Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
12/20/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Finally, for the first time in a month, New England played the elusive near-flawless game. The 40-7 blowout may have come against the four-win Texans, but the NFL will allow Bill Belichick's team to list the game in the left column nonetheless.
The last time the Pats won a game like this was when they pasted Green Bay, 35-0, on November 19, and let's face it, the Packers aren't the cream of the NFL crop either.
The opponent may not have been impressive, but the fact that New England thoroughly dominated an NFL team minus its most explosive running back Laurence Maroney (back), its leading pass-catcher, Benjamin Watson (knee), and the center spot of its vaunted defensive line, Vince Wilfork (ankle), was something about which to marvel.
Houston was never in the game, as the Patriots won the turnover battle, picking off David Carr four times, highlighted by Asante Samuel's eighth interception of the season in the fourth quarter, tying him with Denver's Champ Bailey for the league lead.
New England, which didn't turn the ball over after coughing it up 11 times in the three previous games, scored 16 points off Texans turnovers. The Pats were only penalized two times for 10 yards, which was the fewest amount of penalties since the Week 1 Buffalo win, when they were flagged only once for five yards.
"That was a real good, solid team victory for us today," said Belichick. "We're real happy to win. Happy at the way we played. I thought, field position wise, it was kind of the reversal of what we saw last week where [today] we had the ball pretty much of their side of the 50 the whole first half. That was a lot different from what we saw down there in Miami."
Tom Brady completed 16-of-23 passes for 109 yards with a pair of touchdowns, while Kevin Faulk made two trips to the end zone, including a screen pass that went 43 yards for a 17-0 margin. Ellis Hobbs also returned a kickoff 93 yards for a TD, and picked off a pass.
"He was constantly in practice putting pressure on us to prepare well, to ask questions in front of the entire team and make sure we know the opponent we are playing," said Brady referring to Belichick's approach after getting shut out by Miami. "We haven't played these guys in a while. The execution in practice has to continue to pick up. He is very tough on us, especially after a loss. This team responded to it and we will see where we go from here."
After giving up only seven points to the Texans, New England foes are averaging just 13.79 points per game. The Patriots are making a run at eclipsing the franchise single-season record set in 2003, when they allowed 14.88 points per outing.
New England put 17 quick points in the board in the opening frame, which tied its highest single-quarter total of the season. The Pats scored 17 points in the fourth quarter of a 38-13 win against Cincinnati on October 1.
"We started off fast and we kind of finished strong," continued Brady. "We played for 60 minutes. That was really what we needed. That is a pressure defense and I think our offensive line really handled it and ran the ball well. I wish we had had a few more plays in the passing game, but when you are up by however many points it was, I think everyone enjoyed it."
The Patriots' 27 first-half points were their most since scoring 28 points in the first half of a 35-28 victory over the Bengals on December 12, 2004. They also put together their fourth first-half shutout of the season, and recorded their seventh half of scoreless football.
"We definitely needed a win," said linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, who had two of the four New England sacks. "It's a confidence thing but we're not satisfied yet. We're still not where we want to be. We're going to keep working."
They reached the 40-point plateau for the first time since besting Pittsburgh, 41-27, in the 2004 AFC Championship on January 23, 2005. The last time they scored at least 40 in the regular season was against Cleveland in a 42-15 victory on December 5, 2004. This was only the second time New England put 40 points on the board at Gillette Stadium, after tallying 41 points in a 41-38 overtime victory over Kansas City Chiefs on September 22, 2002.
Bottom line is that the Pats reversed a growing trend of making mistakes, but they still need to do it against a respectable team. They'll get that chance when they play Jacksonville on Sunday.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The Pats have a two-game lead over the New York Jets for the AFC East top spot, and still hold the No. 4 seed in the AFC with two games to play. They can clinch their fourth straight division title with a win against Jacksonville. The Patriots would have to win out and Indianapolis and Baltimore would both have to lose their final two games to reverse positions. Indy plays at Houston and versus Miami, while the Ravens finished the campaign at Pittsburgh and home for Buffalo. The Colts hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, and if Baltimore and New England are tied, the team with the best conference record gets the high seeding (currently 8-2 for the Ravens compared to 6-4 for the Pats).
PATS TIDBITS
-The victory was the 16th in Patriots history by at least 33 points, and was the largest in the brief history of Gillette Stadium (2002).
-The Patriots are 4-1 when wearing their silver jerseys.
-Stephen Gostkowski was 4-for-4 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points, becoming the first Patriots kicker to make eight combined kicks in a game since Adam Vinatieri accomplished the feat on November 7, 2004.
-In the Bill Belichick era, the Pats are 21-6 in December, including victories in 14 of the last 16 contests. Brady is 19-4 in the final month of the year.
-The last time the Patriots had scored 17 points in the first quarter of a game was on Dec. 8, 2002, in a 27-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.
-New England has won 10 or more games in four straight, five of the last six and eight of the last 13 seasons since Robert Kraft bought the franchise in 1994. The Patriots are the only team in the NFL to win nine or more regular- season games in each season since 2001.
NEXT UP: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
The Patriots close out the regular-season with a pair of road games, and that stretch begins in Jacksonville (8-6), where the Jaguars are fighting for a playoff berth. New England will return to the site where they won Super Bowl XXXIX, 24-21, against Philadelphia.
These two teams meet for the first time since a 28-3 blowout win in last season's AFC Wild Card game. New England leads the all-time series, 5-1, with the Jaguars' lone win coming in the 1998 AFC Wild Card game (25-10).
<< Clippers, Raptors meet at Staples Center
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers try to put the brakes on a four-
game losing streak when they welcome the Toronto Raptors tonight to the
Staples Center.
This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season. The Rapto
<< Nuggets hope they have the answer against the red-hot Suns
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets are hopeful that they will have Allen
Iverson in uniform tonight, as they host the red-hot Phoenix Suns at the Pepsi
Center.
The Nuggets made a blockbuster move on Tuesday when they acquired
Iver
<< Heat try to extend winning streak vs. Bucks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat attempt to extend their winning streak to
three games, as they visit the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at the Bradley Center.
On Monday, All-Star Dwyane Wade banked in the game-winning jump shot with 1.3
seconds
<< Spurs host Grizzlies
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top team in the West meets the worst club in the
conference, as the San Antonio Spurs host Southwest Division-rival Memphis
tonight at the AT&T Center.
The Spurs are in first place in the Southwest Division, while the
Status Quo for Lions >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Lions have never beaten Brett Favre in Lambeau
Field, and despite the veteran quarterback's three interceptions, nothing
changed this past Sunday. Detroit lost for the 12th time this season (and
seventh time in se
Bobcats, Knicks battle at MSG >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks continue their homestand tonight when
they welcome the Charlotte Bobcats to Madison Square Garden.
New York is 1-1 on the homestand and defeated Utah, 97-96, in overtime on
Monday night. Stephon Marbu
Nets continue homestand vs. Cavs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets continue their homestand tonight
as they welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers to town for a battle at Continental
Airlines Arena.
New Jersey is 1-1 on its four-game homestand and defeated Golden State by a
Jets keep hope alive in Minnesota >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - "Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in."
There is not much to like, or remember, about Godfather III, but Michael
Corleone's signature line in that movie pretty much sums up my feelings
towards the New Y
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting