About Southern Methodist : What a difference a year can make!
After hiring former Hawaii Coach June Jones, who promptly led the Mustangs to a 1-11 record in 2008, SMU is back in bowl country.
It was scary for a while, as they had hit 3-4 by midseason, and were looking at another losing record. Instead, SMU won four out of its last five games to make themselves bowl eligible for the first time in 25 years.
When Coach Jones left Hawaii for SMU, he brought his pass-heavy offense with him.
They were effective in the passing game, throwing for 267.17 yards a game (28th in NCAA FBS), but it was their running game that kept the Mustangs motoring towards the finish.
Junior RB Shawnbrey McNeal rushed for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns, a rarity for a run-and-shoot offense. His ability to gain yards (5.2 yards per carry) helped SMU when starting QB Bo Levi Mitchell went down with an injury.
That forced Freshman QB Kyle Padron into the role, and he responded with a 5-1 record in six starts, throwing for 1,462 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Senior WR Emmanuel Sanders is eighth in the nation with 101.25 receiving yards a game.
They rank in the bottom half of the primary defensive statistics, so SMU will rely heavily on their offense, and turn the game into a shootout.
About Nevada : An 0-3 start, including an opening day 35-0 loss against Notre Dame, doesn’t give too many teams hope of making a bowl game.
Win eight in a row and that changes everything.
Even a season-ending loss to rival Boise State still makes Nevada a tempting team at 8-4.
Nevada won their games using a rushing attack that is rivaled to no one.
The No. 1 team in the nation in rushing (362.25 yards per game), the Wolfpack boasts an unprecedented three 1,000 yard rushers. On top of that, all three rush for over seven yards a carry.
Junior RB Vai Taua (1,345 yards, 10 touchdowns), Junior QB Colin Kaepernick (1,160, 16 touchdowns), and Senior RB Luke Lippincott (1,034 yards, nine touchdowns) are the three pieces of the rushing tripod.
Kaepernick also contributed 1,865 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, which all add up to the nations number two offense overall (521.58 yards per game), and fifth highest scoring offense (40.58 points per game).
Taua’s 122.27 rushing yards a game is ninth in the nation. They too, will look to make this game a high-scoring affair, but keep the clock running by using the run game exclusively, though they will be without Lippincott, who is out with a toe injury.
The Matchup : SMU returns to the same site they played their last bowl, when they won the Aloha Bowl in 1984. They are 4-6-1 all-time in bowl history.
Nevada is currently mired in a three bowl game losing streak, since winning their first ever appearance at the Hawaii Bowl in 2005. They are 3-6 all-time in bowl games.
Nevada also holds a 3-2 advantage in matchups against SMU.
Even without Lippincott, the combination of Taua and Kaepernick should be formative, especially in their popular “Pistol” package.
For an SMU squad that usually gives up 169.17 yards per game on the ground, that spells big trouble. Should SMU find a way to stack the box and hold the duo to minimal gains (which is difficult in itself), Kaepernick will look to keep the defense honest with play-action passes, then look to some quick outs with single coverage on the sideline.
For Padron, he benefits against facing the second worst team in NCAA FBS passing defense (Nevada gives up 284.3 yards a game). So even if Nevada can handle McNeal, Padron should find Sanders plenty, moving big chunks down the field.
The Hawaii Bowl has been around since 2002.
In NFL news after a full slate of games on Sunday, the NFL playoff picture is a little clearer. The week 15 NFL schedule had several key match-ups, with one NFC East divisional match-up pending. The Giants will need to win to stay alive in their playoff picture. A look at breakdowns of the top teams and playoff contenders with a synopsis about their remaining schedule and what would need to happen for the team to get into the postseason…
There are still a few weeks left in the 2009-2010 NFL schedule and we recommend signing up for an account at SBGglobal Sportsbook before the playoffs get underway. They are offering a 30% cash sign-up bonus that is good for all new customers and there’s nothing wrong with some free holiday cash.
AFC: It is clear now that the Colts and San Diego, two of the league’s hottest teams, will have first round byes and host a second round home game. Will San Diego run the gauntlet and win out after already going on a tear with wins in a row thus far. The Colts are looking for the perfect season, and don’t need to worry about keeping pace with New Orleans. The Saints lost Saturday, which was a shock to many considering how bad Dallas has been. They were predicted to cover the spread, but who would’ve really picked them to win the game outright? Besides for the elite two AFC teams, the Patriots and Bengals lead their divisions, and with their schedules remaining, they both should hang on and get into the postseason as division winners.
