Monday, December 2, 2013

AskTheBookie $1k Bowl Bonanza Presented by Americas Bookie and 1Vice!!!


AskTheBookie $1k Bowl Bonanza

PRESENTED BY AMERICAS BOOKIE AND 1VICE!!








Welcome to the Ask The Bookie Bowl Bonanza. We are looking forward to this being one of the Biggest and Best Contests on the Internet this Bowl Season. The Contest will be a challenge to each participant and it will be very fun to watch. Good Luck to everyone!!!!



Please Read Below for All the Details.




Special Promo for ATB Posters



  • Deposit $100 or more and receive 50% free play and a chance to win up to $500 in free money with the ATB Bowl Bonanza
  • Max free play awarded $500 - 8x rollover (on deposits of $100-$1k)
  • Regular Free Play rules apply.




Format:




  • Each Handicapper will need to have an active account at Americas Bookie or 1Vice to be eligible for Full Prizes. An Active Account is determined by making at least one deposit (or multiple deposits that add up to) of at least $100 in the last month.
  • If you are active cash will be deposited into your Americas Bookie or 1Vice account and is available for immediate withdrawal. If you are not active then the prizes will be in the form of Free Plays with an 8X rollover requirement.
  • All Plays will be Against the Spread
  • Each Handicapper will pick 30 Sides from the 30 regular Bowl Games and weight them from 29 being the strongest play and 1 being the weakest. Then you will rate ONE game as your strongest play and it will be worth 35 points. Each Game will be worth the Number of points you rated it. (Ex. If UGA is playing Wisconsin and you rate UGA as a 9 it will be worth 9 points. If you Take BYU as a 2 they will be worth 2 points, etc).
  • Each Handicapper will then Pick 5 sides from the BCS Bowl Games. Each of these Plays will be worth 20 Points a Piece.
  • The Points will be added up daily after each game is played. At the end of the Contest the Poster with the Most Points will be the Champion. Losses will not be subtracted it will just be a zero.
  • The plays will be posted in the Contest forum at ATB for all plays to be posted in. The thread in the General Discussion area will be used for comments, questions and entry confirmation since the Contest Room usually is on Post Review.
  • Please Put Rotation Number, Team and Spread in your picks or they will not count
  • Any other Problems Arise the Moderators at ATB will decide what action to take. Their Decision is final




Prizes: (Cash if Active Paid in Free Plays 8X Rollover if not)




1st Place: $500
2nd Place : $300
3rd Place : $200




How to Enter:





  • Go to Americas Bookie or 1Vice and open and account if you do not have one. The First Bowl Game is December 21, 2013 at 2:00 PM EST
  • Deadline for the Regular 30 Bowl Games to be posted is December 21 at 1:00 PM EST
  • Deadline for the BCS Games to be posted is January 1, 2014 at 5 pm EST
  • Each Handicapper may submit their plays at anytime. The plays thread will be on Post Review and all plays will be released at the same time. They will be released right after the Deadline for each set of plays. This way you don’t have to worry about anyone copying your plays
  • Once picks are submitted they are final so be sure they are correct. You May email me to verify your plays were submitted correctly


AskTheBookie $1k Bowl Bonanza Presented by Americas Bookie and 1Vice!!!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 4




By: Chris Dyer (Dirty)


Unlike the media and the coach’s polls I like to wait until after the last weekend of September to try to even try to start ranking college football teams. There are so many things that can happen during the offseason and early season, with injuries, to even think about saying who the best football team in the country is. Some teams play tough schedules and some play sisters of the blind the first few weeks of the season. At least by the 4th or 5th week all teams have played at least 1-2 quality opponents.

I limit it to the top 12 as that realistically is all that have a chance to play in BCS bowls and have a shot at the BCS Championship at any time in the season for the most part. The top 25 is just the media’s way of pumping mediocre football teams and keep the money train going. They have to say we have the 23rd Ranked “Jacklegs” against the 17th ranked “Hobnobbers” live from “Who Cares University” so they can make fan bases happy and sell television ads. Bottom line is teams outside the top 12 most likely will not play in a BCS Bowl or even New Year’s Day games unless they are in a weak conference with a tie-in. Those teams are most likely to by playing on the “Smurf Turf” in Boise or many other cities that have inconsequential bowl games are were created by ESPN just for the revenue TV brings. It is a good thing for us gamblers though as we have more football to watch and bet on.


Sorry for the almost month delay. I have had some things come up in my personal life (unexpectedly) and was having to be gone a good bit the last 3 to 4 weeks. I have gotten most of the legwork done of that and things will settle down until the first of the year except for normal family holiday stuff that most of us all go thru. We have had some great football over the last few weeks and the rankings are about where I thought they would be for most teams.


Let’s get into the rankings and I will explain my thought process as we go as usual.


1. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) – This team just keeps on rolling. Teams can play with them for a while but their talent, depth, and coaching just wears them down. No need to mention any other team they have played but LSU. LSU had a chance to put them on the ropes early and had a fumble at the Bama 1 yard line and had an INT as well and they still jumped out to the early lead. The Tide just wore them down and pulled away in the 4 th quarter. Bama should have no trouble with Mississippi State and Chattanooga to set up a possible showdown with a one loss Auburn team in the “Iron” Bowl on November 30th.
2. Florida State Seminoles (9-0) – FSU systematically destroyed Miami and my #2 at the time Clemson and didn’t even blink. The games were not even close. FSU legend Mickey Andrews, the longtime defensive coordinator, said this may be the best team FSU has ever had. They finish the year with Syracuse, Idaho and in state rival Florida. UF is depleted and can’t stop them unless FSU turns it over. They will play either Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia Tech or Duke in the ACC Championship game and none of those teams can beat them unless they beat themselves.
3. Baylor Bears (8-0) – This team just keeps on trucking. They score at will and play good defense. They have only given up more than 25 points one time and that was early on the West Virginia and many of those were trash touchdowns after Baylor had the game in hand. They have played a weak schedule but they can’t help the normal strong teams in the Big-12 are not as good. They do what very good teams do. They annihilate their opponent. They railed the Sooners last week and have Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas coming up in 4 consecutive weeks to end the season. If they win those games easily they could easily jump Ohio State in the BCS if Florida State slips up.
4. Stanford Cardinal (8-1) – I think this team and Ohio State are about equal. This spot goes to Stanford just because of Strength of Schedule. The Pac-12 and ACC are running a close race for 2nd best conference in the nation right now while the Big-11 is as weak as it gets. Stanford plays a more physical game of football and would be #2 or #3 without the look ahead loss to Utah. They have a tough game this weekend at USC who is playing like gangbusters since they firing of Lane Kiffin. If they get out of LA with a win they should have trouble with the Cal Bears and the overrated Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) – As I explained in the Stanford commentary this team could be #4 as well. This is a talented team but have played a weak schedule like Baylor. The Big-11 is awful and they are just playing too many close games against mediocre teams. Giving up 20 to Buffalo, 34 to Cal, and struggling with mediocre Wisky, Penn State and Iowa. The Only team (other than the patsies FAU and SDSU) they really hammered has been a decent Penn State team. Now you got their players running their mouths about FSU. They should beat Illinois and Indiana. Up until a week ago I would say they should easily handle Michigan, but after the Nebraska loss at home the Wolverines will be fighting for Brady Hoke’s job. You never want to play a wounded animal backed into a corner.
6. Clemson Tigers (9-1) – Clemson has rebounded nicely after the ass kicking FSU put on them. They struggled with Maryland the first half and ended up pulling away in the 4th and drilled UVA last week. They play a dangerous Georgia Tech team who has won 5 in a row after struggling early in the year this week but should come out with a win at home. Then they have The Citadel and end the season with “The Ole Ball Coach” and the Gamecocks on the road. If FSU and a few other teams slip up they could sneak back into things if they win the rest of the games convincingly.
7. Missouri Tigers (9-1) – All this team does is win and win easily most Saturdays. After James Franklin went down I thought they were toast. Man was I wrong. They go into Athens and beat UGA like a Dawg, hammer Florida and blew a late lead to lose to South Carolina. They then come back the next two weeks and hammer Tennessee and Kentucky. This team can score and plays very good defense in the best conference in the nation. They end the season with at Ole Miss and at Home against Texas A&M. Both are games they should win but could easily lose. That is life in the SEC. I look for them to split those games.
8. Oregon Ducks (8-1) – I called the loss to Stanford. Stanford was the first quality team they had played all season. Before that game the Ducks had played the 105th ranked schedule in the nation. They went in and got smacked in the mouth and didn’t know how to react. They are talented and when you play weak schedules (like Baylor and OSU above) you just don’t know how good you are. They found out quickly and they play 3 games to end the season they could easily lose if they play inconsistent. They play at home against Utah and Oregon State and on the road at Arizona. I think they win 2 of the 3.
9. Auburn Tigers (9-1) – This Auburn team has gotten back to its roots and Gus Malzahn has them back in the game quicker than anyone thought. They run the ball well and play good defense. They also don’t turn it over much. That is a good recipe for success. Their only blemish is a loss on the road to LSU. Not many go into “Death Valley” and come away with a win. They have a huge win over Texas A&M as well. They host the Georgia Bulldogs in “The South’s Oldest Rivalry” this weekend in a series that many times has the home team losing. But I will say this in this rivalry the games are always close and decided by turnovers in the 2nd half. Most games are a TD or under. If they come away with a win they will most likely play Bama at home in the “Iron” Bowl for the SEC West Championship. If they beat UGA and Bama that will give Bama 1 loss in the Conference and the War Eagles win the Tiebreaker.
10. Texas A&M Aggies (7-2) – This team plays no defense but can play with anyone in the nation because of Football Johnny and that offense. They have lost to a very good Auburn team and Alabama so they don’t have a bad two loss resume. Hard to have faith in teams that can’t stop anyone, but this team is just too good. They likely fall from the rankings this week as they go into LSU and the Tigers will be looking for revenge as they believe they have the best team in the SEC and mistakes cost them both games they lost. It will be another shootout. Then they end the season at Mizzou. If they can’t find a way to play D they may lose their last two games.
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-1) – This team is 11th just because of the weakness of the Big-12. They lost to a good West Virginia team but have had close games with everyone else in that depleted conference. They can show me how good they are if they run the gamut to end the season by going to Texas and winning then beating Baylor and the Sooners at home.
12. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2) – All Connor Shaw does is win. He had a hurt knee and wasn’t supposed to play but came off the bench and led a 17 point comeback in the 4th quarter against Mizzou to eek out a win. Shaw got hurt and they slipped up and lost to Tennessee and lost to a top 5 team in UGA as they were healthy at the time. They should not have any trouble with Spurrier’s old team the Gators at home, then they have Coastal Carolina to get ready with a top 10 showdown between them and Clemson.
That is it guys. Let’s debate these for the next week and I will be back then with my next edition. Good luck with your wagers and get ready for Bowl Season!!!!



