Pitt takes on Utah in season opener
NCAA Football Betting Lines
09/01/2010 - Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The premiere matchup during the first night of the 2010 college football season has the Utah Utes entertaining the 15th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers in a non-conference showdown at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
"It's one of those games where one turnover might mean the difference in the game, a bad decision in the kicking game might mean the decision of the game or where a broken coverage for a touchdown might make the decision of the game," Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt noted during his weekly news conference. "There's less room for error when you're playing a very good football team at home as compared to an opponent that you can maybe make a mistake, and you're strong enough in your talent to overcome."
Clearly the pressure is on both teams to perform well coming out of the gate and live up to their lofty expectations. Last season, the Panthers posted an impressive 10-3 mark with a 5-2 record versus the rest of the Big East Conference, but in the final games of the regular season they simply couldn't get over the hump. A loss to NC State early in the 2009 campaign may have kept Pitt out of the national title picture, but clearly the setbacks to West Virginia (19-16) and versus Cincinnati (45-44) made sure of that. As a result, the Panthers were sent to the Meineke Car Care Bowl where they barely made it by North Carolina in a 19-17 final.
As for the Utes, while they are not currently ranked in the AP's Top-25, the squad is clearly on the radar having won 17 consecutive home games to rank among the best in that department as the 2010 season gets underway. Head coach Kyle Whittingham, who picked up his first win with the program back in 2005 when he and the Utes posted a 35-7 win in the Fiesta Bowl against this same Pittsburgh team in their first-ever meeting. That win was one of nine straight for the Utes in the postseason, the longest current streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Last year, ranked 23rd in the nation heading into extra play, the Utes logged a 37-27 win over California in the Poinsettia Bowl, and even though the team lost two of its last four games on the schedule, it still jumped to 18th in the final polls. The squad finished the season 10-3 and was 6-2 against the rest of the Mountain West Conference after losing to TCU (55-28) and BYU (26-23 OT) both on the road.
The importance of this season-opening game has not been lost on coach Whittingham and he is ready to get the action started.
"Pittsburgh's very good. They have a lot of weapons. There are a lot of positives for a team that was picked to win the Big East. Our guys are ready. They are having great practices. The work ethic is good, the focus is good."
Opening on the road for the first time since 1993, the Panthers are led on offense by sophomore running back Dion Lewis and quarterback Tino Sunseri. Lewis exploded onto the scene for Pittsburgh with a total of 10 100-yard rushing games and eight straight to close out 2009 as he averaged 138.4 ypg on the ground to not only rank first in the league but also third in the nation at such a young age. With an average of 5.5 yards per attempt and a total of 17 touchdowns, Lewis showed the sort of flashes that made Tony Dorsett a legend at Pittsburgh.
However, as great as Lewis might be, having a new quarterback directing the offense might hurt his production if opposing defenses are not sold on Sunseri. The offensive line is stocked with juniors and seniors and that should help keep Sunseri upright as well as open the necessary holes for Lewis to run through.
"Tino is very intelligent," coach Wannstedt has said of his new starting signal-caller. "He understands what we're trying to do as an offense. He has a strong enough arm to make all the throws that we ask our quarterbacks to make. We're not going into a game saying that we can't call this play or that play because the quarterback can't get the throw there accurately. He can make all the throws."
The other skill positions on offense for the Panthers have Mike Shanahan at split end and Mike Cruz at tight end, both of whom are sophomores, while the flanker spot is occupied by Jon Baldwin who led the team last season with 57 catches for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns.
Except for a handful of games last season, the defense for the Panthers was right on top of the action. The squad was 17th in the nation in stopping the run with just 106.3 ypg allowed and was tops in sacks with 3.6 per outing. Tackles for loss was another highlight for the group, registering more than seven and a half per game to rank third in the conference and ninth in the country. The team had five guys with at least five sacks each, while Greg Romeus came up with a team-best eight sacks and Mick Williams a team-high 17.0 TFLs.
Romeus is a terrifying presence, standing 6-6 and carrying his 270-pound frame around with ease. The senior was one of two players to start every game along the offensive line at the same position last year, so getting into a groove was no problem.
Coach Wannstedt believes linebacker might be the deepest position on the defense, with guys like Tristan Roberts, Greg Williams and Dan Mason all able to control the action in the middle of the field, while both Roberts and Williams can also leak out to the edges as well.
"We feel we have two very good backs in Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide," coach Whittingham says of Utah's primary ball carriers heading into this season. "We have two starters and anticipate equal carries, but if one gets the hot hand, we will ride that hot hand, which is natural. If we rush 35-40 times in the game, I expect they will each get 18-20 carries. There is no target number, we just want to keep them fresh and rotate."
