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Missouri hasn't been this high in the Top 25 rankings this late in the year since the Tigers were ranked first on February 19, 1990...The Tigers still lead the all-time series, 75-41, but moved to 21-29 in Stillwater.
The Gaels are led by the dynamic duo of Rob Jones and Matthew Dellavedova. Jones is the team's second leading scorer with an average of 14.5 ppg and the conference's leader in rebounding with 10.7 rpg The senior forward has been phenomenal as he has already recorded 13 double-doubles this season. Dellavedova is one of the best point guards in the nation this season. The Australian guard displayed his excellence as he scored 26 points, handed out seven assists, and grabbed five boards in the team's win over Santa Clara. Stephen Holt is making his mark on the defensive end, as he leads the league with 2.2 steals per game. Holt also leads the WCC with a 2.4 assist to turnover ratio. All five starters scored in double-figures in the team's last outing.
Drew Viney and Anthony Ireland will lead the Lions in this one. Viney is scoring 15.9 ppg and leading the team in rebounding (5.8). He scored 16 points and grabbed four boards in the team's win over Santa Clara. Anthony Ireland is one of the top point guards in the WCC as he is third in the league in assists with 5.2 apg. Ireland is also a capable scorer as he averages 15.9 ppg. Ashley Hamilton and Jarred DuBois are both solid contributors to the Lions' success.
Charlottesville, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers will look to bounce back from its first home loss of the season as they host the Boston College Eagles for an Atlantic Coast Conference battle at the John Paul Jones Arena. This will be the 14th meeting in the all-time series. The Cavaliers still hold a 7-6 advantage in the rivalry despite Boston College winning five of the last six meetings, including the last four regular season encounters.
Head coach Tony Bennett's team comes in with a 15-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in league play after its being upset 47-45 by its in-state rivals Virginia Tech on Sunday. Virginia is an elite team defensively as it ranks second in the nation in scoring defense with an allowed average of just 50.2 ppg on 38.6 percent shooting. Only two teams have eclipsed the 60-point mark against the Cavaliers this season. Virginia's focus on the defensive end has left it with a sub par average of 64.3 ppg on the offensive end.
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Instate rivals collide in ACC action in Chapel Hill this evening, as the seventh-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels welcome the NC State Wolfpack to the Smith Center. The Tar Heels were handed their worst loss in the Roy Williams' era with a 90-57 rout at the hands of Florida State back on January 14th. North Carolina was able to rebound from that however, with an 82-68 victory at Virginia Tech, posting the 10th win in the last 11 games and moving to 3-1 in league play.
This marks the 220th all-time meeting between these rivals. UNC holds a 144-75 series advantage and has won 10 straight and 16 of the last 17 meetings. The 10-game win streak is the longest in the series for North Carolina since a similar span from 1967-70. The Tar Heels' only longer win streak was 11 games from 1934-38.
The Wolfpack come into Chapel Hill as one of the better offensive teams in the ACC, ranking third at 76.9 ppg, while shooting a respectable .477 from the floor. All five starters are averaging double figures, led by Scott Wood's 13.3 ppg. Wood, who is shooting a hefty .453 from three-point range (53- of-117) has been perfect at the free-throw line this year, converting all 48 of his opportunities. C.J. Leslie (12.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Richard Howell (11.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg) are a potent duo down low. Lorenzo Brown (12.4 ppg, 6.9 apg) and C.J. Williams (12.0 ppg) complete the quintet. Wood knocked down four three- pointers and went 7-of-7 from the charity stripe in leading NC State with 21 points in the win over Miami. DeShawn Painter came off the bench to pour in 18 points, while Leslie and Williams finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A top-25 showdown is on tap in Madison this evening, as the 25th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers play host to the 16th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Big Ten action from the Kohl Center. Tom Crean's Hoosiers were one of the real surprise teams in the country prior to league play, as they won their first 12 games of the season. Big Ten play has presented a different set of challenges however, as Indiana has split its first eight games in-conference. The team was able to end a three-game slide last weekend with a 73-54 pasting of Penn State.
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The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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