Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions - NFL Preseason Betting Week 4

If the preseason was what everyone was betting on for teams to make the Super Bowl then the Buffalo Bills would be a contender. The Bills have looked surprisingly good this preseason, and they have looked good matching up first-string offenses with first-string defenses. The first-string Bills offense has been able to put up points, and the defense has been suffocating on opposing offenses.

The preseason NFL betting was thrown into a tailspin when the first-string Buffalo Bills offense successfully went toe-to-toe with the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills defense looked to confuse Peyton Manning and keep him at bay. C.J. Spiller was a major factor in college football betting, and now he looks to make an impact on the pros. The Bills look good but, then again, this is only preseason.

The Detroit Lions looked great in their most recent preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. The Detroit defense had a little trouble with the Cleveland offense at times, but they were able to hold on and get to Jake Delhomme a few times. Matthew Stafford looked poised and ready to start his climb to elite quarterback status in the NFL. It will take Stafford a few years, but he will get there.

It looks like the days of one or two wins seasons are over in Detroit. The combination of quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson looks to become another version of the Houston Texans’ combination of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. The Lions will win games this season, but they are far from being a Super Bowl contender.

Before Bills fans get too excited about the regular season they need to keep in mind that the defenses being played by the opposing teams are vanilla. The Bills offensive line has not needed to react to stunting linebackers blitzing on opposite sides, and a corner blitz in the preseason is rare. Running back C.J. Spiller does pose a running threat that takes heat off of quarterback Trent Edwards, but it won’t take NFL coordinators long to figure out how to shut Spiller down.

In the fourth preseason game the starters rarely play. Fans hate paying for a preseason game ticket because they want to leave the developmental scouting to the team. If you bet on NFL football then you know that there are sometimes not even odds posted on fourth week preseason games. But this game could be very interesting.

The Bills second-string and third-string have, at times, looked better than the starters. There are still many that believe that third-string quarterback Brian Brohm should be the starter in Buffalo. Second-string quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the starter for a large majority of the season last year. The Bills second-string defense looks especially potent.

The Lions second-string is not nearly as accomplished as the Bills. The offense looks sluggish under Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton, and once first-round pick defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh comes off the field with Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams, there ceases to be a Detroit pass rush.

The Bills just may have the upper hand in the battle of the two’s in this game.

Pick: Buffalo Bills 28-10

Baseball Odds Game Preview - Houston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies

The betting world could have never predicted what happened in the opening game of this series between the Astros and the Phillies. Ryan Howard was ejected in the 14th inning of a 16 inning game for throwing his bat, and that meant that former Astros pitcher and now Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt had to play left field. It would be a sequence of events that would cost the Phillies the game, and Philadelphia hopes that Ryan Howard can keep his cool the rest of this series.

In Houston, they are already thinking about NFL betting and NCAA football betting. The Houston Texans of the NFL look like they may challenge for a playoff spot this year and the town is buzzing. Ever since the Astros fell out of the playoff chase and then gave up Oswalt to the Phillies, Houston has not been buzzing too much about the Astros.

It is too bad because the Astros have won six of their last 10 which includes a winning streak that was continued with that long first game of this series. But at 15 and a half games back in the standings, the Astros look to have no chance at the NL Central pennant or the NL Wild Card berth.

Ryan Howard’s temper did not help the Phillies at all. Losing the first game of this series kept the Phillies two and half games away from the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. To top it off, the Braves lost that night which means the Phillies lost a chance to gain one game on them. The loss by the Phillies, coupled with a win by the San Francisco Giants, now puts the Giants and Phillies tied for the NL Wild Card berth. The Phillies have a lot to play for in this series.

When the season started, MLB betting experts had the Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals meeting in the NLCS. If that is going to happen, the Phillies need to get back to winning and the Cardinals need to stop losing to teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In this game the Phillies are sending Kyle Kendrick to the mound. Kendrick has an 8-6 record and a 4.58 ERA. He has been spectacular at times, and at other times he looks lost on the mound. This season, Kendrick has nine starts where he has allowed five or more earned runs. The Phillies could use a good Kendrick effort in this game.

