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Whether you are a casual gambler or a seasoned pro, by logging on daily throughout the football season, you will increase your profits during the football season.

Latest NFL News

Andre Johnson and Finnegan fined for fight
2010-12-06

The Houston Texans crushed the Tennessee Titans 20-0 in Sunday’s game. Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson crushed Titans corner back Cortland Finnegan in an all-out brawl during the fourth quarter of that game.
The NFL announced today that both Finnegan and Johnson have been fined $25,000 for Sunday’s fight. But they were not suspended. This is very important news for NFL betting fans. Without Johnson the Texans would be a risky bet going forward.
“He kept doing little things and I told him: ‘Just because you’re frustrated, you need to stop what you're doing. I guess he thought it was funny,” said Johnson after the game, which he caught nine passes, including one for a touchdown.
Finnegan started it all by jabbing at Johnson’s neck and face mask at the line of scrimmage. Johnson then proceeded to end it by ripping off Finnegan’s helmet, spun each other around, allowing Johnson to land two solid hits to the back of Finnegan’s head and one to the neck.
Johnson, usually soft-spoken, a gentle giant if you will, had apparently been putting up with Finnegan all day, and when Finnegan began to get physical, that’s when he lost control: “It's just a buildup of things over plays. I just lost my cool.” After the game, Johnson was apologetic, saying: “I would like to apologize to the organization, our owner, and my teammates. What happened out there today was not me. I just lost my cool and I wish that I could take back what happened, but I can’t. It’s over and done with now.”
While Johnson sought forgiveness and demonstrated regret over his actions on the field, Finnegan was no where to be found after the game, and did not comment on the incident. Interestingly enough, this isn’t Finnegan’s first run-in with the laws and regulations of the National Football League, and these two have actually mixed it up before. Last season, Johnson was fined $7,500 for taking Finnegan to the ground by the facemask.
Earlier this season, Finnegan was fined for personal fouls in three consecutive games and warned by the league to watch his behavior after the whistle.
What’s really interesting is that the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans do in fact play each other one more time this season, so we’ll see how high the fines go after that game. NFL betting is hot and the season is winding down. Get into the fire today at www.sportsbook.com where everybody bets!

NFL Tight Ends to watch 2010
2010-08-25

This year’s group of NFL tight ends is marked by great depth. There is a great combination of experienced, superstar players as well as younger ones who have performed at a very high level yet are still capable of further developing their considerable talents. This position may have more players capable of being ranked number one than any other. Outside of kicker, tight end may be the most undervalued position in fantasy football, but there are a few tight ends that could put up numbers comparable to a team’s best wide receiver, and being ahead of the game on specific positions is very important to football betting. The little things make the biggest difference. Choosing a great tight end at the right point in a fantasy draft can propel a team over the top. Here are the top five options:
Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers- Although Gates is now 30 years old, he may have had his best statistical season yet last year. After minor injuries had limited his complete effectiveness in years past, he was injury-free last season and had a career-best 1,157 receiving yards to go along with 79 receptions and eight touchdowns. The former college basketball standout is so skilled due in large part to his explosiveness; his 14.6 yards per reception is the best for any NFL tight end with over 35 receptions. The future bodes well for Gates and he has many factors in his statistical favor. Not only is former red-zone favorite LaDainian Tomlinson now with the New York Jets, Vincent Jackson is suspended and will miss at least four games. Phillip Rivers’ dependence on Gates will only increase, especially in the short term. He may have more career years in the future.

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers- Davis has always been teeming with talent and is finally beginning to deliver. He is as fast as many wide receivers and his characteristic speed parlayed into a breakthrough season last year, leading all tight ends with 13 touchdowns. He was not merely a red zone machine as he also accounted for 78 total receptions and 965 yards. There’s no doubt Davis has the potential for even more but the biggest question surrounding him is his attitude. Prior to last year, his first three seasons were marked by a petulance that prevented him from performing his best. Last year was much better but he’ll need to build on that. The other concern is that Davis won’t have a capable quarterback to get him the ball. Alex Smith, the current starter, has been rather erratic and there are major question marks surrounding his ability as a starting quarterback. The team’s backups haven’t proven to be much better either. However, Davis’ talent is so great that I briefly considered ranking him over Gates.

Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts- As Reggie Wayne benefits from being Peyton Manning’s top receiver, so does Clark benefit as his tight end. He has posted obscene numbers throughout the course of his career, including a staggering 100 receptions, as well as 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns, last season. Clark has also maintained amazing consistency that shows no signs of ceasing. He could undoubtedly be argued for as the top tight end in the NFL. I believe Gates and Davis have slightly more upside for fantasy but if you play in a league where each reception counts for a point, Clark may be the number one tight end to take. Manning loves going to him in all situations and he’ll continue to have seasons with large numbers of receptions.

Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles- Celek was one of the great surprises in all of the NFL last season, going from unknown player to bona fide superstar. Celek caught 76 passes for 961 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a huge red zone target last year and his touchdown numbers should only increase. There may be a justified worry that Kevin Kolb will be able to pick up where Donovan McNabb left off at quarterback. However, there shouldn’t be a chemistry issue with Celek, who is great friends with Kolb and was a frequent passing target during Kolb’s two starts last year.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys- The only reason Witten isn’t ranked higher is because of his shortage of touchdowns. He only had two last season and four the year before, a shockingly low number for such an excellent player. Touchdowns aside, Witten has still achieved great stats. He had 94 catches for 1,030 yards last season and there’s reason to think his lack of touchdowns is a mere aberration. If anything, he has become a victim of his own skills. He is an excellent blocker as well and is an asset when blocking in red zone situations. However, he’s such an excellent player with great size and it seems like just a matter of time until he gets more chances and finds the end zone more. Witten will be a big factor in helping the Cowboys win the Superbowl, www.sportsbook.com has the Cowboys at +800 to win the Superbowl this coming season.

The depth at tight end doesn’t end with the top five. There are multiple players outside of this elite echelon who either are superstars or are capable of becoming superstars. Tight end is becoming an increasingly top-heavy position. As good as the 10 or so best at the position are, there’s a point in which the returns begin to quickly diminish. Unlike a position like running back, the difference between the best and the average is substantial. It’s important for fantasy owners to grab one of the elite players or be relegated to settling for a rather pedestrian player. Here’s the rest of the top 10:

6. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons- Even at 34 years old, Gonzalez is still easily one of the best tight ends in football. Similar to Antonio Gates, he is a former college basketball star who has tremendous hands. He had a prolific 2009 season in which he registered 83 catches for 869 yards and six touchdowns, a number that should increase as he remains a focal point of the Falcons red zone offense. He should only benefit from the more balanced offense Atlanta will have this year with Michael Turner’s return from injury.

7. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers- Finley is emerging as one of the NFL’s stars of the future. At just 23 years of age, he has already displayed the immense athleticism and production that promise to make him great for an extended period of time. His 55 catches, 676 yards, and five touchdowns last year look minor until it’s taken into consideration that he missed three games with injuries and came off the bench for much of the season. Now that Finley is the clear-cut starter, these numbers should skyrocket assuming he stays healthy. Furthermore, Finley has shown he can perform in the clutch. He caught six passes for 159 yards in the Packers’ playoff game last year. Aaron Rodgers clearly has confidence in him and this is a duo that should be great for years to come. Although Finley is currently my seventh best overall tight end, I’d recommend taking him first in keeper leagues. His youth and potential are similar to that of Vernon Davis but he gets the edge due to having a better quarterback.

8. Owen Daniels, Houston Texans- Daniels figures to take care of unfinished business this upcoming season. He was on his way to a tremendous season last year before an ACL injury forced him to miss the entire second half of the season. Daniels had an excellent first half of the season and had already accounted for 40 receptions, 519 yards, and five touchdowns before the injury. Some might fear Andre Johnson would cut into Daniels’ numbers but the fact is that Daniels is Matt Schaub’s number two option and provides a threat in and of himself. The only worry with Daniels is his ability to stay healthy. He’s ruptured his ACL three times but it appears his rehab from the latest incident is going well.

9. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings- Shiancoe is a red-zone extraordinaire who excels near the goal line. His 11 touchdowns last season were second among all tight ends. After a middling career, he really found his stride last year with Brett Favre under center. A concern with Shiancoe, as is the case with Minnesota’s other pass catchers, is how they’ll perform if Favre decides to retire. Also, there is some concern that Shiancoe’s contribution to fantasy owners is too touchdown-dependent. His 56 catches and 566 yards were rather unimpressive compared with those at the position ranked ahead of him and if his touchdown figures dip, his value diminishes greatly.

10. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers- Miller continues to be the steadiest of performers for the Steelers. He caught 76 passes for 789 yards and six touchdowns last season, his best season in a stretch of consistency. Similar to Shiancoe, the biggest question surrounding Miller’s fantasy usefulness will be the continuity at his team’s quarterback position. Last year, The Steelers moved to a more high-octane passing offense behind Ben Roethlisberger, something that undoubtedly benefited Miller’s stats. However, Roethlisberger is suspended for the first four games and it’s yet to be seen how his backup will perform and who will have the job once Roethlisberger returns, let alone how the chemistry with the Steelers’ pass catchers evolves. The Steelers may return to a run-first mentality.

NFL Preseason Betting Tips
2009-08-07

The NFL Preseason gives sports bettors their first shot at getting back into to the game they are so passionate about. The SportsCenter highlights and countless team reports being blogged with up to the minute information has the football bettor foaming at the mouth to make their first game wagers of the season. Of course, Sportsbook.com will be your home for preseason wagering, including all the key information you need to make an educated wager.

Never mind the fact that most of the teams don’t truly care whether they win or lose in the preseason, it’s about getting ready for the regular season. With that thought in mind, nobody bets to lose, so like any other investment plan, it helps to have a strategy, do your homework, and be disciplined in your approach to betting the NFL preseason. This article is designed to map out a game plan of specific tactics that have been successful over the years.

Obviously the game is different in the preseason. The most important thing to always remember is NEVER handicap the games using regular season strategies. Often, preseason lines may be set by the public’s perception of a team’s chances for regular season, but this only serves to trap the uninformed bettor. Use statistics and trends that represent a team’s or coaches past preseason performances. Anything else is a mistake in my less than humble opinion. Our StatFox game match-ups and FoxSheets products will deal exclusively with preseason facts and figures. If you see statistics elsewhere that don’t employ this strategy, stop IMMEDIATELY, you’re better off flipping a coin! Once you’re comfortable with a place to get your stats and trends from, utilize these following general week-by-week strategies to build your bankroll for the NFL season, which will be here in a matter of time.

Pre-Preseason
Just like in the regular season, it is important to know your NFL teams. I am not talking about reading hours of information about every given team, rather to know the coaches and the tendencies of the teams. Coaching blunders and superior game plans can alter the outcomes of contests during the regular season. A missed tackle by the opposition or unexpected turnovers can change the final score, no matter what a coach does. In the preseason, a coach can directly impact the scoreboard by substitution patterns and what his goal is for the team beforehand. Throughout the internet or in many preseason publications, interesting fact-based cold data is available for you to learn from. For example, New Orleans is harrowing favorite at 11-22 ATS, yet is quite profitable 29-18 ATS as an underdog. Take a look at a team like Jacksonville who wears the underdog hat comfortably at 16-7-1 ATS.

Week 1 - Know your Coaches
This is extremely important if you have a desire to have extra money before the regular season starts. Be assured all the oddsmakers know these numbers also, it is your duty as well if you expect to profit. Coach Bill Belichick has always placed a strong emphasis on winning period. The Patriots are 21-13 ATS as favorites and 12-4 against the spread as home faves versus incoming teams with losing records. New England is 5-1 ATS the first week of preseason, as Belichick wants the hard work of training camp to pay off for the players as an immediate benefit.

