Sports Articles

2010-03-11 | Jim Murphy

After winning the first leg of their Champion’s League series with AC Milan 3-2 at the San Siro last week, Manchester United had a margin for error as they returned home for the rematch. They didn’t need it—Wayne Rooney scored twice as Man U easily advanced to the next round with a 4-0 destruction of Milan. Rooney had scored two goals in the first leg of the matchup as well, further enhancing his growing reputation as one of the best offensive players in European soccer.

2010-03-11 | Jim Murphy

Real Madrid will be hosting the Champion’s League final this year at their Bernabeu home field. Unfortunately, if they want to be in attendance they’ll have to buy a ticket. On Thursday they were bounced from the competition at the round of sixteen for the sixth straight year as they could do no better than a 1-1 home draw with French side Lyon. Lyon won a hard fought 1-0 decision in the opening half of the aggregate score competition one week ago.

2010-03-11 | Jim Murphy

The Utah Jazz had little trouble with the host Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Not that it was much of a surprise, as Utah has now won ten straight games against Detroit. The latest victory was a 115-104 rout that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. The Jazz improved their hold on 4th place in the Western Conference with the victory and now trail third place Denver by only one game.

2010-03-09 | Jim Murphy

This was a game that Liverpool was supposed to be able to ‘phone in’ as they tried to finish the English Premier League season in the top five. Wigan is a team that is fighting to avoid relegation, and that had scored one goal against Liverpool in their previous six head to head encounters. Once the game was actually played, however, it was a completely different story as striker Hugo Rodallega scored a first half goal that was enough for Wigan to shock their visitors by a 1-0 score. The win will go a long way in assuring that Wigan is playing in the Premier League next season, while for Liverpool the loss put a serious dent in their hopes for a top tier finish.

2010-03-09 | Jim Murphy

The San Antonio Spurs received some good news and some bad news about the hand injury suffered by All Star guard Tony Parker. The good news? Parker’s hand won’t require surgery. The bad news? He’ll miss six weeks of action, effectively wiping out the rest of the regular season. Assuming no further complications, the team is hopeful that he’ll be back in time for the playoffs although with the Spurs currently in 7th place in the toughly competitive Western Conference a postseason berth is by no means guaranteed.

2010-03-09 | Jim Murphy

Until the third period of Monday’s game between the Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars it looked to be another workmanlike victory for the team with the NHL’s best record. The Caps took a 2-0 lead into the final period, only to see the Stars erupt for three unanswered goals. Alex Ovechkin tied the score late in the contest and sent it to overtime, where the Stars managed to prevail in the shootout for a 4-3 victory. It was only the Capitals seventh loss at home this season with only three of those defeats coming in regulation.

2010-03-04 | Jim Murphy

Up until now, it had been a breakout season for Chicago Bulls’ center Joakim Noah. Noah had been a star at the University of Florida, but there were serious questions about his ability to adapt to the more physical NBA game. After a mediocre rookie season, Noah had blossomed into a solid defensive presence, averaging a ‘double double’ of 10.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. This week, however, the team announced that Noah will be out of action three weeks as he attempts to recover from a nagging foot injury.

2010-03-04 | Jim Murphy

Following his contract buyout by the Washington Wizards, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is now an unrestricted free agent. He can sign with another team immediately, or he can return to his former team—the Cleveland Cavaliers—following a 30 day waiting period. His former teammates are doing everything they can to convince him to return to Cleveland.

2010-03-04 | Jim Murphy

England’s soccer team gave up an early goal to overmatched Egypt, but withstood the boos of the Wembley Stadium crowd to recover and go on to win the World Cup tune up contest by a 3-1 score. Tottenham Hotspur forward Peter Crouch scored twice after coming on as a substitute and may have played himself into a starting role.

2010-02-25 | Jim Murphy

English Premier League entrant Liverpool spotted Romanian side Urinea Urziceni an early goal before roaring back to thump their host 3-1 and advance in UEFA Europa League soccer play. Liverpool had taken a hard fought 1-0 decision in the first half of the aggregate goal series at home two weeks earlier. They now advance to the final 16 of the competition against French team Lille on March 11.

2010-02-25 | Jim Murphy

Zydrunas Ilgauskas was dealt by Cleveland to Washington on February 17 as part of the trade that sent Wizards’ forward Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers. At the time, Cavs’ management praised Ilgauskas and insisted that his number would be retired once his playing days were over. Following a buyout from his new team, there’s a good chance he’ll be needing that number. Every indication is that he’ll return to Cleveland following the NBA’s mandated 30 day waiting period for re-signing free agents in season.

2010-02-25 | Jim Murphy

There has never been any question about Carlos Boozer’s talent, but his tenure with the Utah Jazz has been a stormy one. Acquired as a free agent in 2005, Boozer has suffered through a variety of injuries that many Utah fans felt weren’t serious enough to keep him out of the lineup for as long as they did. Along the way there have been spats with Jazz management that included trade demands and insistences that he’d be leaving Salt Lake City for a more ‘cosmopolitan’ environment as soon as the opportunity presented itself. He considered opting out of the final year of his deal with Utah this past summer, but finding a chilly reception in the free agent market place eventually signed to return to the Jazz. Now, after one of his most productive seasons as a professional, he’s changed his tune considerably and given indication that he’d be interested in staying in Utah.

2010-02-17 | Jim Murphy

Manchester United is in good shape to advance to the Champions League soccer quarterfinals following a 3-2 win over AC Milan at the San Siro. The competition itself was overshadowed by the fact that it was the first time that David Beckham had played against his old team since leaving Old Trafford in 2003, and Wayne Rooney squashed Milan’s early hopes with two goals to put the game on ice. Clarance Seedorf scored at the 85 minute mark to make the score respectable, but Man U controlled play after the halftime break.

