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 College Football Week 6: What We LearnedRocketman Sports - 10/14/2009 4:18 PM College Football Week 6: What We Learned Nebraska is the team to beat in the Big 12 North: Nebraska squared off against an undefeated Missouri team on Thursday night and came away victorious. The weather conditions were extremely poor with the rain causing both teams to make mistakes. Nebraska trailed... |
| Turnovers Can Turn the Tide Jim Feist - 10/12/2009 2:22 PM by Jim Feist A recent Monday night football game saw Brett Favre battle his old team, Green Bay. Favre was the story, with a terrific performance, but young QB Aaron Rodgers put up some sizzling numbers, with 384 yards and 2 TDs. Impressive. Did they win? Or cover? No, as Minnesota won 30-23. The most obvious explanation and it's obvious: 2 turnovers. Turnovers are one of the most basic fundam... |
| NY Jets-Miami NFL Monday Night Football Preview! Rocketman Sports - 10/12/2009 2:16 PM Monday Night Football Preview Jets at Dolphins Two AFC East division rivals square off on Monday night when the Jets travel to south Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins. The Jets have played extremely well under new head coach Rex Ryan getting off to a 3-1 start and are also 3-1 against the spread. Miami on... |
| Colts-Titans NFL Sunday Night Preview Rocketman Sports - 10/9/2009 1:40 PM Sunday Night NFL Preview Colts at Titans The odds makers have set an intriguing line on this game making the Indianapolis Colts just 3.5 point favorites over a team in the Tennessee Titans that has struggled mightily to start the season. Monday morning the opening line had the Colts just 1 point favorites but the pu... |
| College Footballs Most Profitable Teams Thus Far Rocketman Sports - 10/9/2009 1:27 PM College Football’s Most Profitable Teams Thus Far IDAHO: 5-0 ATS Most experts picked the Idaho Vandals to finish at or near the bottom of the WAC standings heading into the season but they have been cashing tickets for their backers all season long. Idaho is 4-1 straight up but an astounding 5-0 against the... |
| NFL Week 4: What We Learned Rocketman Sports - 10/9/2009 12:44 PM NFL Week 4: What We Learned Saints get signature win and look like an elite team: The New Orleans Saints took on the undefeated New York Jets this past Sunday and came away with a 14 point victory as 7 point home favorites. It appears that no one can stop the balanced offense of the New Orleans Saints, not even Rex... |
| College Football Week 5: What We Learned Rocketman Sports - 10/9/2009 12:26 PM College Football Week 5: What We Learned Oklahoma not a BCS Team without Sam Bradford: Oklahoma has played two ranked teams this season and failed to win either one of them. This past week they went on the road to play Miami as a 7 point favorite and lost the game outright. The Sooners sorely miss the... |
| TOM STRYKERS COLLEGE SYSTEM of the WEEK Tom Stryker - 10/9/2009 10:18 AM TOM STRYKER'S COLLEGE SYSTEM of the WEEK Foreign Soil Failure - By Tom Stryker It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine that college football teams are more comfortable playing at home than they are on the road. Practicing in their own backyard, sleeping in their own beds and being able to relax with their teammates and friends goes a long way. Of course, like some t... |
| ESPN Thursday Night College Football Preview Rocketman Sports - 10/8/2009 10:33 AM ESPN Thursday Night College Football Preview Nebraska at Missouri Two top 25 teams square off on Thursday night when Nebraska travels to Missouri to take on the 18th ranked Tigers. Nebraska enters this game at 3-1 straight up but they have covered all four of their opening games. Their only loss came at Virgin... |
| Beware of Early Season Phonies! Jim Feist - 10/5/2009 1:37 PM by Jim Feist So…are we all set for the Jets/Broncos AFC Championship game, with the winner facing the survivor of the Vikings/Saints NFC Title game? Because after three weeks, those were four of the remaining seven undefeated teams in the NFL, along with the Giants, Ravens and Colts. To put that in perspective from a handicapping sports picks perspective, before the season started the Jets were... |
| NFL Highs and Lows Mike Neri - 10/5/2009 11:06 AM NFL Highs and Lows by Mike Neri It was another wild NFL Sunday, with plenty of new surprises to keep any handicapper busy. For instance, are the Jacksonville Jaguars a team to look at over the total? They've gone two straight games over the total and they way they have done so is most revealing. It's as if offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is saying, "To heck with it, if we're going to have a ba... |
