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08/25/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West Division returns to play this week after a bye, with the two basement dwellers set to host the top teams. The Edmonton Eskimos and BC Lions have a lot of work cut out for them to get back into the swing of things, a task made harder with all the coaching speculation underway. Few would have thought Wally Buono's position as head coach of the Lions would ever be in doubt, but after limping to a 1-6 record to start the season, those questions are now being asked.
BC LIONS
Since Buono took over in 2003, the Lions have never missed the playoffs. Although the team has shown its decline over the last three seasons, this year's dramatic fall for one of the all-time winningest CFL coaches still comes as a surprise.
The Lions' problem on the field this season has been the same since Week 1 - an inexperienced o-line that fails to protect its quarterback and running backs. The Lions just can't find the time to find their offensive rhythm when they are constantly being hurried.
With the league's best defensive team coming up next, it will be even tougher to find their mojo with the ball.
Offensive key to the next game (Calgary Stampeders): Protect the quarterback. There is a possibility Casey Printers will be back from injury to start this game and if that's the case, the Lions are better off for it. But BC will get nowhere if they can't control the field around the line of scrimmage.
Defensive key to the next game: The Stampeders have many offensive weapons, backed up by a healthy balance between their passing and running game. However, the Stamps rely on their quarterback Henry Burris more than anything (he's thrown more touchdowns than any QB out West), so the Lions need to force the Stamps to run the ball to keep it close. Doing that starts with cutting off Burris's favorite target, Nik Lewis.
Look ahead: After Calgary, the Lions play three different eastern teams. While two are against Montreal and Toronto, BC has historically done well against the East. The Lions' most realistic chance of making the playoffs will be crossing over to the East Division, making these three games crucial to its hopes of a postseason berth.
EDMONTON ESKIMOS
As dire as things are on the Pacific Coast, they aren't as bad as across the Rockies. Edmonton has put up a terrible -94 point differential in scoring, which is 50 points worse than the Lions.
What this stat suggests is that nothing has worked for the Eskies all season. Arkee Whitlock remains one of the league's best running backs, but more is needed for this once-proud organization.
Losing 56-15 against Calgary in Week 7 was the latest debacle for Edmonton.
There is good news, however. Ricky Ray, who had only five pass attempts in their last game before leaving with injury, will be back this week. Though Ray has yet to find the magic from earlier in his career, he is a much better option than the backups behind him.
Offensive key to the next game (Saskatchewan Roughriders): Ray must dazzle, and it's possible to do that against Saskatchewan. The Riders have given up (by far) the most passing yards of any team in the West, and so Edmonton's best chance at scoring points will be to get it done through the air.
Defensive key to the next game: Part of the reason for Saskatchewan's lackadaisical pass defense is that they welcome teams to try and outgun Darian Durant and the league's best receiving corps. The Eskimos have to find a way to limit Durant's ability to go big and force him to complete short passes.
Look ahead: The schedule does not get any easier for the Eskimos. After their tilt with the Riders, they have a home-and-home series with the Stampeders, followed by a date in Montreal with the Alouettes.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
The Stampeders headed into the bye week with the greatest momentum of any team. They became the top team in the league while at the same time making a dynamic statement when they trounced their Albertan rivals, 56-15, in Week 7.
When the Stamps won the Grey Cup in 2008, they had a league-best 13-5 record. Though there are many games still to be played, Burris and company look even deadlier this year, as they're on pace to score more points and allow even fewer.
The Stamps have the record to back up their strong play, but with so many games having come right down to the wire, they have also shown a resiliency that was missing last season.
Another road game in BC will put that to the test once again.
Offensive key to the next game (BC Lions): Burris needs to be mistake-free, as BC has a much better defense than its 1-6 record would indicate. In their meeting before the bye week, Burris threw for just 238 yards and had one interception, a stat line that allowed BC to come within five points of forcing overtime. Burris will need to execute better against a hungrier team.
Defensive key to the next game: The Stamps used some clever ploys to knock Lions QB Travis Lulay off his game in Week 7. If Printers remains on the sidelines, the Stamps need to do the exact same thing this week and keep Lulay uncomfortable. Tactics don't change if Printers is in the game, but the Stamps will have to be more cautious with the more experienced quarterback.
Look ahead: The Stamps have a home-and-home series with Edmonton after their matchup with BC, meaning a 3-0 run is a strong possibility. However, Calgary has shown some weakness on the road - at least in the fact they aren't as dominating as they are at home. A 1-3 record, even against the league's two worst teams, is a possibility if the Stamps don't take their opponents seriously.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Since losing 40-20 to Calgary in Week 4, the Riders have lost a little of the magic they started the season with, when they beat Montreal, 54-51, in their season opener.
Much of that has to do with the sloppy play of quarterback Darian Durant. After throwing seven touchdowns and just one interception over the first three games, Durant has been picked off a whopping eight times over his last four contests, to go along with just four TD's. It's no surprise that during Durant's struggles the Riders have mustered a mediocre 2-2 record over that span.
Offensive key to the next game (Edmonton Eskimos): Playing a road game is never easy, and so the Riders need Durant to find his accuracy, and fast. The Eskimos are not as challenging a team to square up against, but the Riders QB should use this game as a launching point for an improved second half of the season.
Defensive key to the next game: QB Ricky Ray, wide receiver Fred Stamps, and running back Arkee Whitlock. These are the three biggest offensive weapons the Eskimos have. Stopping at least two of three will eliminate any hope of an Edmonton upset.
Look ahead: The Riders have a classic home-and-home series against prairie rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers coming up after this week. Though Saskatchewan has proven to be the superior team this season, there's no guarantee this will translate to two easy wins. With another match against Calgary looming three weeks from now, the Riders need to win in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming western showdown.
<< Carlos Eduardo leaves Hoffenheim for Rubin Kazan
Sinsheim, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoffenheim midfielder Carlos Eduardo
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<< Jaguars ink RB Kolby Smith
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jacksonville Jaguars signed running
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Bower named McNeese State's starting QB >>
Lake Charles, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - McNeese State has named Jacob Bower as its
starting quarterback for the 2010 season.
The Idaho native and former Tulsa quarterback is a 25-year-old graduate student
at McNeese State.
He will see action
White Sox place Putz, Thornton on DL >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox have placed relievers
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Kings agree to terms with D Mitchell >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms
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Benitez faces unenviable task at Inter >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Rafael Benitez era at Inter Milan got
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In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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