Wide had some strong plays for the Utes last year, but his consistency wasn't where it could have been. He put together six straight 100-yard rushing games, but there was also the mere 37 yards on 21 carries against California at the end. Obviously quarterback Jordan Wynn picked up the slack in the bowl game, throwing for a career-best 338 yards and three touchdowns and the hope is that the Poinsettia Bowl MVP will be doling out such efforts on a regular basis this season now that he knows the offense is firmly under his command.
Asiata, who is a threat to both break off a big run and take direct snaps from center, is coming off a knee injury that put him on the sidelines for the final nine games of 2009, so his return will provide a huge boost to the offense. If Asiata is able to rebound in solid fashion, perhaps having only one returning starter at the receiver position (senior Jereme Brooks) will not be such a bad thing.
Back in 2007 the Utes had the top defense in the nation, based on pass efficiency, but the last two years the group has slipped a bit and that might be cause for concern.
"We have two safeties who have never started a D-I game," says coach Whittingham. "Justin Taplin-Ross was playing behind Robert Johnson, and true freshman Brian Blechen is playing opposite him. We will be particularly interested to see how Brian reacts. We expect him to play well but you never know about the transition."
With those sort of concerns coming in the secondary, it will be crucial for the Utah linebacking crew to handle the business in front of it this week, especially when they encounter Lewis breaking through the first line of defense.
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Top 25 teams clash in the Lone Star State this weekend, as the 24th-ranked Oregon State Beavers battle the sixth- ranked TCU Horned Frogs at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The Beavers made a serious
<< 11th-ranked Ducks open season at home against Lobos
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks get their 2010
campaign started this weekend, when the New Mexico Lobos visit Eugene for a
non-conference affair at Autzen Stadium.
Chip Kelly took over an already successful Oregon
<< Gators face Redhawks in season-opener in Gainesville
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The post Tim Tebow Era begins in
Gainesville this weekend, as the fourth-ranked Florida Gators open up their
2010 season at home against the Miami-Ohio RedHawks.
Florida returns plenty of talent from a team
<< Top-25 foes LSU and UNC clash in Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An intriguing 2010 season-opener takes place in
Atlanta this weekend, as 21st-ranked LSU takes on 18th-ranked North Carolina
in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Les Miles may be on the hot seat in Death Valley thi
<< Broncos and Hokies square off on Labor Day
Landover, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The most anticipated season-opener on the
docket in 2010 takes place on Labor Day in Landover, as the third-ranked Boise
State Broncos set out to prove their lofty ranking is warranted, as they take
on the 10th-r
Honolulu, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A new era in USC football begins on Thursday as new head coach Lane Kiffin leads his 14th-ranked Trojans into Honolulu to face the Hawaii Warriors in a non-conference showdown. Kiffin, who was previously an as
Badgers head to Sin City to open season against new-look Rebels >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bobby Hauck gets his first taste of action in
the Football Bowl Subdivision this weekend as the new UNLV head coach welcomes
12th-ranked Wisconsin to Sam Boyd Stadium in Sin City.
The winningest coach in Big
'Horns and Owls hook up in Houston >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns kick off the
2010 season with an intrastate matchup against the Rice Owls at Houston's
Reliant Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Texas, fresh off yet another Big 12 Conference titl
Nittany Lions set to pounce on Penguins in season opener >>
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 19th-ranked Penn State Nittany
Lions lift the lid on the 2010 season against FCS foe Youngstown State in what
appears to be one of college football's most obvious mismatches of opening
weekend.
A n
Crimson Tide begin national title defense against visiting Spartans >>
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Alabama Crimson Tide, ranked atop the AP
Poll as the 2010 season gets underway, begins defense of their national title
when they play host to the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday evening at
Bryant-Denny
2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout
An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.
Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off. Randy was not impressed though. Paula thought he started off fantastic. "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either.
Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed. Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact. He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition.
Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula. Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.
Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next. Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential. Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell. He sang "Careless Whisper".
22 year old Chris Richardson was up next. He was listed with +1100 odds coming in. He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great.
Nick was boring and pitchy. Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week. Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition.
Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds . These of course were the early odds. He was considered original for picking an "odd song". He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night.
Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good.
Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds. Great voice and a great sense of humor. He's a real standout. Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit. Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig".
Jared Cotter followed. He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition. The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good.
22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next. "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon. Though the judges felt he performed okay. Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.
Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition. He was the last to perform. He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start.
Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys. Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.