That leaves the Wild card teams. The AFC is a jumbled mess as far as the Wild Card spots. There are 6 teams that are technically still alive at 7-7 on the season, as Denver and Baltimore lead the race with an 8-6 mark a piece. Neither of these teams impress me, and with their remaining schedules, it may not be a guarantee. The biggest match-ups shown in the Week 16 NFL schedule show Baltimore playing Pittsburgh, and Miami traveling to Houston. Two big games with big playoff implications. The losers of these games will likely be on the outside of the playoff looking glass.
As for the NFC, the Saints and Vikings are locks for the byes, with the Saints winding up with a #1 seed eventually. Minnesota has not looked good in their road games of late and need to find answers fast. Arizona won their division, and the final week meeting between Philly and Dallas will decide the division winner in the NFC East. I like Dallas in that game, with a huge revenge factor from last year’s whopping Philly gave them, knocking their postseason hopes out.
Regardless, both of those teams will get into the playoffs. The Giants need help to stay alive and have to run the table, in which they will not do. I don’t even like them on Monday evening. Green bay will most likely take the 6th and final spot concreting the 6 for the NFC. The biggest NFC games next week pit the Cowboys at Washington in a must win game for Dallas, while Green bay hosts the Seahawks, who were numbed by Tampa in week 15. Look for both teams to win next week.
So who is hot in the NBA right now?
The Lakers take to the road and transform into road warriors, winning four out of five games on the road. The Celtics were hurt by home loss to Philadelphia to snap 11-game winning streak and their one-week run at the top of the rankings. Orlando has won three of four, including a home win against Portland, and Magic will be helped by the return of starting point guard Jameer Nelson. Dallas continues to its upward climb this season, particularly after a solid home win – without Dirk Nowitzki – against Cleveland.
So who is the playing best right now?
1. L.A. Lakers _ Posted 4-1 record in first extended road trip with 10-point average margin of victory.
2. Boston _ Rasheed Wallace has 10 technical fouls already. But he’s not going to change. Just ask him. If you dare.
3. Orlando –_ Dwight Howard averaging 15.6 points, 17.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots a game in last five games.
Have a great holidays everyone !
December 21st, 2009 8:52:01 PM GMT+5 | Posted in Basketball, College Football, Football, Sports by johngm | No Comments
No. 1 Florida Gators (12-0) vs. No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0)
One of the leading sportsbooks as the Gators favored by 5.5 points with a total of 42.5.
Man, this SEC Championship match up between these two teams has been anticipated since before the first whistler blew this season. Both teams stayed undefeated to set up this stellar match up where the winner will be heading the BCS Championship game. The loser of this big game will still get a BCS game, likely the Sugar Bowl, but they will not be playing for the National Title.
Both Florida and Alabama have a great rushing offense, a great defense, and features a Heisman hopeful. The Gators have Tim Tebow, who has already won the award, and the Crimson Tide have RB Mark Ingram, who was the leading rusher in the SEC this season and even though he does have an injured hip he will play in this game.
Last week Florida beat in-state rival Florida State 37-10 and Alabama beat Auburn 26-21.
This season the Gators are 5-5-1 ATS and the total has gone Under in 7 of their last 10 games. The Crimson Tide are 7-5 ATS and are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Florida.
The Gators have the 11th ranked offense in the nation and their strength is their rushing offense, which ranks 8th in the nation. Tebow not only leads the passing attack, but the rushing one as well since he is the leading rusher for the Gators this season (796 yds 13 TD). However, Tebow does not have to do it all in the backfield since RB Jeffery Demps (729 yds 7 TD) is also a legit rushing weapon. Even though the Gators only rank 64th in the nation in passing offense, Tebow can air it out and he has a couple of solid targets in Aaron Hernandez (51 rec 654 4 TD) and Riley Cooper (41 rec 703 yds 8 TD).
Alabama’s main concern is stopping the run and luckily for them that is their strength on defense, as they have the 2nd ranked rushing defense in the nation. If they can’t stop Tebow and Demps from picking up big yards on the ground in this game they will be in for a long game. The Tide have to stuff the run and make Tebow beat them through the air.
Alabama has the nation’s 40th ranked offense and the have to be able to run the ball in this game since their passing offense only ranks 93rd in the nation. Ingram (1,429 12 TD) is averaging 6.5 yards per carry this season and he will be counted on to move the chains in this game. QB Greg McElroy (2,211 yds 16 TD) is decent, but if the Tide rely on him for all the offense they will be in trouble.
