Posts Tagged ‘Baylor Bears’

Washington vs. Baylor Predictions & Analysis: 2011 Alamo Bowl 12/29

December 17th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in College Football  
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revolution468 Washington vs. Baylor Predictions & Analysis: 2011 Alamo Bowl 12/29

There is a heck of a lot of offensive potential, and it should make for tremendous Alamo Bowl picks in 2011. The Baylor Bears are going to take on the Washington Huskies in what should be a great battle between two of the up and coming teams in college football.

Alamo Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Baylor Bears
Alamo Bowl Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Alamo Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 29th, 9:00 p.m. (ET)
Alamo Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2011-12 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: Someone has to slow down the Heisman Trophy winner
Obviously, this is going to be a heck of a showcase for QB Robert Griffin III, the man that not just won the Heisman Trophy, but won it going away. Griffin broke the NCAA record for the highest passer rating in a season, and he averaged a tremendous 10.8 yards per pass attempt. He ran for 655 yards as well and has proven to be arguably the best dual threat player in the entire country. Simply put, when he is on his game, there isn’t a defense in the country that can stop him. It’s really just a matter of containment at this point. Griffin will get his yards, and he’ll probably get his points as well, but the Huskies just have to make sure that he doesn’t get out of hand.

Alamo Bowl Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Washington Huskies +9.5
Baylor Bears -9.5
Over/Under 78
Click Here to Bet The Alamo Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The Baylor rush defense has to try to slow down Chris Polk
The Bears went 9-3 this year, but the only reason why they weren’t a heck of a lot better was because of their defense. They ranked No. 114 in the land defensively, allowing 478.3 yards per game and No. 109 in scoring at 35.7 points per game. The hard statistics for the Huskies weren’t all that great this year, as they averaged 392.3 yards and 31.5 points per game, but that doesn’t mean that the stars aren’t capable of shining. U-Dub has to find a way to slow down Griffin, and part of the way of doing that is going to be controlling the clock. Lucky for the Huskies that they have Polk on their side. He averaged 22 carries per game this year and rumbled for 1,341 yards and 11 TDs. If Polk can figure out how to get his 120 yards or so on his 25 carries or so and keep control of the clock, U-Dub will have a shot. If not, Baylor is going to have its work cut out for it on the other side of the ball to keep up.

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Key #3: Jermaine Kearse needs to have a breakout final game
This has been a frustrating season for Kearse. He only had 40 catches, 23 fewer than he had a year ago, and he only had 491 yards and six scores. Kearse’s numbers were double of that last year. He averaged over 15 yards per catch in each of his first three seasons with QB Jake Locker at quarterback. QB Keith Price has the potential to get the job done as well though, but he just hasn’t formed the same type of bond with Kearse that Locker had. The potential is there, but the fact that he averaged 12.3 yards per catch this year is concerning. If he has a big game left in him before graduating, this is the time to do it against Baylor.

Click Here to get the best college football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Alamo Bowl picks and the NCAA football picks for the rest of the bowl game odds.

2010 College Football Betting: Preseason Top 25 ATS Power Rankings

July 17th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in College Football  
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The 2010 college football betting season is nearly here! Though anyone can rank the teams No. 1 to No. 25 in the nation in terms of SU records, here at Bankroll Sports, we are ranking our Top 25 underrated teams that could be monsters for your against the college football odds this season.

25. Ball State Cardinals (2-10, 6-5 ATS in 2009) – After a magical run in 2008 in which the Cardinals flirted with an undefeated season, Ball State came crashing back down to Earth last year under first-year HC Stan Parrish. However, this year Ball State returns their entire offense from 2009, including 2nd team All-MAC RB Miquale Lewis who should go down as the school’s all-time leading rusher with even a halfway decent 2010 campaign. The Cardinals have been friends to college football betting fans over the past five years, going 35-22-1 ATS in that span.