Philadelphia’s Andy Reid is big on preparation when it counts and uses a different approach. The Eagles are 14-26 SU under Reid in the during exhibition encounters with 19-21 ATS record. What is noteworthy about following Philly is they have lost and failed to cover last five opening preseason games. Reid has used this time wisely to evaluate his large squad and is not bothered by the outcome. He in turn uses the loss as motivational tool and is 5-0 SU and ATS in week 2.

Another important factor is first year coaches. This year we have eight coaches that are taking over new teams and two others that were mid-season replacements running their first camps. Not one is a retread, meaning they all have to earn the players respect and vise-versa. After going through grueling training camps, each coach will want to prove to his players that the work has been worth the trouble. Nothing pays off like winning. Historically, these coaches can bring a nice profit. However, with so many coaches with new teams it would appear very difficult to make a profit because of the volume of games.

The potential path of least resistance would be to Play On first time head coaches (When not matched against other teams with same circumstance), coaching teams off bad season or seasons, when facing veteran or playoff teams. These new head masters will want to make a strong impression and establish credibility. Their job is to show the team who is boss, the direction is correct and the right players will be on board to make it happen. As baseball manager Casey Stengel once said “We’ll win soon, just not with these players.”

Oakland’s Tom Cable and San Francisco’s Mike Singletary started to set the wheels in motion as replacements last season, however will want to place a stamp on what they expect. Jim Mora Jr. and Jim Caldwell were part of succession planning at respective franchises and this makes their situation a tougher call.

Week 2 - Be ready to pounce
This is one of the two weeks you can really take advantage of the lines and make large profits with proper preparation. The most important factors this week are prior performance and motivation. These are largely tied together of which you can take advantage. I’ve already made mention of how Philadelphia fits into a week like this and Minnesota is another example for last season. The Vikings were awful in losing first game at home to Seattle, 34-17 as three-point favorites. After a week of Brad Childress cracking the whip, Minnesota was at Baltimore for next contest, which was off win over New England. The Vikes gave a much more focused performance and whipped the Ravens 23-15, catching a point.

Another example from 2008 was New Orleans, which fits the mold. The Saints started with a crisp 24-10 effort at Arizona, on the receiving end of a couple of points. They returned home maybe a little satisfied, maybe Sean Payton lightened the reins and with a total of 36 set, New Orleans lost a 31-27 shootout. With how long training camp is to the players, a coach can’t pound on them every day, thus all teams will have flat spots after solid efforts. Show me a coach that wants to go undefeated in August and I’ll show you a team with a losing record in early January.

This time around, be sure to watch for teams that may have put up less than admirable efforts in the first week, and grab those that you feel will be better motivated for week two outing.

Week 3 –Dress Rehearsal
Previously, the last week of the preseason was the time when teams played the starters at least two-thirds of the game, to give the coaches a real sense of where the team was and if they were on schedule. Because of the number of injuries that occur, Week 3 has become the important week to gauge each club’s progress. Many of the same principles still apply about motivation, with a few variations of note.

The coaches and players place additional importance on this week, thus giving a good showing does matter. In the preseason, situational handicapping has relevance, especially for teams losing by 10 or more points the week before. This is noteworthy, with back-ups playing and the games should be fairly evenly matched. Once again coaches will create further accountability through motivational and psychological tactics. The 2007 campaign ended in disappointment for Green Bay in the NFC title game against eventual Super Bowl champion the New York Giants. The Brett Favre circus was just leaving town last year and the coaching staff was desperate to establish Aaron Rodgers as quarterback, after losing first two preseason games. Mike McCarthy wanted excellence from his squad and they pulled off a 27-24 upset in Denver, who has traditionally been a very good preseason squad under now former coach Mike Shanahan.

How different situations can work to your advantage is maybe the coach feels the team is coming along too fast and wants to dial it back. We all know coaches are control freaks. Coaches want to build you up to tear you down and vise-versa. In the preseason, any coach loves to put the team thru strenuous practices after a weak effort. This is part of the other aspect of analyzing situations, teams off blow-out losses. The players are sick of training camp and played poorly. The coach runs them ragged and the players want the head-man off their backs, thus they respond in a positive manner and win and cover the next game.

Week 4 – Pick your spots and be ready for the regular season
The last week of the preseason is nothing more than final preparation for most teams trying only to avoid injury and making final cuts. Under Shanahan, Denver always was strong closer, having covered last nine this week, will it continue with new coach? Marvin Lewis is on 4-0 ATS run, with Houston 0-6 ATS and Washington one behind at 0-5 against the linemaker in Week 4. It is wise to be cautious in your plays the last week. If you are having a winning preseason, a game or two that you really are sure of is worth the risk to find a couple more winners. If you are having a mediocre or below average time in picking winners before the start of the season, save your money for what you care about most, the beginning of the start of the NFL regular season. This is what you have been looking forward to anyways.

Final Thoughts
Take the time to review the box scores in the preseason. Do not do this for traditional reasons as you might believe. Looking at stats and trying to figure out your fantasy team has nothing to do with the preseason games. What this is for is future reference and the next week’s opportunity to cash with productive results. Studying can lead to insights about any team’s depth or possible motivation based on outcome. Every NFL team is going to have injuries. By reviewing the box scores this time of year, you might find a team that has built up 17-0 or 20-3 leads with the first team players in two different games and ends up losing both contests in the 2nd half. This could well be a red flag that when this team has injuries during the 16-game season, the drop-off will be precipitous.

Don’t handicap the pre-season the same as the regular season. These are truly two completely different animals. Don’t over-analyze, keep it simple. If you are going to watch these games, focus on Week 3, when it matters more to a certain degree. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the fact that you are that much closer to September 10th, the kickoff of the regular season.

NFL: Tennessee at Detroit (12:30 PM ET, CBS)
2008-11-27

Dating back to 1934, the Lions have been a proud part of the American celebration of Thanksgiving Day. They’ve played 68 games on the national Holiday and take a 33-33-2 record into this year’s contest against Tennessee. Detroit (4-7 ATS) has dropped four straight on the fourth Thursday of November while being outscored by a lopsided 121-50 margin, yet even worse is the fact it has lost 12 in a row and 17 of 18 on Sundays.

Combine the Lions 0-11 start to 2008 with the Titans 10-1 (9-1-1 ATS) mark and the NFL nearly had the setting for the perfect storm at Ford Field. But even if Tennessee enters the stadium under a ladder, breaks a mirror in the locker room and spills the salt during its pre-game turkey meal with extra tryptophan, it should feast on a team that last celebrated a win before the holidays in ‘07. The Titans have won and covered their last seven games on the road.

After losing to the Jets, 34-13, the Titans need a few more wins to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now that veteran quarterback Kerry Collins has shown he can win games for Tennessee—like he did in Weeks 10 and 11 in Chicago and Jacksonville—it’s hard to find something to knock. The offense is balanced, the defense is smothering and the special teams are pretty special. The appearance of the Jets loss was New York just wanted it more and was set up to beat them literally at their own game. Tennessee is still a delectable 25-10-2 ATS versus the NFC.

Collins, whose been sacked six times in 310 pass attempts, has only nine touchdowns but five came in the last three games. It took him eight starts to throw for 200 yards in a game, but it’s rarely a necessity with a backfield tandem of LenDale White (11 touchdowns) and Chris Johnson (833 yards, five scores) and a defense allowing 15.0 points per game. Though when the Bears and Jaguars shut the running game down, Collins delivered.

While Tennessee is fully loaded, Detroit has a couple of budding stars capable of turning the franchise around a season or two down the road. Second-year wide receiver Calvin Johnson is developing a knack for big plays but can stand to be more consistent. He’s got six touchdowns in the last seven games and six receptions of at least 40 yards on the year. In addition, rookie running back Kevin Smith has 294 yards in the last three games after totaling 305 in the first eight. If you want an upside, The Lions are 7-0 ATS as an underdog of 10 or more points over the last three seasons.

Sportsbook.com has the Lions on the receiving end of 11.5-points with a total of 44. Detroit is on a run for four straight Over’s and is 7-0 OVER after five or more consecutive losses.

Thanksgiving Tasty Angle- Thursday home underdogs of 7.5 or more points are worse than overcooked sweet potatoes at 2-8-1 ATS.