Florida’s defense ranks #1 in the nation and they have the 8th ranked rushing defense.
Tide punt return man Javier Arenas is one of the best in the nation and if this game is a low scoring defensive battle his giving the Tide good field position will be very important.
My Pick: I think the experience of Florida in these types of games will be the difference. Tebow will be able to move the chains whether it is on the ground or through the air even though the Tide have such a solid defense. Ingram is banged up and will not be able to carry the offense. I see a low scoring and close game and the Tide will cover the spread the Gators will win and head to the National Championship.
December 4th, 2009 9:24:49 AM GMT+5 | Posted in College Football, Football, Free Picks, Sports, Sports Betting by Jason Green | No Comments
Ohio Bobcats (9-3) vs. Central Michigan Chippewas (10-2)
In the MAC Championship game this Friday night on ESPN2 the MAC East winners Ohio takes on the MAC West winners Central Michigan. While the Mid American Conference is not a BCS one and neither team will play in a BCS bowl game the winner of this game can greatly improve their bowl positioning while the loser will get a decent bowl at best.
At one of the leading sportsbooks Central Michigan is the big favorite in this game with a point spread of -13 with a total of 53.
This season the Bobcats are 7-4 ATS and the Chippewas are 9-2.
Both these teams ended the season well, as Ohio won their last 4 games while Central Michigan won their last 3.
It is not hard to see why Central Michigan are favored in this game, as they rank better than Ohio on both offense and defense.
The Chippewas have the nation’s 28th ranked offense and their offense is all about QB Dan LeFevour (2,788 yds 25 TD), as he not only leads the passing game, but the rushing game as well being the leading rusher for Central Michigan this season (650 yds 14 TD). To have any chance in this game Ohio will have to keep him from having a big game. That will not be easy since the Ohio defense only ranks 51st in the nation and they only rank 89th in the nation in sacks. The Chippewas’ offense has averaged 45 points in their 3-game winning streak.
If this game becomes a shootout Ohio will have a hard time winning this game, as they do not feature a high scoring offense.
The Ohio offense ranks 69th on offense and for them to win QB Theo Scott (2120 19 TD) and RB Chris Garrett (549 yds 2 TD) will both have to play well and pick up some yards. Scott does have a couple of legit targets in WR’s LaVon Brazill and Taylor Price, who are both averaging at least 13 yards per reception. These two will be counted on to make the big play downfield. The Central Michigan defense ranks 33rd in the nation and they played great down the stretch this season. However, they only had 20 sacks this season, which ranked 76th in the nation, so if the Bobcats’ offensive line can protect Scott and give him time to find his targets they have a chance to win this game.
The Bobcats are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games and they are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on the road. The Chippewas are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games and in 4 of their last 6 games the total has gone Under.
December 3rd, 2009 10:27:05 AM GMT+5 | Posted in College Football, Football, Sports, Sports Betting by Jason Green | No Comments
No. 16 Oregon State Beavers (8-3) at No. 7 Oregon Ducks (9-2)
One of the leading sportsbooks has the Ducks favored by 9.5 points with a total of 62.
This season the Ducks are 7-4 ATS and the Beavers are 7-4 ATS.
This game is for all the marbles for both teams, as the winner of this HUGE Civil War game will be the Pac 10 winner and play in the BCS Rose Bowl vs. Ohio State while the loser will be out of the BCS picture.
Both teams ended the season well, as the Beavers won their last 4 games and the Ducks won their last 2 games.
The Beavers may have a little revenge on their minds, as in last season’s Civil War game the Ducks crushed them 65-38 and that cost them a shot in the Rose Bowl.
Oregon State has the nation’s 40th ranked defense and they will have their hands full in this game against an Oregon offense that has scored more than 40 points in their last 5 games. The Ducks rank 8th in the nation in rushing offense and LaMichael James (1,310 yds 11 TD) is a great RB and is averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per carry. Jeremiah Masoli can air it out leading the Oregon passing attack, but he is also the 2nd leading rusher for the Ducks (619 yds 12 TD). If the Beavers cannot stop the Ducks from picking up big yards on the ground they will be in major trouble.
