Wednesday night is going to be one of the most exciting nights of the month for college basketball betting. A number of great games are being played, which represent numerous betting opportunities in the middle of the week. From Wisconsin and Purdue, to Georgetown and UConn, to Vanderbilt and Georgia, you can take your pick of amazing matchups to gamble on. But one of the more interesting games will be Purdue and Wisconsin.
Sports Gambling
Wisconsin is coming off of a huge upset over Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes 71-67. This was one of Wisconsin’s biggest victories in the basketball program’s history, and the team will have reached a whole new level of confidence when they walk into the Purdue stadium. The game against Ohio State was a second-half showcase for Wisconsin, who put up 45 of their 71 points in the second part of the game.
Betting Online
Category: Sports News
With the Super Bowl over, the next big thing in sports betting will be the upcoming March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. And with just under a month to go before the big dance starts, now is the time to start looking at the playing trends of many of the favorite teams. How various schools are performing right now and up to the beginning of the tournament on March 13 will give sports bettors ample information for predicting who will go all the way in 2011.
Sport Betting
There are a few changes this year to the tournament to make it even more exciting. New television deals have been worked out with CBS and Turner Sports channels. This will make it possible to show every single game played during the tournament for the first time in its history. So there is no excuse to miss a single exciting college basketball game throughout the month.
NCAA wagering
What is wrong with Tiger Woods? Ever since his family and personal drama played out on national media starting in November 2009, he has lost his ability to win majors easily and intimidate all other professional golfers. Since then, he has not been playing at anywhere near the level of professional golf that fans and sports bettors expect of the once-phenomenal player.
So is it his swing? Has he not been practicing enough to maintain his golf game at its highest level? Admittedly, Tiger himself has stated that his swing is out of whack and not what it used to be. But Tiger’s problems go far beyond simply having trouble controlling his muscles, movements, and the clubs.
Pittsburgh betting
No, the main problem for Tiger is psychological. And it’s not even his psychological state that is the main change that has come to professional golf. Instead, his fellow players no longer feel intimidated by Tiger Woods, and they no longer fear playing against him. Instead of a seemingly unbeatable golfer, he has become just another player on the field, albeit a field full of elite professionals.
This is not to say that Tiger is no longer respected among players and fans alike – he is, and his role in elevating professional golf to a major spectator sport can not be denied. But he is no longer seen as a god among men on the golf course itself. After more than a year of less-than-stellar playing from Woods, he is seen as another competitor on the field and not the reigning modern king of the sport.
Green Bay odds
One of Woods’ most important advantages in the past was that he had the support of the media and fans every time he played, with adoring crowds following him around every golf course. Now, with his star shining less brightly, his confidence seems to have taken a hit, while the confidence of other players has risen noticeably.
So is this the end of the road for the dominance Tiger Woods once enjoyed in professional golf? Maybe, maybe not. Tiger has come back when he hit a speed bump in past seasons, although his current slump is longer than any he has experienced to date. Time will tell whether Tiger finds his swing and his confidence and once again becomes the golfer that is expected to win every tournament.
For the past 3 years at least, the Super Bowl has only gotten more popular. A poll just conducted by Penn Schoen Berland indicates that 78% of Americans plan to watch the big game, up 5% from 2010 and 10% from 2009. With more people watching the game, more will be placing bets on everything from which team will win to whether the coin toss will end up heads or tails. And all of this means more opportunities to win big.
So far, the betting community is leaning towards the Green Bay Packers to win the Super Bowl, but only slightly. Forty-five percent of the people polled are rooting for Green Bay, while 39% are holding out for a Pittsburgh victory. But even these numbers are somewhat deceiving, as non-whites and Democrats support the Steelers; if you’re Republican or white, you’re probably a Green Bay fan.
Super Bowl bets
Women are also flocking to supporting the Super Bowl as a game and national holiday, as well, rather than just a delivery vehicle for amusing commercials. The poll shows that 68% of American women are expected to watch the big game, an increase of 9% since 2009s matchup. And 7 out of 10 people who watch the Super Bowl do it for the game – not the commercials (although only 6 in 10 women watch for the game itself).
Despite its somewhat controversial reputation for providing unbiased news and political commentary, Fox is far and away the favorite when it comes to broadcasting sporting events. A majority of Americans would pick Fox Sports to show the Super Bowl, which works out for the network as it will be broadcasting the big game this year. This year, record ratings are expected for the network’s coverage of the event.
Sport Book
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is not quite as liked as the Fox Sports Team. He is ranked as the most disliked player in this year’s Super Bowl, and comes in at the fourth most-disliked player in the NFL. The only players that rank above Roethlisberger are Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings, Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.
A final interesting note from the poll is that the Super Bowl is the second most important day of the year for most American males, who get more excited about the big game than any other day of the year. This includes Thanksgiving, birthdays, and even their anniversary. The only other day that is more important than the Super Bowl: Christmas.
With all of the sideshows surrounding the Super Bowl in the week leading up to the big game, here comes another one from Chicago. Mayoral candidate Gery Chico has stated that if he is elected mayor of the city of Chicago, he will push for the Super Bowl coming to Chicago. But can the Midwest city really handle a big game of their own?
The Bears had a pretty good season this year, coming within a touchdown of making it to the Super Bowl themselves. They were beaten by arch-rivals the Green Bay Packers in a close game for the NFC division championship title. Now with all of the hype surrounding the game, Chico is attempting to capitalize on the excitement and put Chicago football back into the spotlight
NFL betting
Unfortunately, Chicago is not really set up to host a Super Bowl. For one, the weather is always a factor in the city in early February. Unlike Dallas or Miami, which have hosted Super Bowls in the recent past, Chicago is expecting up to 18 inches of snow in the next couple of days. And Soldier Field is an outdoor stadium. Teams can practice in other venues around the city, but a severe winter storm could affect travel to the region for several days before the Super Bowl.
New Jersey, though, will be hosting a Super Bowl in 2014, and it has similar severe weather conditions in the winter. But that brings up the second objection to hosting a big game in Chicago – New Jersey has a larger arena than Chicago. Soldier Field has a capacity of about 61,500 people. The minimum amount for the Super Bowl seems to be around 70,000 seats, so Chicago just does not have enough room. Dallas’ Cowboys Stadium can hold at least 80,000.
Silva-Belfort gambling
So there is really no reason to expect a Super Bowl in Chicago anytime soon. Gery Chico is not expected to win the race to be mayor of the city, so the talk of pushing for the big game to come to the city may die down in a few days. And everyone remembers how well the city’s proposal for holding an Olympics went earlier this year.
This week, Texas is the place to be for sports betting enthusiasts. On Sunday, Super Bowl XLV will be held against the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In the NBA, both the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks are playing exciting games in their own home arenas. And to start it all off, Texas plays Texas A&M on Monday, January 31.
Currently, the Texas Longhorns are ranked #8 with an undefeated record of 6-0 in their conference, while the Texas A&M Aggies are ranked #11, with a record of 4-2. The Longhorns are currently 1 ½ point favorites despite playing on the road. The total is 128. The game will be televised from the Reed Arena in College Station, Texas on ESPN, starting at 9:00 pm EST.
Super Bowl XLV betting odds
Texas is favored over A&M mainly because Texas won their first meeting this year 81-60 on January 19, 2011. Typically, the home team wins in the Texas versus Texas A&M matchups, but this week may be a different story. While both teams are playing well this year and have winning records so far, Texas is doing much better than A&M, especially taking this past weekend’s games into account.
A&M is also coming off of a tough second half against Nebraska on Saturday, where they scored only 17 points, ending with a 57-48 loss. They also racked up 14 turnovers during the game. At the end of the first half, the Aggies were up by seven points, but then completely fell apart after halftime. And their defense was not strong enough to make up for the poor shooting and turnovers on offense.
NCAAB gambling
While they are not expected to play as badly against Texas tonight, they will have to have a remarkable turnaround to win as underdogs. On the other hand, Texas had a great performance against Missouri on Saturday in a 71-58 conference win. Because of this most recent history and the trend of the Longhorns so far this season, is it any wonder that Texas is favored over Texas A&M tonight?
Now that Super Bowl Week has begun, every little advantage and disadvantage of each team will be analyzed to death in anticipation of the big game. With the odds so close and the chance of a blow-out pretty low in Super Bowl XLV, sports betting fans will be looking for every opportunity to analyze the teams and find something the sportsbook oddsmakers missed.
Online Wagering
So far, the Green Bay Packers are slight favorites to win the game. Could weather conditions (or lack thereof) be a factor in these predictions? With the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas being an enclosed arena, the Packers may have an even greater advantage over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is due to the nature and strength of Green Bay’s offensive strategy.
The Packers have been a strong passing team all season, which makes quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ job much easier when weather conditions are not a huge factor. The Packers, while used to playing outdoors in the freezing upper Midwest state of Wisconsin, are actually stronger indoors where their passing game can really shine.
In fact, Green Bay’s quarterback has completed 26 touchdowns, with only five interceptions in his twelve indoor games. And the Packers as a whole have averaged 31.8 points per game in three years consisting of 12 indoor games since Aaron Rodgers became the starting quarterback. If the Packers passing game is strong on Sunday, the Steelers defense may not have a chance to catch up.
Green Bay Packers Super Bowl betting
But the Steelers are known for their strong defense and ability to raise their game to a higher level whenever it counts. Even though Pittsburgh may prefer to play outside, where their own running game is more deadly, defense is really what they are known for. So while the Packers may feel more comfortable inside, they will still not have an easy time capitalizing on that small advantage in Dallas.
It’s official. Super Bowl week has finally arrived. Both the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be arriving in Dallas on Monday to start preparing for the big game. The Steelers get into town at around 12:30 pm, while the Packers fly in a few hours afterwards, at around 4:30 pm. And with that, let all of the speculation and team watching reach an even higher level of excitement.
As the most popular sports event in the USA and the most popular betting event around the world, it seems that nearly everyone has something wrapped up in the Super Bowl. From placing a bet on your favorite team to arguing with friends and family for the entire week after the game about which commercial was “the best,” the Super Bowl is a national phenomenon.
Pittsburgh gambling
But with so much speculation and hype about the big game every year, is there anything that is really new or unique about this year? Heck, yes! Rarely before in Super Bowl history have two more deserving teams made it all the way. No one can predict with any certainty who will win, and even sportsbook oddsmakers have only decided on Green Bay because they have to pick someone to win the game.
There is no real underdog in the fight this year. Both teams came off of strong regular seasons, had some great performances in the playoffs, and narrowly missed being beaten in their division championship games. If either the Packers or Steelers had lost those division championship games, then the hype and Super Bowl odds may have been a completely different story.
NFL Football wagering
But as it is, two amazing teams made it to the Super Bowl and will now have to face off against each other in less than a week. Will the game itself live up to the high expectations or will it be a blow-out one ay or the other? In either event, let’s all just take the week to enjoy the excitement of the game, the halftime show, the commercials, and the de facto American holiday known as Super Bowl Sunday.
Think of all your favorite Super Bowl traditions. Great football teams battling it out. Hour-long halftime shows and wardrobe malfunctions. Blatant consumerism and commercials. And mixed martial arts. Wait, mixed martial arts? That’s right – MMA has quickly become one of our most treasured Super Bowl traditions. The Ultimate Fighting Championship typically holds an event on the Saturday before the Super Bowl in order to cash in on the excitement and strong betting atmosphere that surrounds the big game weekend every year. Over the years, UFC 67, 81, 94, and 109 have all been held on Super Bowl weekend.
UFC 126 gambling
And 2011 will not be any different, with UFC 126 being held this coming Saturday. While some of these bouts have been a little lackluster over the years, UFC 126 will finally give us the Silva-Belfort title fight, a match MMA fans have been looking forward to for way too long. Silva is coming off of an astounding win against Chael Sonnen, while Belfort has not been competing in UFC fights since UFC 109. Various injuries have kept the match from happening, but Super Bowl weekend 2011 will be when the stars align for the much-anticipated fight.
Although Silva-Belfort will be the main event, UFC 126 will have a number of other fights worth watching. Rich Franklin will take on Forrest Griffin in a light heavyweight fight that could have an impact on future title considerations. It will be a bout worth keeping a close eye on. Griffin has not competed since November 2009, so will ring rust affect his performance?
Pittsburgh Super Bowl sportsbook
Two up-and-comers in the world of MMA, Jon “Bones” Jones and Ryan Bader will also be competing next weekend. Jones is undefeated (discounting a disqualification) and is one of the more promising fighters to come along in some time, and it is worth watching his athletic abilities and dynamic strike style. Bader is similarly undefeated and has won bouts against better opponents than Jones has faced thus far in his career.
So when Super Bowl weekend comes along in a few days, it will be worth taking a break from all of the Packers-Steelers betting to take a look at a few established MMA fighters, as well as some rising stars in the sport. With some of the betting excitement of the Super Bowl spilling over into UFC 126 gambling, payouts should be higher than usual for some possibly overlooked matches.
There are a few updates to articles we posted earlier this week. A couple of them involve the upcoming Super Bowl, with injury drama from both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. Another story involves the partial sale of the New York Mets due to fallout from the owners’ involvement with Bernie Madoff. And the final update is related to Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo.
First of all, the news from the Pittsburgh Steelers is that their rookie center Maurkice Pouncey will not be playing in the Super Bowl game next weekend. He had been questionable but mostly out of the game due to an ankle injury he sustained during the AFC championship game against the New York Jets. Now it is known that Pouncey has a fractured ankle, as well as a high ankle sprain, which will keep him out of the big game.
Green Bay betting
Moving on to the Green Bay Packers, everyone remembers the side show with the injured reserve players not being in the Super Bowl team picture. Everything seemed to be ironed out when the photo was rescheduled to include all the players. But then quarterback Aaron Rodgers made some controversial statements to the press about the injured players choice of rehab locations. Linebacker Nick Barnett seemed a bit offended. Now it is reported that Rodgers called Barnett to clear the air, and now everything seems to be better between the two.
In baseball news, the New York Mets’ owners may put a portion of the team for sale. Martin Luther King III has expressed interested in buying a share of the team. He is part of a group of interested parties who may want to purchase partial ownership of the Mets from Fred Wilpon and his son Jeff Wilpon. The Wilpons have been considering offering 20-25% of the team for sale, and King has expressed interest in being a 50% owner. So obviously, some details need to be ironed out.
Super Bowl lines
Finally, after O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies tested positive for DHEA, a steroid banned by the NBA, he was suspended for 10 games. Mayo now states that he picked up an energy drink from a local gas station, which caused him to test positive for the substance. Unfortunately, Mayo’s third season in the NBA has been filled with drama and controversy. He has lost his starting position, gotten into a fight with a teammate over a card game, and his father was charged with attempted murder this past December. The suspension is only the latest problem for him.
