CFL East Division: Despite loss, Als still team to beat

Football Betting Lines

07/08/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Typically, when a team loses, adjustments are made to account for those failings. And although the Montreal Alouettes had many of those in their overtime loss to Saskatchewan, they're likely to win a whole lot of games this year by not changing a thing.

Now, 54 points allowed suggests something different, such as the inability of the Als secondary to keep in check either of the Roughriders' top receivers. It goes without saying Montreal's pass coverage - a relative word if you're Rob Bagg or Weston Dressler - needs to tighten up. The Als' corners allowed Rider receivers too much room for Darian Durant to find them, and then were exposed by some nifty maneuvering from the guys in green for yards after the play.

But when you have Anthony Calvillo on your side, there's a good chance the team will pass its way out of trouble. Calvillo, who turns 40 next month, shook off an early interception en route to a carving of the Riders secondary.

Calvillo found five different receivers five times and, in true Alouette style, did most of his damage on big pass plays.

The 2009 Most Outstanding Player threw for 368 yards on 28-of-42 passing with four touchdowns, with just one of those coming in the Als' second half undoing.

Another thing coach Marc Trestman will want to address prior to Week 2 will be the focus of his defensive line. Perhaps it was more a reflection of their opponent's ability to do it all on the offensive end, but Riders running back Wes Cates found holes in the Als line too often.

Cates broke away from several defenders for a 50-plus-yard gain early in the second quarter while down 14-3 that got Saskatchewan inside the 10 and led to a touchdown.

Montreal will need to limit its opponents' running game in such a pass-happy league if it wants to put away teams earlier, something the team failed to do on opening night.

Now, to hand out some individual honors.

Key offensive performer: Calvillo. The 17-year veteran with a fully-loaded resume had the best statistical opening game of his career ... enough said.

Key defensive/special teams performer: Tim Maypray. The Kentucky-native rookie had to have caught the attention of his team when he ran back a missed Rider field goal 125 yards for a score in the third quarter to stretch the team's lead to 21.

Next up: Edmonton Eskimos (0-1). No reprieve for the Als, who will remain on the road when they travel to Alberta to play the Eskimos. In their only trip to Edmonton last season, the Alouettes were manhandled by quarterback Ricky Ray and the Esks offense, suffering one of only three losses all season.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Bombs away. Pardon the cliche, but how else to describe the 49-29 point drubbing the Bombers handed to a solid Hamilton squad on opening night in Winnipeg?

In a pivotal early game between two teams hoping to improve on mediocre '09 campaigns, the Tiger-Cats had no answers for Bombers receiver Terrence Edwards, who punished the Ti-Cat defense for 191 yards on just five receptions.

Unfortunately for Winnipeg, those stats won't serve much of a purpose moving forward.

Heading into the fourth quarter up 31-15, Winnipeg unraveled a bit, allowing Hamilton to throw up 14 in the final frame to burst a small hole in the Bombers' bubble.

Although the Blue Bombers dominated large portions of the game - evident in their 502 yards of offense compared to the Ti-Cats' 290 - Winnipeg too often allowed Hamilton to put together long drives that resulted in points.

Nonetheless, a solid start for the Bombers and new head coach Paul LaPolice.

Key offensive performer: Terrence Edwards. The 31-year-old slotback had a CFL career-high 191 yards in addition to the longest score of his career on a 90- yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

Key defensive/special teams performer: Joe Lobendahn. The burly linebacker was a force in midfield and a big reason Hamilton couldn't generate a running game. Lobendahn applied pressure all night on the Ti-Cats' front line, finishing with eight tackles and two sacks.

Next up: Toronto Argonauts (0-1). Within the friendly confines of Canad Inns Stadium, expect explosives when the Bombers host the Argonauts in Week 2. Despite its struggles late in the game, Winnipeg should have little difficulty in applying pressure on a questionable Argo offense, allowing them the opportunity to get off to a great start to the 2010 season.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

For a team with high hopes entering this year, Hamilton did its best to prove the experts wrong. A trendy pick to unseat the Alouettes in the East, the Tiger-Cats' offense looked stale early and often in Week 1.

Although they made a game of it in the second half (in that they actually put up some points), the Cats have to be disappointed with their inability to establish a strong running game.

One of the focal points of the team's offense, Hamilton running back DeAndra Cobb ran for just 22 yards on seven carries against a stingy Winnipeg line.

Cobb, who totaled more than 1200 yards in '09, will need to be better if Hamilton expects to contend, especially if quarterback Kevin Glenn struggles the way he did last week (15-for-31, 197 yards with a touchdown and interception).