Oregon State has a more well-balanced offense, as they rank 19th in passing offense and 59th in rushing offense. QB Sean Canfield (2,797 yds 19 TD 6 INT) has to have a good game for the Beavers to win. RB Jacquizz Rodgers (1,313 yds 19 TD) is a great young RB and he has been on fire recently, as in his last 2 games he has rushed for 324 yards and scored 4 TD’s. Oregon’s defense ranks 27th in the nation and they are solid against both the pass and the run. However, in their last 2 games, both wins they gave up an average of 44 points per game. Oregon has had trouble against teams that have solid passing QB’s so they may be in for a long night.
One key for the Beavers in this game is their offensive line. They have to protect Canfield against an Oregon’ D that ranks 22nd in the nation with 30 sacks. OSU only ranks 90th in the nation in sacks allowed (27) so they have to step up in this game. If Oregon can pressure Canfield and keep Rodgers from having a big game they will be in good shape.
The Beavers are 6-1 in their last 7 games and are 8-1 in their last 9 games on the road. The Ducks are 7-2 in their last 9 games and the total has gone Over in all of their last 5 games.
My Pick: The Ducks can run the ball and run it well and they will be able to do that in this game. I think the Ducks’ defense will play well and not allow the Beavers to score a lot of points. The Ducks are a better team and they will win this game and I also think it will not be that close so they will also cover the spread.
December 2nd, 2009 11:01:00 AM GMT+5 | Posted in College Football, Football, Free Picks, Sports, Sports Betting by Jason Green | No Comments
There is one week left in the NCAA college regular season and there are some games that still have big BCS Bowl implications.
SEC Championship Game – No. 1 Florida Gators vs. No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (No Line at time of writing)
This game is THE game of the schedule, as the winner will play in the BCS title game while the loser will still, probably play in a BSC game but they will not play for the National Title. The Gators have the nation’s top-ranked defense and the Crimson Tide rank 3rd. Besides having BCS implications this game also has Heisman implications, as the individual winner of the Tim Tebow vs. Mark Ingram battle may win the coveted award. The defense that can contain the opponents’ rushing offense has a great chance to win this game. The loser of this game may end up playing in the Sugar Bowl
Big 12 Championship Game – No. 3 Texas Longhorns -14 vs. No. 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Longhorns will play in the National Title game if they can win this game. The Huskers have the nation’s 11th ranked defense and they have won 5 games in a row. However, can their 92nd ranked offense score enough points to beat the high-scoring Longhorns led by Heisman candidate Colt McCoy? The Huskers will have to win this game with their defense, as if this game becomes a shootout they will be in trouble. #4 TCU and #5 Cincinnati will be rooting for the Huskers, as the only way one of these teams will play for the National Title is if Texas loses.
No. 5 Cincinnati Bearcats at No. 15 Pittsburgh Panthers Pick-em
The winner of this game will win the Big East and play in a BCS bowl game. If Cincy wins and Texas loses there is a chance the Bearcats will play for the National Title. Pitt has the nation’s 46th ranked defense and they will have to contain Bearcats’ QB Tony Pike and the Cincy offense that ranks 4th in the nation. The Panthers were upset last week losing to West Virginia, but they have yet to lose at home this season. If Texas wins the winner of this game will likely play in the Sugar bowl against the loser of the SEC Championship Game.
New Mexico State Aggies at No. 6 Boise State Broncos -46.5
Boise State will probably finish the season undefeated and play in a BCS game, but they will not play for the National Title. I say the Broncos will end the season unbeaten since the Aggies rank dead last in the FBS on offense and only rank 99th on defense. Add to the fact that the Broncos are at home and this game has blowout written all over it. If Boise State wins they will probably play in the Fiesta Bowl.
ACC Championship Game – Clemson Tigers vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech -1
Both of these teams are coming off a loss, but it really does not matter, as the winner of this game will win the ACC and play in a BCS Bowl game. To have any chance to win this game the Tigers and their 14th ranked defense will have to stop the Tech rushing offense, which ranks 2nd in the nation. The winner of this game will likely play in the Orange Bowl.
No. 16 Oregon State Beavers at No. 7 Oregon Ducks -9.5
The winner of this game will win the Pac 10 and play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. The Ducks rank higher on offense and defense. To have any chance to win this game the Beavers and their 40th ranked defense will have to stuff the run, which will not be easy since the Ducks rushing offense ranks 8th in the nation averaging 231 yards per game on the ground.
November 30th, 2009 8:50:54 AM GMT+5 | Posted in College Football, Football, Sports, Sports Betting by Jason Green | No Comments
