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10/09/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No Hines Ward or Santonio Homes, the starting wideouts? No Casey Hampton or Troy Polamalu, two Pro Bowl defenders? No problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who again stated their case for elite status with a formulaic 21-0 suffocation of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
With the above players working the sideline in street clothes due to injury, you might have expected head coach Mike Tomlin to resort to gimmicks to get his team its fourth win of the season. But you would have been incorrect in that prediction, because the Steelers looked every bit like the Steelers in the victory.
They ran the football a total of 41 times, with Willie Parker (28 carries, 102 yards) bringing the lightning and Najeh Davenport (7 carries, 58 yards) the thunder. It was Davenport who elicited the day's biggest cheers from the Heinz Field crowd, scoring on second-half runs of one and five yards and capping off two seemingly endless drives.
That march was emblematic of an afternoon when the Seahawks defense simply couldn't get off the field. Four different Pittsburgh drives took up 4:49 or more of clock time, including a 17-play march to begin the third quarter that used up 10:17 and actually included 110 Steeler yards. Thirty yards worth of penalties forced Tomlin's team to have to tread the same territory more that once, but also kept the ball out of the hands of Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle offense for that much longer.
The Steelers ended the day with a whopping 40:45-to-19:15 edge in time of possession, a figure that the vaunted Pittsburgh defense had a little something to do with as well.
Seattle had 10 drives on the day, and Dick LeBeau's defensive group forced punts on nine of them. The one that didn't result in a Ryan Plackemeier punt was ended by Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, who denied the Seahawks their best chance at points all day by intercepting Matt Hasselbeck in the end zone as the first half neared its end.
That drive, at seven plays and 54 yards, was Seattle's best of the day. No other Seahawks march yielded more than six snaps or 18 yards. One of the most consistently strong offenses of the past few years was left with eight first downs and 144 total yards as they departed the Steel City. Amazing.
Even the usually even-keel Tomlin sounded impressed.
"They showed their character today," said Tomlin. "It is something that I knew we had. It was a total team effort...They remained unwavered in the face of adversity. They stuck together. They delivered. The things that we talked about since day one, they displayed today. As a coach, you feel good when you see that."
The shutout was the first for the team since they blanked Cleveland on the road, 41-0, in Week 16 of the Super Bowl season of 2005. To find the most recent previous Heinz Field blanking, you have to go all the way back to Week 8 of the 2000 season, also a whitewashing of the Browns.
But neither of those Bill Cowher-era games came against opponents as generally well-respected as the NFC West-leading Seahawks, and neither came when the Steelers were fighting through a rash of significant injuries.
That Pittsburgh could move to 4-1, in decisive fashion, without a quartet of its heaviest hitters, speaks to this team's staying power on the AFC scene. The Patriots and Colts look like the teams to beat in the NFL at this stage, but neither of those clubs, nor any of the other 29 units from coast to coast, would be wise to want a piece of the Steelers right now.
This team is clearly playing as well as anyone in the league right now, and is intent on bringing it every week, no matter the circumstances.
"They don't put asterisks beside wins and losses," said Tomlin. "Regardless of who's playing, we are the Pittsburgh Steelers."
PASSING FANCY
He didn't string together a number of highlight-reel throws, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might have had one of his best days as a pro on Sunday, given the absence of his top two receivers.
With Ward (knee) out for a second straight game and Holmes (hamstring) rendered unavailable just before kickoff, Roethlisberger still managed to complete an impressive 18-of-22 passes for 206 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to tight end Heath Miller to open the scoring in the second quarter.
The fourth-year pro also managed to put some distance between himself and his last performance against the Seahawks, in Super Bowl XL, when he posted the lowest passer rating by a winning quarterback in Super Bowl history.
"I hope I'm always a leader out there," said Big Ben of Sunday's effort." When you lose guys, you have to count on guys to step up. Today was one of those things where I took it upon my shoulders to say 'I've got to be able to count on those guys.'...That's the biggest thing -- they have confidence in me, and I have confidence in them, and we found a way to get it done."
Roethlisberger's favorite target on the day was Cedrick Wilson, who caught five balls for 69 yards in arguably his most productive regular season outing since coming to the Steelers from the 49ers via free agency in 2005.
SIMPLY THE BEST?
Following their performance against the Seahawks, the Steelers ascended to the top of several NFL defensive categories.
Pittsburgh jumped ahead of New England into the top spot on the NFL total defense chart, as it is now surrendering just 235.6 yards per game, and is also first in scoring defense with only 9.4 points per game allowed.
Tomlin's crew is second in the league in passing defense (145.6 yards per game), with Week 7 opponent Denver the only team better, and is in a three-way tie with the Giants and Bears for the NFL lead in sacks (17).
The Steelers are also first in yards allowed per play (4.2), and are second in first downs allowed per game (13.4) behind only division rival Baltimore.
On the offensive end, the Steelers rank behind only Oakland, which has played one fewer game, in rushing offense (167 yards per game), and Willie Parker re- assumed the individual lead in rushing yards (507) following his fourth 100- yard game of the campaign.
NEXT UP: BYE WEEK
The Steelers will have the opportunity to nurse their injuries during their designated bye week, following which Pittsburgh will travel to Denver to face the Broncos in a Sunday night contest.
Tomlin said Monday that he expects to have Ward, Holmes, Hampton (hamstring) and Polamalu (torn rib cartilage) back in Week 7, though reserve cornerback Bryant McFadden (high ankle sprain) might be unable to return.
The Steelers are 10-8 all-time following the bye week.
<< Leafs and Hurricanes tangle in Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue an early-season
homestand tonight, when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to Air
Canada Centre.
Toronto was swept in a season-opening home-and-home series with Ottawa, but
did earn
<< 2007 VS. COLORADO
BATTERS AVG OBA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS EHammock .400 .455 10 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Salazar .375 .545 8 3 3 1 1 0 2 3 3 2 0 0Smith .333 .3
<< 2007 VS. CLEVELAND
BATTERS AVG OBA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS ERamirez .417 .517 24 7 10 4 0 3 7 5 4 0 0 0Pedroia .370 .433 27 3 10 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0Clayton .364 .4
<< John Henry euthanized
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Henry, a two-time Horse of the Year, was
humanely euthanized Monday night at Kentucky Horse Park. He was 32 years old.
John Henry, who spent the last 22 years of his life at the Kentucky Horse Park
follo
Vaidisova, Dementieva win Moscow openers >>
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eighth-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova and
two-time major runner-up Elena Dementieva of Russia were among Tuesday's
first-round winners at the $1.34 million Kremlin Cup.
Vaidisova got past Russian q
Flyers sign defenseman Fitzpatrick >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers announced Tuesday
that they have signed defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick to a one-year contract.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 32-year-old Fitzpatrick playe
Kansas State reports possible NCAA violations >>
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kansas State is being investigated by the
NCAA for possible rules violations in its football program.
Kansas State director of athletics Tim Weiser said the university has informed
the NCAA of possible vi
Isles sign Berard >>
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders announced Tuesday
that they have signed veteran forward Brian Berard to a one-year deal after
the 30-year old earned a spot following an invite to training camp.
Berard, who ca
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.
The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.
MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.
Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.
| Ottawa Senators Detroit Red Wings Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Philadelphia Flyers Calgary Flames New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Dallas Stars New York Rangers Nashville Predators Vancouver Canucks Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Atlanta Thrashers Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Columbus Blue Jackets St. Louis Blues Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks |
7-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 80-1 80-1 100-1 100-1 |
NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games
| Team Ottawa Senators Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Dallas Stars New York Rangers Minnesota Wild Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Canadiens Team Los Angeles Kings Tampa Bay Lightening Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers Columbus Blue Jackets New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks St. Louis Blues Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins |
Over/Under 108.5 106.5 104.5 104.5 103.5 101.5 100.5 99.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 95.5 94.5 93.5 92.5 Over/Under 91.5 91.5 91.5 89.5 89.5 88.5 88.5 86.5 84.5 82.5 80.5 72.5 72.5 72.5 71.5 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.
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