Key offensive performer: Marquay McDaniel. The second-year receiver was one of the few bright spots on the Ti-Cats offense, catching seven passes for a career-high 108 yards.

Key defensive/special teams performer: Marcus Thigpen. The rookie running back opened the game with a sensational 93-yard touchdown run before adding another in the fourth quarter when he ran back a missed field-goal attempt 118 yards.

Next up: Calgary Stampeders (1-0). The Tiger-Cats are in tough early, as they will look to rebound at home against a strong Stampeder team. With a difficult schedule looking ahead (Winnipeg, Montreal, Saskatchewan), Hamilton will need to turn things around very quickly if it has dreams of competing for a division title.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

What's left to say about a team that's gone 7-29 over the past two seasons? Well, for starters, how about adding another loss to the right column.

For the Argos, it's the wrong side of the ledger, and if new coach Jim Barker had any aspirations of sneaking into the postseason, his team's going to have to muster up some offense its next time out.

While still trying to acclimate himself to the game up north, former-NFL pivot Cleo Lemon had trouble getting comfortable against last year's second-best defense. Lemon just barely connected on half of his pass attempts, adding a touchdown and a pick in his first game in the CFL.

Barker's club, which many expected to be a better defensive team this season, was unable to stop Calgary's offense, most notably Stamps running back Joffrey Reynolds, who found 116 yards worth of holes in the Boatmen's "defense".

The Argos, who can't be happy with their opening act, will have to be better starting games and halves as they failed to score in either the first or third quarter.

Key offensive performer: Andre Durie. No one really stepped up on offense for the Argos, although the Toronto-native made the most of his three catches, turning them into 58 yards.

Key defensive/special teams performer: Kevin Eiben and Lin-J Shell. The linebacker and defensive back teamed up for a combined 20 tackles and one sack and will be looked upon to help stop the bleeding more often than not this season.

Next up: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0). Toronto travels to Winnipeg in Week 2 without much to be optimistic about. After the Bombers steamrolled the Ti-Cats, the Double Blue will need an inspired defense to makeup for an offense not quite there yet. If there's any consolation for Toronto, it's that four of its seven wins since 2008 have come on the road.

Wwwvisitalk Football Betting News

<< Free agency a bust so far for Kings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles area is home to Venice Beach, Hollywood and the famous 90210 zip code. The Fresh Prince once called it home (on television at least), and former Yankee icon Joe Torre made the jump from the Bi

<< Antonio Pierce retires; heads to TV
Bristol, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former linebacker Antonio Pierce has decided to retire and will become an NFL analyst for ESPN. Pierce spent the past five seasons with the New York Giants and played his first four years with the Washing

<< Latos shoots for win No. 10 in DC
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - At just 22 years old, Mat Latos has quickly emerged as the ace of a San Diego staff that's been among the best in baseball this season. The Padres will ask their young standout to play the role of stopper when the National L

<< Astros go for sweep of Pirates
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros may not have provided Roy Oswalt much run support over the course of this season, but the team has had little trouble generating offense in its battles with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Houston seeks to rem

<< Reds make a stop in south Philly
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A strong finish to their 11-game road trip will have the Cincinnati Reds leading the National League Central heading into the All-Star break. The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, now need to erase their largest defic

Bucks officially sign Salmons and Gooden >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Bucks made it official on Thursday and signed guard John Salmons and forward Drew Gooden to multi-year contracts. Financial terms were not disclosed. However, the Milwaukee Journal-Se

Wild re-sign Earl >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild have re-signed left wing Robbie Earl to a one-year contract. Earl, who was an unrestricted free agent, appeared in 32 games for the Wild last season and notched six goals. He also po

Goydos shoots 59 at John Deere Classic >>
Silvis, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Goydos became the fourth player in PGA Tour history to shoot a 59 Thursday during the first round of the John Deere Classic. Goydos made a seven-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at TPC Deere Ru

Nets agree in principle with F Outlaw >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets agreed in principle with veteran forward Travis Outlaw, the club announced on Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "We are very pleased to add Travis to our roster,"

Top-four seeds reach semis in Sweden >>
Bastad, Sweden (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - This week's top-four seeds, including Italian Flavia Pennetta, all secured berths in Friday's semifinals at the $220,000 Swedish Open. The top-seeded Pennetta battled past 36-year-old American

MySportsbook.com is the Internet’s largest online sportsbook site serving customers in more than 80 countries worldwide. Founded in 1997, MySportsbook.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering, using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, MySportsbook.com has earned an industry leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Antigua and the UK, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, horse racing and online casino games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts credit cards needs.

American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.