Bengals botch PAT as Broncos slip away victorious
Football Betting Lines
12/25/2006 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Broncos improved their playoff chances with a lot of luck Sunday, as the Bengals botched an extra point attempt with 41 seconds remaining, giving Denver a 24-23 win at a snowy Invesco Field.
Carson Palmer hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh with a 10-yard touchdown pass over the middle to get the Bengals within a point, but the snap on the extra point from Brad St. Louis was wide of holder Kyle Larson and the ball was recovered under a pile of players well behind the line of scrimmage.
The Bengals recovered the ensuing kickoff, but Ahmad Brooks was offside, and Quincy Morgan pounced on the second opportunity for Denver, and the Broncos ran out the clock.
Jay Cutler connected on 12-of-23 passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns and was picked off once for the Broncos (9-6), who can secure a playoff berth with a win next Sunday at home against San Francisco.
Meanwhile, the Bengals (8-7) could have clinched a wild card berth with a victory since Buffalo and Jacksonville lost earlier in the day, However, now they not only need a win next Sunday at home against Pittsburgh, but help elsewhere.
Palmer hit on 21-of-40 passes for 209 yards with two TDs and a pair of interceptions. Rudi Johnson carried the ball 30 times for 129 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals, losers of back-to-back contests. Houshmandzadeh ended with nine receptions for 94 yards.
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart sprained his left shoulder in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Leinart got sacked by Roderick Green just under the two-minute mark of th
<< Vikings to cut Marcus Robinson
Eden Prairie, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Vikings informed veteran
wide receiver Marcus Robinson that he will be released.
According to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Robinson received a
call from Vikings VP of p
<< Action Jackson: Rams top Redskins in OT
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steven Jackson ran 21 yards to the end zone
with 8:27 left in overtime, as the St. Louis Rams kept their slim playoff
hopes alive with a 37-31 victory over the Washington Redskins.
After both teams h
<< Gould, Bears rally past Lions
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robbie Gould kicked four field goals, including
three in the final quarter, as the Chicago Bears rallied for a 26-21 win over
the Detroit Lions.
Rex Grossman completed 20-of-36 passes for 197 yards and was in
<< Saints move closer to bye with win over Giants
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reggie Bush rushed for a career-high
126 yards with a score, as New Orleans moved one step closer to a first-round
bye after a 30-7 win over the fading New York Giants.
Bush recorded the first 100-y
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Leinart completed 9-of-13 passes for 162 yards and a score before spraining his left shoulder just before halftime, as the Arizona Cardinals went on to top San Francisco, 26-20, and knock the 49ers o
Chargers rally for win, but Seahawks clinch division >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philip Rivers did it again, rebounding from a
horrid start to lead the Chargers to a comeback victory, 20-17, over Seattle.
Despite the defeat, the Seahawks clinched their third straight NFC West title
by vi
Hawaii's Brennan breaks NCAA single-season TD passing record >>
Honolulu, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hawaii junior quarterback Colt Brennan broke
the NCAA single-season touchdown passing record, throwing his 55th in the
Hawaii Bowl Sunday against Arizona State
Brennan has three touchdown passes in the game, b
Brennan breaks TD passing record as Warriors win Hawaii Bowl >>
Honolulu, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan broke the NCAA
single-season touchdown passing record, throwing for five scores, all in the
second half, and a school-record 559 yards, as the Warriors beat Arizona
State,
NCAA Division I-A Touchdown Passes, Season >>
57 - Colt Brennan, Hawaii, 200654 - David Klingler, Houston, 199052 - B.J. Symons, Texas Tech, 200347 - Jim McMahon, Brigham Young, 198046 - Andre Ware, Houston, 198946 - Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech, 199845 - Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech, 2002Copyrigh
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NFL Football Betting
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.