The Astros will be sending Wandy Rodriguez to the mound for this game. It has been a tough year for Rodriguez as he has pitched well but holds a 9-12 record and a 4.00 ERA. The defense behind him and the run support when he has been on the mound have both been lacking this season. As an example, in his last start he had 10 strikeouts, only allowed two runs and still lost to the Marlins.

The Astros scored four runs in their 16 inning epic win to start this series. If they can continue to do that, then they have a chance at beating the Phillies, The Phillies need to work at keeping the wheels on the track. Howard’s ejection and Oswalt’s terrible pitching since joining the Phillies are contributing to Philadelphia’s drop in the standings.

Pick: Philadelphia Phillies 4-2

NFL Preview for August 26, 2010: St. Louis Rams @ New England Patriots

It is only preseason, but the betting experts are already cringing from the way the Rams’ rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is getting knocked around. Bradford did not get sacked in the last preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, but he only went 6 for 14 with 24 yards in the air. The rookie is getting a rude welcome to the NFL.

The leaves the NFL football betting enthusiasts in St. Louis wondering how this coming season will play out. Will the Rams employ a tactic more commonly seen by NCAA football betting experts and utilize a platoon system at quarterback with Sam Bradford and Keith Null (until A.J. Feeley comes back from his thumb injury)? Or is this still Bradford’s job? If the Rams were smart, they would put Feeley out there when he is healthy and let Bradford learn from the sidelines where he cannot get hurt.

On a brighter note for the Rams, running back Steven Jackson ripped off an 11-yard run as one of his four attempts in the Cleveland game. Rookie running back Keith Toston also looked good as he carried the ball 13 times for 23 yards. Considering what the Rams are working with for an offensive line, those are good numbers for a rookie running back.

The New England Patriots are doing just fine this preseason. In their most recent preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Tom Brady went 10 for 12 in passing with 85 yards and a touchdown. Receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker both played well, but it is difficult to watch the Pats play and not wonder how much better they would be with wide receiver Torry Holt on the field. Unfortunately, due to his injury in the first preseason game, that may be something we will never know.

The NFL football betting lines makers have the Patriots as 10 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl this season. Those odds take a hit without Torry Holt in there, but there is just too much experience on offense to count the Pats out, and head coach Bill Belichick gives them an advantage as well.

The reason the Rams beat the Browns in the last preseason game was the play of quarterback A.J. Feeley. Because of his thumb injury, Feeley will probably not play in this game. With the offensive line playing the way it is, it is doubtful that Bradford will be on his feet long enough to be effective. It is also doubtful that running back Steven Jackson will be able to carry too many footballs into the endzone.

The Patriot machine just keeps rolling along. Belichick will give his guys the looks he needs to determine his starters, but he will also be coaching to get the most out of his players. Getting the most out of the Patriots players is always bad news for the opposition. Especially when that opposition is playing the way the Rams are playing.

Pick: New England Patriots 21-10

Oakland Raiders Won their Second Game in the NFL Betting Preseason

The Oakland Raiders won their second game in the preseason of the NFL betting by defeating the Chicago Bears 32-17 in the second week of displays in games.

The Bears' star linebacker, Brian Urlacher, who could only participate in the first game of the 2009 season after fracturing a wrist, an injured left calf in the first offensive opponent and did not return to the game.

The new Raiders quarterback, Jason Campbell, and the Bears' starter, Jay Cutler, played the first half of the betting game at Solider Field.

Campbell was 10 of 20 completions for 170 yards, one interception and one touchdown in a sprint.

Cutler completed 7 of 15 for 99 yards with a touchdown pass to Johnny Knox 22 yards but was sacked five times, four by linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.

Slade Norris reserve linebacker recovered a blocked punt by the Bears in the local zone and then another attempt blocked punt for a safety.

Oakland improved its NFL preseason betting record to 2-0 and Chicago fell to 0-2.

MLB Game Preview for August 19, 2010: Detroit Tigers @ New York Yankees

The online sports betting surrounding the New York Yankees bid to defend their World Series title is getting interesting. At one point in time, the Yankees had a comfortable lead over their season-long nemesis the Tampa Bay Rays. But as NFL betting and NCAA football betting seasons approach, the Yankees find themselves falling apart and tangled in a dogfight with the Rays.

Right now the Rays and the Yankees have identical 73-46 records. The Yankees probably felt that the best record in baseball was enough to secure the AL East pennant, but they never counted on the Rays matching them game for game. The other problem for the Yankees is that the Rays are on a four-game winning streak and show no signs of letting up.

The Detroit Tigers were a factor in the AL Central most of the season, but in recent weeks the team has fallen off of the divisional pace. The Tigers are 11 games out of first place in the AL Central and they are 15 games out of the AL wild card race as well. The problem for the Tigers all season long was their inability to win on the road as they have racked up a 20-37 road record.

Because the Tigers were a factor in the MLB betting much of the season, it is assumed that the team will spend the rest of this season trying to find out which players can help them win the AL Central pennant next season. There is a lot of good, young talent on the Tigers, but they need to find that mix of veterans and young players that will help them win next year.

The Yankees will put their starting pitching ace Paul Hughes on the mound for this game. There is still some concern over Hughes and his control as the Yankees head towards the playoffs. While Hughes did manage to get his 14th win of the season in his last start against the Kansas City Royals, he gave up nine hits and three runs in the process. In the playoffs, that kind of performance will not be enough to win. Hughes’ ERA is 3.94, and it keeps climbing. The Yankees need Hughes to get straightened out before the playoffs begin.

Detroit will put Rick Porcello on the mound and Porcello’s problems are typical of the problems the entire Tigers’s starting rotation has been having. He has a 5-10 record with a 5.53 ERA, which makes it hard to believe that he started the season so strong. At this point, the Tigers are trying to map out their starting rotation for next season and games like this will help Detroit to see if Porcello should be a part of it.

The Yankees need every win they can get for the rest of the season. Alex Rodriguez is still nursing injuries that are hampering his hitting, and the Yankee bullpen has not been as reliable as it has been in years past. If the Yankees cannot start turning their play around soon, then they will be unable to defend their World Series title.

Pick: New York Yankees 5-1

New England Patriots @ Atlanta Falcons NFL Preseason Game Betting Picks

Some pretty important sports betting news came out of the first New England Patriots preseason game last week against the New Orleans Saints. The Patriots were looking forward to wide receivers Torry Holt and Randy Moss giving quarterback Tom Brady the passing attack needed to push the Patriots to the Super Bowl. The New England passing game, and the Patriots Super Bowl hopes, took a huge hit last week as Torry Holt is out for the season with a knee injury.

The severity of the injury on the NFL betting world is obvious, but the potential effect of the injury on Holt’s career has not been as widely publicized. This knee injury could end Holt’s career at the age of only 34. Holt and the Patriots will know more about the wide receiver’s progress after he starts rehabilitation on his surgically repaired knee. Until then, the Patriots need another receiver in their passing game.

The Patriots are not well-known for betting on college football players to step up in key spots, but now that Terrell Owens has found a home the Pats may have to give third-round pick wide receiver Taylor Price a closer look. Price ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and showed a vertical leap of 37 inches in the combine. He has the skills, he just does not have the experience

The Atlanta Falcons were handed a lot of nice surprises in their opening preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Rookie quarterback John Parker Wilson threw for 80 yards on eight completions in his limited playing time in the third quarter. Corner back Shann Schillinger, a sixth-round pick out of Montana, returned an interception for a touchdown that sealed the game for the Falcons. The Falcons first-team starters also looked excellent in a 20-10 preseason win over the Chiefs.

Preseason games rarely have an effect on the Super Bowl odds for any team, but the Holt injury will lower the odds that the Patriots will win Super Bowl XLV this season. The continued good play of the Falcon’s draft picks, especially on defense, can help the Falcons’ odds for winning the Super Bowl this season.

In this game the Patriots will be taking a long look at their rookie receivers. A lot of mistakes will be made by nervous rookies that know the spotlight is on them. Randy Moss will be on an island again, and it will be difficult to get the ball to him with these hungry rookie defensive backs of Atlanta looking to make the team.

As preseason games go, this one is incredibly important for the Patriots. If they cannot find a replacement for Holt already on their roster, then they will need to go to the free agent market to get one. Now a team may finally be disappointed that Terrell Owens is no longer available on the open market. The other receivers available right now are not up to the quality of a Torry Holt, and that will hurt the Patriots this season.

Gambling Advisor Pick: Atlanta Falcons 21-3

MLB Betting – Playoff Hopefuls Clash In Philadelphia on Thursday

NFL betting players know all about the stress of a playoff race, and a pair of teams who had high expectations coming into the 2010 campaign but are in danger of missing the postseason will wrap up a three-game set in Philadelphia on Thursday as the Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dodgers Phillies Betting – Thursday, August 12, 7:05 PM ET

College football betting players love to watch guys come along, and Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 3.19) is going to be a brilliant player to watch as his career progresses. But Kershaw ran into some problems in a 6-3 loss at home to Washington, allowing six runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out nine and walking two. Kershaw is now fifth in the National League in both strikeouts and walks, and once he learns how to harness his stuff, he could end up being a Cy Young candidate. The 22-year-old hasn’t fared that well against the Phillies in his career, going 0-3 in four starts with a 6.64 ERA, and he’s 0-2 at Citizens Bank Park with a 10.00 ERA.

Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.65) will be on the mound for the Phillies, and he was unfortunate to earn his sixth no-decision in his last 10 starts in a 7-5 win over the Mets, scattering a pair of runs on seven hits over seven innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Blanton has now given up three runs or less in seven of his last 10 starts, and he knows he’s going to have to pitch better to be a part of the Phillies’ postseason rotation, providing they make it that far. Blanton has faced the Dodgers four times in his career, posting a 1-0 mark with an ERA of 2.88.

MLB betting odds should have the Phillies as a favorite at home, even though the Dodgers took the first game of this series in a 15-9 shootout on Tuesday night. Kershaw is 4-4 in 10 starts on the road, posting a 3.02 ERA, while Blanton is 3-2 in nine starts at home with a 4.76 ERA. It’s very tempting to pick Kershaw and the Dodgers, but the kid is coming off a tough outing, and he seems to be the next version of the Yankees’ A.J. Burnett: great stuff when he can keep it under control, but when he doesn’t, it tends to get ugly, and quickly. Meanwhile, the veteran Blanton has been more consistent and as we said earlier, he’s been unlucky to take some no-decisions in some of his past efforts as he’s actually pitched well over the last couple of months. We’re going with the consistency of the Phillies here.

Gambling Advisor pick: Philadelphia

NFL Betting – Saints, Patriots Kick Season Off In New England

If you’re looking at Super Bowl betting odds for the upcoming season, you’re likely to find New Orleans and New England near the top of the list of favorites. The two will get together in New England on Thursday night in preseason action.

Saints Patriots Betting – Thursday, August 12, 7:30 PM ET

The Saints rolled to the Super Bowl on the strength of Drew Brees and the best offense in the league, although we won’t see many of the main targets for very long in this game. Pat Ramsey, Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield will handle most of the quarterback duties for the Saints in this game, but their big questions to answer before they begin their quest to repeat in the Super Bowl come on defense. If it wasn’t for their 39 takeaways, the Saints’ defense would have been a mess. The secondary is pretty deep, but they can’t afford to give up big plays through the air like they did last year.

The Patriots will also only play the likes of Tom Brady, Randy Moss and company for a series or two, but the big news coming out of New England is that Wes Welker should be able to start the season after recovering from a knee injury. The offense sputtered in the playoffs when Welker went down, and Brady will be happier than anyone to have him back. But in this game, you should get to see Brian Hoyer and rookie Zac Robinson battle for the right to be Brady’s backup, and the Patriots have no shortage of running backs. College football betting players will recognize tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez from the NCAA, and along with Alge Crumpler, the Patriots are stocked at that position.

NFL betting odds have the Patriots as a 1-point favorite at home, and the Saints have dropped their last two regular-season trips to New England. There may be a measure of revenge in this for the Patriots, who were whipped 38-17 in New Orleans on Monday Night Football last season, and no one really took the Saints seriously as a Super Bowl contender until that game. The Patriots don’t want anyone to make a name off of beating them, so the veterans are going to be in the ear of players still trying to fight for a spot on the team. The Patriots have a bit more depth on both sides of the ball, and we also think the Patriots will be able to move the ball better than New Orleans because they have better backup quarterbacks, a load of running backs and a few receivers.

NFL betting pick: New England -1

MLB Preview for August 5, 2010: Minnesota Twins @ Tampa Bay Rays

It seemed like just a little while ago that the sports betting world had written off the Tampa Bay Rays as the team had fallen further off the pace in the AL East and into a second-place battle with the Boston Red Sox. But while some people have been focusing on NFL betting, the Rays have been on a streak that has put them right back on top in the AL East with the Yankees looking up.

In their last 10 games the Rays have won nine, and that includes a current three-game winning streak. They have climbed from being several games down to the Yankees in the standings to being a game up in the AL East. The Yankees recent three-game losing streak is not helping their cause, but the Rays have figured out how to capitalize on the Yankees’ misfortunes.

The battle for the AL Central pennant is as fierce as NCAA football betting in January. The Minnesota Twins are trailing the Chicago White Sox by a game and a half. Both the Twins and the White Sox are playing great baseball. The White Sox have won seven of their last 10, and the Twins have won eight of their last 10 games. Neither team is giving any ground, and this pennant battle looks to rage on right to the end of the season.

Every game is important to both of these teams, and the MLB betting world is watching a classic battle in both divisions to see who can take the pennants. In this critical game, the Twins are sending Kevin Slowey to the mound. Slowey has a respectable 10-5 record but a slightly inflated 4.44 ERA. He is one of the pitchers on the Twins’ starting rotation that has benefited from their active bats. In his last start Slowey pitched eight shut-out innings and gave up only three hits. If he can remain consistent, he can be a great asset to the Twins in the playoffs.

The Rays are putting Wade Davis on the mound for this game, and Davis has managed to turn around what could have been a disastrous season. His current record is 9-9, but he needed a recent run of 4-0 to get his record to .500. Davis’ 4.41 ERA is down significantly from earlier in the season, and he is definitely showing signs of a pitcher ready to compete in the playoffs.

The Rays are on an unbelievable roll lately, and the White Sox are still having problems winning on the road. The Sox have a 27-26 road record, and that may be a problem for them as the playoffs approach.

With the Yankees faltering down the stretch, and as big-name Yankee pitchers like Paul Hughes continue to struggle, the Rays need to keep the pressure on and keep winning. While the White Sox pose a significant threat to the Rays, they are not enough to stop the Rays’ current winning streak.

BSN Sports Pick: Tampa Bay Rays 5-2

Sam Bradford to the St. Louis Rams this NFL Betting Season

St. Louis Rams signed the top pick in the NFL Draft, quarterback Sam Bradford, for six-year, $ 78 million.

Bradford labor agreement specifies that $ 50 million will be guaranteed payment for the former star of the Oklahoma Sooners.

An hour after signing on Saturday, July 31, Bradford reported to training camp.

"It's great," said Bradford at the end of the practice of physical conditioning that lasted an hour and a half. "This obviously made everything more comfortable knowing that some fans supported me. I think now everything is just easier. "

"If you start worrying about all those other things that are not football, it can affect your performance," said Bradford. "I have high expectations for myself and for the team and I think that is what is helping me succeed."

Visit Sportsbook.com to place your bets this NFL betting season.