Nuccaneers NCAA Football Betting News

<< Paterno's condition said to be 'serious'
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - As reports circulated that Joe Paterno was gravely ill, a family spokesman said in a statement Saturday night that doctors are now characterizing his condition as "serious." The winningest coach in major college f

<< Red Sox get Mortensen from Colorado for Scutaro
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have acquired pitcher Clayton Mortensen from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for shortstop Marco Scutaro. Mortensen, 26, went 2-4 with a 3.86 earned run average in 16 appearances (six starts

<< Mr. Bowling hangs on to win Lecomte Stakes
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mr. Bowling, ridden by Robby Albarado, held off Z Dager Saturday to capture the $175,000 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course. It was the three-year-old's first start in almost three months. The m

<< Hodgson's late goal lifts Vancouver over San Jose
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cody Hodgson's second goal capped a third- period flurry and lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena. Ryan Kesler and David Booth also scored for the Can

Notre Dame hands No. 1 Syracuse first loss of season >>
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Syracuse might not have had Fab Melo on the court for Saturday's contest against Notre Dame, but it lacked much more than him. Doomed by a slow start and scoring struggles in the second half, the top-

Azarenka through to quarterfinals >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Belarusian slugger Victoria Azarenka has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Azarenka, who titled in Sydney last week by beating Li Na in the marquee finale, beat veteran

Kinne's TD boosts National to victory >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - G.J. Kinne's touchdown run in the second quarter proved to be the difference as National defeated American, 20-14, in the inaugural AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Syracuse running back Antwon Bailey had a scor

Hawks hammer Cavs >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Johnson finished with 25 points and the hot-shooting Atlanta Hawks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-94, on Saturday. Jeff Teague and Jannero Pargo both scored 14 points for the Hawks, who dr

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.