Past Weeks

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 1

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 2

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 3


“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 4

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 3

 


By: Chris Dyer (Dirty)


I had a feeling we would see some movement in the rankings this week and we damn sure did. Lots of teams played down to their competition or lost. This coming Saturday we will see more jockeying as the postseason picture becomes clearer and clearer as late season big games are played. We have some heavyweight games being played this weekend and it is going to be an awesome day for college football fans. Let’s get into this week’s rankings.


1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) – Alabama sputtered a little out of the gate last week against Kentucky but was very dominant in the game. It ended up 48-7 and could have been as bad as Bama wanted it. They play Arkansas at home this week and expect a beat down of epic proportions as Brett Bielema ran his mouth about the SEC and Saban at a fundraiser and Alumni dinner right after he got hired. Saban has a habit of shutting people’s mouths by ramming his foot so far up their asses they never do it again.


2. Clemson Tigers (6-0) – Clemson struggled with Boston College which was somewhat expected considering they had FSU this weekend. They showed the mettle of a quality team by winning by double digits even when they were not playing their best football. This weekend will tell the tale for this version of the Tigers as they play the Criminoles in “Death Valley”. This win could propel Taj Boyd near the top of the heap in the Heisman race if he shows out on national TV against the very talented FSU team.


3. LSU Tigers (5-1) – LSU proved they can still win with defense. In a huge rivalry game with the Florida Gators the defense stepped up and held the Gators in check. This was needed as starting QB Zach Mettenberger tweaked his knee early on and played hobbled all day and didn’t have the mobility he usually does. LSU travels to Ole Miss this weekend and should not have much trouble especially with their top defensive end, Robert Nkemdiche, out with a knee injury.


4. Oregon Ducks (6-0) – Oregon leapfrogs FSU this week by virtue of FSU not playing couple with them going into a volatile environment and winning by 20 points. The Ducks went into Washington and played a whale of a game. The game was closer to the score but Mariota and company answered every score that Washington made and broke it open late in the 4th quarter. They play a Washington State team at home this weekend and probably will name the score after Washington State got hammered by 30+ by a mediocre Oregon State ball club.


5. Florida State (5-0) – Florida State was off this past weekend so they have had two weeks to prepare for Taj Boyd and Sammy Watkins of the Clemson Tigers. This is going to be the biggest game in the ACC since the old FSU/Miami battles of the 80’s and 90’s. The winner of this game puts themselves in great position to play for a National Title if someone slips up. Bobby Bowden came out over the past couple of days and said Jameis Winston is as good a QB as FSU has ever had and I agree with him. Kid is very good as he is completing 73% of his passes and 1441 yards and 17 TDs and only 2 interceptions. Clemson will have their hands full with this kid.


6. Texas A&M Aggies (5-1 ) – I don’t know how long Johnny Manziel and the A&M offense can keep bailing that awful defense out but this team just keeps winning. No matter how many points it gives up they just are outscoring opponents. They went into Ole Miss and should have lost and pull out a 41-38 win. Can this team beat one of the top 5 teams in my list? Most likely not as those teams have good defenses and high powered offenses but they are the better of the 2nd tier at the moment. They play an undefeated Auburn team at home this weekend and should have little trouble winning even though the War Eagles cracked the top 25.


7. Stanford Cardinal (5-1) – The Cardinal ran into a buzz saw last week when they traveled to Utah to play the Utes and ended up getting beat 27-21. This was a good game against an underrated Utah team. I saw this game as a possible upset with UCLA on the Horizon with the winner playing Oregon to basically decide the PAC-12 Championship. Let’s see how they come out this week against the Bruins at home.


8. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) – The Buckeyes rose to 8 this week by default. They were off this past weekend and with UGA, Oklahoma and losing ahead of them and lackluster performances by Louisville they had nowhere to go but up. This team has yet to play anyone and will not until they play Michigan to end the season. They have had two weeks to prepare for Iowa at home. Let’s see if they slap the taste out of their mouth like they should.


9. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-1) – South Carolina would have cracked The Dirty Dozen last week if Conner Shaw were not hurt. He came back with a bang and after falling behind 7-0 to Arkansas early they responded with a 52-7 asskicking. Clowney is back and seems to have his head on right again and all this Shaw kid does is win. Gets no respect and that is one of the great things about it as they will come out of nowhere to bite you in the ass. They easily could be undefeated if it weren’t for a late costly turnover against UGA early in the season. This team is the best in the SEC East right now and they go to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Inbred Volunteers this Saturday at noon. Don’t be surprised to see another banner day from Shaw against the sponge the Vols call a defense.


10. Miami (Fla) (5-0) – The Hurricanes have their best team in over a decade after probation decimated them. Al Golden has done a great job building this team thru adversity and they sit undefeated with a week off before they travel to play UNC this Thursday night on ESPN. This is a great showcase for Miami to show the nation they are almost back to elite status. Expect them to kick ass and take names in primetime.


11. UCLA Bruins (5-0) – The UCLA Bruins fell from the rankings last week but are back with a vengeance this week as all Jim Mora’s team does is keep on winning. They went into Utah and win 34-27, go to Nebraska and kick the Huskers ass from pillar to post 41-21 and then they do what you’re supposed to against a bad team and annihilated Cal 37-10 last week when they could have been looking ahead to Stanford this weekend on the road. This may be the 2nd best team in the PAC-12 behind Oregon and this Saturday we will have that answer.


12. Louisville Cardinals (6-0) – The luster just keeps on wearing off of the Cardinals. They are like the fake diamond ring a dumbass gives his fiancĂ©e and then 3 months later it turns her finger green. They started off like gangbusters but Charlie Strong’s Club just doesn’t look as good after watching them play for a couple of months. They are still a very good football team but not in that upper echelon. They have a habit of playing down to their competition which was evident last Thursday when they played Rutgers and won 24-10. That is a respectable score on the road, but not at home. They should have beaten Rutgers handily and put up at least 40+ points against that bad defense. If they come out flat again Central Florida may take a bite out of that Cardinal ass this coming Friday night in primetime on ESPN.


Baylor almost made the rankings again after they pulled away from a pesky Kansas State team this past weekend but their week schedule keeps them off of it for now. We will find out what they are made of in November and early December when they play Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Okie State, TCU and Texas all in a row. Their Schedule maker needs fired. Let’s hear some feedback ladies and gents and get ready for another week of awesome college football.



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“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 3

Thursday, October 10, 2013

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 2

 

By Chris Dyer (Dirty)



Sorry for the late rollout of the article this week I have been sick and had some family issues to deal with midweek and just finished those. Last week was a wild one in college football and shed some more light on who the best teams in the nation are. So let us get right into it.


1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) – Sure they only played Georgia State but could have scored 100 if they wanted to. Backups came out at the half and held serve. Don’t expect much of a game in Kentucky this weekend either. UK will stay close through the first quarter then it is over.


2. Clemson Tigers (4-0) – Clemson promptly goes into Syracuse and pulls out a can of whoopass to win 49-14 and the game wasn’t that close. They play Boston College this week and expect another name your score affair even with FSU on deck.


3. LSU Tigers (5-1) – LSU moves ahead of UGA in the poll because they are healthy. They promptly go into Starkville and destroy Mississippi State turning a close game in the middle of the 3rd quarter into a 59-26 shellacking. We will find out more about how strong this team is when the Florida Gators invade “Death Valley” Saturday night.


4. Stanford Cardinal (5-0) – They held of a very good Washington team this past weekend 31-28 but showed the grit I wanted to see when they got slapped in the mouth. We will see what they are made of this week if they have a letdown traveling to Utah in a letdown situation with UCLA the following week.
5. Florida State Seminoles (5-0) – I learned a lot about this team this past weekend thrashing the 25th ranked Maryland Terrapins 63-0. This team seems to be the real deal and they have an off week before traveling to Clemson to face the #2 Tigers on October 19th.


6. Oregon Ducks (5-0) – Oregon did what you expect quality teams to do. They go into Colorado and thrash the terrible Buffalos 57-16. It is hard to deny the talent but like I said last week the tell will be told when they play in a close game against a quality opponent and that could easily be this week when they travel to play the Washington Huskies in one of the most hostile environments in college football.


7. Georgia Bulldogs (4-1) – Georgia goes into Knoxville and plays without 3 starters as well as getting 4 more hurt against one of their most hated rivalries and comes out with a 34-31 win. Aaron Murray should be considered more for the Heisman as he is carrying this team right now with two starting receivers out and his top two running backs. UGA shows grit and is still a top 10 team but how guys step up with all these injuries will be the big question. They are a gritty team that shows the fire and attitude of their QB. If they can scrape out a win against a decent Mizzou team this weekend with all those guys hurt they may have a shot.


8. Texas A&M (4-1) – They were off last week and travel to play a dangerous Ole Miss team this weekend. With their sorry ass defense anything could happen. We know they will score points but the question remains can they stop anyone? Usually when that happens all it takes is a couple of turnovers on offense to cost you a game or two.


9. Louisville Cardinals (5-0) – They played a decent Temple team on the road last week and won 30-7. This team is just not ready to compete with the upper echelon as they should have waxed Temple and put up 50+ like the top teams in these ranking would have. They play Thursday night at home against Rutgers and they better play some D or they could be trouble if Bridgewater struggles in the least.


10. Miami (Fla) Hurricanes (5-0) – Miami defeated a good Georgia Tech team 45-30 on Saturday and the game was not as close as the score. I watched it all and this is a good football team. They have an explosive offense and a good defense. They are off this week and travel to North Carolina on the 17th on Thursday night football.


11. Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) – Oklahoma beat a good TCU team at home 20-17 this past weekend. This team scares me and is a borderline top 12 team. The “Red River Rivalry” is this weekend against the Texas Longhorns and if they win this game decisively I will be sold they are better than they show.


12. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) – They barely hold off the Baylor Bears for the 12th spot this week. They go into Northwestern and barely escape with a win. They were up by 3 and got a pick 6 with time running out to seal this game. This team is in trouble once they play a team with a good offense. This may be the last week they are ranked in these rankings as I can’t be bought off like the media and coach’s poll voters can as they just want higher ranked teams playing each other for TV Dollars and ticket sales. They are off this week before playing Iowa at home on the 19th.


I expect lots to change over the next two weeks of this poll. Thanks guys and good luck with your wagers this weekend!!! Be back early next week with the 3rd edition.
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“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 2

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 1

 

By Chris Dyer (Dirty)

Alright guys it is time for “The Dirty Dozen” college football rankings to start back up. Unlike the media and the coach’s polls I like to wait until after the last weekend of September to try to even try to start ranking college football teams. There are so many things that can happen during the offseason and early season, with injuries, to even think about saying who the best football team in the country is. Some teams play tough schedules and some play sisters of the blind the first few weeks of the season. At least by the 4th or 5th week all teams have played at least 1-2 quality opponents.

I limit it to the top 12 as that realistically is all that have a chance to play in BCS bowls and have a shot at the BCS Championship at any time in the season for the most part. The top 25 is just the media’s way of pumping mediocre football teams and keep the money train going. They have to say we have the 23rd Ranked “Jacklegs” against the 17th ranked “Hobnobbers” live from “Who Cares University” so they can make fan bases happy and sell television ads. Bottom line is teams outside the top 12 most likely will not play in a BCS Bowl or even New Year’s Day games unless they are in a weak conference with a tie-in. Those teams are most likely to by playing on the “Smurf Turf” in Boise or many other cities that have inconsequential bowl games are were created by ESPN just for the revenue TV brings. It is a good thing for us gamblers though as we have more football to watch and bet on.

Well let’s not waste any more time and lets delve into who I think are the top 12 teams in the nation.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) – They are 4-0 and coming off of back to back national titles. The game against Texas A&M, who some considered the 2nd best team in the SEC, was not as close as the score. Alabama made stupid defensive mistakes every time they got up by a couple of TD’s to keep A&M drives going. Until they are beaten they will sit atop of the perch. In the SEC it is hard to play quality football every quarter of every game. That is a sign of a great team when you can win easily when not playing your best football.

2. Clemson Tigers (4-0) – Taj Boyd and Sammy Watkins have Clemson poised to play for their first national championship since Danny Ford won one in 1981. They beat the SEC’s 2nd best team, UGA, 38-35 in the opening game of the season at home and Florida State and South Carolina are their only games left that should be in the top 12 when they play them. They have FSU at home and travel to Columbia to play “The Ole Ball Coach’s” Gamecocks. They have a good enough defense to hold teams at bay and if Boyd and Watkins stay healthy they will be playing for the BCS Title. The only team that could throw a monkey wrench in these plans is FSU at home on October 19th.

3. Georgia Bulldogs (3-1) – They would be #1 on the list if they had beaten Clemson. No team in the nation can lay claim to playing a tougher schedule than UGA as they have opened the season by playing 3 teams ranked in the top 10 and to come out of it 3-1 is impressive. They could have beaten Clemson if not for a couple of costly plays and I think those teams are pretty equal. They have a great running game with Gurley leading the way and a Heisman Candidate in Aaron Murray who is less than 200 yards from being the SEC’s all-time passing leader. Playing in the SEC always has landmines but the toughest part of the schedule is over and Florida is the only team that should give them a scare the rest of the way.

4. LSU Tigers (4-1) – LSU’s only blemish was the instant classic that was played this past Saturday to the Georgia Bulldogs. They lost 44-41 and could have won this game. They have beaten a good TCU team on the road and a mediocre Auburn team at home. They have an offense now that is wide open with Zach Mettenberger at the helm and a new offensive coordinator. Gone are the days of LSU winning 9-6 and dominating teams by defense. The defense is still there against most opponents (the talent against top tier teams now on offense great D’s are going to give up points) and will shut them down. They still have Florida and Texas A&M on the docket both at home and will need a lot of help to play for the BCS Championship as they will been the Tide to lose twice to make it to Atlanta and the SEC Championship. Bright spot is they Could sneak into the National Title game in place of the loser of the SEC Championship game if they are ranked ahead of other contenders and either UGA or Alabama.

5. Stanford Cardinal (4-0) – They are this low on the list at this time because they have played zero strong teams and some average teams this early in the season. We don’t really know how strong they are. They have dominated each and every week and play a physical type of football but the key is how are they going to react when they are challenged and get punched in the mouth? We know they handled it in years past but each year is totally different. I think the first 4 teams on the list all could play each other 10 times and you could easily have 5-5 records in each match up as they are that close. Stanford could be that good but I can’t realistically say that right now. They just aren’t beating teams as bad as they should. Beating Army 34-20 and San Jose State 34-13 is not what you would expect. Arizona State and Stanford have always played each other tough. What will tell the tale on this version of the Cardinal will be how they handle Washington

UCLA and Oregon when they play? All games are at home and the Washington game is this Saturday.

6. Oregon Ducks (4-0) - Oregon sure does look impressive beating terrible teams like Nichols State, Virginia, California and Colorado and a Mediocre Tennessee team. That is the problem. They have played no one. Top teams are expected to win those game by 40+ points. They have the talent, but the main question for me is how will losing Chip Kelly matter when they finally play in a close game. That will happen in two weeks when they travel to Washington then maybe they will move up in the rankings.

7. Texas A&M (4-1) - This team is the 4th best team in the SEC just because they can’t stop anyone. They have one of the top offenses in the nation (so do Bama, UGA and LSU) but their defense doesn’t stack up to the rest. This past weekend I watched as they let the depleted Arkansas Razorbacks run roughshod over them and it was a 3 point game until midway thru the 4th quarter. Arkansas just made crucial unforced mistakes that turned the tide. Their D gave up 31 to Rice, 28 to Sam Houston State, and 33 to Arkansas and those teams have far from explosive offenses. They still have to go to Ole Miss then play Vandy at home and travel to LSU and Mizzou. Unless the defense improves a ton they may lose 2-3 of those games. They get 7 by default because their offense is so good and their schedule has been stronger than the others on the list.

8. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0) - Bob Stoops has his team back in the top 10 again and undefeated this year. They have played a decent schedule and they have beaten a good West Virginia team at home 16-7 and went on the road and beat a good Notre Dame team easily for the first time since 1956. They also manhandled La-Monroe and Tulsa. We will find more about the Sooners the next two weeks as they play TCU and Texas at home but the real test will come November 7th when the travel to Baylor. Will Stoops lose a game this year he is supposed to win like almost every year? Most likely and that will be the one.

9. Ohio State (5-0) - Urban Meyer has his team poised to go Undefeated again this year but the problem is the Big 11 is so weak and their out of conference schedule is god awful. Buffalo, San Diego State and Florida A&M. Are you kidding me? They struggled to beat the worst Wisconsin team in 20 years this past weekend and play a good Northwestern team on the road this weekend so we will find more out about them. If they make past the Wildcats then they shouldn’t be tested again until they play Michigan in “The Big House” to end the season. Braxton Miller and company can run up great stats against bad teams so let’s see what they do when they play someone.

10. Louisville Cardinals (4-0) - Teddy Bridgewater is a Heisman candidate and is putting up some gaudy stats but so far it is against terrible opponents except Kentucky. Charlie Strong has this team in a great position and they have the potential be undefeated at the end of the season. They should be when they play Cincinnati on the road to end the season. Can they crash the BCS party the year before they jump to the ACC?

11. Florida State Seminoles (4-0) - Jimbo Fisher has FSU looking like they did in their heyday under the coaching legend Bobby Bowden. They have been on the verge the last couple of years but injuries have derailed them. This is a very good team, the best team they have had in a decade at least. They have a great defense as usual and quality players at all key positions. The problem is they haven’t played anyone yet so we don’t know how strong they really are. They slapped Pitt around to open the season but Pitt is a bad football team and the schedule hasn’t gotten any better. October 19th at Clemson will let us know all we need to know about his edition of the Seminoles.

12. UCLA Bruins (3-0) – Jim Mora is doing at UCLA what no one has been able to do since Terry Donahue 20+ years ago. He is recruiting and he is winning. They have drilled a mediocre Nevada team and a good Nebraska team on the road. Their biggest test of the year though and will be the measuring stick of how far this team has come is at Stanford on October 19th and Oregon on October 26th. If they can split those games this team could crash the BCS party.

I will be back Next Monday with week 2 of “The Dirty Dozen”. Let me know what you think and let’s get some good discussion going on this.

“The Dirty Dozen” College Football Rankings Week 1

NCAA Football Week 6 Odds

 

We are entering Week 6 of the College Football season. The featured game of the week is in the Big Ten, as No. 4 Ohio State visits No. 16 Northwestern on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET on ABC. According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie, Ohio State is a 5-point favorite and the total has not been set. Ohio State is 5-0 this season, including 1-0 on the road and 3-1-1 ATS. Northwestern is 4-0 overall, including 3-0 at home and 2-2 ATS. Ohio State has won and covered the spread in their last four meetings with Northwestern.

The other featured game of the week has No. 15 Washington visiting No. 5 Stanford next Saturday at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN. According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie, Stanford is a 6½-point favorite and the total has not been set. Washington is 4-0 overall, 1-0 on the road and 3-1 ATS. Stanford comes into the game with a 4-0 record, including 2-0 at home and 2-2 ATS. Stanford has won and covered the spread in four of their last five meetings with Washington.

Here are the NCAA Football Lines at America's Bookie.

Thursday, October 3

Texas -7½
Iowa State

Over/Under

Western Kentucky -5½
Louisiana Monroe

Over/Under

UCLA -4
Utah

Over/Under

Friday, October 4

BYU +6½
Utah State

Over/Under

Nevada +4½
San Diego State

Over/Under

Saturday, October 5

Air Force N/A
Navy

Over/Under

Michigan State +1½
Iowa

Over/Under

Louisville -33½
Temple

Over/Under

Western Michigan +20
Toledo

Over/Under

Eastern Michigan +13½
Buffalo

Over/Under

Georgia State
Alabama

Over/Under

Army +11½
Boston College

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Central Michigan -3
Miami Ohio

Over/Under

Ball State +5½
Virginia

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Maryland +14½
Florida State

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Georgia Tech N/A
Miami

Over/Under

Clemson -12½
Syracuse

Over/Under

North Carolina State -9
Wake Forest

Over/Under

Illinois +10½
Nebraska

Over/Under

Texas San Antonio +14
Marshall

Over/Under

North Texas -2½
Tulane

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Oregon N/A
Colorado

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Georgia -10½
Tennessee

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Arkansas +10½
Florida

Over/Under

LSU -9½
Mississippi State

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Rice +3
Tulsa

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North Carolina +7½
Virginia Tech

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TCU +10½
Oklahoma

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Cincinnati -11½
South Florida

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Kansas State +14½
Oklahoma State

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Missouri +2½
Vanderbilt

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Minnesota +20
Michigan

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Central Florida -10½
Memphis

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Rutgers -6½
Southern Methodist

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Fresno State -25
Idaho

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Texas State +10
Louisiana Lafayette

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South Alabama +3
Troy

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New Mexico State +8½
New Mexico

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Washington State N/A
California

Over/Under

Washington +6½
Stanford

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Northern Illinois -9
Kent State

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Mississippi -2½
Auburn

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Kentucky +21
South Carolina

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FIU +15½
Southern Mississippi

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Massachusetts +25
Bowling Green

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Florida Atlantic +3½
UAB

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Texas Tech N/A
Kansas

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East Carolina -7½
Middle Tennessee

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Ohio -6
Akron

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Arizona State -5½
Notre Dame

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West Virginia +27
Baylor

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Louisiana Tech -1
UTEP

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Ohio State -5
Northwestern

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Penn State -3½
Indiana

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San Jose State -4½
Hawaii

Over/Under

NCAA Football Week 6 Odds

NL Wild Card Game: Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Preview



The Pirates will play in their first postseason game in 21 years when they host the Reds in the National League Wild Card game. The Pirates secured home field advantage by sweeping a three-game series in Cincinnati and the winner of this game meets the Cardinals in the divisional round. The Reds are in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons, but struggled down the stretch with five consecutive losses to match a season-worst skid.

The Reds planned to start Mat Latos but scratched him due to elbow soreness and will instead go with Johnny Cueto, who is 8-2 with a 1.91 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 13 career starts at PNC Park. The Pirates opted for Francisco Liriano, who struggled against the Reds this season with an 0-3 record and a 3.70 ERA in four starts. Andrew McCutchen (.317 batting average, 21 home runs, 84 RBIs and 27 stolen bases) had an MVP-caliber season while Joey Votto (.306 batting average, 24 home runs, 73 RBIs) set a franchise record by reaching base 316 times.

The Pirates won the season series 11-8, including a 5-4 record at home.

According to the oddsmakers at BetAnySports, the Reds are at +120, the Pirates are at -130 and the total is set at 6½.

Pitching Matchup:

Johnny Cueto (5-2, 2.82 ERA) vs. Francisco Liriano (16-8, 3.02 ERA)


Johnny Cueto has been outstanding in two starts since returning from an injury and has allowed one earned run and eight hits in 12 innings. Cueto blanked the Pirates on one hit over eight innings on May 31 and then went on the disabled list for the second of three times this season. He is 13-4 with a 2.37 ERA in 21 career starts against the Pirates. Andrew McCutchen is batting .231 with three home runs in 39 career at-bats against Cueto.

Francisco Liriano has been dominant at home, going 8-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 11 outings. Though Liriano set a career best for victories, he struggled in September with a 1-2 record and a 5.14 ERA in five starts. The left-hander had a sharp outing against the Reds on September 20 when he gave up two runs and three hits in eight innings while receiving a no-decision. Joey Votto is 2-for-10 against Liriano.

Game information:

8:07 PM ET, October 1

PNC Park

Coverage: TBS

81° F/ 27° C
Clear


NL Wild Card Game: Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Preview

Monday, September 30, 2013

AL Wild Card One-Game Tiebreaker: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Preview



The Rays visit the Rangers in Game 163, a must-win scenario for both teams if they wish to advance to a second must-win situation. The Rays and the Rangers tied for the second American League Wild Card spot and will break the tie for the right to meet the Indians in Wednesday's Wild Card game. The Rangers have won seven straight games and the Rays have won eight of their last 10 contests.

David Price will start against rookie Martin Perez and the Rangers announced that outfielder Nelson Cruz will be activated for this game. Cruz's 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs ended yesterday and he has fared well against Price, going 6-for-12 with two home runs against him.

The Rangers earned the right to host this game because they won the regular season series 4-3. The teams split a four-game series in mid-September.

According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie, the Rays are at -117, the Rangers are at +107 and the total is set at 7½. Here you can check the daily MLB Baseball Betting Lines at America's Bookie.

Pitching Matchup:

David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA) vs. Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA)


David Price didn't face the Rangers this season but he has traditionally struggled against them, going 1-4 with a 5.98 ERA in eight career outings. After outstanding performances in July and August, Price was 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in five September starts. The left-hander has pitched at least seven innings in four of his last six starts. Alex Rios is batting .435 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 23 career at-bats against Price.

Martin Perez won seven of his last nine decisions as one of the Rangers' most reliable starters over the second half of the season. Perez didn't face the Rays this season and in his lone career outing against them last season he threw five innings and gave up two runs and seven hits. The left-hander has allowed three or fewer runs in nine of his last 11 starts.

Game information:

8:07 PM ET, September 30

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Coverage: TBS

81° F/ 27° C
Clear 

AL Wild Card One-Game Tiebreaker: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Preview

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Texas Rangers (83-70) vs. Kansas City Royals (81-72) Preview

 

The Rangers visit the Royals in the second contest of a three-game series. The Royals' 2-1 win in the opener put them 2½ games behind the Indians for the second Wild Card, while the Rangers slipped one-half game off the pace. The Rangers have now lost 12 of their last 15 games while the Royals have won eight of their last 12.

The Royals have won 81 games to assure a string of nine consecutive losing seasons will end. Closer Greg Holland is one of reason why the Royals will have a winning season. Holland converted his 44th save in the series opener to move one shy of the franchise record shared by Dan Quisenberry (1983) and Jeff Montgomery (1993).

According to the oddsmakers at BetAnySports, the Rangers are at -108, the Royals are at -102 and the total is set at 7½.

Pitching Matchup:

Matt Garza (3-5, 4.94 ERA) vs. Jeremy Guthrie (14-11, 4.08 ERA)


Matt Garza is 0-4 over his last five starts and hasn't been the type of pitcher the Rangers hoped when they acquired him from the Cubs. Garza has allowed four or more earned runs in seven of his last nine outings and gave up six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Rays in his last start. The right-hander is 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in three September starts. Billy Butler is 8-for-20 against him.

Jeremy Guthrie lost to the Tigers in his last outing, when he gave up three runs and a season high-tying 13 hits in eight innings. It was his fourth loss in sixth decisions since tossing a four-hit shutout against the Twins on Auguts 5. Guthrie, who is 9-4 at home, has allowed just nine home runs in 15 starts at Kauffman Stadium but 19 in 16 road outings. Elvis Andrus is batting .471 in 17 at-bats against him while A.J. Pierzynski is hitting .361 in 36 at-bats.

Game information:

7:10 PM ET, September 21, 2013

Kauffman Stadium

68° F/ 20° C
Clear

Texas Rangers (83-70) vs. Kansas City Royals (81-72) Preview

Friday, September 20, 2013

Podcast with Frank Benjamin of OddsOnBetting -- Weekend Action and Talk about ATB

 


ATB Poster Frank and I had a great podcast today and he just got it edited and posted and wanted me to share it. Frank is very knowledgeable about sports and has a great website. I have known him for 14 years from the old freewinners.com days many of the forum people came from (General, Spooky, pvcpipe, mofome, Bobalou, just to name a few off the top of my head). It was a breeding ground of great posters who moved on to other things. Frank Recently named ATB as one of the top 3 sports forums on the internet. If you haven't read the article you can do so by clicking here.

We had a good informative podcast today and had a lot of fun. I am sure you will enjoy it. We went over some info for this weekends games and gave out some winners. Talked about the future of ATB and what to expect as well.

Let us know how we did. And feel free to discuss here.

Podcast with Frank Benjamin of OddsOnBetting -- Weekend Action and Talk about ATB

Texas Rangers (83-69) vs. Kansas City Royals (80-72) Preview

 

The Rangers begin a critical three-game series against the Royals. After losing seven straight games to fall into an intense Wild Card race, the Rangers took two of the final three games in Tampa Bay, capped by an 8-2 rout last night that featured four home runs. The win allowed them to tie the Rays atop the Wild Card standings, with the Indians sitting a half-game behind them.

Should any of those teams slip, the Royals are waiting to surpass them. The Royals are coming off a series win over the Indians and sit three games behind the Rangers and Rays as they open their final home series. Billy Butler is 20-for-42 (.476) in his last 11 home games. The Rangers won two of three against the Royals at home earlier this year.

According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie, the Rangers are at +125, the Royals are -135 and the total is set at 7½. Here you can check the daily MLB Baseball Betting Lines at America's Bookie.

Pitching Matchup:

Martin Perez (9-5, 3.64 ERA) vs. Ervin Santana (9-9, 3.23 ERA)


Martin Perez has lost his last two starts while giving up seven runs and 16 hits in 11 1/3 innings. The left-hander is 7-2 on the road despite having a 4.04 ERA that is nearly a run higher than it is at home (3.07). Perez has never faced the Royals.

Ervin Santana limited the Tigers to just five hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday, picking up his first win since August 4 and matching his career high for quality starts with his 22nd. Santana has a chance to reach 10 wins for the sixth time in his career and needs just 2 1/3 innings to amass 200 in a season for the fifth time. The right-hander has a 5.79 ERA in 28 career starts against the Rangers but held them to one unearned run in seven innings on June 2 in his only meeting with them this season. Ian Kinsler is 19-for-54 (.352) with eight extra-base hits in his career against Santana.

Game information:

8:10 PM ET, September 20, 2013

Kauffman Stadium

68° F/ 20° C
Clear

Texas Rangers (83-69) vs. Kansas City Royals (80-72) Preview

Baltimore Orioles (81-71) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (83-69) Preview



The Orioles open a crucial four-game series against the Rays, as both teams fight for a Wild Card spot. The Orioles and the Rays lost series finales last night. The Rays are tied with the Rangers atop the Wild Card standings and the Orioles are two games back with 10 games to play. The Indians sit between them, just a half-game behind the Rays and the Rangers.

The Rays have lost seven of their last 11 home games following last night's 8-2 loss to the Rangers; however, they are 7-2 in their last nine games against the Orioles. The Rays are 11-for-81 (.136) with runners in scoring position in their last 12 losses. The Orioles took the first two games in Boston before being shut down by John Lackey last night, managing just two hits in a 3-1 setback.

According to the oddsmakers at BetAnySports, the Orioles are at +164, the Rays are at -174 and the total is set at 7.

Pitching Matchup:

Jason Hammel (7-8, 5.12 ERA) vs. David Price (8-8, 3.42 ERA)


Jason Hammel is winless since May 27, going 0-6 with five no-decisions in 11 starts during that span, which also included over a month in the disabled list with a forearm injury. Hammel has just three quality starts in that stretch, including one at Tampa Bay on June 7 when he allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings during a tough 2-1 loss. The right-hander gave up three runs and three hits in five innings at Toronto last Friday.

David Price has lost three straight decisions, tied for the longest losing streak of his career, although it can be attributed to poor run support. The left-hander received a no-decision in a 6-4 loss at Minnesota on Sunday after giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Price is 7-2 in 15 career starts with a 2.65 ERA against the Orioles and is 1-0 in three outings this season. Danny Valencia is 9-for-12 with three walks in 15 plate appearances against him.

Game information:

7:10 PM ET, September 20

Tropicana Field

Coverage: SUN

83° F/ 28° C
Thunderstorm

Baltimore Orioles (81-71) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (83-69) Preview

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Baltimore Ravens (0-0) vs. Denver Broncos (0-0) Preview



The Broncos have had nearly eight months to overcome their stunning season-ending loss in January, one that extended the Ravens' surprising run to a Super Bowl championship. Now the Broncos have a chance to exact some revenge when they host the Ravens in the NFL season opener. Super Bowl champions usually open the season at home but the Ravens had a scheduling issue with the Orioles, who play Thursday night at Camden Yards. Peyton Manning had won nine straight games against the Ravens, including a 17-point rout a month earlier, before the Ravens' 38-35 double-overtime playoff victory.

Much has changed for both teams since Joe Flacco averted a certain defeat with a 70-yard tying touchdown strike to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds to play in regulation. The Ravens undergone a dramatic roster overhaul, with future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis retiring, perennial Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed lost to the Texans via free agency and the trade of Super Bowl hero Anquan Boldin to the 49ers. Flacco became the league's highest-paid player while the Broncos added some key pieces to fortify Manning's offense.

Joe Flacco's regular season numbers were ordinary (3,817 yards with 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions) but he was off the charts in the postseason with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions en route to winning Super Bowl MVP honors.

Torrey Smith heads an inexperienced receiving corps that suffered a jolt when starting tight end Dennis Pitta dislocated his hip, putting his season in jeopardy. Ray Rice has rushed for at least 1,143 yards in four straight seasons and leads all NFL running backs with 278 receptions during that span. The defending champions have question marks on a defense that surrendered nearly five points more per game last year than in the previous season.

Peyton Manning guided the Broncos to the No. 1 seed in the postseason and 11 consecutive wins to close the regular season after sitting out 2011 due to multiple neck surgeries. Manning's 37 touchdown passes and 4.659 yards last season were both the second-highest totals of his storied career.

Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker both went over 1,000 yards and combined for 179 catches and 23 touchdowns and will be joined by Wes Welker, who had at least 111 catches in five of six seasons with the Patriots. Rookie running back Montee Ball set the FBS record for career touchdowns but will open the season as the backup to Ronnie Hillman. The Broncos also have a huge void to plug on defense after Von Miller was suspended six games for violating the league's drug policy.

Game Information:

When: 8:30 PM ET, September 5

Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile Hig

Line: Broncos -7½ at America's Bookie

Total: 48½

Coverage: NBC

Weather: 86° F/ 30° C
Chance of a Thunderstorm

Last meeting: 1/12/13 Ravens 38 Broncos 35

Trends:

- The Ravens are 4-2 ATS as an underdog of 3½ to 9½ points over the last 3 seasons

- The Ravens are 7-4 ATS as an underdog over the last 3 seasons

- The Ravens are 1-4 ATS when playing on a Thursday since 1993

- The Broncos are 7-1 ATS as a favorite of 3½ to 9½ points over the last 3 seasons

- The Broncos are 11-6 ATS as a favorite over the last 3 seasons

- The Broncos are 15-11 ATS against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons


Baltimore Ravens (0-0) vs. Denver Broncos (0-0) Preview

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Gambling for Entertainment – State Ran Lotteries

 
By Dirty



Today for my Gambling for Entertainment series I will talk about the hypocrisy of State run lotteries with the blessing of the Federal Government. There are 44 States and the District of Columbia that run lotteries. The only States that don’t are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah. You can figure almost all of these States but highly Christian Utah and Nevada that is home to Las Vegas will eventually end up with some sort of lottery down the line.

I don’t want to come off as people thinking I am anti-lottery as they read this article as I am far from it. I play Powerball, Mega Millions, and Keno when I go to the bar to meet some friends for a few drinks. I will play scratch off tickets from time to time but not a big fan of those. I know, and see, many people who are and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem I have with it is that State approves all these games with low probabilities of winning and refuse to allow online gambling (casino gambling as well in many States) to be allowed.

Experts say online gambling generates between $6 billion and $20 billion dollars a year in revenue for the online sportsbooks, racebooks, casinos and poker rooms (this is not counting legal online gambling in States that have it on horses and poker). These are just with the online sportsbooks, casinos, and poker rooms that are legalized in the countries they operate out of. This doesn’t even figure in the amount of money generated at Pay Per Head sites that local bookmakers are using more and more every day. There is no way to know exactly how much money is generated off online gambling unless the United States gets its collective head out of its rear end and regulates the industry like they do brick and mortar casinos. They are seeing how easily it can be done in Nevada now that they have legalized online poker and New Jersey is not far behind. Other states like California, Delaware, and Connecticut to name a few have tossed around the idea as well. Those states already have brick and mortar casinos and they have the infrastructure in place.

Lotteries around the nation generate around $18 billion a year in profit for states by 2009 figures. That number is most likely higher now as history has shown that alcohol, gambling, and lottery sales increase during a recession. It makes no logical sense to not legalize games that people actually have a chance at winning instead of letting people pay money to play State Lottery drawing with odds of 1 to 76 million to win, or the Powerball and Mega Millions with higher odds than that. Then when we figure in the scratch off tickets they say on the dollar ones that you have a 1 in 4 chance of winning with higher odds on the more expensive scratch off tickets. Most times you win your money back or win a free ticket. They give you just enough to keep you coming back. It creates degenerates a whole lot more than someone wagering on a football game where they have a 50% chance of winning unless they are playing parlays or teasers. Legalizing poker, which is a game of skill, would give many players a chance to win some money with acceptable odds of winning and losing for many people.

Now you also have the hypocritical pro teams now teaming with the lottery to give away tickets to games, season tickets, and other prizes and charging $5 a ticket (and up) for scratch offs. Here are some links for the Atlanta Falcons games they have here in Georgia. The $500,000 2nd Chance Promotion which you can win one of 4 prizes, but you have to have bought regular lottery tickets for even a chance to enter it. Then you have the $5 Scratch off with different prizes and a chance to win up to $250,000. This just astounds me the hypocrisy the NFL shows by allowing this while keeping New Jersey and other states in court to keep them from legalizing sports betting. Along with the other major sports in the US (NHL, NBA, and MLB),who have had or currently have games with state lotteries, they are doing all they can to keep anything from being enacted by tying it up in court and trying to get in nimrods in Congress to butt into private business where it doesn’t belong. This country faces bigger problems that Online Gambling, Steroid use and other issues Congress tries to control and you can bet almost any amount you want they will eventually step in once a court rules against what they want.

One day when the sharp as a marble bureaucrats realize that they have taxed the American People enough they will be forced to look at alternate sources of revenue. It has already gotten to that point in many states and why you see more and more casinos opening and states wanting to legalize online poker and make a lot of money doing it.

Over the last decade working in the online gambling industry I have talked to many owners and general managers of big online sportsbooks on the phone and in person. I always get the same answers from all of them. 1) Legalize it and work with the jurisdictions we are in now and tax each deposit and withdrawal a small percentage (1-3%) that the sportsbook would be responsible to pay to the regulatory authority or 2) Legalize it in the US and let us come back and run our books and let us pay our normal taxes like the brick and mortars casinos, sportsbooks, and racebooks. Either way it would generate an enormous amount of revenue for all parties involved and at the same time wouldn’t hurt the crowds at land based casinos. I don’t care how much I play online there is nothing like playing in a Vegas book sportsbook or playing blackjack at a table with just the atmosphere and vibe it gives off. I am sure it is like that in Atlantic City and other casinos. There is nothing like playing live like that.

As gamblers we all need to work together and write our congressmen and state legislators and let them know how we feel and tell them we will not vote for this type of government hypocrisy that keeps you from doing as you wish in your own home and it does not affect anyone else. The time for government to back off is now and start generating revenue from all sources.

Next Gambling for Entertainment will be on Fantasy Sports and dig deeper into the hypocrisy of the professional leagues in the United States.


Gambling for Entertainment – State Ran Lotteries

Gambling for Entertainment

 Gambling for Entertainment




By Dirty

Gambling for entertainment. Why is it so taboo to many people? It happens on a daily basis all over the world. It hurts no one and adds an extra bit of excitement to virtually anything you are doing or watching. When I am talking about gambling it could mean anything from a dinner or drink to thousands of dollars for the everyday person around the world. It depends on how much money a person makes and how much the parties want to risk. Most times it is just small wagers just for fun.
When people gamble in office pools for all sports from NASCAR to College Basketball. When people play tennis or golf. When people go to the bar to have a beer they play pool for money, Keno or video poker. People bet on softball games in their adult leagues for dinner or something else small. Even mayors of cities bet small things for bragging rights when teams meet in the World Series or Super Bowl. All these types of gambling are over looked and no one thinks twice about it.
Gambling like this is what most people do when they go to casinos or wager at online sportsbooks, poker rooms and casinos. But to hear ignorant politicians and religious zealots tell it everyone that gambles needs to be in rehab. That is not the case, and far from it. Why the double standard? Gambling on the above mentioned things is disposable income and people wager it with the mindset that the money is already lost. It is not the rent money, the car payment, the grocery money as the knuckleheads in power try to convince people.
Why does the coin flip to the other side once you mention playing poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, or betting on sports? Not all people play golf or have other hobbies. Gambling on sports is their hobby and as long as it is disposable income then it shouldn’t be frowned upon. What is the difference in betting a $25 dinner and a $25 College Football game? Not one thing. It is all relevant and should be treated as such.
Gambling is a relaxing and great form of entertainment and people get just as much fun out of doing it for small amounts as they do large amounts. It is the rush they want. Like some people get a rush out of lifting weights, running or skydiving among many things. Everyone has to have their release from the stress of everyday life. It is a getaway from the mundane things that keep you tied down.
Would people rather their loved ones out doing drugs or buying expensive things they can’t afford or going to the horse racing track or casino to blow a few bucks to relieve stress and then get back to everyday life?
Most people go to a gambling establishment with an amount to lose and when it is gone they are done. They don’t lose every dime they have. It is amazing the beliefs that float around all gamblers are degenerates and how they get frowned upon even with more and more casinos popping up all over the US and other Countries and as online gambling is taking hold and being legalized in Nevada and New Jersey.
Spending money on Hobbies is never going to go away and it should be no one’s business how anyone spends money on their hobbies. Some people like to fish, knit, garden, exercise, work on cars, and many other things and no one should be surprised that gambling is one of those things.
Gamblers around the world should stand strong and keep on wagering on the many things that we love to put money on. Whether it be money, beer, dinner, wearing an opposing team’s jersey, horses, poker or casino games it is a past time that will never go away. And just think we didn’t even bring up state run gambling called the lottery.
When picking an online sportsbook, pick it like you would pick your girlfriend, as all sportsbooks are not the same. View our directory of online sportsbooks.



Gambling for Entertainment

Gambling for Entertainment – Fantasy Sports

 By Chris Dyer “Dirty”

The hypocrisy of the United States Federal Government and its citizens on gambling, especially online sports gambling, gets worse every day. The only thing worse than the lottery on the hypocrite meter is fantasy sports. Last time out I focused on the lottery and today I will tackle fantasy sports. The way the DOJ and Congress approach certain things and treats online gambling.

Every major sport and the players associations embrace fantasy sports. Fantasy Sports has an estimated $3-$4 Billion economic impact and is played by almost 30 million people across the country in 2007. The Fantasy Trade Association estimates that almost 75% of players that play fantasy sports play in leagues where there is a buy-in. All the major sports networks offer free and paid leagues with prizes into the tens of thousands of dollars.

In 2006 the Unlawful Internet and Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed to make banking transactions illegal to online gambling sites. They carved out Fantasy Sports under this fallacy:

“We should start by clarifying that it is currently legal to bet on fantasy sports. The Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which establishes the legal guidelines for online gambling, carves out a safe haven for any fantasy or simulation sports game that:

‘has an outcome that reflects the relative knowledge of the participants, or their skill at physical reaction or physical manipulation (but not chance), and, in the case of a fantasy or simulation sports game, has an outcome that is determined predominantly by accumulated statistical results of sporting events…’

In other words, fantasy sports are considered games of skill – not chance – if they can be won by successfully utilizing superior knowledge of the players involved. The Act adds that the game in question cannot have a prize that is determined by the number of players or amounts paid (think betting odds on game picks), but rather is established in advance of the game’s start.” — Forbes.

Saying fantasy sports is a game of skill is crazy. No one can tell what an athlete is going to do on a particular day. Sure you can study the stats and players and the teams they are playing against, but that doesn’t mean anything. There is no difference in doing this than people learning how to play poker, black jack, roulette, and other casino games. A good poker player has a better shot of winning money (and more of it) than anyone playing fantasy sports. There are too many variables in sports that determine how well a player does. That doesn’t happen in poker and other card games. Sure in black jack when you are playing with more decks it gets harder, but you don’t have to worry about injuries, weather, and other things that happen in professional sports games.

The US government picks and chooses what Word Trade Organization (WTO) laws and rulings they want to follow depending on the country and the trade that is involved. They pick on the smaller countries that win cases against them and go after China and Russia for human rights violations when their worldwide monopoly on something gets threatened. Antigua and Barbuda has had the WTO issue three rulings (They can be read about in detail here, here, and here). This also includes fantasy sports as the government exempted fantasy and horse racing in the UIGEA. Antigua and Barbuda are going to start redirecting intellectual property rights monies earned on things that are copyrights in the US like movies and film. The only way to wake our hypocritical tyrannical government up is hit them in the pocket book.

I love to play fantasy sports just like I love to gamble on them. I have played enough of each to know that gambling on card games and sports is just as much or more of a skill than fantasy sports. You cannot put a line up in for the whole season and let the computer/commissioner put in the best available lineup and you could do very well. You can’t do that in poker, black jack, and other casino games.

I have really about come to realize on this topic with fantasy sports as being a game of skill is many lawmakers must have won money in playing in fantasy leagues and are like Clark Griswold in “Vegas Vacation” when they go to Las Vegas.

Marty the Dealer to Clark:

“You don’t know when to quit, do ya Griswold?… Here’s an idea: Why don’t you give me half the money your were gonna to bet, then we’ll go out back, I’ll kick you in the nuts, and we’ll call it a day!” IMDB

The UK just passed a law where online gambling companies will pay a rate of 15% tax and I am sure US operators would be happy with even a high number like that as in the UK most places were offshore in Gibraltar and paid a 1% tax. The 15% seems steep now, but is really nothing compared to being shut down, arrested and treated like pariahs like online gambling owners/operators are in the United States.

The only way to turn the tide on online gambling is to bug our representatives to death, don’t vote for the status quo, and keep fighting for freedoms. There is no excuse in not allowing regulated online gambling in the United States.

http://www.askthebookie.com/gambling...-sports-91688/

Gambling for Entertainment – Fantasy Sports

No. 12 LSU Tigers (0-0) vs. No. 20 TCU Horned Frogs (0-0) Preview

 

No. 12 LSU opens the season with an intriguing non-conference clash against No. 20 TCU in Arlington, Texas. This will be the fifth Cowboys Classic. Each team has appeared once and come away victorious.

LSU lost a ton of defensive talent but return their key offensive pieces as they're set to start a brutal schedule that features Georgia and Florida from the SEC East. TCU on the other hand has yet to announce a starting quarterback for the game. The job will be given to either Trevone Boykin or Casey Pachall, who started the first four games last season before leaving the team as a result of a drunk driving arrest.

Quarterback Zach Mettenberger, running back Jeremy Hill (12 TDs in 2012) and wideouts Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. form the core of a potentially explosive LSU offense. Mettenberger threw for 2,609 yards last season but only had 120 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl game loss to Clemson. His coaches want him to use his strong arm to attack downfield more this year. LSU ranked 11th in the SEC in passing last year, throwing 12 touchdown passes in 13 contests.

The TCU defense is one of the best in the Big 12 and if Casey Pachall (10 touchdowns, one interception in four games before his arrest) wins the job and picks up where he left off, the Horned Frogs could contend for a conference title. Running back Waymon James (1,556 career rushing yards) also returns after missing most of last season with a knee injury but defensive end Devonte Fields, an All-American candidate, is suspended for the first two games. Another player to watch will be cornerback Jason Verrett, who had 63 tackles, six interceptions and 16 pass breakups last season

The Tigers are 3-1 SU and ATS as favorites of 3½ to 10 points over the last two seasons while the Horned Frogs are 3-3 ATS as underdogs of 3½ to 10 points since 2011 and 0-3 ATS in their last three games on a neutral field.

