Premier League Betting Tips - Bolton v Wolves

Bukomir's Predictions

Barclays Premier League
27 February, 2010

WON
Bolton v Wolves
ko 15:00GMT
I have chosen probably the hardest to predict game today but I will give this one a try as a have the betting instinct whispering. I still haven't seen Owen Coyle's rescue mission in action - the team has just one win in eight Premier League matches and failed to score a league goal in over seven hours. Bolton suffered a midweek FA Cup defeat at Tottenham and it seems all bad for them picking also a spot just below the line in the Premier league table.
Bolton duo Vladimir Weiss and Jack Wilshere should be back but the fact can't be considered as influential for the game.

I just can't see again from where exactly the goals will come from and adding Wolves brand new 4-5-1 formation (which btw brought them three points against Tottenham and some big moments against Chelsea) the game looks like a worthy shot at the Under 2.5 market. Mick McCarthy plans to name an unchanged team for the third game in a row and exactly this line up looks like improving lately. I should admit 2.00 for the home side to wake up today is tempting but the game still looks too dangerous from betting angle.
That's why I will try the low scoring affair here as Bolton look toothless in attack.


Bet selection:
Take the Under 2.5 Goals option and earn a fair price of 1.80 offered by bet365

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College Basketball Betting – “Lone Star Showdown” on the hardwood in College Station

College basketball betting players figured that Texas would challenge for the Big 12 title, but they’ve fallen well off the pace, and they’re even behind their rivals from Texas A&M. Both play crucial midweek games before they clash in the basketball edition of the “Lone Star Showdown” on Saturday afternoon.

Texas vs Texas A&M odds – Saturday, February 27, 2:00 PM ET

The No.21 Longhorns (21-6, 7-5) escaped Texas Tech with a 71-67 win last weekend, but they needed to hold off a rally by the Red Raiders. Gary Johnson had a career-high with 22 points off the bench, while Damion James was held to 12 points, but he managed 10 rebounds. They were the only two Longhorns to reach double figures as Texas shot 40.3% from the field, but they did manage to outrebound the Red Raiders 43-26, including 17-4 on the offensive glass, and those second chances were the difference in this game for a floundering Texas team that is struggling just to stay above .500 in the Big 12. The Longhorns will host Oklahoma State, another 7-5 team, on Wednesday.

The No.23 Aggies (19-7, 8-4) bounced back from a tough loss against Kansas to beat Iowa State 60-56 on the road, led by 14 points from Khris Middleton and 12 points from Donald Sloan. The Aggies had a horrible night from the field, shooting 39.6%, but they also held the Cyclones to 32.2%, including 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. Bookmakers (bookmaker reviews) may have been worried that the Aggies were looking ahead to this week, and made them small favorites on the road against one of the Big 12’s worst teams. They wouldn’t have been blamed if they would have done this: the Aggies will head to Baylor, who are another 7-5 team in the conference, on Wednesday night.

The Aggies should be the favorites at home in this contest at Reed Arena, and the Longhorns have lost five straight in College Station. The Longhorns won a spirited 72-67 overtime win on January 16^th in Austin, and James was a beast with 26 points and 12 boards as he put the then-No.1 Longhorns on his back. It all went downhill for the Longhorns after that, as they’ve gone 4-6 in the 10 games since then. The problem with the Longhorns is their guard play, specifically the freshman trio of Avery Bradley, Jordan Hamilton and J’Covan Brown. When they’re good, they are really good, and the Longhorns usually roll. However, they’ve struggled lately, forcing too many bad shots, and outside of a couple of big performances, they haven’t been steady. Look for Texas A&M’s senior guards, Sloan and Derrick Roland, to put the shackles on the young Longhorns.

