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04/02/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chargers could end up with as many as six first-day picks, as the team would add a first- and third-rounder if another club signs away restricted free agent running back Michael Turner. The possibility of six more ready-to-play members heading to a team that was 14-2 last year is a scary thought indeed. Whether Turner stays or goes, the Chargers' top priority will be to bolster a defense that lost the likes of inside linebacker Donnie Edwards and safety Terrence Kiel in the offseason. Secondary helps seems to be a perpetual need for this franchise, so one or two of the team's first-day picks could be used to address this area. On offense, the Bolts might have to find a replacement for the valuable Turner, and could use a polished receiver to replace departed veteran Keenan McCardell.
2006 Record: 14-2
First Pick: No. 30
Number of Selections: 8 (1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 7)
RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2006 - Antonio Cromartie (CB, Florida State); 2005 - Shawne Merriman (OLB, Maryland), Luis Castillo (DT, Northwestern); 2004 - Philip Rivers* (QB, North Carolina State); 2003 - Sammy Davis (CB, Texas A&M) 2002 - Quentin Jammer (CB, Texas); 2001 - LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, TCU); 2000 - none; 1999 - none; 1998 - Ryan Leaf (QB, Washington State); 1997 - none; 1996 - none; 1995 - none; 1994 - none; 1993 - Darrien Gordon (CB, Stanford); 1992 - Chris Mims (DE, Tennessee); 1991 - Stanley Richard (S, Texas); 1990 - Junior Seau (LB, Southern California).
*Originally drafted by N.Y. Giants, then traded to Chargers on draft day in exchange for San Diego first-round pick Eli Manning
<< Oakland Raiders 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Draftniks everywhere are sitting on pins and needles
waiting to see what the Raiders will do with the No. 1 pick. Conventional
wisdom says that offensively-challenged will select strong-armed LSU
quarterback JaMarcus Russell,
<< Cincinnati Bengals 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati had its problems defensively last season, then
lost reliable players like linebacker Brian Simmons (released) and safety
Kevin Kaesviharn (free agent to Saints) in the offseason. The Bengals need to
get younger and
<< Kansas City Chiefs 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though defensive-minded head coach Herm Edwards would
probably rather shore up his area of expertise, there is no disputing that
Kansas City has more significant needs on offense. The Chiefs have long lacked
a first-rate No.
<< Miami Dolphins 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The million dollar question for the Dolphins involves the
quarterback position. Joey Harrington was released, Daunte Culpepper cannot
realistically be viewed as a reliable option, and Dan Marino does not appear
ready to come
Denver Broncos 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Broncos are likely to be in the market for linebacker
help, since middle man Al Wilson is being shopped in a trade and is set to be
released if he is not dealt. After releasing the disappointing Courtney Brown,
some assis
Buffalo Bills 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first day of the 2007 Draft will be extremely important
for a Bills team that cut ties with the likes of running back Willis McGahee,
linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher-Baker, and cornerback Nate
Clements during
Indianapolis Colts 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colts lost five somewhat recognizable players in
running back Dominic Rhodes, wide receiver Brandon Stokley, linebacker Cato
June, defensive tackle Montae Reagor and cornerback Nick Harper, but June is
really the only pla
Renteria's homers help Braves rally past Phillies >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edgar Renteria's two-run homer in the 10th
inning lifted Atlanta over Philadelphia, 5-3, in the 2007 season opener for
both clubs at Citizens Bank Park.
Renteria, who finished 2-for-5 with three runs
In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.
Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).
If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).
Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.
New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)
In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:
There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.
The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:
Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots
Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.
Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:
Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21
The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.
Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.
Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).
Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.
And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.
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