Game Information:

When: 9:00 PM ET, August 31

Where: Cowboys Stadium

Line: LSU -3½ at BetAnySports

Total: 49½

Coverage: ESPN/WatchESPN

Weather: 101° F/ 38° C
Partly Cloudy

Last meeting: No previous meeting

No. 12 LSU Tigers (0-0) vs. No. 20 TCU Horned Frogs (0-0) Preview

No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (0-0) vs. No. 8 Clemson Tigers (0-0) Preview

 

No. 5 Georgia and No. 8 Clemson square off in the marquee game of the week. Aaron Murray came five yards shy of leading Georgia to the BCS Championship Game as a junior last season before time ran out against eventual national champion Alabama. Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd enjoyed a record-setting junior campaign and joins Murray as a preseason candidate to take home the Heisman Trophy.

Murray, whose 95 touchdown passes are more than any active FBS player, was named the preseason SEC player of the year despite the presence of Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, the reigning Heisman winner while Boyd threw for 3,896 yards and 36 touchdowns last season en route to winning ACC player of the year honors. In addition to the top-tier quarterbacks, both teams possess electrifying complementary players such as Georgia running back Todd Gurley and Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

Georgia will begin their season in daunting fashion, facing No. 8 Clemson, No. 7 South Carolina and No. 13 LSU in three of their first four games. The tough schedule will pose an early challenge for their top running backs, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, who combined for 2,144 yards and 25 touchdowns as true freshmen last year. Defensively, head coach Mark Richt must find a way to replace seven starters, including first round picks Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogeltree.

Clemson is coming off their best season since winning the 1981 National Championship with a 12-0 record. Only five teams averaged more than Clemson's 41.0 points per game last season, but it won't be easy to replace running back Andre Ellington (1,081 yards, eight touchdowns) and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (1,405 yards, 18 touchdowns). The Tigers also have to find a way to shore up their pass defense, which ranked 71st nationally last season and will face an immediate test against Aaron Murray and Georgia.

Game Information:

When: 8:00 PM ET, August 30

Where: Memorial Stadium

Line: Georgia -2½ at America's Bookie

Total: 71½

Coverage: ABC

Weather: 79° F/ 26° C
Chance of a Thunderstorm

Last meeting: 8/30/03 Georgia 30 Clemson 0


No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (0-0) vs. No. 8 Clemson Tigers (0-0) Preview

Friday, August 30, 2013

ATB and WagerWeb NCAA Football 7 Team "Parlay Perfection" Contest


ASKTHEBOOKIE AND WAGERWEB

7 TEAM "PARLAY PERFECTION" CONTEST





WagerWeb has been so kind to sponsor a Great Seven Team Parlay Contest here at ATB. It will be Held weekly at ATB and the Prize will grow Every Week there is not a Winner!!! So please head on over to WagerWeb to sign up and deposit so you can get the Full Benefits of this Contest from a leading Sportsbook!!!





Format



  • This will be a Seven Team Parlay Contest consisting of NCAA Football games Only
  • All Plays will be Against the Spread or Totals. NO MONEYLINES!!!
  • Only Saturday Games can be used.
  • Games will be played every Saturday of the NCAA Football Season starting with Saturday, September 7 and Lasting until Saturday, December 7.
  • Each parlay needs to be posted by the start of the First Game every Saturday
  • A Tiebreaker will be Posted Each Thursday With the Lines for that Weekends Games




Rules




  • Go to WagerWeb and get an account if you do not have one, keeping in mind to receive full prize money you need an account with an active balance
  • Register at ATB if you have not done so
  • Contest is FREE TO JOIN!!!
  • Lines will be Posted on Thursday for all Games in the Contest Forum
  • Lines posted will be used. If a game is off the board when lines are posted then that game can’t be used
  • There will be no half points on lines. ALL LINES WILL BE ROUNDED UP OR DOWN DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY THE JUICE IS SHADED (Ex. UGA 4.5 -115 would be UGA -5)
  • All rotation numbers and odds have to be posted with the plays or they are graded a loser
  • Plays must be posted by the start of the first game on Saturday
  • Plays may not be emailed or PM’d to anyone else
  • The winners will be posted as soon as ATB can get them graded. Once the Results are posted their will be a 24 hour delay to ensure there are no mistakes. If a Mistake is not discovered within the 24 hour period then it is too late as the results will then become official and will be sent to WagerWeb for payment.
  • Must have a valid email address so we can contact you if needed
  • Once you see the results posted and you are a winner please email your account number at WagerWeb to dirty@askthebookie.com or PM Dirty
  • Only One Entry per household, IP address, or Mailing address. Any violators will be kicked out of the contest and subject to not being able to play in any Future WagerWeb and ATB contests NO QUESTIONS ASKED. CHEATERS AND SCAMMERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!
  • Any other problems that may arise will be settled by ATB Moderators and their Decision is final
  • If you have any questions about this Contest please contact dirty@askthebookie.com as WagerWeb is only sponsoring the Prize Money. Customer Service will not know anything about this and can’t help you.




Prizes (Free Plays with a 6X Rollover)



  • The Prize Pool for this Seven Team Parlay Contest starts off with a Balance of $100 and will grow each week by $100 if there is no winner in a Given Week. So if no one wins in Week one the Prize pool becomes $200 and so on.
  • There will be a cap of $1,000 so if no one hits it until we reach that cap then that is the Highest the payout can become. Once Prize is Won Contest will Start Over
  • The Prize money will be in Free Play money and can be broken up into as many bets as you wish. There will be a 6 times Rollover requirement on all Monies awarded.
  • Their will only be one winner unless there is a tie and provisions for the tie are explained in the Rules.
  • To Receive 100% of the Prize money you have to be active. An Active account is an account that has DEPOSITED at least $50 into their account (New Accounts or Re-ups) in the last 30 days.
  • Money already in your account from Book to Book Transfers, Player Transfers or other contest money rolled over into cash does not count. IT MUST BE A DEPOSIT!!!
  • Players must have deposited by 12 Noon Saturday of the Games in your time period to be eligible for 100% of prize money. This stops players from depositing after they found out they won
  • Inactive accounts (accounts with no deposit amount) or ones depositing after the deadline will only receive 10% of the Stated Prize




WagerWeb Will Also be Offering all AskTheBookie Members a 100% Bonus up to $1,000 (New and Existing Members)!!!! This is a Great Contest and should be a lot of Fun!!! Thank You WagerWeb and thank you Posters for becoming a Part of the AskTheBookie Family!!!!


ATB and WagerWeb NCAA Football 7 Team "Parlay Perfection" Contest

Thursday, August 29, 2013

North Carolina (0-0) vs. No. 6 South Carolina (0-0) Preview



North Carolina and South Carolina open up the college football season under the lights in Columbia tomorrow night on ESPN. South Carolina is at an all-time high in the preseason polls because of junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, one of the premier players in the country who was voted the nation's top defensive end last season and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. The Gamecocks also return starting quarterback Connor Shaw, who has never lost at home as a starter.

One of Shaw's top targets will be junior wide receiver Bruce Ellington, who's also the starting point guard for South Carolina's basketball team. We can expect tight end Rory Anderson to get plenty of looks over the middle, as he's averaged 20.9 yards a catch during his first two seasons with the team. South Carolina did lose five senior linebackers to graduation but they feature an experienced returning secondary.

North Carolina also returns a talented quarterback in senior Bryn Renner, who has thrown for more than 3,000 yards each of the last two seasons. Renner' main target, wide receiver Quinshad Davis is also back. The South Carolina native who set freshman school records last season for receptions (61) and receiving yardage (776). 6-7, 305-pound left tackle James Hurst will protect Renner's blind side and redshirt freshman Jon Heck will start at right tackle. Hurst and Heck will be tested all night against Jadeveon Clowney, who recorded 13 sacks last season.

The Tar Heels look to bounce back from a down year defensively, as they were ranked 10th out of 12 teams in the ACC after allowing 32.9 points per game during conference play. Seven starters will return, including defensive end Kareem Martin, a second team all-conference selection last season. South Carolina is the highest-ranked opponent that North Carolina has faced since 2005.

This is a highly anticipated game because both teams have a lot of potential. The Gamecocks are considered one of the best teams in the country but the Tar Heels have an experienced quarterback in Bryn Renner and enough talent to hang around, even if the game is on the road. If Jadeveon Clowney is able to get in the North Carolina backfield, South Carolina will have no trouble winning this game, if not, will be closer than many expect.

Game Information:

When: 6:00 PM ET, August 29

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium

Line: South Carolina -11 at America's Bookie

Total: 56½

Coverage: ESPN/WatchESPN

Weather: 83° F/ 28° C
Partly Cloudy

Last meeting: 10/13/07 South Carolina 21 North Carolina 15


North Carolina (0-0) vs. No. 6 South Carolina (0-0) Preview