NCAA Capsules-East Regional

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/15/2010 -

Lexington, 32-2.

Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: John Calipari.

Conference: Southeastern. Bid: SEC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 1.

Tournament Record: 100-45, 50 years. Last appearance: 2008.

Scoring: Team (79.2); John Wall 16.9; DeMarcus Cousins 15.3; Patrick Patterson 14.7; Eric Bledsoe 10.8.

Rebounds: Team (41.4); DeMarcus Cousins 10.1; Patrick Patterson 7.3; John Wall 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.7/14.5); John Wall 6.4/4.0; Eric Bledsoe 2.9/3.2.

3-pointers: Team (.341); Darnell Dodson 46; Darius Miller 40; Eric Bledsoe 40; John Wall 30.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Critics can fault Calipari all they want, but he knows how to recruit and he knows how to win. And that combination makes him just less than a deity in the bluegrass state. Wall has gotten most of the headlines, but Cousins and Patterson give the Wildcats ample firepower on both ends of the court.

East Tennessee State

Johnson City, Tenn., 20-14.

Nickname: Buccaneers. Coach: Murry Bartow.

Conference: Atlantic Sun. Bid: Atlantic Sun champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament Record: 2-9, 8 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (69.2); Tommy Hubbard 14.1; Micah Williams 12.5; Justin Tubbs 12.0.

Rebounds: Team (36.4); Tommy Hubbard 8.3; Isiah Brown 5.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (10.9/14.9); Jocolby Davis 2.4/2.2; Sheldon Cooley 1.8/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.310); Justin Tubbs 73; Micha Williams 40.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: The Bucs lost four starters from last year's NCAA tournament team, but they haven't missed a beat. After earning a No. 6 seed to the Atlantic Sun tournament, they knocked off a Mercer team that had won both of their previous meetings.

---Texas

Austin, 24-9.

Nickname: Longhorns. Coach: Rick Barnes.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 8.

Tournament Record: 33-30, 27 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (81.2); Damion James 18.0; Avery Bradley 11.7; Dexter Pittman 10.6; Jordan Hamilton 9.8; Gary Johnson 9.4; J'Covan Brown 9.3.

Rebounds: Team (42.2); Damion James 10.4; Dexter Pittman 5.8; Gary Johnson 5.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/13.9); Dogus Balbay 3.9/1.6; Varez Ward 2.8/2.8; J'Covan Brown 2.4/2.1; Avery Bradley 2.1/1.6.

3-pointers: Team (.345); Jordan Hamilton 53; Avery Bradley 42; J'Covan Brown 36; Damion Jones 35.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: Texas joined a dubious club earlier this season by becoming one of only five schools to go from No. 1 in The Associated Press poll to unranked. They were spanked by Baylor in the Big 12 tournament, so it's not like the Longhorns are riding a lot of momentum, either.

Wake Forest

Winston-Salem, N.C., 19-10.

Nickname: Demon Deacons. Coach: Dino Gaudio.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 9.

Tournament Record: 27-21, 21 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (73.0); Al-Faroug Aminu 15.7; Ishmael Smith 13.3; C.J. Harris 10.0.

Rebounds: Team (41.8); Al-Faroug Aminu 10.7; Chas McFarland 7.1; L.D. Williams 5.6; Ishmael Smith 4.7.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.8/15.2); Ishmael Smith 6.0/2.9.

3-pointers: Team (.313); Ari Stewart 39; C.J. Harris 34.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: Aminu was the only player in the ACC to average a double-double, and along with Smith forms one of the best tandems in the country. The Demon Deacons looked like a lock in mid-February, before losing four straight to mediocre opponents.

---Temple

Philadelphia, 29-5.

Nickname: Owls. Coach: Fran Dunphy.

Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: Atlantic 10 champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 5.

Tournament Record: 31-27, 27 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (64.9); Ryan Brooks 14.3; Juan Fernandez 12.6; Lavoy Allen 11.5.

Rebounds: Team (37.1); Lavoy Allen 10.9; Ryan Brooks 4.4; Luis Guzman 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.8/10.5); Juan Fernandez 3.7/2.0; Luiz Guzman 3.3/1.6; Ryan Brooks 2.3/1.3; Lavoy Allen 2.3/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.338); Juan Fernandez 71; Ryan Brooks 54.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Their defining win may have been against cross-town rival Villanova, but Temple has been consistent all season. Local products Brooks and Allen lead the way on offense for Dunphy, a candidate for national coach of the year.

