Sports Betting Games To Bet On – Jan. 5 Edition
Jan 6 2009
Hard to believe that we’ve already burned through another year of college football. But it isn’t quite over yet. The last two games include the GMAC Bowl, which didn’t quite make our list of the Top 5 betting games of the week, and the BCS Championship Game, which most certainly did. Let’s get right to it – all times listed are Eastern, and as usual, the freshest betting odds are available at Bodog Sportsbook.
1. NCAAF: Florida vs. Oklahoma (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)
We’re finally here. The Gators have enjoyed plenty of success at this level, winning the national championship two years ago in a blowout of Ohio State. The Sooners, on the other hand, haven’t won the title since 2000 and were made a meal of at their last four major bowl games. Florida is a 3-point favorite (-125) on Thursday at Dolphin Stadium. OU cornerback Dominique Franks provided some bulletin-board material on Sunday by telling reporters that Gators QB and 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow was not at the same level as 2008 Heisman winner Sam Bradford of the Sooners – or the other two top Big 12 QBs this year, Colt McCoy from Texas and Graham Harrell from Texas Tech.
2. NFL: Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
This is the third meeting this season between these two NFC East rivals. The Giants (12-4 SU and ATS) beat the Eagles 36-31 at the Linc in Week 10, cashing in as 3-point puppies, while Philadelphia (+6.5) returned the favor in Week 14 with a 20-14 victory at Giants Stadium. The early forecast for Sunday calls for partly sunny skies and highs in the mid-30s. Philadelphia (9-6-1 SU, 10-6 ATS) had a relatively easy 26-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings (+3.5) in Wild-Card action; the Giants had the bye week as one of four 12-4 teams to enjoy that luxury.
3. NFL: Baltimore at Tennessee (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.)
It’s no mystery what these two AFC teams bring to the table. The Ravens (11-5 SU, 12-4 ATS) had the most rushing attempts of any NFL member this year at 592, while Tennessee (13-3 SU, 12-4 ATS) was No. 5 with 508 carries. These are also two defensive giants; the Titans were second in the league in points allowed at 234, followed by Baltimore at 244. When they met in Baltimore in Week 5, the Titans (-1) squeaked out a 13-10 victory on a brilliant fourth-quarter TD drive by Kerry Collins. The atmosphere for that game was heated; expect ten times as much animosity on Saturday in what should be a classic football weather combo of wind, rain and cold.
NFL football betting in the Bodog Sportsbook.
4. NBA: Boston at Cleveland (Friday, 8:00 p.m.)
The top two teams in the Eastern Conference have both hit some rough patches of late. The Celtics have lost four of six SU and ATS, starting with that big Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, while the Cavaliers have dropped two of three and suffered the embarrassment of falling 80-77 in Washington (+9). The Cavs will be missing center Zydrunas Ilgauskas for the next month with a bone chip in his ankle; that should make life much easier for Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis, the only real beef in the Boston lineup. This is a rematch of the season opener, which the C’s won 90-85 as 6-point home faves.
NBA odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.
5. NCAAB: Kansas at No. 10 Michigan State (Saturday, 1:00 p.m.)
The defending champions from Kansas are still rocking the pay window at 10-3 SU and a tasty 5-2 ATS. You won’t find them in the national rankings, but you will find the Jayhawks at No. 14 on Ken Pomeroy’s influential power index, on the strength of key victories over Washington (+6) and Tennessee (+3). Conversely, Michigan State (11-2 SU, 6-4 ATS) is at No. 30 in the Pomeroy rankings despite playing a much tougher schedule than Kansas up to this point. Losing 79-65 to The Citadel (+28) has dragged MSU’s season numbers way down.
Honorable Mentions
NFL: San Diego at Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:45 p.m.)
NCAAF: Ball State vs. Tulsa (Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.)
NBA: New Orleans at L.A. Lakers (Tuesday, 10:30 p.m.)
NCAAB: No. 1 North Carolina at No. 6 Wake Forest (Sunday, 8:00 p.m.)
NHL: Montreal at N.Y. Rangers (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Soccer: Chelsea at Manchester United (Sunday, 11:00 a.m.)
