Thursday Night Football Betting: NFL Bye Weeks Begin

Right from the first Thursday night game of the NFL season the weekly football betting routine can fly by at a furious pace. NFL lines for the following week’s games are often posted by online sportsbook before we have even heard the final whistle on Sunday Night Football but as fans and bettors, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s hard to believe three weeks have already passed and as we work through the Week 4 card, it’s time to start focusing a little closer on matchups and situational football handicapping.

The bye weeks are here, starting with the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It means a little less action from a viewing standpoint but the smaller card also frees up more time to handicap the other 14 games on the card.

LONG DIVISION

In Week 4, even with the bye weeks coming into effect, there are more divisional games scheduled than in any other week through the first month. Week 1 had seven, Week 2 there was only three and in Week 3 we saw six divisional matchups.

The road team will be favored in at least four of the nine divisional contests, possibly five, depending which way the line moves in New England at Miami.

There is a trend developing this season that involves divisional road favorites and it’s certainly worth noting for Over/Under bettors.

- When favored by -3 points or more, divisional road favs this year have played 0 overs, 4 unders and 1 push.

Cincinnati (-3) at Cleveland (Total of 37), NY Jets (-5) at Buffalo (Total of 37) and Indianapolis (-7.5) at Jacksonville (Total of 46) all fit the criteria and the "Under" in these three matchups is a play for you to consider.

PICK A SPOT

When looking at these divisional rivalries it is impossible to ignore certain trends that have developed between some of the teams. Two guaranteed meetings per season boosts the credibility of a betting trend because it involves more of the same players and coaches.

Just from the above matchups we can see that the underdog in the Bengals-Browns series is 6-0 ATS since 2007.

We also noticed that the road team in the Colts-Jaguars series is 6-0 ATS the past three seasons.

The road teams is 5-0 ATS in the past five tilts between the Jets and Bills but one of the more glaring trends shows that Buffalo has been a terrible play as a home underdog, going 1-8 ATS the past nine times.

Road favorites were 4-4 ATS in Week 3 but it doesn’t completely make up for their 0-4-1 ATS mark in Week 2. In these three divisional matchups we’ve listed, the road team and the "Under" look like the solid picks but before you circle any of them as a best bet, make sure to do thorough research into the local papers and team websites for injury information.

Think of it this way – with only 14 games on the card you should have some extra time!

Free Ryder Cup Contest

Aside from football, there is also a great golf event this weekend.

The best American golfers go head-to-head against the best Europe has to offer in the 2010 Ryder Cup. It only happens once every four years and for my money, is one of the top sports events of the fall when it tees off.

This year’s starts on Friday and runs through Sunday.

Check out this fun contest to make the event even more interesting.

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Champions League Picks: Champions League odds

The second half of this week’s Champions League action kicks off today, but who will claim the points in today’s eight games? Let’s previews a selection of games.

Group C – Valencia v Manchester United:

The night’s biggest game comes from the Mestalla Stadium as La Liga leaders Valencia host second in the Premier League table Manchester United. Will United turn around their away form record this season with a victory? Valencia are the favourites to win the match with odds of 2.63, while Man United can be backed at 2.75 and the draw is available at 3.20.

Despite being massively in debt and selling off the majority of their top players, including David Villa, David Silva and Nikola Zigic, over the summer, Valencia have begun the La Liga campaign in fine form and top the table after five games. They have dropped just two points from their opening five games and they are ahead of Barcelona by a point and Real Madrid by two. They also thumped Bursaspor 4-0 in Turkey in their opening Champions League fixture, now can they add another win to their collection against Alex Ferguson’s men?

Manchester United sit second in the Premier League after an undefeated start to the season and, although they have shown glimpses of their brilliance, they are underperforming this season. They have played eight matches this season between the Premier League, Carling Cup and Champions League and they have won four and drawn four of these. Away from home they have drawn with Fulham, Everton and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League and their only win has come at Scunthorpe United in the Carling Cup. Can they change that around and claim their first big name away win?

United are without Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes for this game, as well as the injured Antonio Valencia, and missing these players will affect them slightly. This will give Valencia an opportunity to win the game and I feel that they will take it and claim all three points. Both sides have good goal threats and I see plenty of goals in this game and, as a result:

we’re backing a Valencia win and over 2.5 goals to be scored.