Cornell

Ithaca, N.Y., 27-4.

Nickname: Big Red. Coach: Steve Donahue.

Conference: Ivy League. Bid: Ivy League champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 12.

Tournament Record: 0-5, 4 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (75.3); Ryan Wittman 17.5; Jeff Foote 12.3; Louis Dale 11.9.

Rebounds: Team (34.1); Jeff Foote 8.2; Randy Wittman 4.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.5/12.3); Louis Dale 4.8/2.1; Chris Wroblewski 3.3/1.9; Jeff Foote 2.3/2.4.

3-pointers: Team (.434); Ryan Wittman 100; Chris Wroblewski 51; Louis Dale 43; Geoff Reeves 39; Jon Jaques 39.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Wittman is the guy to watch, the first Cornell player to be voted Ivy League player of the year. Must be in the genes, too. He's the son of Randy Wittman, who was Big Ten player of the year for Indiana in 1983 and a member of the Hoosiers' 1981 national championship team.

---Wisconsin

Madison, 23-8.

Nickname: Badgers. Coach: Bo Ryan.

Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 4.

Tournament Record: 20-14, 15 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (67.5); Trevon Hughes 15.4; Jon Leuer 14.8; Jason Bohannon 11.8; Jordan Taylor 10.2.

Rebounds: Team (32.4); Jon Leuer 5.8; Keaton Nankivil 4.8; Trevon Hughes 4.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.8/8.9); Jordan Taylor 3.6/1.2; Trevon Hughes 2.7/2.0; Jason Bohannon 2.2/1.3.

3-pointers: Team (.361); Trevon Hughes 71; Jason Bohannon 66; Jordan Taylor 33.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: Leuer missed time earlier this season with a broken wrist and Taylor has struggled with his shot. When those two guys are hitting, though, the Badgers are tough to beat. Throw in Hughes and Wisconsin has enough playmakers to make a deep postseason run.

Wofford

Spartanburg, Va., 26-8.

Nickname: Terriers. Coach: Mike Young.

Conference: Southern. Bid: Southern champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 13.

Tournament Record: First year. Last appearance: First year.

Scoring: Team (69.4); Noah Dahlman 16.8; Jamar Diggs 9.4; Junior Salters 7.7.

Rebounds: Team (35.5); Tim Johnson 7.9; Noah Dahlman 6.3.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.6/11.9); Brad Loesing 3.0/1.4; Jamar Diggs 2.6/2.0.

3-pointers: Team (.349); Junior Salters 66; Cameron Rundles 28.

Last Ten: 10-0.

The Skinny: The Terriers have won 13 straight games entering the NCAA tournament, thanks largely to Dahlman's consistent play. He's has a streak of 47 games with at least 10 points. Wofford's 26 wins is the most since the 1959-60 season.

---Marquette

Milwaukee, 22-11.

Nickname: Golden Eagles. Coach: Buzz Williams.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 6.

Tournament Record: 34-28, 27 years. Last appearance: 2009

Scoring: Team (72.3); Lazar Hayward 18.1; Jimmy Butler 14.9; Darius Johnson-Odom 12.8.

Rebounds: Team (31.8); Lazar Hayward 8.6; Jimmy Butler 6.6; Jeronne Maymon 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.2/10.3); Maurice Acker 3.7/1.2; David Cubillan 2.8/1.0; Dwight Buycks 2.2/1.7; Darius Johnson-Odom 2.3/2.0; Jimmy Butler 2.1/1.1.

3-pointers: Team (.406); Darius Johnson-Odom 72; Lazar Hayward 61; Maurice Acker 48; David Cubillan 45.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: Hayward provides much-needed veteran leadership, especially considering Marquette tends to play every game close. Still, it's hard to discount a team that made a great run in the Big East tournament.

Washington

Seattle, 24-9.

Nickname: Huskies. Coach: Lorenzo Romar.

Conference: Pac-10. Bid: Pac-10 champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament Record: 15-15, 14 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (79.8); Quincy Pondexter 19.8; Isaiah Thomas 17.1; Matthew Bryan-Amaning 8.7; Venoy Overton 8.5.

Rebounds: Team (38.4); Quincy Pondexter 7.5; Matthew Bryan-Amaning 5.9; Justin Holiday 4.4; Isaiah Thomas 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.0/12.8); Venoy Overton 3.2/2.3; Isaiah Thomas 2.9/2.4; Abdul Gaddy 2.2/1.7.

3-pointers: Team (.325); Isaiah Thomas 57; Scott Suggs 36; Elston Turner 35.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: The Huskies were making their case for the NCAA tournament event before the Pac-10 tournament. With some sound arguments, too. Only two teams out of 79 previously that won 11 games in the Pac-10 failed to make the dance, and neither had 20 regular-season wins. Think the selection committee paid attention?

---New Mexico

Albuquerque, 29-4.

Nickname: Lobos. Coach: Steve Alford.

Conference: Mountain West. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 3.

Tournament Record: 6-12, 11 years. Last appearance: 2005.

Scoring: Team (76.6); Darington Hobsen 16.2; Roman Martinez 13.8; Dairese Gary 12.7; Phillip McDonald 10.7.

Rebounds: Team (38.7); Darington Hobsen 9.2; Roman Martinez 6.0; A.J. Hardeman 5.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.4/11.2); Darington Hobsen 4.6/3.0; Dairese Gary 3.9/1.8.

3-pointers: Team (.375); Roman Martinez 94; Phillip McDonald 69; Darington Hobson 38.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Alford was the Mountain West coach of the year while Hobson was the player of the year? The Lobos are one of the youngest teams in the nation, with only one senior in Roman Martinez, but don't think they're approaching the tournament as merely a learning experience. New Mexico expects to make a run.

Montana

Missoula, 22-9.

Nickname: Grizzlies. Coach: Wayne Tinkle.

Region: East. Seed: No. 14.

Conference: Big Sky. Bid: Big Sky champion.

Tournament Record: 2-8, 7 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2006.

Scoring: Team (70.0); Anthony Johnson 19.6; Brian Ovale 9.7; Ryan Staudacher 8.6; Will Cherry 8.3.

Rebounds: Team (32.6); Brian Ovale 6.9; Derek Selvig 5.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.2/12.2); Anthony Johnson 3.0/2.7; Will Cherry 2.4/1.8.

3-pointers: Team (.404); Ryan Staudacher 68; Anthony Johnson 45.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: The Grizzlies rallied from a 22-point deficit against Weber State in the conference championship game. Anthony Johnson scored 34 of his career-high and tournament-record 42 points in the second half, including the Grizzlies' last 21 points.

---Clemson

Clemson, S.C., 21-10.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Oliver Purnell.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 7.

Tournament Record: 8-9, 9 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (73.8); Trevor Booker 15.3; Demontez Stitt 11.2; Andre Young 9.1; Tanner Smith 9.0.

Rebounds: Team (37.1); Trevor Booker 8.3; Jerai Grant 4.6; Tanner Smith 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.3/14.8); Demontez Stitt 3.3/2.6; Trevor Booker 2.5/1.8; Andre Young 2.4/1.8; Tanner Smith 2.2/2.1.

3-pointers: Team (.335); Andre Young 55; David Potter 47; Demontez Stitt 28.

Last Ten: 6-4.

The Skinny: The Tigers are making their third straight NCAA tournament appearance, matching a school record set from 1996-98 when current Texas coach Rick Barnes was roaming the sidelines. Keep an eye on Booker, the only player in ACC history with 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 blocks and 100 steals.

Missouri

Columbus, 22-10.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Mike Anderson.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 10.

Tournament Record: 21-22, 22 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (78.1); Kim English 14.1; Marcus Denmon 11.0; Laurence Bowers 10.1.

Rebounds: Team (35.8); Keith Ramsey 5.8; Laurence Bowers 5.6; Justin Safford 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.5/13.3); J.T. Tiller 3.1/2.4; Zaire Taylor 2.6/2.1.

3-pointers: Team (.372); Marcus Denmon 67; Kim English 61; Zaire Taylor 36.

Last Ten: 6-4.

The Skinny: Think the last few days have been tense for the Tigers? They were already firmly ensconced on the bubble before 12th-seeded Nebraska stunned them in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. Their frenetic, full-court style makes them a tough out - now that they're in.

---West Virginia

Morgantown, 27-6.

Nickname: Mountaineers. Coach: Bob Huggins.

Conference: Big East. Bid: Big East champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 2.

Tournament Record: 20-22, 22 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (73.0); Da'Sean Butler 17.4; Kevin Jones 13.5; Devin Ebanks 11.8; Darryl Bryant 9.7.

Rebounds: Team (38.4); Devin Ebanks 8.2; Kevin Jones 7.1; Da'Sean Butler 6.3; Wellington Smith 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.7/11.7); Da'Sean Butler 3.3/1.7; Darryl Bryant 3.2/2.1; Devin Ebanks 2.5/2.1; Joe Mazzulla 2.2/0.9.

