Alouettes host Roughriders in clash of 4-1 teams

Football Betting Lines

08/04/2010 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A rematch of the season opener and last year's Grey Cup title game takes center stage this week, as the Montreal Alouettes entertain the Saskatchewan Roughriders at McGill Stadium on Friday night.

Saskatchewan, which is tied with Calgary atop the standings in the Western Division at 4-1, may have won the first game of 2010 over the Als with a thrilling 54-51 overtime final, but the fact remains that Montreal is the one that is still defending its trophy from last season when it captured the league title with a narrow 28-27 final.

The Roughriders, still just sixth in the current power rankings in the CFL, have scored no less than 20 points in every game this season and toppled Hamilton last weekend by a final of 37-24. However, the final score for Saskatchewan might be a bit misleading given that the team secured all but 14 of those points from the kicking of Luca Congi. The kicker knocked through all seven of his field goal attempts, his longest being a 42-yard effort, as he tied a career mark for most field goals in a single game and came up one shy of the CFL record. On Tuesday Congi was named the CFL Special Teams Player of the Week.

From a traditional offensive standpoint, Darian Durant converted 21-of-35 passes for 270 yards. Running back Wes Cates not only carried the ball 13 times for 66 yards and two scores, but he also caught five balls for 75 yards in the home victory for the Roughriders. The pass defense for Saskatchewan was caught off guard by Arland Bruce III who tied a league record with 16 receptions and produced 272 yards and two touchdowns as a result.

As for the Als last week, they won their fourth in a row as they stomped all over the Toronto Argonauts at home, 41-10. It was the largest margin of victory for Montreal so far this season and made its scoring differential through five games that much greater as it settled in atop the Eastern Division all by itself. The victory was the seventh in a row over Toronto and the 11th straight at home for Montreal as well.

Anthony Calvillo, the league's reigning two-time MVP, had another sensational outing as he missed on just six of his 36 pass attempts, putting up 394 yards and two touchdowns. Both Kerry Watkins and Avon Cobourne finished with more than 100 yards receiving, but it was slotback Jamel Richardson who scored twice through the air, catching a TD pass from both Calvillo and backup Ricky Santos.

Cobourne, who had a number of spectacular catch and runs, also logged a game- high 115 yards and a pair of TDs on the ground, marking the first time since August 15, 2008 that he has registered at least 100 yards both on the ground and through the air in the same game.

Except for a stretch when the Montreal offense was sputtering and having trouble getting the ball into the end zone, even though the team was still winning games, Calvillo has been the leader of this dominating group that seems to be picking up steam as the year rolls along. Thanks to his near- perfect effort last week, Calvillo is again on the verge of 70 percent accuracy on his throws for the season and has the second-best efficiency rating (108.0) thanks to a league-best 1,606 passing yards and 10 TDs, against a mere two interceptions on almost 200 attempts.

In 13 games against Saskatchewan, dating back to the 2004 season, Calvillo has thrown for 26 touchdowns and more than 3,800 yards, posting a total of 16 TDs and just three interceptions over the last six meetings. However, for someone who rarely is pressured in the pocket, Calvillo has been sacked four times in each of the last two games against the Roughriders and once back in 2007 he was taken down a total of eight times and tossed three INTs in a single encounter.

Not to be lost in all of the numbers being put up by Cobourne and Calvillo, 13-year vet Ben Cahoon caught four balls for 45 yards against Toronto last week, giving the BYU product 970 catches for his illustrious career. The reception total means he is now third all-time in CFL history, trailing only Darren Flutie (972) and Terry Vaughn (1,006) and with Calvillo at the helm you can almost bank on Cahoon being atop that list by season's end.

Durant had a huge game versus Montreal in the opener this year, throwing for five touchdowns and 481 yards, but to expect him to have another game as big as that is asking quite a lot. Having Cates coming out of the backfield takes some of the pressure off Durant, seeing as how the running back is second in the league with his 466 yards and has a league-best five TDs through as many games. Cates has already tied his TD total on the ground from all of last year and will be giving his career-best rushing total of 1,229 yards in 2008 a real run.

Even though the Roughriders won the first meeting between these two teams this season, the fact remains that Montreal is still in charge of the overall, regular-season series with a 33-27-1 advantage.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.