Group A – Tottenham Hotspur v FC Twente:

This match sees the side that finished fourth in the Premier League take on the Dutch champions in the second round of matches from Group A. Can Twente get anything from their first away Champions League match of the season at White Hart Lane? Bet365 do not think so as they make Spurs the 1.73 favourites to claim all three points, with Twente available at 5.00 and the draw can be backed at 3.60.

Spurs have been an up and down this season so far and have followed up some impressive European results with poor showings in the Premier League. When they defeated Young Boys to qualify for the Champions League they were beaten by Wigan Athletic and after their 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen they were beaten by West Bromwich Albion, both games that they should have won. Last week was a poor one for Spurs too, losing to bitter rivals Arsenal in the Carling Cup before being beaten by West Ham at the weekend. Can they turn their poor week around and claim their first Champions League win?

FC Twente will be no pushovers for Spurs in this match as they are on an unbeaten run of thirteen games in all competitions in a run that stretches back as far as April. They began their Champions League campaign with a 2-2 home draw with defending champions Inter Milan and they sit fourth in the Dutch league following three wins and four draws in an unbeaten start to the season. They are drawing too many games at this early stage and they will need to step up a gear if they are to claim all three points in London.

Harry Redknapp will have his players psyched up for this game and although they are missing several players through in injury I expect to see a home win in this game. However, with the injuries that they have I do not expect things to be easy for them and I see both sides getting on the scoresheet in this game.

Our money is on a Spurs win with both sides to score.

Check the Champions League odds @ sportsbetting.com

For chat and plenty of bets on all of this week’s Champions League action, check out the Champions League Online Betting Stadium!

Some Recommendations:

· Valencia to beat Manchester United @ 2.63

· Over 2.5 goals in the Valencia v Manchester United game @ 2.10

· Tottenham Hotspur to beat FC Twente @ 1.73

· Both Tottenham Hotspur and FC Twente to score @ 1.73

Champions League Picks: Champions League odds

The second half of this week’s Champions League action kicks off today, but who will claim the points in today’s eight games? Let’s previews a selection of games.

Group C – Valencia v Manchester United:

The night’s biggest game comes from the Mestalla Stadium as La Liga leaders Valencia host second in the Premier League table Manchester United. Will United turn around their away form record this season with a victory? Valencia are the favourites to win the match with odds of 2.63, while Man United can be backed at 2.75 and the draw is available at 3.20.

Despite being massively in debt and selling off the majority of their top players, including David Villa, David Silva and Nikola Zigic, over the summer, Valencia have begun the La Liga campaign in fine form and top the table after five games. They have dropped just two points from their opening five games and they are ahead of Barcelona by a point and Real Madrid by two. They also thumped Bursaspor 4-0 in Turkey in their opening Champions League fixture, now can they add another win to their collection against Alex Ferguson’s men?

Manchester United sit second in the Premier League after an undefeated start to the season and, although they have shown glimpses of their brilliance, they are underperforming this season. They have played eight matches this season between the Premier League, Carling Cup and Champions League and they have won four and drawn four of these. Away from home they have drawn with Fulham, Everton and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League and their only win has come at Scunthorpe United in the Carling Cup. Can they change that around and claim their first big name away win?

United are without Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes for this game, as well as the injured Antonio Valencia, and missing these players will affect them slightly. This will give Valencia an opportunity to win the game and I feel that they will take it and claim all three points. Both sides have good goal threats and I see plenty of goals in this game and, as a result:

we’re backing a Valencia win and over 2.5 goals to be scored.

Group A – Tottenham Hotspur v FC Twente:

This match sees the side that finished fourth in the Premier League take on the Dutch champions in the second round of matches from Group A. Can Twente get anything from their first away Champions League match of the season at White Hart Lane? Bet365 do not think so as they make Spurs the 1.73 favourites to claim all three points, with Twente available at 5.00 and the draw can be backed at 3.60.

Spurs have been an up and down this season so far and have followed up some impressive European results with poor showings in the Premier League. When they defeated Young Boys to qualify for the Champions League they were beaten by Wigan Athletic and after their 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen they were beaten by West Bromwich Albion, both games that they should have won. Last week was a poor one for Spurs too, losing to bitter rivals Arsenal in the Carling Cup before being beaten by West Ham at the weekend. Can they turn their poor week around and claim their first Champions League win?