Bet college basketball: Texas A&M

NCAA Basketball Game Preview

South Carolina Gamecocks (14-12, 5-7 t-7th SEC) @ Kentucky Wildcats (26-1, 11-1 1st in SEC)

NCAA Basketball Odds (*note lines are approximations as they have not been posted at the time of writing)

Spread: Kentucky -9

Over/Under 136

Money Line: Kentucky -350, South Carolina +225

The last time these two teams squared off Kentucky was just named the number one team in the country. Perhaps playing a little too over-confident, the Wildcats were sloppy on January 26th and fell to the unranked Gamecocks. Kentucky had no answer for lightning quick and acrobatic point guard Devan Downey who scored 30 of South Carolina’s 68 points in a 68-62 victory. The game came down to the wire and Kentucky PG, and consensus number one pick in this year’s NBA draft; John Wall, turned the ball over on a bounce pass he couldn’t corral that would have led to a game-tying layup in the last minute. Wall played his heart out in that game but fell short for the first and only time as a collegiate athlete. The rest of the Wildcats seemed to be standing around in that game and did not play with the intensity that Kentucky has displayed since. This time, playing in Rupp Arena, Kentucky will be ready for South Carolina and looking for some payback.

How South Carolina can win

South Carolina has done it before so they have the recipe for success. In the previous game, South Carolina not only outscored Kentucky, but they outrebounded the Wildcats (40-38) they won the turnover battle (11-15) had six less fouls and took seven more foul shots. South Carolina is going to need a repeat performance to beat Kentucky at home, where they play much better

The task will once again fall on the shoulders of 5’9” Senior PG Devan Downey. Downey is leading the SEC in scoring and is 6th in the nation with 22.7 points per game. Downey really has had to be the whole team this year and has stepped up in key moments. Downey has incredible speed and ball handling skills that made him a nightmare the first time these two teams met. If they get another virtuoso performance from Downey they can give Kentucky headaches again.

How Kentucky can win

Kentucky will be looking for blood in this game and will have to improve how they cover Devan Downey. Downey was a force getting to the line and hitting key shots. Downey doesn’t shoot a high percentage and if they can contain him, they can roll over this Gamecocks team. PG John Wall is averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game but will have to do a better job of getting his teammates the ball in this game as Kentucky only had eight assists in the entire game. South Carolina had six, but with the style Downey was playing, that is not surprising. Ball movement is the key to beat this South Carolina team that has dropped three in a row coming into this matchup.

5dimes Review: Prediction

Kentucky needed a game like the one they lost to South Carolina. This team is very young with the exception of Junior PF Patrick Patterson and needed to see that if they don’t pass the ball around and rely too much on one-on-one play, sometimes teams have guys that that strategy plays right into the hands of. Devan Downey is the exact type of player you do not want to go shot for shot, punch for punch with. Kentucky is too good and coached too well to make that mistake again. Kentucky will win easy.

Sportsbook Review: Final: Kentucky 79- South Carolina 56. Take Kentucky and the Under.

NBA Betting – Mavs try to end home jinx against Lakers

Dallas made some moves to boost their sportsbook odds (betus reviews) before the trade deadline, and they did it with the Los Angeles Lakers in mind because to be the champs, you have to beat the champs. The Mavericks will host the Lakers on Wednesday night, but the Lakers have had their way in Dallas lately.

Lakers vs Mavericks odds – Wednesday, February 24, 9:00 PM ET

This will be the second half of a back-to-back for the Lakers, who are 10-3 in the second half of back-to-backs this season. They play in Memphis on Tuesday, and they’re hoping that Kobe Bryant will be available to play, and that’s pretty likely when you consider how many injuries it took just to get Bryant to sit for five games, which also stretched around the All-Star break. The Lakers went 4-1 in the five games that Bryant sat, losing only a one-point game against Boston at home, and that has to be encouraging to Bryant and coach Phil Jackson. Bryant is still the leader of the offense, but maybe this will give him some more confidence in his teammates.

The Mavericks are hoping that the acquisitions of Caron Butler (whom Bryant lobbied to get here a couple of years ago) and Brendan Haywood from Washington for Josh Howard will improve their sportsbook odds, but we know for sure it’ll improve their locker room as Howard was immature and reportedly sat out games with hangovers. Jason Kidd now has a whole slew of weapons in Butler, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry coming off the bench, but the pickup of Haywood may be more important to the Mavs’ chances. Erick Dampier is out for at least a month with a finger injury, and you probably couldn’t get a better replacement for Dampier as Haywood is very similar, and possibly better. He’s long, can rebound and block shots, and that will definitely help against the Lakers’ trio of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

The Mavericks should be the favorites at home, as they are 17-9 at American Airlines Center prior to Monday’s visit from Indiana. Bryant has averaged just 15.0 points in three meetings with Dallas, but two of those have resulted in wins. Butler gives the Mavericks a backup option if Nowitzki is getting extra attention. The Mavericks have lost three in a row at home to the Lakers, who were 16-9 on the road ahead of their game in Memphis on Tuesday, but they’ll probably still be trying to work Bryant into the lineup. Watch out for the Mavericks’ defense, as they hadn’t allowed more than 100 points since getting Haywood from Washington.

NBA betting pick: Dallas

Premier League Betting - Pompey v Stoke

Bukomir's Predictions

Barclays Premier League
20 February, 2010

WON
Portsmouth v Stoke
ko 17:430GMT
We are back with our Premier league betting picks featuring a tricky game on the coupon today as the Potters are visiting the South. Stoke are team in form, no doubt. They are unbeaten in nine league and cup matches in 2010 and I saw them playing a solid football against quality sides such as Man City. Two important misses for the visitors as Abdoulaye Faye is suspended and Matthew Etherington has a knee injury. The last one made his mark clearly on Stoke' game in the last matches so this one should matter. It is also true that visits is s thing Potters should improve if they want to climb a bit the table but let's look on the other hand of the pitch before we choose a winning bet here.
Pompey looks like a dead dog right now - masses of troubles for the club coming from just everywhere. Well, it is not all bad as Rocha and Finnan looks ready to be lined up again. I am a bit concerned Pompey will play this one as "a last one" and this may affect the result.
However Stoke won't have a better chance for an away win till the end of the season and it is worthy taking the visitors here hoping the current form should count.

Bet selection:
Stoke should give a fight - a win is likely and tasty priced at 3.10 by bet365

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NBA Basketball – San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76’ers

The Matchup

With one team surging and one team sagging, the outcome to this contest is fairly easy to predict. For those looking for betting tips, San Antonio travels to Philadelphia on Friday night to take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers. While the Spurs have just two wins in Philly since 1999, look for the team to make it three after a workman-like performance on Friday night. The Spurs continued their winning ways after the break with a 90-87 win over Indiana on Wednesday. After winning three of their last four, San Antonio remain one game behind Southwest-division leading Dallas.

For their part, Philadelphia is looking to get back on track after faltering in their last two performances, most recently against Miami in their first game after the break. It was a rough night as the 76ers were blasted 105-78 in their worst loss since November. Prior to their last losses, Philly had been on a season-high five game win streak.

The Breakdown

Historical record (and sportsbooks) reveal that Philadelphia has not been kind to the San Antonio Spurs. They have lost seven of nine road matchups with the 76ers since the 1999-2000 season. In their last meeting, Philadelphia took all of the jingle and darn near most of the jangle out of the Spurs, shutting them down 109-87 on January 16. A win against a strong team such as San Antonio could give Philadelphia the confidence and fire it needs to go on another hot steak, however, the team’s play in their last outing, gave fans little to see confidence in.

Also, look for Allen Iverson to be back in the game on Friday. Iverson missed the last few games due to family medical issues, however, after seeing minimal time in Tuesday’s game, look for Iverson to be back in the starting lineup on Friday. This will mark Iverson’s first meeting with San Antonio since February, 2006. Iverson scored an incredible 42 points in that meeting and has averaged 28.8 points and 5.5 assists over 25 career games versus the San Antonio Spurs.

The Bottom Line

While San Antonio is the better team according to NBA betting lines, you cannot discount their past poor performances in Philadelphia. Also taking into account the addition of Allen Iverson back into Philly’s starting lineup, and it looks like we have the makings of an upset and a much needed win at home for Philly. Not so fast. Expect Tim Duncan to bounce back from his terrible performance from the field on Wednesday, and San Antonio to gut it out, and eek out a win in front of what will no doubt be a typically demure, high class and relaxed crowd in Philly.

College Basketball Betting – Badgers face tricky trip to Minnesota

Sportsbook odds (betus reviews) for Thursday’s Big Ten meeting between Wisconsin and Minnesota should be relatively close as they are very similar teams in the way they go about their business. But the Golden Gophers has one key problem which plays right into the Badgers’ hands, and they’ll exploit it to keep pace in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin vs Minnesota odds – Thursday, February 18, 9:00 PM ET

The No.14 Badgers (19-6, 9-4) were upset by Illinois at home, but bounced back to thrash Indiana 83-55 on Saturday behind a career day for Jason Bohannon. The senior guard hit seven three-pointers en route to a career-high 30 points, and the Badgers were up by 24 points at halftime. Trevon Hughes added 16 points for the Badgers, who shot 50.8% from the field and Jordan Taylor had 11 points for Wisconsin, who forced 21 turnovers and held a 32-23 edge on the boards.

The Golden Gophers (14-10, 5-7) have lost three of their last four, falling 77-74 in overtime at Northwestern on the weekend. Minnesota held a 13-point lead in the second half before watching it fall by the wayside, and even though they hit 12 of their 27 three-point attempts, they haven’t been able to stop the opposition on the perimeter this season, and the Wildcats were 13-of-36 against the Golden Gophers from beyond the arc. Lawrence Westbrook led the way with 22 points while Devoe Joseph was next with 16 points, but only one other player reached double figures for Minnesota.

NCAA basketball odds should favor Wisconsin on the road, even though the Badgers are only 3-4 away from home, while the Golden Gophers are 11-2 at the place they affectionately refer to as “The Barn”. Wisconsin has fared pretty well at “The Barn” in recent years, going 6-4 in their last 10 visits, and they have a very experienced backcourt in Bohannon and Hughes, a couple of seniors. These two have had to pick up their game in the absence of Jon Leuer, the forward who was injured back in January, and Bohannon has been huge for the Badgers this season as he’s finally putting a versatile game all together for the first time. However, he’s known as a shooter, and Bohannan is 18-of-37 from beyond the arc in his last five games. The Golden Gophers haven’t been able to stop anyone from shooting three-pointers all season long, and they’ll have their hands full against Bohannon, and they can’t forget about Hughes either, as he’s making 38.7% of his long-distance attempts. With Taylor distributing between those two, look for a win for Wisconsin on Thursday.

Bet on college basketball: Wisconsin

NBA Betting – Spurs-Pacers Preview

The NBA is set to get the second half of its season underway and both the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers will get their first taste of action on Wednesday night.

The Spurs are in the midst of a long, nine-game road trip and they are hoping that a good stretch here can propel them to a playoff run. The Spurs were expected to be championship contenders at the beginning of the year but they simply haven’t gelled and haven’t looked like a real threat to the Los Angeles Lakers for the West crown.

But the Spurs had a good, quality prior to the All-Star Break and they will be looking to build on it after. The Spurs topped the Denver Nuggets 111-92 in Denver, which is quite a feat. Not many teams have won in Denver and a big road win for the Spurs will give them confidence.

On Wednesday, they’ll have another manageable game as they head to Indiana, a team that has had plenty of struggles of their own. The Pacers have just 18 wins in 52 games and don’t really have much an identity or a foundation to work with.

Look for the Spurs to dominate this contest on Wednesday.

San Antonio Spurs @ Indiana Pacers

Bet Online Odds: Spurs -3

The Spurs have been a big disappointment this year to many fans and you can’t blame the support cast.

The Spurs have plenty of new contributors but unfortunately, the big three of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker haven’t been as productive, which has hurt the team. Overall, Parker and Ginobili have averaged 7.2 points per game less than last year and their rebounds are down as well.

While the Spurs have new young contributors such as DeJuan Blair, George Hill and Richard Jefferson, they still look old and slow.

Overall, that shouldn’t matter on Wednesday as the Pacers are a lousy Eastern Conference team. Those who bet sports know that the Pacers are just 4-9 in their last 13 games and are just 12-14 at home.

They like to run and gun but the Spurs should be able to dictate the pace with their defense. The Spurs have a big edge on the inside in this contest and that is what is going to lead to another road win for them.

NBA Betting Pick: Spurs

March Madness Odds – Texas stock drops, Big East well represented

Most sportsbooks (5dimes reviews) are getting ready for March Madness now that the football season is over, and the Final Four picture is starting to look more clear as we get through February. Here’s a look at the top four teams, and a group that could fight their way in.

Kansas (+200)

The Jayhawks are having a much better stint as the No.1 team right now, and they flexed their muscles with a big win at Texas last weekend. The Jayhawks are deep, talented, and in Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, Kansas has an experienced duo they can lean on in tough games on the road.

Kentucky (+400)

The Wildcats are wildly talented, and John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins (and Patrick Patterson and maybe Eric Bledsoe) will end up in the NBA next year. But Kentucky still has to learn to take care of the ball as they turn it over far too much for a team of their stature. Wall, in particular, has to play within himself, but as far as pure talent, Kentucky probably has the most in the country.

Syracuse (+500)

There aren’t many teams who are more balanced than the Orangemen, who have seven players who averages at least eight points per game. But the 2-3 zone that Syracuse employs is working as well as it has in a long time, thanks to forwards Wesley Johnson and Kris Joseph. Andy Rautins is very underrated, as he does a lot of things well.

Villanova (+700)

College basketball betting players are usually pushed to stay away with teams with no size, but the Wildcats make their lack of size work with a pesky but disciplined defense, and a bonafide leader in Scottie Reynolds, who was the key behind Villanova’s Final Four run last year. They basically dealt with the same problem last year, but don’t count them out this year.

Texas (+500)/Duke (+1500)/Georgetown (+2700)

If any of the first four falls, someone from this group will step up. The Longhorns have been in a freefall since a No.1 ranking sparked a stretch of five losses in seven games. Still, Texas has a ton of depth, and a star in Damion James. The Blue Devils are very dependent on the trip of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, and like Villanova, they are a perimeter-based team. The Hoyas announced their attentions with a spanking of Duke at home with President Obama in the stands, and Georgetown is great on the boards, they have a solid inside-outside duo of Greg Monroe and Austin Freeman, and they’re efficient on offense. If you’re looking to bet on March Madness, Georgetown’s odds may be worth the risk.

College Basketball Betting – “Backyard Brawl” No.2 goes Friday night at Pitt

Want sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) on how rowdy “The Pete” will be on Friday night when West Virginia heads to Pitt for the second edition of the “Backyard Brawl” in 2010? After what happened in part one, you can bet it’ll be crazy.

West Virginia vs Pitt odds – Friday, February 12, 9:00 PM ET

The No.5 Mountaineers (19-4, 8-3) got in too big of a hole in an 82-75 loss at home against Villanova, and an 11-point deficit was just too much for West Virginia to overcome. Darryl Bryant led the way with 15 points, while Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks had 13 points apiece for the Mountaineers, who shot just 41% from the floor. They allowed Villanova to shoot 56.9% from the field, and West Virginia were outrebounded 37-27. The Mountaineers didn’t do themselves any favors by making just 18 of their 32 free-throw attempts.