2010-02-17 | Jim Murphy

Jean Makoun scored early in the second half to give Lyon a hard fought 1-0 victory in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League matchup against Real Madrid. The Spanish champions lost for the third straight time on Lyon’s Stade Gerland home field and will now have an uphill battle when the teams meet at Bernabeu to advance to the next round. With the Champions League final slated to be held in their stadium, an exit this early in the competition would be nothing short of an embarrassment for Real Madrid.

2010-02-17 | Jim Murphy

The Portland Trailblazers have needed a big inside presence ever since starting center Greg Oden and backup Joel Pryzbilla went down with season ending injuries. They finally found one on Tuesday as they acquired veteran Marcus Canby from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers received forward Travis Outlaw and guard Steve Blake. Canby is expected to make his debut in a Blazers’ uniform on Friday when Portland hosts the Boston Celtics.

2010-02-12 | Jim Murphy

Last Saturday night, Mark Coleman headlined UFC 109 facing Randy Couture. Several days later, he’s apparently no longer good enough to remain in the UFC at all. On Wednesday, following a lopsided loss to Couture the UFC released Coleman from his contract and cut the veteran heavyweight. Coleman is now free to sign with any other promotion, but at 46 years of age his most likely—and most advisable—course of action is retirement.

2010-02-12 | Jim Murphy

Though it enjoyed solid fan support and was popular among sports betting enthusiasts, arena football fell off the map with the demise of the Arena Football League. The AFL suspended play under the weight of a poor business model in 2009 and later pulled the plug altogether. Since then, a new league has announced plans to take its place. Arena Football One (AF1 for short) will begin play in April and on Thursday secured a TV contract to broadcast games on the NFL Network in the United States. The TV deal should help the new arena football entrant to get off to a successful start as they attempt to revive the sport.

2010-02-12 | Jim Murphy

The NBA All Star game lost a couple of high profile participants on Thursday with the announcement that the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson would not play due to injury. Kobe and ‘AI’ are the latest in a string of injuries to All Star players that have also claimed Portland’s Brandon Roy and New Orleans’ Chris Paul.

2010-02-08 | Jim Murphy

The New Orleans Saints used a 14 point fourth quarter to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 on Sunday to win their first Superbowl in franchise history. Drew Brees broke open a tight game midway through the final quarter with his touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey, and Tracy Porter scored on a 74 yard interception return as the Colts were driving on the next series to secure the victory. Brees was named Superbowl MVP on the basis of his 288 yard, 2 touchdown, 0 interception performance. He completed 32 passes in the game, tying New England’s Tom Brady for the all time record in that category.

2010-02-08 | Jim Murphy

In one of the stranger front office shakeups in recent NBA history, the Los Angeles Clippers have ‘relieved’ Mike Dunleavy of his head coaching duties effective immediately. He’ll remain on board as the Clippers’ general manager, and both he and the team cited the demands of the forthcoming trade deadline and free agent market as a catalyst for the change. Dunleavy leaves as the most successful head coach in the team’s less than distinguished history.

2010-02-08 | Jim Murphy

The Clippers’ bizarre ‘relieving’ of Mike Dunleavy’s duties as head coach wasn’t the only strange coaching move in pro sports of late. In the NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Ken Hitchcock late last week. The well traveled Hitchcock had led the Jackets to their first playoff appearance in franchise history last season, but the team had stumbled to a 22-27-9 record. Assistant coach Claude Noel will take over the team as interim head coach.

2010-02-03 | Jim Murphy

Dwight Freeney further clouded his status for Superbowl 44 with comments on Wednesday that his ankle is feeling better and that he may be able to play in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Freeney had been all but ruled out of the game by NFL observers and even his own coach following a severe ankle sprain with a good deal of ‘worst case scenario’ speculation that he’d torn a ligament that would require surgery.

2010-02-03 | Jim Murphy

The New Orleans Hornets got some good news regarding injured point guard Chris Paul on Wednesday. Paul will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Thursday, and the diagnosis is favorable for a return before the playoffs. Paul suffered a partially torn meniscus in a game against Golden State last week. Preliminary diagnoses suggested that he’d be out of action one to two months.

2010-02-03 | Jim Murphy

In what has to be one of the least difficult front office personnel decisions in sports history, Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay has confirmed that the team will sign quarterback Peyton Manning to a contract extension that could make him the highest paid player in NFL history. Manning’s current deal will expire after the end of the 2010 season, with the final two years having been voided due to his meeting a number of performance based criteria.

2010-02-02 | Jim Murphy

If your sports betting experience dates back more than a decade you no doubt remember when pointspread favorites dominated the Superbowl seemingly every year. Through 1985, favorites were 12-6 against the spread and by 1995 that disparity had grown to 19-9 ATS. In the past decade or so, underdogs have made a comeback going 8-4 against the spread. That leaves the pointspread tally to date at 23-17-2 with no official line on Superbowl 1.

2010-02-01 | Jim Murphy

The Indianapolis Colts’ underrated defense paved the way for their Superbowl appearance, but it now may have to face the big game against the New Orleans Saints without one of its most vital components. Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney is listed as ‘questionable’ on the official NFL injury report, and Superbowl betting enthusiasts are trying to determine just how bad his injury actually is. Some reports suggest that it could keep him out of action altogether.

2010-02-01 | Jim Murphy

The Los Angeles Lakers might not want to consider Boston’s TD BankNorth Garden a ‘home away from home’ but they’re starting to enjoy success there with regularity. On Sunday, Kobe Bryant sank a jumper with just over 7 seconds remaining to propel the Lakers to a 90-89 victory over the Celtics. It was the Lakers third consecutive win over their historical rivals, and the Celtics 7th loss in their last 10 games. The Celtics have slipped to fourth place in the Eastern Conference while the Lakers are neck-and-neck with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the league.

2010-02-01 | Jim Murphy

While the sports fans of New Orleans are busy toasting the good fortune of their football team, their basketball team hasn’t fared quite so well. So as the Saints prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts in the first Superbowl appearance in franchise history, the New Orleans Hornets are preparing for life without their all star guard Chris Paul. Paul will be sidelined indefinitely due to an injured knee, and his team is now figuring out how to fill the void left by his absence.

2010-01-29 | Jim Murphy

From inauspicious beginnings in the Arena Football league and a stint as a grocery store shelf stocker, Kurt Warner became one of the most dominant NFL quarterbacks of the past decade. On Friday, the two time NFL MVP announced his retirement at age 38 leaving on the table a two year option worth $23 million dollars from the Arizona Cardinals. Warner also won a Superbowl with St. Louis in 1999 and was named the MVP of that game.

2010-01-29 | Jim Murphy

Even after a temporary demotion following a corruption scandal that rocked Italy’s soccer infrastructure, expectations at Juventus are always high. Following a 2-1 loss to Inter Milan that eliminated Juventus from the Coppa Italia, the club has fired head coach Ciro Ferrara. Former AC Milan and Inter Milan boss Alberto Zaccheroni has been appointed to lead the team on an interim basis.

2010-01-29 | Jim Murphy

The NBA has suspended Washington Wizards’ guards Gilbert Arenas and Jarvis Crittenton for the remainder of the NBA season. The two men were involved in a locker room dispute involving guns, reportedly stemming from a gambling debt. Both men have pled guilty to separate charges of violating the Draconian gun control laws in the District of Columbia, with their sentences still pending.

2010-01-28 | Jim Murphy

If your sports betting experience dates back more than a decade you no doubt remember when NFL pointspread favorites dominated the Superbowl seemingly every year. Through 1985, favorites were 12-6 against the spread and by 1995 that disparity had grown to 19-9 ATS. In the past decade or so, underdogs have made a comeback going 8-4 against the spread. That leaves the pointspread tally to date at 23-17-2 with no official line on Superbowl 1.

2010-01-26 | Jim Murphy

Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes as the Indianapolis Colts rallied from an eleven point first half deficit to beat the New York Jets and advance to the Superbowl for the second time in four years. New York held their own in the early going but had no answer for Manning and company in the second half as the Colts scored 17 unanswered points to take the 30-17 victory. Indy will now take on the New Orleans Saints in Superbowl 44 in Miami. It’s the fourth trip to the big game in franchise history and, ironically, all four previous appearances have also been in Miami.

2010-01-26 | Jim Murphy

Until Sunday, it looked as if the return of Brett Favre to the NFL would have a storybook ending and propel the Minnesota Vikings to the Superbowl. Instead, the New Orleans Saints will be heading to the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history. Garrett Hartley nailed a 40 yard field goal in overtime to give the Saints a 31-28 victory in the NFC Championship game after Brett Favre was intercepted deep in Saints territory during the final seconds of regulation. Favre may be headed back to retirement, while the Saints are headed to Miami to play the biggest game of them all.

2010-01-26 | Jim Murphy

The Los Angeles Lakers are still the defending NBA champions, but for one day at least the Toronto Raptors got the best of them. Hedo Turkoglu sank two free throws with just over a second remaining to give his team a 106-105 home victory as the Raptors pulled above .500 at 23-22 on the year. The Lakers also fell a few percentage points behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA’s best record, though Los Angeles still leads second place Denver in the West by 3 ½ games.

2010-01-25 | Jim Murphy

Florida head coach Urban Meyer’s leave of absence didn’t last very long. On Saturday, Meyer announced that he was feeling good and would return to his head coaching duties in time for the annual spring game. Meyer had previously announced his resignation due to unspecified ‘health issues’. He quickly reversed course, and amended his plan to taking an indefinite ‘leave of absence’. That has apparently come to an end, and he’ll be back at the helm of the Gators’ football program long before the 2010 college football betting season begins.

2010-01-25 | Jim Murphy

Much of the talk among Manchester United faithful over the past week had centered on the soccer team’s off field financial issues. Reports surfaced that Man U is now in debt over 700 million pounds, and that they’re considering a number of unpopular steps—including selling their hallowed Old Trafford home field—to shore up the bottom line. On Saturday, however, the focus was back on soccer as Wayne Rooney scored four times to lead Man U to a 4-0 drubbing of Hull. The victory put Man U back on top of the English Premier League table, two points clear of Arsenal and Chelsea. The ‘Red Devils’ also rewarded soccer betting enthusiasts with the victory as lopsided -700 home favorites.

2010-01-25 | Jim Murphy

Former NFL star Herschel Walker will be making his professional MMA debut on the January 30 Strikeforce: Miami show, and now he knows the identity of his opponent. Walker will face 26 year old Greg Nagy, who’ll enter the bout with a 1-1 professional record. Nagy has a background in Muay Thai and lives and trains in Arizona.

2010-01-22 | Jim Murphy

Sports media types frequently talk about teams ‘coming together at the right time’. The New York Jets have done just that. All but written off late in the season when they were 7-7, the Jets have moved into the NFC Championship game with a run of inspired play. On Sunday, the Jets erased a 7-0 halftime deficit to stun the favored San Diego Chargers 17-14. New York will now head to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts for the right to play in Superbowl 44 in Miami.

2010-01-22 | Jim Murphy

Brock Lesnar’s health issues have taken UFC fans on an emotional rollercoaster during the past few months. Initially diagnosed as a simple bout of the flu, Lesnar’s intestinal problems would snowball to threaten his career as a professional fighter. Earlier this week, however, there was a surprising announcement of very good news from the reigning UFC heavyweight champion: he’s been given a clean bill of health from his doctors and is hoping to make his return to action as soon as late May. The news was a best case scenario for both Lesnar and the UFC, who had braced for the possibility of major surgery and even an end to his career.

2010-01-22 | Jim Murphy

Heading into the announcement of the Eclipse Award winner of ‘Horse of the Year’ everyone knew that it came down to one of the two super fillies that captivated racing fans in 2009. Undefeated Zenyatta, who provided the sport’s most memorable moment with her sizzling stretch run in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, had momentarily grabbed the headlines with the announcement that she’d run again in 2010. At the end of the night, however, Rachel Alexandra won the big prize in a very competitive vote. She finished with 130 votes to 99 for second place Zenyatta.

2010-01-20 | Jim Murphy

Heading into Sunday’s game with the Arizona Cardinals, many NFL observers expressed concern that the Saints’ high powered offense would be ‘rusty’ following a bye week. Those doubts were quickly dispelled as New Orleans spotted the Cardinals a touchdown and then scored 21 unanswered first quarter points. They would eventually coast to a 45-14 victory and advance to next Sunday’s NFL championship game against the Minnesota Vikings.

2010-01-20 | Jim Murphy

The Indianapolis Colts are a team known for their high octane offense led by NFL MVP Peyton Manning. On Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, it was the Colts’ defense that paced the team to victory. The Indy defense limited the Ravens to a Billy Cundiff field goal en route to a 20-3 victory. The Colts will now host the surprising New York Jets in the AFC Championship game next Sunday.

2010-01-20 | Jim Murphy

When legendary quarterback Brett Favre announced his return to the NFL from what has become a seemingly annual flirtation with retirement, many second guessed the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to sign “The Gunslinger”. On Sunday, Favre and the Vikings answered those critics in the best way possible—with a lopsided 34-3 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys. Favre threw 4 touchdown passes in the victory and the Vikings’ defense sacked Dallas QB Tony Romo six times in the blowout. Minnesota will now face the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game.

2010-01-18 | Jim Murphy

Amid the excitement of the NFL playoffs the pro football world was shocked and saddened by the death of Chicago Bears’ defensive end Gaines Adams. Adams had just completed his third NFL season and was rushed to the hospital after going into cardiac arrest early Sunday morning at his parents’ home in Greenwood, SC. He was pronounced dead on arrival by Greenwood County medical examiner James T. Coursey. Adams was 26 years old.

2010-01-18 | Jim Murphy

Following Zenyatta’s spectacular come from behind victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic—undoubtedly horse racing’s most memorable moment of the year—owner Jerry Moss announced that she would retire. Having run an undefeated season and defeating a field of the top male horses in the sport’s richest race, Moss reasoned that there was nothing left for her to do. On Saturday, he reversed course and announced that the super mare would race in 2010 as a six year old.

2010-01-18 | Jim Murphy

Despite a season ending 34-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, reports suggest that Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones has decided to retain head coach Wade Phillips for the 2010 season. There had been some speculation that Phillips’ job was in jeopardy as the Cowboys struggled midway through the season, but a late season surge and a return to the playoffs apparently convinced the notoriously demanding team owner to bring him back for another shot.

2010-01-13 | Jim Murphy

It should be offensive fireworks aplenty as the Arizona Cardinals head to the Superdome for a Saturday afternoon meeting with the New Orleans Saints. Arizona advanced to this matchup by defeating Green Bay 51-45 in overtime—the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history. New Orleans finished 13-3 this year and earned a first round bye. The Saints led the league both in total offense and points per game, and boast the NFL’s best statistical QB in Drew Brees. The NFL betting line has New Orleans posted as a -7 point home favorite with the total set at 57.

2010-01-13 | Jim Murphy

The Baltimore Ravens advanced to the NFL divisional playoff round by shocking the New England Patriots last week, building a 24-0 first quarter lead before coasting to a 33-14 win. They’ll now try to pull the upset against a very formidable opponent in NFL MVP Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts opened the season 14-0 before resting their starters in the last two games of the regular season to finish 14-2. The NFL football betting line for this game has Indianapolis posted as a -6’ point home favorite with the total set at 43’.

2010-01-13 | Jim Murphy

The early matchup on Sunday could be the best game of the divisional playoff round as the red hot Dallas Cowboys head to Minneapolis to take on Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys advanced to this game with an easy win over Philadelphia at home last weekend marking Dallas’ first playoff victory in over a decade. The Vikings enjoyed a bye week after finishing the regular season 12-4. The NFL football betting line on this game has the Vikings posted as a -3 point home favorite with the total set at 45’.

2010-01-13 | Jim Murphy

The New York Jets needed a miracle to just make the playoffs, and now that they’re here they’re looking to make some noise. With a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals under their belt, the Jets will advance to the Divisional round as they travel to the west coast to take on the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers haven’t lost since October 19th and finished the year with eleven straight victories. The line on this game has San Diego installed as a -7 point home favorite with the total set at 42.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

There’s been a lot of complaining among NFL fans and media about playoff bound teams resting their starters during the final week of the season, making the game essentially meaningless. The New England Patriots didn’t take that route but may wish they had after wide receiver Wes Welker suffered a serious knee injury. He’s out for the playoffs, and the Patriots will have to host the Baltimore Ravens without him. The Ravens have their own injury problems, with All Pro safety Ed Reed likely to play in a limited role due to a variety of injuries. The NFL betting odds on the game have the Patriots posted as a -3 point favorite with the total set at 43.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

As the 2009 NFL regular season neared the midway point, most observers were about to write off the Green Bay Packers. After opening the season 4-2 they’d dropped two straight games including an embarrassing loss to the then winless Tampa Bay and stood at 4-4 midway through the year. Since that point, they’ve done little wrong going 7-1 SU (7-0-1 ATS) the rest of the way to finish at 11-5. Aaron Rodgers was the catalyst behind the dramatic reversal of form and is a legitimate MVP candidate. Arizona, meanwhile, lost their opportunity for a first round bye before gametime last week and pulled their starters in a 33-7 loss to the same Packer team they’ll face today. The NFL football betting line has this game as a ‘pick’em’ with the total set at 47’.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

Mark Sanchez wasn’t asked to win Saturday’s NFL playoff game for the New York Jets over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets just needed him to avoid mistakes and he complied, allowing his team to beat the Bengals 24-14. Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his playoff debut on the road, joining Baltimore’s Joe Sacco who did it last year. Jets rookie running back Shonn Greene carried 21 times for 135 yards and a TD, the third highest total yardage in NFL for a rookie running back in his playoff debut.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

Karma has a funny way of evening the score, and the Philadelphia Eagles had tempted it all year. Signing convicted animal abuser Michael Vick to a contract was bad enough, but then the team named him this year’s recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award. Presumably making it through an entire NFL season without killing or torturing any dogs constitutes ‘courage’ in the Eagles’ locker room. When karma wasn’t having its way with the Eagles’ fortunes, the Dallas Cowboys were. Tony Romo threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns as Dallas won their first playoff game in thirteen years with a 34-14 rout of Philadelphia that wasn’t even as close as the final score suggests. The Cowboys led 27-7 at halftime and 34-7 at the start of the fourth quarter before coasting to victory.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in action on Monday night with ‘UFC Fight Night 20’ taking place at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The Washington, DC suburb will be the site of the UFC’s first ever trip to Virginia and headlining the card is an interesting matchup between lightweights Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard. Maynard is a -305 favorite, with takeback on Diaz +245.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

The New England Patriots looked nothing like a team that had gone undefeated at home all season, let alone one of the dominant teams of the past few years. The Baltimore Ravens took advantage of a weak New England rushing defense and some untimely mistakes by QB Tom Brady to lead 14-0 just five minutes. They would end the first quarter up 24-0 and would never be seriously threatened as they coasted to a 33-14 victory in Sunday’s NFL Wildcard game. Baltimore used 234 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns to force the Patriots to play from behind, and then let their defense do the rest.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

The Green Bay Packers entered the NFL playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams, and mounted a 21 point second half comeback to force overtime against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Things looked good when Green Bay won the toss, but only moments later their season was over after an Aaron Rodgers fumble that Karlos Dansby returned 17 yards for the game winning score. It was a strange ending to a classic offensive display, resulting in a 51-45 victory for the defending NFC Champions in the highest scoring NFL playoff game in history.

2010-01-11 | Jim Murphy

The Miami Heat will try to recover from a drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday as they head to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz at the Energy Solutions Arena. The Heat are in the midst of their longest road trip of the season, and after an opening game win at Phoenix on Friday night will try to improve to 2-1 on the West Coast swing here. NBA basketball betting lines have installed Utah as a -7’ point home favorite with the total posted at 192.

2010-01-08 | Jim Murphy

The New York Jets needed a miracle to reach the playoffs, but they managed to find a way into the postseason. They clinched the wild card berth with a blowout win over the Cincinnati Bengals at home last Sunday, and now face the Bengal again on the road in the opening round of the postseason. New York enters this game having won five of their last six games. Cincinnati, meanwhile, limped into the playoffs with only one win in their final four contests. The Jets have dominated the series of late, winning seven of the last eight matchups. The NFL betting line for this game has the Bengals installed as a -2’ point home favorite with the total set at 34.

2010-01-08 | Jim Murphy

The Dallas Cowboys have become somewhat notorious in recent years for their late season swoons, but that wasn’t in evidence this year as they won their final three games to secure a playoff berth. They’ll now host the Philadelphia Eagles who they beat 24-0 last Sunday in this same venue. Philadelphia was in a position to secure a first round bye, but was outplayed in every phase of the game by the Cowboys. They’ll now have to try to bounce back if they’re going to make a run in the NFL postseason. The NFL football betting line on this game has Dallas installed as a -4 point home favorite with the total set at 45.

2010-01-07 | Jim Murphy

College football season comes to a close with Thursday night’s battle between #1 Alabama and #2 Texas for the BCS Championship. The game will be played in the Rose Bowl in Southern California, so neither team will be worried about the unseasonably cold weather gripping much of the Southeast. Instead they can focus on determining the BCS Champion. Texas will be looking for its second national title in five years having beat USC with Vince Young at quarterback in 2005. Alabama hasn’t won a national championship since 1992, and coach Nick Saban will be looking to change that in his third year at the helm. The Crimson Tide is a -4 point college football betting favorite with the total set at 46.

2010-01-06 | Jim Murphy

This year’s GMAC Bowl is something of an ‘opening act’ for the main event of Thursday’s BCS Championship Game between Alabama and Texas. The scheduling is curious, as it features a matchup between Mid American Conference champion Central Michigan and Sun Belt Conference Troy University that would more typically be played well before New Years’ Day and not in the week leading up to the National Title game. Nevertheless, it should be an entertaining and competitive matchup. The Central Michigan Chippewas have been installed as a -2 point college football betting favorite with the total set at 63.

2010-01-05 | Jim Murphy

It’ll be a matchup of contrasting styles as Georgia Tech takes on Iowa in the Orange Bowl at Land Shark Stadium in Miami, Florida. Georgia Tech enters the game with a potent, spread option offense that has the Yellow Jackets ranked #11 in total offense. Iowa, meanwhile, is ranked #11 in total defense. Like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra once sang “Something’s Gotta Give”. The Yellow Jackets are a -5’ point favorite with the total set at 51.

2010-01-04 | Jim Murphy

A matchup between undefeated teams Boise State and TCU is actually a rematch from last season’s Poinsettia Bowl. While both teams got the BCS bowl bids they deserved, many observers would have preferred to have seen them matched against teams from traditional BCS conferences. Instead, they’ll play each other again this year in Tempe, Arizona. TCU is a -7’ point college football betting favorite with the total set at 53.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

Houston and Air Force battle in the Armed Forces Bowl in Ft. Worth, Texas for the second consecutive year. The two teams made for a very entertaining contest last season, with Houston prevailing 34-28. Oddly, the two teams met earlier in the 2008 season with Air Force coming out on top. The Falcons finished the 2009 season with a 7-5 mark, while the Cougars were an impressive 10-3 on the year. The college football betting pointspread for this game has Houston installed as a -5 favorite with the total set at 63.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

The matchup between Navy and Missouri in the Texas Bowl is similar in many ways to the Armed Forces Bowl matchup between Houston and Air Force. Like the Armed Forces Bowl, this game will feature a potent passing attack against an efficient option rushing game. This is the first meeting between the two schools in 49 years—while it may not have any significance for college football betting purposes, Missouri took the victory over Navy in the 1961 Orange Bowl. Missouri has been posted as a -6’ point sports betting favorite for this game with the total set at 51’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

Stanford was one of the best stories of the college football season as the perennial doormat of the Pac 10 finished 8-4, beating conference powerhouses USC and Oregon in the process. They’ll head to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas to face an Oklahoma team that had hopes of competing for a national championship before the season begun only to have their plans undone by injuries to QB Sam Bradford, among others. Despite finishing 7-5, the Sooners are installed as -10 college football betting favorites in this game with the total set at 55.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

This game could very well be called the ‘Major Conference Mediocrity Bowl’ as it features a matchup of Big 12 vs. Big Ten teams with 6-6 records. Of the two teams, Iowa State definitely has the most to be excited about by just being here, as the Cyclones were a pitiful 1-10 last year. Minnesota has become something of a fixture in this bowl game, making their third appearance in the Insight Bowl in the past four seasons. The college football betting pointspread for this game has Minnesota installed as a -2’ point favorite with the total set at 48’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

Following his dismissal as head coach of the Oakland Raiders last fall, Lane Kiffin landed on his feet when he took over the University of Tennessee program on December 1st. He’s already made an impact as he’s got the Vols back to a bowl game in his first year at the helm. Virginia Tech entered the season with their sights set on a more prestigious bowl game, but stumbled coming out of the gate in a loss to Alabama. They would eventually finish 9-3 after ending the season on a four game winning streak. The Hokies have been installed as -5’ point college football betting favorites with the total set at 49’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

New Years’ Day bowl action will get underway bright and early at 8:00 AM Pacific with the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. The game features a matchup of the SEC and Big 10 as Northwestern takes on Auburn. Northwestern is playing a January bowl game for the first time since 1997, winning five of their last six after a 2-2 start to finish 8-4. Auburn struggled during SEC conference play, but finished with a 7-5 mark to reach their sixth bowl game in eight seasons. The college football betting line on the game has Auburn installed as a -7’ favorite with the total set at 54’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

In what is sure to be a very emotional day for everyone involved, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden will coach his last game. His Seminoles finished 6-6 this season, good enough to get an invitation to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida for what should be a big send off to conclude his 44 year coaching career. Florida State will face a 9-3 West Virginia team that would like nothing more than to send Bowden off on a losing note. The college football betting line for the game has West Virginia installed as a -2’ favorite with the total set at 59’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

With Bobby Bowden retiring at the end of this season, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno is now the undisputed elder statesman among college football coaches. He’s earned an impressive 23 bowl victories in 44 seasons of college coaching, and will try to add to that figure as the Nittany Lions face SEC entrant LSU in the Gator Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Penn State finished 10-2, while LSU compiled a 9-3 record this season. The college football betting line for the game has Penn State installed as -2’ point favorites with the total set at 43’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

The Rose Bowl this season matches up a couple of teams that overcame early season adversity to play their best football down the stretch. Oregon lost its opening game to Boise State, and then went 10-1 the rest of the way winning their first Pac 10 title since 2001. Ohio State overcame an early season loss to USC and a mid October setback to Purdue en route to their fifth straight BCS bowl appearance. College football betting lines have installed Oregon as a -4 favorite with the total set at 40’.

2009-12-31 | Jim Murphy

This matchup between Cincinnati and Florida at the New Orleans Superdome is full of plot twists and intrigue—and that’s just the coaches. Florida is in the usual role—at least in the recent history of the program—of *not* playing for a BCS championship, having lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Cincinnati went a perfect 12-0 this season, but was passed up for the title game as well. College football betting odds favor the Gators, who have been installed as -12’ favorites with the total set at 57’.

2009-12-30 | Jim Murphy

College football betting fans will welcome the University of Idaho back to postseason play as they make their first bowl appearance in eleven years, taking on Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl. This is essentially a home game for Idaho, with the contest taking place on the blue ‘Smurf Turf’ of Boise State University. Obviously, Idaho will benefit from the motivation of making a successful return to bowl play as well as the home field, but will it be enough to overcome the more talented Falcons? Current line on the game is ‘pick’em’ with the total set at 68.

2009-12-30 | Jim Murphy

It’ll be the Pac 10 vs. the Big 12 in the Holiday Bowl held at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Arizona finished the season 8-4, while Nebraska finished 9-4. The Cornhuskers were a second away from playing in a BCS bowl, only to lose to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game on a last second field goal. Nebraska had been installed as a -2’ point college football betting favorite with the total set at 40’.

2009-12-24 | Jim Murphy

If you ever needed an argument that the number of college football bowl games is resulting in unqualified teams being invited to postseason play, look no further than the Marshall Thundering Herd. Marshall will take on the University of Ohio in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl despite a 6-6 record and having lost four of their last six games. Ohio, meanwhile, is a competent team that went 9-4 good for a second place finish in the Eastern Division of the Mid America Conference. Ohio has been installed as a -3 point college football betting favorite with the total set at 49.

2009-12-24 | Jim Murphy

This game is something of a ‘letdown’ spot for both teams, as each was on the verge of a higher profile bowl appearance in their final game. Pittsburgh blew a 21 point lead against visiting Cincinnati in their final game, losing 45-44 and in the process costing the Panthers the Big East championship and the resulting BCS bowl spot. North Carolina also blew a double digit lead in their final game against rival NC State, eventually falling 28-27 to the Wolfpack. This dynamic makes for a tricky handicapping situation for college football betting enthusiasts as the two teams meet at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. #17 ranked Pittsburgh is a -2’ point favorite with the total set at 44’.

2009-12-24 | Jim Murphy

To say that the 2009 season was a disappointment for the University of Southern California football team would be an understatement. For a school that won at least 11 games in each of the past seven years, the last place that college football betting enthusiasts would expect to find them is playing in a bowl game on the day after Christmas. That is where they’ve landed, however, after three losses in their final five games and an 8-4 season that saw the Trojans drop out of the top 25 for the first time since 2001. Their consolation prize is a trip to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, where they’ll play Boston College. The Trojans are a -7 point favorite with the total set at 44.

2009-12-21 | Jim Murphy

It’s amazing that in this era of 24 hour a day sports coverage and myriad statistical resources available via the Internet that a team can go through the entire regular season and still be vastly overrated. Yet that is the case in this bowl game, which pits style and flash versus substance and competence as the University of California plays the University of Utah at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. The result is arguably one of the strongest college football betting plays of the early bowl games. California has been installed as a -3’ point favorite with the total set at 52’.

2009-12-21 | Jim Murphy

First of all, you’ve got to give credit to SMU head coach June Jones for getting his team here in the first place. He took one of the most underperforming programs in college football--off of back to back 1-11 seasons no less—and led them to a winning record in his first year at the helm. This game was supposed to have worked out a little differently, since the only time Hawaii bowl games draw well is when the University of Hawaii is involved. This game would have been an intriguing matchup locally had the Rainbows faced SMU, as June Jones used to coach at Hawaii. Unfortunately, Hawaii wasn’t able to beat Wisconsin in their final game and become bowl eligible, so the resulting contest between SMU and Nevada will likely be played before a largely empty grandstand. Nevada is a -14’ favorite with the total set at a whopping 73 points.

2009-12-18 | Jim Murphy

For the fifth straight season, Brigham Young University makes the 5 ½ hour drive down Interstate 15 to Las Vegas for their postseason bowl appearance. In theory, we get the idea since its close enough to Provo, Utah to get good fan support and Las Vegas has a large Mormon population. At some point, however, the fact that Bronco Mendenhall has taken his team to the same bowl game every year in his tenure makes it less of a ‘special’ experience for his team. Throw in three road games against UNLV at the Sam Boyd Stadium and it’s the 8th time in his coaching run they’ve played here.

2009-12-16 | Jim Murphy

We’re going to repeat this throughout the early part of the bowl season, so get used to it: the best place to begin any handicapping of the early college football bowl games is with the underdog. College football betting experts know that they are often the more motivated side and at this level of bowl game that motivation can often produce an outright victory. In the St. Petersburg Bowl between Central Florida and Rutgers there’s a lot of other factors at work pointing us in the direction of the UCF Knights. Rutgers is a -3 favorite in the game with the total set at 44'.

2009-12-16 | Jim Murphy

Another matchup between a ‘bigger name’ program and a lesser known school is on tap for the New Orleans Bowl. Southern Mississippi has played in this bowl on several occasions in the past few years and, in fact, has never lost a bowl game held in the Louisiana Superdome. They’ll head into this game with a 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS record in the New Orleans Bowl, which has become an almost annual tradition for the school due in large part to the close proximity to their campus and the fan support they bring. Though this is something of a ‘geographical rivalry’, Southern Mississippi and MTSU have never played each other making this something of a blank slate for college football betting enthusiasts. Southern Miss is a -4 point favorite with the total set at 58’.

2009-12-14 | Jim Murphy

The 2009-10 college football bowl season gets underway on Saturday, December 19 with the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, NM. The University of Wyoming from the Mountain West Conference will take on Fresno State from the WAC. Fresno State has been to its share of bowl games in the past, but Wyoming’s presence in any sort of postseason game is in itself a shock. The Cowboys have been the personification of ‘doormat’ in recent years and were picked to finish last in the Mountain West Conference. Fresno State is a -12 favorite with the total set at 55.

2009-12-11 | Jim Murphy

BJ Penn will defend his UFC lightweight title on Saturday night at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee against Diego ‘The Nightmare’ Sanchez. Penn is considered, along with DREAM champion Shinya Aoki, as one of the best in the world at the weight. He’s a sizable favorite in this fight (-285) which reflects not only his intrinsic talents as a fighter but the perception among the wagering public that he’s almost unbeatable at the weight.