FC Twente will be no pushovers for Spurs in this match as they are on an unbeaten run of thirteen games in all competitions in a run that stretches back as far as April. They began their Champions League campaign with a 2-2 home draw with defending champions Inter Milan and they sit fourth in the Dutch league following three wins and four draws in an unbeaten start to the season. They are drawing too many games at this early stage and they will need to step up a gear if they are to claim all three points in London.

Harry Redknapp will have his players psyched up for this game and although they are missing several players through in injury I expect to see a home win in this game. However, with the injuries that they have I do not expect things to be easy for them and I see both sides getting on the scoresheet in this game.

Our money is on a Spurs win with both sides to score.

Check the Champions League odds @ sportsbetting.com

For chat and plenty of bets on all of this week’s Champions League action, check out the Champions League Online Betting Stadium!

Some Recommendations:

· Valencia to beat Manchester United @ 2.63

· Over 2.5 goals in the Valencia v Manchester United game @ 2.10

· Tottenham Hotspur to beat FC Twente @ 1.73

· Both Tottenham Hotspur and FC Twente to score @ 1.73

NFL Betting: An Early AFC Update

Before the season began, an argument could have been made for any one of three AFC divisions to be the top of the class. Sorry West, you weren’t invited to the party.

After three weeks, not a lot has been settled in the debate for divisional supremacy. The East and South divisions each contain three teams with identical 2-1 straight-up (SU) records while Baltimore and Cincinnati balance the North.

Miami impressed with back-to-back road wins to start the season but couldn’t handle the New York Jets Sunday night. New England has looked very good on offense for two and-a-half of its three games but a defensive breakdown cost bettors against the Bills and in the only half where the Pats offense was shutout, the Jets made them pay dearly.

Going back to the end of last season, New York’s record is now 6-2 SU/ATS in its past eight games and 9-3 SU/ATS in its past 12. No one seems willing to crown King Sanchez just yet, but a 75-percent record for bettors is at least worth a tip of the cap.

The Bengals have an edge over the Ravens, not just for beating them straight-up in Week 2 but also for dominating the Panthers Sunday with an offense that didn’t even shift out of second gear.

Baltimore does lead the AFC in fewest points allowed (41) but Tennessee is right behind, giving up just 42. And Houston is the only one of 10 teams in the conference with a winning record that has allowed more points (78) than they have scored (77).

But then there is Pittsburgh...

NO OFFENSE, NO PROBLEM

If you can find anyone that says they projected the Steelers (3-0 SU/ATS) to win three-straight games to start the season, shake their hand, say “Congratulations” and then never buy any real estate or insurance from that person.

QB Charlie Batch guided the Steelers to a an absolute drubbing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, making plays and proving he is a capable backup. A Steelers team that was lost in `09 when defensive standout Troy Polamalu went down has positioned themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With one game left to play before Ben Roethlisberger returns, bettors need to have a strong system or trend in effect before fading Mike Tomlin’s crew.

The Baltimore Ravens are in Pittsburgh for Week 4 and the early line at sportsbook is Steelers (-1.5). The Over/Under is 34. Early betting action at Sportsbetting.com has 55% of the action on the visiting Ravens and 58% of the volume on the “Under”.

HOT STREAKS

We mentioned how well the Jets have performed if you include last season’s results, but Pittsburgh slips under the radar since they missed the playoffs in January.

- Pittsburgh is 6-0 straight-up in its last six games and for sports bettors, they have a record of 4-1-1 against the spread in that stretch.

- The Steelers are outscoring opponents 44-12 in the first-half through the first three weeks of the season

Not bad for a team built on defense!

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$100,000 FREE “NFL Games of the Year” Contest

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Have a great week.

NFL Betting: An Early AFC Update

Before the season began, an argument could have been made for any one of three AFC divisions to be the top of the class. Sorry West, you weren’t invited to the party.

After three weeks, not a lot has been settled in the debate for divisional supremacy. The East and South divisions each contain three teams with identical 2-1 straight-up (SU) records while Baltimore and Cincinnati balance the North.

Miami impressed with back-to-back road wins to start the season but couldn’t handle the New York Jets Sunday night. New England has looked very good on offense for two and-a-half of its three games but a defensive breakdown cost bettors against the Bills and in the only half where the Pats offense was shutout, the Jets made them pay dearly.