| Clash of Powerhouse This Weekend Mike Neri - 10/2/2009 11:36 PM Clash of Powerhouse This Weekend by Mike Neri No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia: Revenge? The LSU Tigers (4-0 SU/0-3 ATS) suffered three thumping defeats last season, and one was to Georgia, 52-38. Sophomore QB Jordan Jefferson (7 TDs, 1 INT) leads a talented, balance offense, one with speed and athleticism. The offense has been good (28 ppg), but Head Coach Les Miles said, "We're not hitting on all cyl... |
| Vernon Croys Week 4 NFL Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 10/2/2009 6:53 PM This weekend will mark the quarter mark of the season for many teams and it seems like its went by extremely fast. While we’re learning a lot about some teams, the truth is we still have a long way to go. Many of the teams that look good now, will not look so good at the end of the year and vice versa. Therefore, don’t underestimate an underdog at this point. You never know when an underdog is jus... |
| Vernon Croys Week 3 NFL Betting Recap Vernon Croy - 10/1/2009 11:38 AM The third week of the NFL season was exciting and filled with action as usual. We saw the return of Michael Vick (even though it was pretty anti-climactic) and the Detroit Lions finally win a game. Let's see who covered the spread and who didn't in Week 3. Cleveland vs. Baltimore- This one played out pretty much like everyone in the world thought it would. Cleveland looked like the worst team in... |
| Notre Dame by Foot Computer Crushers - 9/30/2009 4:56 PM Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen (9 TDs, 0 INTs) will have two nagging problems to deal with against Purdue on Saturday: a painful right big toe, and a missing WR (freshman Mike Floyd, out with a broken collarbone) who was averaging 27.5 yards a catch and more than a touchdown a game. Clausen hopes a shoe insert will help him deal with his turf toe, and that his backup receivers will help offset... |
| College Football Injuries and Rivalries The Hitman - 9/30/2009 4:55 PM There is an insignificant game on the schedule this week as Kent State heads to the Big 12 to face Baylor. However, as far as injury reports go, and it should be to anyone who handicapps games seriously, it highlights a key part of studying football: injuries. Injuries crop up from week to week as football is such a violent, physical game. Many times team depth can be whittled down conside... |
| College Football Doings Mike Neri - 9/30/2009 4:53 PM Yes, it is still very early in the football season, but right about now is when you need to begin paying closer attention to the weather than you probably did in early September. For instance, Thursday night Colorado is playing at West Virginia in a non-conference game. The weather in Morgantown, West Virginia, for the evening is going to be in the low to mid 40s. Not exactly warm, September-like... |
| College Football Week 4: What We Learned Rocketman Sports - 9/29/2009 1:17 PM College Football Week 4: What We Learned Miami is not quite ready to be a national contender: Two Thursdays ago, the entire sports betting world saw the Miami Hurricanes absolutely dominate the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a 33-17 blowout victory. Then the following Saturday everyone saw Virginia Tech struggle m... |
| September College Football: Upset City! Jim Feist - 9/28/2009 3:19 PM by Jim Feist There's a reason they play the games. Teams don't always play the way stats and power rankings suggest they are supposed to. That's often evident early in the pro and college football seasons because some teams are very different from year to year. Look at a team like Michigan. The Wolverines stumbled badly last year with a very young team and a new coach bringing in a whole new offen... |
| Vernon Croys Week 3 NFL Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 9/24/2009 11:17 PM The first two weeks are officially in the books and have started to tell us a few things about the teams that we cheer for. With that being said, it's only the third week and we have 14 games left for each team. What will happen towards the end of the season is still a mystery as we've seen some pretty crazy things already. So what should we expect out of the games in the third week of the season?... |
| QB Changes and Coaching Pressures Mike Neri - 9/23/2009 4:27 PM QB Changes and Coaching Pressures by Mike Neri Conference games are beginning to dot the college football schedule. That means great importance for teams, in addition to potential rivalries and revenge situations. This weekend, Ilinois heads to Ohio State for the first time since 2007. And you know what happened that game. Ohio State was No. 1 and 10-0, and the Illini won, 28-21. Fm 1930 to 198... |
| Scheduling and Sandwiches Jim Feist - 9/21/2009 1:31 PM by Jim Feist College and pro football offer a variety of great match-ups every weekend. A good handicapper, though, doesn't just look at individual and team match-ups. There are other factors surrounding a game that can be equally important to identifying a winning spread cover, such as scheduling and road travel. For instance, last September in college football saw Cal of the Pac 10 travelin... |
| College Football Notes: Looking Back and Forward Mike Neri - 9/21/2009 11:56 AM College Football Notes: Looking Back and Forward by Mike Neri If you to play totals, keep an eye on Missouri (3-0). The Tigers may have lost QB Chase Daniel to graduation, but the offense is still humming under new 6-foot5 sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert (5 TDs, 0 picks). They had a blowout win over Illinois, then had a scare in a 27-20 comeback win over Bowling Green. There are talented pieces on... |
| Some Lousy NFL Offenses After Week 1 Mike Neri - 9/19/2009 5:09 PM Some Lousy NFL Offenses After Week 1 by Mike Neri September is a time for NFL teams to work out the kinks. But let's face it: some teams looked dreadful in Week 1. Kansas City (0-1 SU/ATS) had a 0-4 SU/ATS preseason and has new looks everywhere after trading TE Tony Gonzalez. They have a new coach in Todd Haley), a new General Manager and a new starting QB in Matt Cassell, though he has yet to... |
| Rocketman Sports Top 5 Nascar Drivers to win New Hampshire! Rocketman Sports - 9/18/2009 11:17 AM The Sprint Cup boys move to New Hampshire this Sunday for the 27th race of the season. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1.058 mile Oval Track located in Loudon, New Hampshire. Here are my Top 5 drivers to win in New Hampshire this weekend. We still have to wait for Qualifying and Happy Hour before finalizing our Head to Head matchups. ... |
| Tennessee/Florida Fireworks Mike Neri - 9/16/2009 4:31 PM Tennessee/Florida Fireworks by Mike Neri Have you ever seen a bigger one week turnaround by a quarterback than Tennessee's Jonathan Crompton. He threw 5 TDs in the opener and that was after a two-week stretch where he said he was sky-high with confidence after being named the starter. OK, so it was against Western Kentucky, but you got the sense the awful 2008 season was behind him an... |
| September Football: Are Defenses Ahead of the Offenses? Jim Feist - 9/14/2009 12:56 PM by Jim Feist <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> You have to remember that in September it's more likely that defenses are ahead of the offenses in pro and college football. This might not seem the case when you watch Miami and Florida State put on an exciting 38-34 shootout with both teams tallying over 400 yards. However, that's not the n... |
| College Football Shifts and Surprises Mike Neri - 9/14/2009 10:29 AM College Football Shifts and Surprises by Mike Neri Many times the final score doesn't tell what really happened in a game, or how good or bad a team might be. This is why it is essential to dig into every box score. Sometimes a team can score 35 points, but the offense didn't really do much or a QB had a below average game. Look into that. Find out WHY it happened. Was it a... |
| NFL Week 1 Notes Mike Neri - 9/11/2009 9:18 PM NFL Week 1 Notes by Mike Neri All the attention this weekend as the NFL commences its first full weekend seems to be on offense. WR Terrell Owens has moved on to Buffalo to take part in the new no-huddle Bills attack. They will face the Patriots and returning QB Tom Brady, who led a record-setting air attack two years ago when healthy with WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker. After sleep-walking throu... |
| Offense and Sweet September Defense Mike Neri - 9/9/2009 10:18 AM Ugly Offense and Sweet September Defense! by Mike Neri You can't ignore defense and expect to win in football. You can't win in any sport, for that matter. Many times we've seen teams with strong offenses run up and down the field, but if the defense has a weak spot or is bad overall, it will catch up with them at some point. Opposing teams, for instance, will key in... |