24. Air Force Falcons (8-5, 7-4-1 ATS in 2009) – Since taking over for the legendary Fisher DeBerry, HC Troy Calhoun has excelled in his first three years at the Air Force Academy, taking the Falcons to a 25-14 record and three straight Armed Forces Bowl appearances. QB Tim Jefferson is a dual-threat passer who can beat team with his arm or his legs and should be one of the best in the conference if he can stay healthy for the whole season.

23. Syracuse Orange (4-8, 6-5 ATS in 2009) – The Orange may be seen as a surprising candidate to be on this list, but Syracuse showed marked improvement in their first year under new HC Doug Marrone. Although the Orange managed just one more win in 2009 than in 2008, the Syracuse program showed signs of life for the first time in years, especially when the mass exodus of 20+ players prior to the start of the 2009 season is considered. The key to the offense will be RB Delone Carter who carried the ball for 1,021 yards and 11 TDs last year.

22. Rice Owls (2-10, 4-7-1 ATS in 2009) – Much like Ball State, Rice went from a fantastic 2008 CFB wagering season to a disastrous campaign in 2009. For the 2010 season though, the Owls bring back 18 starters and one of the more experienced offensive lines in the nation to provide protection for QB Nick Fanuzzi. Fanuzzi showed some promise last season in completing 60 percent of his passes for 1,598 yards with 11 TDs and eight INTs and will look to get even better in 2010.

21. Idaho Vandals (8-5, 8-5 ATS in 2009) – In any other conference in America, QB Nathan Enderle would have garnered all-conference honors last season and would be considered one of the conference favorites for Offensive Player of the Year. Last season, Venderle completed over 60 percent of his passes for 2,906 yards with 22 TDs and nine INTs while leading the Vandals to their first winning season of the decade.

20. Oregon State Beavers (8-5, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – Over the last decade, the Beavers have been one of the best teams against the NCAA betting odds in the country, going 68-48-1 ATS. With the return of the Rodgers brothers (WR James and RB Jacquizz), HC Mike Riley’s Beavers have one of the most formidable offenses in the Pac-10 and should once again challenge for the Pac-10 title now that the Trojans are ineligible to take home the trophy.

19. North Texas Mean Green (2-10, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – With only five wins over the past three seasons, it seems rather unlikely that North Texas could be on any Top 25 list, but the Mean Green have 17 returning starters and a very manageable schedule. RB Lance Dunbar had a monster season for North Texas last year, carrying the ball for 1,378 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to 1st team All-SBC honors in 2009. Dunbar looks to continue the tradition of quality running backs at North Texas, following in the footsteps of Jamario Thomas and Cedric Cobbs.

18. Baylor Bears (4-8, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Many pundits thought that 2009 would be the year that the Baylor Bears turned the corner, but those dreams were derailed in Week 3 after sensational QB Robert Griffin tore his ACL and back-up QB Blake Szymanski injured his shoulder. Griffin looks like he is back to form though and if he can stay healthy has a real chance to take the Bears to their first bowl appearance since 1994.

17. Miami Redhawks (1-11, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Things haven’t looked good in Oxford over the past half decade, but there is reason for Redhawks fans to be excited in 2010. In HC Mike Haywood’s second year, the Redhawks return 19 starters from 2009 while many of their opponents in the MAC East are reloading. Miami probably isn’t good enough to make a bowl this season, but should keep games close and cover a lot of college football gambling spreads.

16. UTEP Miners (4-8, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Inconsistent wouldn’t even begin to describe the UTEP Miners’ 2009 season. In their first C-USA game of the season, the Miners upset #12 and then undefeated Houston 58-41 as a two TD underdog on the NCAA gambling odds. In UTEP’s very next game they suffered an embarrassing 15 point loss at Memphis, giving the Tigers their only FBS win of 2009. With one of the best backfield tandems in the conference in QB Trevor Vittatoe and All-American RB Donald Buckram, the Miners will be able to put up a lot of points this season.

15. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-6, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – With the graduation of the record-setting Tim Tebow, the SEC East is the most open its been in years and the Gamecocks are in good position to take advantage of this. They usually have one of the better defenses in the country and if QB Stephen Garcia can continue to develop like he has over the past two seasons, South Carolina could flirt with a 10 win season.