Going back to the end of last season, New York’s record is now 6-2 SU/ATS in its past eight games and 9-3 SU/ATS in its past 12. No one seems willing to crown King Sanchez just yet, but a 75-percent record for bettors is at least worth a tip of the cap.

The Bengals have an edge over the Ravens, not just for beating them straight-up in Week 2 but also for dominating the Panthers Sunday with an offense that didn’t even shift out of second gear.

Baltimore does lead the AFC in fewest points allowed (41) but Tennessee is right behind, giving up just 42. And Houston is the only one of 10 teams in the conference with a winning record that has allowed more points (78) than they have scored (77).

But then there is Pittsburgh...

NO OFFENSE, NO PROBLEM

If you can find anyone that says they projected the Steelers (3-0 SU/ATS) to win three-straight games to start the season, shake their hand, say “Congratulations” and then never buy any real estate or insurance from that person.

QB Charlie Batch guided the Steelers to a an absolute drubbing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, making plays and proving he is a capable backup. A Steelers team that was lost in `09 when defensive standout Troy Polamalu went down has positioned themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With one game left to play before Ben Roethlisberger returns, bettors need to have a strong system or trend in effect before fading Mike Tomlin’s crew.

The Baltimore Ravens are in Pittsburgh for Week 4 and the early line at sportsbook is Steelers (-1.5). The Over/Under is 34. Early betting action at Sportsbetting.com has 55% of the action on the visiting Ravens and 58% of the volume on the “Under”.

HOT STREAKS

We mentioned how well the Jets have performed if you include last season’s results, but Pittsburgh slips under the radar since they missed the playoffs in January.

- Pittsburgh is 6-0 straight-up in its last six games and for sports bettors, they have a record of 4-1-1 against the spread in that stretch.

- The Steelers are outscoring opponents 44-12 in the first-half through the first three weeks of the season

Not bad for a team built on defense!

FREE CONTEST

$100,000 FREE “NFL Games of the Year” Contest

You can win $100,000 this football season by playing the free "$100,000 Games of the Year Challenge" @ sportsbetting.com

Have a great week.

NFL Week 2 Picks: Sunday Morning Snap Judgements

A lot of NFL betting fans are just waking up right now, thinking about which games to play and where to get their action in. Here’s a brief run down with some football betting picks:

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals

Common sense says take the Ravens, but at a closer look this Bengals team has the Ravens number (2-0 against them last year), the Ravens are on a short week, back-to-back road games and the Bengals needs this one.

Pick: Bengals +3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are only successful when they can run the ball. This week, they will run the ball and do it well against the feeble Bucs.

Pick: Carolina -3.5

Buffalo Bills @ Green Bay Packers

This looks to be the blowout of the week. The Bills will be in it for about a quarter or so but this is too tall an order for them to step into Lambeau and get the win.

Pick: Packers -13

Ryo Ishikawa Wins Golf Title

The Japanese golf player, Ryo Ishikawa won the Fujisankei Classic golf title on Sunday at Fujizakura Country Club, in Mount Fuji. Ishikawa is the 18 year old youngest golf player to win the title for the second year in a row.

Ishikawa won the game against, Shunsuke Sonoda with a score of nine under par 275. After finishing the game in first three playoff holes, Ishikawa two-putted for par on the fourth, but Sonoda's short par putt lipped out to hand.

Ishikawa stated to media that, he felt very hard to win the game this time when compared to last year. He wants to keep on continuing to play more games and win titles. For winning the Fujisankei Classic golf title, Ishikawa was awarded an amount of $261,000 and this leads to the top position in Japan Golf tournament money rankings.

NFL Preseason Week 4: New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles Preview

Teams: New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Date & Time: Sep 2nd, 7:30 PM (ET)

Place: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Jets and Eagles are going to kickoff on Sep 2nd at Lincoln Financial Field stadium. In the last preseason game, Jets has lost the game against, Washington Redskins.

The predicted odds for jets is (1-2) and for the Eagles is (2-1). In the last preseason games, Eagles won the game against, Jaguars with a score of 28-27 and lost the game against, Bengals with a score of 22-9.

Jets has lost the game against, Giants with a score of 31-16 in the first game and won against, Panthers in the second game, but in the third game, Jets lost against, Redskins.