| Offense and Sweet September Defense Mike Neri - 9/9/2009 10:18 AM <b>Ugly Offense and Sweet September Defense! <br>by Mike Neri </b> <p> You can't ignore defense and expect to win in football. You can't win in any sport, for that matter. Many times we've seen teams with strong offenses run up and down the field, but if the defense has a weak spot or is bad overall, it will catch up with them at some point. Opposing te... |
| GAME 2 PUPPY LOVE Tom Stryker - 9/9/2009 9:48 AM GAME 2 PUPPY LOVE - By Tom Stryker There’s nothing better than getting out of the gate in week one with a straight up victory. It makes all the hard work and effort put forth during the offseason and the month of August worth it. The argument could be made that some teams have their fate determined after their season opener. A confidence-building win could spark a team greatly and propel them... |
| Vernon Croys 2009 Minnesota Vikings Preview Vernon Croy - 9/9/2009 1:30 AM The last year for the Vikings was a successful one in terms of making the playoffs and having a good record. They finished 10-6 and made the playoffs. However, once they got there, it was apparent that they weren't equipped to make a run as they lost to the Eagles in the first round. Although they had a solid defense and a great rushing attack, their passing game left something to be desired. Did... |
| AFC East 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/9/2009 12:46 AM I see this division being very similar to the AFC West. It is basically the Patriots and the also rans. The Jets will obviously be interesting to watch as Sanchez won the QB job and you know their defense will be better. They are the one team that could surprise here if Sanchez has a Matt Ryan type of year they could eek into the playoffs. Buffalo is finished so we all can... |
| AFC South 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/9/2009 12:37 AM This division looks fairly simple to read, but I may have it a bit closer than people think. I think Tennessee wins again with their 2 headed rushing attack and Indy will have a falloff. Playing without Bob Sanders has always hurt the Colts and they will be without him for at least the first 4 or 5 games. That means a likely 3-2 start for the Colts at best. I do like their addition of... |
| AFC North 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/9/2009 12:28 AM It's the same old story in this division as the Steelers and Ravens are the cream of the crop, but I do expect Cincinnati to improve if they can keep Palmer upright for 12-16 games. Rey Maualuga will be a beast for the Bengals but they still need a better pass rush to make their defense good enough to hang with the Steelers and Ravens. I expect Chad 85 to have a big year and tha... |
| AFC West 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/9/2009 12:17 AM There really isn't even any reason to preview this division the Chargers will win it and nobody else will even sniff the playoffs. As a amatter of fact I honestly believe that the only reason one other team my win 6 or 7 games is because they get 4 games against the other laughing stocks. I feel sorry for Raiders fans because if I was one I would have stopped rooting for them years ag... |
| NFC East 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/9/2009 12:02 AM This continues to be the most difficult division in football from top to bottom, but there isn't one team in this region that doesn't have major concerns. The Giants obviously were lost without Burress at the end of last year and left immediately from the playoffs. The Cowboys couldn't even make the playoffs and that was with T.O. The Eagles who were my favorite about 3 weeks ag... |
| NFC South 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/8/2009 11:36 PM The balance in the NFC this year with the exception of the Lions, Rams and Seahawks is staggering because every other team could potentially make the playoffs and the NFC South is no different. Tampa Bay will be the cellar dwellar in this division but they could conceivably win 6-7 games, because of a very strong running game. I think that the Division title will com down to the Saint... |
| NFC North 2009 Preview!!! Brian Graves - 9/8/2009 11:24 PM This may well be the most interesting division to follow in the NFL this year. The Lions are trying not to make history by losing more consecutive than any team ever and it wasn't made any easier by starting Matthew Stafford from Day 1 of the regular season. Meanwhile the never ending saga of the most overrated QB since Dan Marino continues with Brett Favre in Minnesota. Jay Cut... |
| NFC West 2009 Preview!! Brian Graves - 9/8/2009 9:14 PM The West in each conference is the weakest of any division, but there could be one surprise here and that comes from the 49er's. Arizona and the Niners meet in Week 1 and the winner of that game will have the early leg on winning this division. The NFC West plays the AFC South this year so those will be difficult games against the Colts and Titans especially, but the Cardinals have to... |
| Pro Football Stats: Read Between the Lines Jim Feist - 9/7/2009 2:00 PM <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]-->by Jim Feist The best time of the sports calendar is here, the opening week of the pro football campaign! There are mountains of stats and angles available for sports bettors to digest from this season and years past. Information certainly is a huge key when analyzing games and point spreads. Sometimes it c... |
| Early NFL: What To Look For Big Al McMordie - 9/6/2009 5:27 PM The best time of the sports year kicks off this week as we begin the NFL season. From preseason play and recent history we can get a good idea about some of the strengths and weaknesses of several teams. If you like to play totals keep in mind that the Minnesota Vikings were 3-1 under the total in preseason. Sure, all the talk has been on Brett Favre and what he potentially can give them -- a... |
| Baseball Pennant Races and Big College Football Weekend Mike Neri - 9/4/2009 12:54 PM Baseball Pennant Races and Big College Football Weekend! by Mike Neri One of the big matchups this weekend is a game where the SEC meets the Big 12 as Georgia takes on Oklahoma State. It's not only a clash of conferences but styles. Georgia is a power running team with a great offensive line and excellent running back depth, while the Cowboys are your modern spread attack pa... |
| 2009 Southeastern Conference (East) Preview Matt Fargo - 9/3/2009 12:04 PM The SEC has long been considered the toughest conference in football and rightfully so. It has produced the last three National Champions, Florida twice with LSU sandwiched in-between. The SEC leads all conferences in all-time titles with 17 and there will be teams looking to add to that this season and with legitimate shots in doing so. The leader of the pack is defending champion Florida who is... |
| 2009 Big XII (North) Conference Preview Matt Fargo - 9/2/2009 11:03 AM As strong as the Big XII South is, the North is just the opposite. There are good teams within the division no doubt but it is unlikely that any team will be able to challenge the top teams in the South as the top team in this division would finish either fourth or fifth in the other division. It looks as though it may be a two-team race in the North between Kansas and Nebraska although Colorado c... |
| 2009 Big XII (South) Conference Preview Matt Fargo - 9/1/2009 8:26 PM The Big XII South is once again stacked compared to its counterpart in the North. Last season, Oklahoma despite losing to Texas during the regular season, made it to the BCS Championship where it lost the title game to Florida. The Sooners, along with Texas and Texas Tech, finished the regular season at 7-1 and it looks as though three teams again will be vying for the South Division title. Texas,... |
| Rocketman Sports CFB Preview 2009-2010 Rocketman Sports - 9/1/2009 4:15 PM Rocky Atkinson’s CFB Preview 2009-2010 I just love this time of the year. The smell of football is in the air and it’s the most exciting time of the year for most people. I have been very successful in handicapping College Football throughout the years having won 12 of 13 years in my Sports Handicapping Career. I’d love to have you on board for the season as we are looking... |
| The Best of the AFC Jim Feist - 9/1/2009 12:11 PM by Jim Feist The pro football season kicks off next week when the Titans travel to the Steelers to battle the defending champs. Pro football picks are in the air, and the best way to attack the books is with information! Here is a look at some of the best of the AFC, the conference that has won 9 of the last 12 Super Bowls. Ravens (13-6 SU, 14-5 ATS): This is a talented team with a monster defense... |
| 2009 Big Ten Conference Preview Matt Fargo - 9/1/2009 10:54 AM Many say that the Big Ten was in a down year in 2008 considering only five teams finished the season ranked in the top 50 in the national power ratings. Sure that is an argument but the rebuttal to that is that it was a very balanced conference full of parity. Five teams did finish with nine wins and no team registered fewer than three so that is a valid point. I feel it was a little bit in-betwee... |
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