14. Connecticut Huskies (8-5, 9-2-1 ATS in 2009) – Few would deny that Randy Edsall has done one of the best jobs in the country in guiding UConn from the FCS level to the FBS level. Over the past three years, Edsall has really hit his stride with the team going 25-14 and winning back-to-back bowl games. The Huskies have also been one of the best teams for NCAA wagering enthusiasts with the team going 63-42-2 ATS since 2000.

13. Texas A&M Aggies (6-7, 6-7 ATS in 2009) – Mike Sherman’s Aggies benefit from only having four road games this year, and in only one of those four road games (@ Texas) will they be a prohibitive underdog. Texas A&M has 16 returning starters this season, including QB Jerrod Johnson who passed for 3,579 yards to go with 30 TDs against just eight interceptions on his way to a 2nd team All-Big 12 selection in 2009.

12. UCF Knights (8-5, 9-3 ATS in 2009) – Last year, not much was expected of the UCF Knights after a 2008 campaign in which the Knights had one of the worst offenses in the country. However, HC George O’Leary turned to the running game last year and found a valuable asset in RB Brynn Harvey. Last season, Harvey ran for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns while picking up 3rd team All-C-USA honors. Harvey suffered a knee injury in spring, but is expected to miss no more than a few games at most.

11. Michigan Wolverines (5-7, 5-6 ATS in 2009) – HC Rich Rodriguez might be on the hottest seat in the country after managing just an 8-16 record and zero bowl appearances in his first two seasons as the head coach of one of the most storied programs in the country. This season, though, will be the first where Rodriguez has a clear-cut choice at QB to run his system in Tate Forcier. With Forcier at the helm, the Wolverines will almost certainly improve on their paltry 7-16 mark against the CFB betting line over the past two seasons.

10. Temple Owls (9-4, 8-4 ATS in 2009) – Al Golden has done a remarkable job in turning around a horrific Temple program that hadn’t made a bowl game in 30 years prior to the Owls making the EagleBank Bowl in 2009. This season, the Owls return almost all of their skill position players and 16 starters to a team that should be considered the favorite to win the MAC East.

9. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-5, 5-6 ATS in 2009) – North Carolina may have the best defense in the country this season with a bevy of NFL prospects at every position along the defensive front. DE Robert Quinn, LB Quan Sturdivant, CB Kendric Burney, and FS Deunta Williams all garnered 1st team All-ACC selections in 2009, while DT Marvin Austin, LB Bruce Carter, and SS Da’Norris Searcy all picked up 2nd team honors. With 19 returning starters in all, the Tar Heels should be one of the best teams against the NCAA odds in 2010.

8. Nevada Wolfpack (8-5, 7-6 ATS in 2009) – When QB Colin Kaepernick pulls the strings, the Wolfpack have one of the most exciting offenses in the country. Last season, Nevada managed an NCAA first when the Wolfpack had three different players (Kaepernick, Vai Taua, and Luke Lippencott) rush for over 1000 yards. In WAC play, the Wolfpack have been especially great the past five seasons, going 26-14 ATS for CFB wagering fans over that time.

7. Washington Huskies (5-7, 7-5 ATS in 2009) – Jake Locker is considered by many to be the top pick in the 2011 draft, and the strong-armed quarterback showed off just what he could do in his first year under new HC Steve Sarkisian. In 2009, Locker became much more polished as a quarterback, throwing for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in a season where they flirted with a bowl bid. This year, with 18 returning starters, the Huskies will be in great shape to make their first bowl appearance since 2002.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6, 4-8 ATS in 2009) – Although QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate have departed, the Fighting Irish are primed to turn some heads in the first year of new HC Brian Kelly. Kelly had one of the best offenses in the country at Cincinnati last year and inherits an offense with a lot of weapons in RB Armando Allen, WR Michael Floyd, and TE Kyle Rudolph. The key to the season for Notre Dame will be how well sophomore QB Dayne Crist can perform in his first season running the offense.