2009-12-11 | Jim Murphy

One of the most venerable rivalries in college football, the annual Army vs. Navy game takes place on Saturday, December 12. These teams have met 110 times and, in recent years at least, the Midshipmen have gotten the best of things. Navy enters this year’s contest on a seven game winning streak in the series, with a 6-1 ATS mark in those games. Still, with Army a +14 favorite we think there’s good value on the Cadets for college football betting enthusiasts.

2009-12-11 | Jim Murphy

The FCS/1AA playoffs are down to their ‘final four’ and there’s a good value position in Saturday’s semifinal contest between top ranked Montana and Appalachian State. The other half of the 1AA/FCS final will be determined on Friday night as Villanova hosts William & Mary. Montana has been installed as a +4 favorite in this contest. That relatively narrow pointspread should underscore the respect the linesmakers have for App. State despite the Grizzlies 13-0 record.

2009-12-10 | Jim Murphy

The Arizona Cardinals shut down ‘The Gunslinger’ and looked every bit like a Superbowl level team in beating the Minnesota Vikings 30-17 on Sunday night. Kurt Warner threw for 285 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the victory, while the Cards’ defense bottled up both Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson. After a 1-2 start to the season Arizona has won seven of nine and improved to 8-4 on the year. The Vikings slipped to 10-2.

2009-12-10 | Jim Murphy

The Seattle Seahawks didn’t so much win their game on Sunday as much as the San Francisco 49ers lost it. The Seahawks took advantage of a variety of Niners’ mistakes, before using a last second field goal to pull out a 20-17 victory. The Niners’ unveiled a new spread offense and QB Alex Smith played well statistically, with 310 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. His Seattle counterpart Matt Hasselbeck passed for 198 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. Both teams now have identical 5-7 records.

2009-12-10 | Jim Murphy

It might not go down in the Green Bay Packers’ history books alongside Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr and Brett Favre but Aaron Rodgers may very well have saved their 2009 NFL season. A month ago, they had dropped to .500 and looked to be in a downward spiral but they’ve since won four straight games and have a good shot at making the playoffs. On Sunday, the Packers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-14 in a game that everyone involved conceded was ‘ugly’. The Packers improved to 8-4 with the victory while the Ravens dropped to 6-6.

2009-12-09 | Jim Murphy

After several close calls in recent weeks, the Indianapolis Colts had an easier time on Sunday defeating the Tennessee Titans. Indy opened up a 21-3 second quarter lead before coasting to a 27-17 victory to keep their record unblemished at 12-0. It was the Colts’ 21st consecutive regular season win, tying an all time NFL mark. Tennessee lost for the first time since Vince Young regained his starting quarterback role, and saw their record drop to 5-7.

2009-12-09 | Jim Murphy

The Carolina Panthers have struggled this year, in large part due to the high number of interceptions thrown by QB Jake Delhomme. Now Delhomme is on the bench with a broken finger, and on Sunday the Panthers took advantage of another quarterback’s struggles to get in the win column. Carolina played tough defense and took advantage of five Josh Freeman interceptions to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-6. Matt Moore won his 4th career NFL start despite mediocre numbers, with 161 yards passing and an interception. Carolina upped their record to 5-7 while the Bucs slipped to 1-11.

2009-12-09 | Jim Murphy

In the main event of the UFC’s ‘Ultimate Fighter Finale’, Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson knocked out Brendan Schaub to win ‘The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights’ competition. Schaub’s impressive athleticism couldn’t overcome the crafty veteran, and Nelson set up a picture perfect right hook to the temple off the jab. Nelson now wins a ‘six figure UFC contract’ and is an intriguing addition to the depleted UFC heavyweight ranks.

2009-12-07 | Jim Murphy

The New York Jets used a solid defensive effort to beat the Buffalo Bills 19-13 on Thursday night in a game played at Toronto, Ontario’s Rogers Center Stadium. The Bills have agreed to play a number of preseason games and one regular season contest per year at the home of the CFL Toronto Argonauts, but didn’t give their adopted hometown fans much to cheer about here. The Jets’ defense held Buffalo to just 10 first downs and 197 yards of total offense as the Bills slipped to 4-8 on the NFL season. The Jets improved their record to 6-6.

2009-12-07 | Jim Murphy

The United States soccer braintrust was happy with their group seeding after the World Cup draw was announced, though they open the tournament against a formidable foe. The US will play England to open World Cup play on June 12—the first time they’ve faced the ‘Three Lions’ since a historic upset victory in the 1950 tournament. After their game against England, the US will play Slovenia and Algeria—two countries that they’ve never faced.

2009-12-07 | Jim Murphy

The best thing that Badr Hari can say about this year’s K-1 World GP Finals is that he took his loss like a gentleman, as opposed to his unsportsmanlike antics of last year. Other than that, it was déjà vu all over again. After dominating first round knockouts in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the K-1 World GP Final at the Yokohama Arena, Hari was stunned in the finals by veteran Semmy Schilt. Schilt knocked his opponent down three times in the first round to earn a TKO victory and his fourth World GP crown tying the record for most tournament wins held by K-1 legend Ernesto Hoost.

2009-12-03 | Jim Murphy

Many NFL football pundits felt that the New England Patriots would be the team to finally derail the New Orleans Saints’ perfect season. It didn’t quite work out that way. Drew Brees threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions, while New England’s Tom Brady struggled with 237 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Saints dominated the Patriots in a 38-17 victory. New Orleans improved their record to 11-0 while New England dropped to 7-4.

2009-12-03 | Jim Murphy

After a slow start to the season, the San Diego Chargers have turned things around in a big way. On Sunday, they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 43-14 to win their sixth straight game. Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions, while Kansas City’s Matt Cassel could only manage 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. San Diego improved their record to 8-3 while Kansas City slumped to 3-8 on the year.