Cavaliers travel across country to tangle with Trojans

NCAA Football Betting Lines

09/08/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Virginia Cavaliers will play their first-ever game in the state of California on Saturday night, as they take on the 16th-ranked USC Trojans in a non-conference affair.

Last weekend's opener against Richmond was a big deal for Virginia head coach Mike London. Not only was he leading the Cavaliers into battle for the first time, he was playing against the same school that he left to accept the Cavs coaching vacancy. Virginia beat up on the Spiders by a 34-13 final.

"I graduated from there," said London after the game. "I spent a lot of years there as a coach and as a player but we're playing for (UVa) President Sullivan and the Charlottesville community now and that's what is most important."

The Cavaliers struggled throughout the 2009 season, finishing the year at just 3-9, including 2-6 in the ACC. However, the coaching change has fans of the program feeling cautiously optimistic.

USC has been in the news quite a bit in recent months, but not for the reasons that fans would like. Pete Carroll, who restored the program to dominance, left for the NFL, and many believe that a major factor in his departure was the looming possibility of NCAA sanctions. Lane Kiffin, a polarizing figure, took over as the new head coach, and the Trojans were indeed hit with penalties, ensuring that scholarships would be lost and the postseason wouldn't be in the teams immediate future.

With all of the controversy swirling as USC entered its opener against Hawaii last week, the team was able to earn a 49-36 victory.

"We did end up winning the game, which is good, but obviously as you can see, we've got some depth concerns and issues," said Kiffin. "We've got a lot of work to do."

USC crushed Virginia by a 52-7 final during the 2008 campaign in the only previous meeting between the two programs.

Virginia established outstanding offensive balance in the opener against Richmond, posting over 200 yards on the ground and through the air en route to 488 total yards. Keith Payne was the most impressive performer for the Cavaliers, as the bruising tailback posted 114 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries.

As for the passing attack, quarterback Marc Verica was impressive as well, connecting on 24-of-35 passes for 283 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

"He didn't try to win the game by doing something heroic," said London of Verica. "He stayed within himself and threw high percentage completions and moved the chains. If he continues to do that, he'll continue to help us."

Kris Burd was tops among the receivers with 122 yards and a score on seven catches, while Dontrelle Inman made seven grabs as well.

Richmond was able to rip off a 70-yard touchdown run against Virginia in the first quarter of the opener, but the defense settled down after that big play. The Cavs did not allow another touchdown and surrendered just two field goals the rest of the way. In all, Virginia permitted 333 yards and 13 first downs to the Spiders.

LaRoy Reynolds paced Virginia with eight total tackles, including three TFLs. Chase Minnifield, who recorded seven stops, posted the lone interception for the Cavs.

USC rolled up 524 total yards against Hawaii and was able establish tremendous balance. The Trojans were 9-of-12 on third-down conversion attempts and suffered just one turnover in the tilt. Matt Barkley was outstanding under center, completing 18-of-23 passes for 257 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. His top target, Ronald Johnson, recorded seven catches for 59 yards and three scores.

As for the ground attack, Marc Tyler put up big numbers, gaining 154 yards and a score on 17 carries. USC posted 246 rushing yards in the game at a clip of seven yards per attempt.

"Defensively we didn't play very well today, obviously," said Kiffin, clearly disappointed in the overall poor play and lack of discipline exhibited by his defenders.

USC permitted 31 first downs and 588 total yards to Hawaii, which was 8-of-15 on third-down conversion attempts. The Warriors had possession of the ball for over 32 minutes and did most of their damage through the air, completing 27- of-49 passes for 459 yards with no interceptions.

Both Wes Horton and Jurrell Casey had a pair of TFLs in the game, including a sack apiece. In all, the Trojans tallied three sacks.

Casnogames NCAA Football Betting News

<< Hogs host Warhawks in non-conference action
Little Rock, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC will attempt to knock off the UL-Monroe Warhawks, a team from the Sun Belt Conference set to open its season. In December, ULM announced Todd Berry as the prog

<< Sunshine State showdown pits Bulls against Gators
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators struggled a bit in their season opener, and they are undoubtedly eager to get back on the field this weekend against the South Florida Bulls in a non-conference affair from The

<< Utes open Mountain West slate against visiting Rebels
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vaulting into the AP poll at the 20th position, the Utah Utes are at home again this week as they kick off their Mountain West Conference schedule against the UNLV Rebels at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake

<< No. 4 TCU hosts FCS foe Tennessee Tech
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With one of the toughest games on their schedule already out of the way, the fourth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs now focus their attention on the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech in a non-conference showdown at Amon

<< Sooners and Seminoles meet in Top-25 showdown
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams with a lot to prove square off in a tiop-25 showdown in Norman this weekend, as the 10th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners play host to the 17th-ranked Florida State Seminoles. The Seminoles got the Jimbo Fisher

Bragging rights on line as West Virginia visits Marshall >>
Huntington, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - State rivals will square off in Huntington on Friday night, as the Marshall Thundering Herd welcome the 23rd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers to town. On opening weekend, West Virginia cruised past Coastal

Grief-stricken Cowboys face tall task in clash with Longhorns >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a game overshadowed by tragedy, the grieving Wyoming Cowboys take on the fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns in a non-conference affair. On Monday, 19-year-old Wyoming freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse was killed

Spartans face another uphill battle in bout with Badgers >>
Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Spartans continue their early- season trek through some of the most treacherous waters imaginable as a week after taking on the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide, they head north to bat

Traditional national powers collide in Tuscaloosa >>
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the premier matchups on the 2010 college football docket takes place in Tuscaloosa this weekend, as the top- ranked and defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide square off against the 18th-ranked

Bruins host Cardinal in Pac-10 opener >>
Pasadena, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Stanford Cardinal kicks off its Pac-10 Conference slate against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Stanford vaulted into the national rankings following a convincing 52-17 victory over Sacramen

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.