3-pointers: Team (.336); Da'Sean Butler 61; Darryl Bryant 40; Wellington Smith 35; Kevin Jones 33.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: Already the expectations are soaring at West Virginia. One fan wrote to Huggins upset that his team had not been able to put teams away. Of course, the fan sent that letter before an overtime win against Villanova in the Mountaineers' regular-season finale.

Morgan State

Baltimore, 27-9.

Nickname: Bears. Coach: Todd Bozeman.

Conference: Mideastern Athletic. Bid: MEAC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 15.

Tournament Record: 0-1, 1 year. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (76.8); Reggie Holmes 21.8; Kevin Thompson 12.8; Dewayne Jackson 10.1; Troy Smith 9.3.

Rebounds: Team (40.3); Kevin Thompson 11.9; Reggie Holmes 4.3; Dewayne Jackson 4.3; Ameer Ali 4.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/13.5); Sean Thomas 3.1/1.8; Danny Smith 2.9/1.7.

3-pointers: Team (.338); Reggie Holmes 99; Dewayne Jackson 54.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: Holmes was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year for a reason, scoring 17 in the league title game. The key to the Bears is playing under control. They had 20 turnovers in that win over South Carolina State, and that won't get it done against the big boys in the NCAA tournament.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Wwwlelgordo NCAA Basketball Betting News


<< Top-ranked Jayhawks draws top overall NCAA seed
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -Look who's lurking deep in the Midwest bracket where Kansas proudly sits as overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.It's none other than Tennessee and Oklahoma State - the ``2'' in that glittering 32-2 record that the Jayhawks

<< Wozniacki cruises, Sharapova bows out at Indian Wells
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark rolled into the fourth round while former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova was a third-round loser Sunday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open tennis event. Wozniacki

<< Seton Hall removes Mitchell from basketball team
South Orange, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seton Hall announced it has removed junior forward Robert Mitchell from the basketball team for unspecified reasons. Mitchell, a transfer from Duquesne, started in 15 of the 31 games this season and averag

<< Federer, Murray, Roddick victorious at BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three-time champion Roger Federer won his second-round match Sunday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters event. Federer captured his fifth lifetime matchup without a loss against

<< George Mason, Harvard to play in postseason tournament
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - George Mason and Harvard are part of the 16-team field selected to play in the second annual College Insider.com postseason tournament. The Patriots, who reached the NCAA Final Four in 2006, will host Fairf

Syracuse-Vermont rematch highlights West >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite losing in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament and staring at an injury to starting forward Arinze Onuaku, Syracuse is the No. 1 seed in the West Region as the Orange head into a much-

Kentucky garners No. 1 seed in the East >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Kentucky, which scorched the Southeastern Conference in the regular season and won the conference tourney crown in a tense overtime contest, was named as the top- seeded

Duke, Big East highlight South >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hours after winning their record 18th ACC Tournament title on Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils were awarded the No. 1 seed in the South Region in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Duke (29-5), backed by the triumv

Kansas looms large in the Midwest >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas Jayhawks began the 2009-10 college basketball season atop the preseason polls, and so far the voters have been spot on, as the Big 12 champs will carry that top ranking into the NCAA Tournam

NCAA Capsules-West Regional >>
Syracuse, N.Y., 28-4.Nickname: Orangemen. Coach: Jim Boeheim.Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.Region: West. Seed: No. 1.Tournament Record: 50-32, 32 years. Last appearance: 2009.Scoring: Team (81.5); Wesley Johnson 16.0; Andy Rautins 11.7; Kris J

Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards

Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.

Bet on NFL Football

Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.

Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.

Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.

Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.

All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.

A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.

2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award

Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1

Ron Brace (NE) 25/1

Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1

Darius Butler (NE) 40/1

Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1

Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1

Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1

Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1

Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1

Larry English (SD) 15/1

Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1

Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1

Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1

Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1

James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1

Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1

Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1

Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1

Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1

Roy Miller (TB) 20/1

Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1

Fili Moala (IND) 30/1

Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1

Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1

B J Raji (GB) 7/1

Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1

Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1

David Verkune (CLE) 20/1

Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 6/1

NFL football gambling

To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

FOOTBALL BETTING LINES

NFL Football Sports Betting

Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.

New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.

His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.

HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.

The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.

RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.

First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.

The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.

These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.

New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.

You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff!

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting