College Football Picks
So the first BCS standings of 2009 have been released and to no one’s surprise, the Florida Gators—+125 to win this season’s BCS championship at most online sportsbooks—are Kings of the college football hill followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide in the two-spot.
Strangely enough though, Florida dropped to No. 2, trumped by ‘Bama in the Associated Press poll but football fans in “The Swamp” probably don’t care, as their team is tops in the more prestigious poll.
Florida’s first game as the top BCS team is on the road against the Mississippi State Bulldogs and it is a big 22.5-point road fave and with a Total of 48.5.
The Gators will be looking to maintain No. 1 and this Saturday’s game will mark the fifth-straight week when they’ve been favored by double-digits.
The defending BCS champs have been a college football machine rattling off 16 consecutive straight up wins in a row. For sports bettors, when betting against the spread, in their last 14 games in which a betting line has been posted, the Gators sport an 11-2-1 ATS mark – not too shabby at all.
In Florida’s last 11 games when favored by more than 8-points, they have also been impressive, going 8-2-1 against the spread.
After last week’s scare for Florida, this might be a spot where they look to really trounce an opponent.
Talking to online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com about this game, they said the gators are currently seeing about 70% of all the action wagered on the matchup.
Alabama vs. Tennessee
The AP’s No.1 team and the BCS’ No. 2 will host the Tennessee Volunteers and are favored by 14.5-points with an Over/Under of 43—‘Bama is listed at +250 to win the national championship this year.
Despite being favored by over two TDs, Alabama hasn’t been nearly as dominant against Tennessee; the Vols are 10-4 SU vs. the Tide but not such a good bet ATS, going 7-6-1 in those same games.
Tennessee has been very solid in its last nine games when listed at more than +8, going 7-1-1 ATS.
In the Volunteers’ last seven games in Alabama, they have gone 5-2 SU and 5-1-1 ATS.
A dark horse in the race for the BCS championship is the Miami Hurricanes.
It’s been a while since The U” has been mentioned as a National contender, but with a current overall record of 5-1 (2-1 in the ACC) and a 10th-place ranking in the BCS, you wouldn’t be crazy to think that Miami has an outside shot in the BCS title game—they are a +2500 longshot to win the national title.
Unlike Florida and Alabama, the ‘Canes are favored by a single-digit this week; they are 5-point home faves for a game against the Clemson Tigers with a 44 Total.
Clemson’s last 13 games against conference rivals have produced 10 Unders and 3 Overs and they have gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight ACC matchups.
Miami has been hot in their last nine home games, going 7-2 SU and in their last 18 home games with a posted Total, have 14 Unders and 4 Overs, including five-straight Unders in a row.
The Tigers have been very effective when ‘dogged by 6-points or less, going 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games with the betting line in that range.
College Football Betting Picks:
This week I’m laying the big points and playing on the Gators. I also might look at playing the underdog Tigers facing Miami.
Have a great week and good luck with your college bets.
Check the current NCAA College Football Betting Lines at SPORTSBETTING.com
NCAA Football – 2009 BCS Bowl Rankings
The first Bowl Championship Series rankings (BCS Rankings) of 2009 will be released this Sunday and as it stands, the Top 3 college football teams, according to the Associated Press and ESPN, are the Florida Gators, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns.
Let’s take a look at NCAA college football betting odds for the top three teams as the sports betting public prepares for the rankings.
Florida Gators
The song remains the same in the No. 1 position as the Gators have maintained their perch atop the Division I rankings since the preseason rankings were released.
Back in early-August, Florida was listed as the odds-on favorite to win both the Southeastern Conference (-225) and repeat as BCS champions (+200).
While the Gators started off the season with two soft opponents (Charleston Southern and Troy), they have faced three sturdier challenges recently and have passed the test, going 3-0 straight up.
Florida defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 23-13 back on September 19 but failed to cover as favorites of 30-something.
They hammered the Kentucky Wildcats 41-7, covering a 20-something pointspread, but received a scare when star QB Tim Tebow suffered a concussion.
Tebow bounced back in a game against LSU a few weeks later when the Gators defeated the Tigers 13-3, covering at 7.5-points.
Florida Gators Odds: Currently, the Florida Gators’ odds have improved, as they are currently -300 to take the SEC and +125 to win back to back BCS titles.
Alabama Crimson Tide
While the Gators own the best record in the SEC East at 5-0, they don’t own the best record in the SEC overall, the 6-0 Alabama Crimson Tide have that honor.
Currently ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, the Tide have definitely been moving since the preseason, when online sportsbook had them ranked No. 5 and listed at +2000 to take this season’s BCS title.
‘Bama has a tough sked going down the stretch however, as they face a tough divisional matchups the likes of the No. 22 South Carolina Gamecocks (the Tide are -17 for that game), the Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 10 LSU Tigers, the Mississippi St. Bulldogs and then the Auburn Tigers.
Alabama Odds: Like the Gators, the Tide’s odds have also improved as they are currently +350 to win the 2010 BCS championship.
Texas Longhorns
While they are still undefeated and atop the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns have taken a small slip in the AP poll.
Ranked as the second-best team in the nation in the preseason (+700 to win the national title at the time), Texas currently sees itself in the No. 3 spot.
The Longhorns can grab some brownie points this week with a convincing win over the No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners in this year’s Red River Rivalry game—Texas is currently a 3.5-point favorite for that game—just in time for the first BCS rankings.
Prior to the release of those rankings, Texas is a +400 favorite in 2010 BCS championship futures college football betting.
Elevator Going Down!
Oklahoma Sooners
While Texas, Florida and Alabama have seen their odds to win it all improve, the No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners have seen the opposite occur.
The runners-up to the Florida Gators in last season’s BCS championship, Oklahoma was +500 to win the national title in the preseason but in hindsight, a wager on them wouldn’t have been wise.
Oklahoma’s bad luck started in Week 1 when they not only failed to cover a 21.5-point spread against the BYU Cougars, they lost 14-13 as well.
And the Sooners dealt their BCS chances another blow two weeks ago when they lost to the Miami Hurricanes 21-20.
The Sooners currently aren’t an option in 2010 BCS championship futures betting.
There usually is some controversy when the first BCS rankings are released but it’s a pretty safe bet that Florida, Alabama and Texas will be at the top.
Enjoy the weekend NCAA college football betting action.
Baseball Betting: American League Championship Series
It’s been a while since the New York Yankees made a World Series and you need to go back nine years since they captured one, but both the sports betting public and fans alike are having a difficult time seeing anyone beating them this year.
In online sportsbook Yankees had the best record in the entire regular season at 103-59 and swept the Minnesota Twins 3-0 in their American League Divisional Series.
It won’t be a straight path to the World Series however as the Yanks face the Los Angeles Angels, who were 97-65 in the regular season and also had an ALDS sweep, taking down the Boston Red Sox 3-0.
Online sportsbook have the Yankees as the odds-on faves to win the World Series at -125 while the Angels are +350 to win it all.
Game 1 of the American League Championship Series goes on Friday and the series price on the Pinstripes is -180 while it is +160 for the Angels.
CC Sabathia will start for the home team Yanks, who are -170 faves in Game 1, and John Lackey will do the same for the Angels, who are +155 with a Total of 8.5.
Check all the baseball betting playoff lines
In the Angels’ last nine visits to Yankee Stadium, there have been 7 Overs and 2 Unders.
The Yanks broke open the bank for Sabathia in the offseason and he has paid dividends.
In CC’s last 20 home starts, New York has gone 15-5 straight up and in his last eight home starts, the Bronx Bombers are 8-0 SU.
Sabathia’s last eight home starts have also produced 7 Unders.
Lackey has not been particularly strong in the month of October when it comes to wins and losses.
In his last eight outings in that month, the Angels have gone 2-6 SU.
He has taken his fair share of Unders in that month however, as his last 11 October outings have yielded 10 Unders and a single Over.
Sabathia is a southpaw and in the Angels’ last 12 games against lefties, they are 10-2 SU and in their last 10 against LHPs, they have posted 9 Unders and an Over.
Lackey is a right-hander and the Yanks have been almost as impressive in their last 10 against righties going 8-2 SU with 7 Unders, 2 Overs and a Push on the Total to boot.
After seeing the Boston Red Sox capture a couple of World Series titles the past few seasons, you know Yankees fans are pining for another championship.
So far, the early sports betting action at online sportsbook has the Yankees seeing almost 80% of the volume in Game 1.
We’ll find out if they can keep rolling starting this coming Friday.
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