Sun Devils battle Beavers in Tempe
NCAA Football Betting Lines
09/28/2011 - Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In desperate need of a win, the struggling Oregon State Beavers will travel to Tempe to meet the 25th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils this weekend, in a Pac-12 battle featuring a team in turmoil against one on the rise.
Oregon State has lost five straight dating back to last season, and is trying to avoid going 0-4 to start a season for the first time since 1996. The Beavers fell 27-19 last weekend in the Pac-12 opener against UCLA, and for the eighth consecutive season won't enter October with a winning record. Oregon State has already played a Top-25 opponent on the road this season in Wisconsin, an experience which head coach Mike Riley insists will help his team come Saturday night in Tempe.
"You have to use your past experiences to hopefully improve yourself and be more ready the next time. It's going to be more and more important as we go," said Riley. "It's really amplified this week with a good Arizona State team."
Arizona State looks like a re-energized program, and it's not the new uniforms talking. The Sun Devils made a statement against then No. 23 USC, winning handily 43-22. The win snapped a 11-game losing streak to USC, and vaulted the Sun Devils back into the polls, making them a serious contender in the Pac-12. After being upset at Illinois two weeks ago, head coach Dennis Erickson emphasized the importance of his club's focus this week against the struggling Beavers.
"I'd like to think we learned a lesson. Nothing against University of Illinois by any means, but we better have our hat on the correct way, and we talk about it all the time. Our leaders need to know that," said Erickson. "If we play as well as we can, Oregon State is going to come in and give us everything they have. If we don't, they're going to come in and beat us."
Arizona State leads the all-time series with Oregon State 24-12-1, but the Beavers have claimed the last three meetings. Oregon State won 31-28 in Corvallis last season.
Redshirt freshman Sean Mannion made his first career start last weekend against UCLA in place of starter Ryan Katz, and went 24-of-40 for 287 yards and one touchdown. Oregon State has scored just 47 points in three games, and is averaging 385 yards of total offense per game, with 259.3 coming through the air. The Beavers boast two of the top receivers in the league in James Rodgers and Markus Wheaton, who is third among Pac-12 receivers in catches per game (7) and is seventh in receiving yards per game (91.3).
Oregon State is averaging 125.5 yards rushing per game, with the top running back Malcolm Agnew gaining 223 yards in one game with three touchdowns. Agnew has missed the last two games due to injury, and no other player has rushed for more than 50 yards through three games.
"Offensively we need to find balance. We found some runs that were pretty good, but our total productivity is not good," said Riley. "We hope we run the ball better. It's going to be a big chore against this defensive front - they don't like you to run on them, and they're very good against the run."
The defense is allowing 373.3 yards of total offense through three games, including 163.3 rushing yards per game. The secondary is allowing just 210.3 passing yards per game, with opponents scoring eight touchdowns through the air. The Beavers have struggled generating takeaways, with only two fumble recoveries. In terms of pressure, the unit has recorded five sacks and 13 tackles for a loss of 51 yards.
Junior linebacker Feti Unga leads the league in tackles per game with 10.4, while defensive end is tied for sixth in tackles for loss with four. This week Oregon State will face a unique spread offense from Arizona State, led by quarterback Brock Osweiler.
"The discipline of assignment will be huge, and the other key issue is that they run a lot more of those bubble screens than UCLA did," said Riley. "They'll throw a ton of balls out to the flat and block for that guy. They get a lot of one-on-one situations, so one-on-one tackling in the open field is going to be huge - you miss a tackle, it becomes a big play."
Osweiler has registered plenty of big plays for the Sun Devils, and is averaging 273.5 yards passing per game. Osweiler has thrown for eight touchdowns so far this season, with four of those scores going to receiver Aaron Pflugrad, who was added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list this week. Pflugrad has caught 22 balls for 344 yards, and Gerell Robinson has added 17 catches for 234 yards and two more scores.
The rushing attack, which is posting 149 yards per game, is led by running back Cameron Marshall (141 yards rushing and three touchdowns against USC) with 73.5 yards rushing per game (4.4 ypc) and five touchdowns. Arizona State has turned the ball over six times, with three of those coming on interceptions by Osweiler. The Sun Devils are converting 42 percent of their third downs. This is a group that continues to mature according to Osweiler, and is benefiting from veteran experience.
"The majority of the offense has been playing and starting for a number of years," said Osweiler. "Everybody has been through those situations before, everybody knows how to handle them now and I think it's a real veteran group understanding what needs to take place during games."
The ASU defense, as Riley noted, is fast and full of playmakers. Arizona State is allowing 346.5 yards of total offense per game, including just 209 yards passing and 137.5 yards rushing (3.9 ypc). The Sun Devils have generated eight takeaways in four games (including four against USC), and have a destructive pass rusher in All-American LB Vontaze Burflict, who has 22 tackles, four sacks and one interception this season. The unit also leads the Pac-12 in third down defense, with opponents converting just 23.5 percent (12-of-51); Arizona State has also forced 12 three and outs so far this season.
The red zone defense was especially good against USC, as the Sun Devils kept star quarterback Matt Barkley in check.
"To me it's about character and about want-to, and understanding the situation and just making plays. We've been able to do that. We made four plays on defense. I guess it was the `bend but don't break' theory," said Erickson. "It was kind of how it went. They moved the football and we were able to get turnovers when we could on defense. That was the difference in the football game."
Baton Rouge, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The newly anointed top-ranked team in the land, the LSU Tigers, will play host to the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend in an SEC affair. Nothing seemed to go right for Kentucky in last week's 48-10 beating at
<< Something has to give in clash between Baylor and Kansas State
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of unbeaten Big 12 Conference clubs
will collide on Saturday afternoon, as the Kansas State Wildcats welcome the
15th-ranked Baylor Bears to Manhattan for the league opener.
Baylor, which has started 3
<< Alabama and Florida meet in pivotal SEC matchup
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eyes of the college football world will
be focused on Gainesville this weekend, as the 12th-ranked Florida Gators and
third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will duke it out in what promises to be a
tremendous
<< Sooners put win streak on the line in Norman
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners wrap up the
non-conference portion of their schedule, as the play host to the Ball State
Cardinals in Norman this weekend.
Bob Stoops' team has won all three of its games thus
<< Minnesota visits Michigan in clash for Little Brown Jug
Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Little Brown Jug is up for grabs once
again, as the undefeated Michigan Wolverines open Big Ten Conference play this
Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Golden Gophers. One of 65 trophy games
currently i
Stanford, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The UCLA Bruins will travel north this weekend for a Pac-12 battle with the sixth-ranked Stanford Cardinal, who are perfect on the year and are well rested following a bye last weekend. After struggling to get
Texas and Iowa State hook up in clash of undefeated Big 12 foes >>
Ames, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Big 12 Conference slate gets underway for a
pair of undefeated teams this weekend, as the 17th-ranked Texas Longhorns come
calling on the Iowa State Cyclones. Both teams were idle last week, giving
them ample tim
Broncos seek revenge in bout with Wolf Pack >>
Boise, ID (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Winners of 33 straight home games, the fourth-
ranked Boise State Broncos try to keep that run going this weekend as they
entertain the Nevada Wolf Pack in non-conference play at Bronco Stadium.
Boise State, whic
Ponies and Frogs square off in Lone Star State showdown >>
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Off to a 3-1 start for the first time since
the 1992 campaign, the SMU Mustangs change gears this weekend as they take a
break from conference play to challenge local rival and 20th-ranked TCU for
the Iron Skil
Big Ten brawl features top-10 foes in Madison >>
Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Big Ten action with conference title
implications is on tap this weekend in Madison, as the seventh-ranked
Wisconsin Badgers play host to the eighth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Bo Pelini's Cornhuskers will get
Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
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March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
Field 100-1
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