The No.25 Panthers (18-6, 7-4) rolled to a 77-53 romp over Robert Morris, and they dominated this game, especially in the second half as they looked like they were looking ahead to West Virginia. Ashton Gibbs had 20 points while Jermaine Dixon dropped 18 for Pitt, who held a 39-26 edge on the glass, and they held Robert Morris to 36.5% from the field. The Panthers were 10-of-22 from beyond the arc, and they were 22-of-31 from the foul line, while Robert Morris was only 10-of-17.

College basketball betting odds should favor the Panthers at home in this showdown, as Pitt is 13-1 at home, and West Virginia has dropped eight of their last 10 trips to “The Pete”. They’ll also be out to avenge a 70-51 loss at West Virginia just last week, and most of the attention after the game was focused on the West Virginia fans, who were throwing things on the court and even hit a Pitt assistant coach in the face with a coin. This overshadowed a great performance by West Virginia, who outscored Pitt 36-23 in the second half, and they held the Panthers to 30.2% from the field. Butler had 18 points to lead the way, while Ebanks had seven points and 16 boards as the Mountaineers outrebounded Pitt 42-30. People have been wondering if Pitt can hang with the physical teams in the Big East after the exits of Dejuan Blair and Sam Young to the NBA, and they looked completely overmatched at West Virginia. However, the Mountaineers have already dropped their two toughest road games of the year at Purdue and Notre Dame, and this will be the most hostile crowd they’ll meet all season, and we know how important homecourt advantage is in college hoops.

Bet college basketball: Pitt

NBA Betting – Celtics-Hornets Preview

Recent reports have surfaced that there is actually some chemistry issues in the locker room and it appears that the root of those problems is forward Glen Davis. Big Baby has been acting like a baby for a while and it appears that the Celtics have had enough.

Last year, he had a run in with Kevin Garnett. This year, he was caught on camera in a confrontation with fans. Now the Celtics have had enough and are looking to move him in a trade before the deadline.

The most recent report has Davis linked to the Charlotte Bobcats in return for point guard D.J. Augustin. The Celtics have been looking for a backup point guard and Augustin has fallen out of favor with Larry Brown. The deal could work but a third team would be needed.

Meanwhile, the Celtics will travel to New Orleans, a city that is party crazy right now because of the Saints, to face the Hornets on Wednesday night.

Boston Celtics @ New Orleans Hornets

BetEd Odds (BetEd Review): Celtics -2

The Celtics have been struggling recently but injuries have been one of the main factors. They played a stretch without Kevin Garnett, then recently Paul Pierce sat out a couple of games and Marquis Daniels just returned after missing 28 games.

But the Celtics won’t get any sympathy from the Hornets, who are without their All-Star, Chris Paul.

The Hornets have lost four straight games at home and four of their last five overall. They haven’t captured the magic of the team that nearly won the West two years ago and after firing head coach Byron Scott and losing Paul, the Hornets are really lost at sea.

The Celtics will be on the road and winning away from home is never easy, but the Celtics are 17-8 on the road and those who bet sports can expect a good effort from them. The Celtics were worked over by the Orlando Magic on Sunday and they will be ready to bounce back on Wednesday against the reeling Hornets.

NBA Betting Pick: Celtics -2

NBA Betting – Orlando Will Have Too Much Magic for the Wizards

While the Super Bowl odds are getting all the attention in Florida, the Orlando Magic have won four straight and are putting some distance between themselves and the third and fourth placed teams. Washington is going the other direction, losing six of eight with the wins coming over the New York Knicks and two point escape from the flat out terrible New Jersey Nets.

Primetime Performers

Orlando: Dwight Howard will be a key player on both offence and defence. While his defensive presence is well known and feared, his offence is starting to take form. Shooting a career high 60.1 percent from the floor he is averaging a monstrous 17.8 points and 13.3 boards and was named starting center for the Eastern All Stars again this year.

Wizards: Since Gilbert Arenas has been shut down for the season, Antawn Jamison is the go-to guy in Washington. Averaging close to 21 and nine on a team with few other dangerous options, he will have a tough time against the long and mobile Rashard Lewis. He did however just go 2-17 in their last game.

X-Factors

Orlando: With Vince Carter struggling mightily, scoring under nine points a game since New Years, J.J. Reddick has become a key contributor for the Magic off the bench. A great fantasy help to any team, he is averaging just over 11 a game, steadily earning more and more fourth quarter minutes and has produced; earning the trust of coach Stan Van Gundy.

Wizards: Caron Butler is a close second-option on this team to Jamison. A very solid defender, he leads the team in steals and is second in points with 16.5 per game. His play will be crucial at both ends of the floor if the Wizards have any chance in this game.

Offensive Matchup

Orlando should have no problem scoring against this Wizards team. The Magic have skill at every position and Washington does not enough quality defenders to go around. Howard should be a real strongpoint in this game because while he is a big strong rebounder, Brendan Haywood is no match for him.

It has been 15 games already since Arenas he has been out but the team does not have the chemistry yet to be dangerous offensively, only breaking 100 points in five of those games. Jameson and Bulter do what they can but you are not going to win in this league with Randy Foye and Haywood as your third and fourth options.

Defensive Matchup

Orlando is second in the league allowing just 43.5 percent from the floor and gives up just 95.5 points a game. The way Washington has been struggling offensively lately, the Magic should have no problem holding them under their average of 97.7.

The Wizards are going to have all sorts of problems defending in this game. They already give up over 102 points a game and with no size in their line-up behind Haywood, they could very easily be subject to a huge mismatch very early on if he gets in foul trouble. The experts behind US Sportsbook reviews know that seeing as how he leads the team in fouls and is playing against one of the most fouled players in the game it is quite possible.

Betting Recommendations

Washington has been struggling as of late and Orlando is a contender for the Eastern Conference Championship playing at home that should dominate this game.

Pick: Magic win big.

Super Bowl Line – Line dropping in Saints’ favor

The Super Bowl line is now going in the other direction as the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints prepare to get it on at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday, and it’s mostly due to an injury to one of the Colts’ best defensive players. However, the Colts still have enough weapons on both sides to come away with their second Super Bowl title in four years.

Saints vs Colts betting line – Sunday, February 7, 6:20 PM ET

The Saints are preparing for the first Super Bowl appearance in their franchise’s history, and they have to be the sentimental favorites in this contest given everything that has happened to the city in the last few years. The Saints have taken an active approach in helping rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina, and the fans (the “Who Dat” nation, as they’re called) have gotten behind the team. It also helps that they have the most explosive offense in the NFL, headed by Drew Brees, who finished second in the MVP race. He has a lot of weapons at his disposal, but the most important player could be Reggie Bush. The versatile Bush is a factor in the running game as well as the aerial attack. The defense gave up a lot of yards to Minnesota in the NFC championship game, but they also forced five turnovers, a staple of their unit this season.

Brees lost out on the MVP to Peyton Manning, who won the award for a record fourth time. Manning leads what is probably the most efficient offense in the league, and he’s brilliant if you take something away, like the Jets did to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Manning then went to Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, and the Colts just seem to plug players in wherever they need to. He’s had to do it all without any semblance of a running game as well. The defense could be missing star end Dwight Freeney, who has an ankle injury and is questionable for this game. Freeney epitomizes the Colts’ defense: undersized, but quick and they swarm to the ball.

The Colts are now 4.5-point favorites in your gambling software in this Super Bowl contest, down a full point from the opening line, and that’s due to the availability of Freeney, as well as rookie cornerback Jerraud Powers. The Colts would like to be at full strength to handle the Saints, but they’ve shown an ability to overcome injuries all season. Even if it turns into a shootout, the Colts are well-equipped with Manning, who has led the Colts to seven fourth-quarter victories this season and may be playing the best football of his career, and another Super Bowl would probably put him into the discussion for the best quarterback of all time.

Super Bowl betting pick: Colts -4.5