5. Florida State Seminoles (7-6, 4-8 ATS in 2009) – Before getting hurt, QB Christian Ponder looked well on his way to having one of the best seasons in school history. Still, Ponder finished with great numbers, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 2,717 yards with 14 TDs and seven picks. He’ll also have the luxury of being behind one of the best and most experienced offensive lines in the country, anchored by Jacobs Award winning LG Rodney Hudson.

4. Auburn Tigers (8-5, 6-6 ATS in 2009) – Despite questions over whether he was the right man for the job or not, HC Gene Chizik led the Tigers to a respectable season in 2009. With the help of offensive guru Gus Malzahn, the Tigers offense went from one of the worst in the SEC in 2008 (17.3 PPG) to one of the best in the conference last year (33.3 PPG). The Tigers dodge both the Vols and the Gators in conference play and with eight home games could turn many heads this NCAA wagering season.

3. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (10-3, 10-3 ATS in 2009) – QB Dwight Dasher may have been playing in the lowly Sun Belt last season, but his numbers were good enough for any conference in the country. The athletic Dasher turned a lot of heads in 2009, by throwing for 2,789 yards along with 23 TDs and 14 INTs while also running for 1154 yards and 13 scores. With Dasher under center, the Blue Raiders have a very good chance for back-to-back 10 win seasons.

2. Cincinnati Bearcats (12-1, 5-7 ATS in 2009) – Though QB Tony Pike and HC Brian Kelly have since departed, the Bearcats should still have one of the best offenses in the Big East in 2010 under new HC Butch Jones and QB Zach Collaros. Collaros was impressive in his limited playing time in 2009, completing 75 percent of his passes for 1,434 yards with ten TDs against just two INTs. USC transfer WR Vidal Hazelton will also pack some punch to a WR corps that lost Mardy Gilyard.

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-4, 9-5 ATS in 2009) – Since taking over for Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini has brought respect back to the Blackshirts and pride back to Husker Nation. Pelini’s Huskers were one last second FG away from making it to a BCS bowl and ruining Texas’ undefeated season in the Big XII Title Game, and although they do lose Heisman Trophy candidate DT Ndamakong Suh, Nebraska returns six starters to the defense that only gave up 10.4 PPG last CFB gambling season.

Updated NCAA Tournament Betting Odds & Analysis (3/27)

March 27th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NCAA Basketball  
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List of Current Odds to Win The NCAA Tournament Can Be Found Below!

In spite of the fact that there was carnage for the duration of the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16 saw many of the so called Cinderella squads bow out from the dance.

The one exception appears to be the #5 Butler Bulldogs, who pulled off the biggest upset in the third round of March Madness betting action by taking down #1 Syracuse and opening up the West Bracket in a big way. Their fellow mid-majors, the #12 Cornell Big Red, #11 St. Mary’s Gaels, and #9 Northern Iowa Panthers were all dismissed.

Still, there is a nice mix of conferences remaining amongst the last eight teams standing. The SEC and Big XII both have a pair of squads left, while the ACC, Big East, Horizon League, and Big Ten are all still represented as well.

The favorite to win it all is still the Kentucky Wildcats (+245 at 5Dimes). Even though HC John Calipari still steps up to the microphone following every single game and praises the work of his young freshmen and sophomores and downplays their abilities on the court, anyone watching this squad still knows that the best is probably yet to come. That’s saying something for a team that has posted an average margin of victory in this tournament of more than 25 points per game! G John Wall, F Patrick Patterson, and F DeMarcus Cousins just haven’t caught their stride yet on college basketball’s biggest stage, as the three have combined for just one 20+ point outing between them. If Big Blue is playing defense like it did against Cornell when it held the Big Red to just 33.3 percent shooting from the floor, this is going to be the hardest team left to topple in the tournament.

If you’re banking on long shots, the three longest odds on the board are all playing on the same half of the draw, and in all likelihood, one of the three will be playing for the National Championship. Either the #5 Michigan State Spartans (+1600 at 5Dimes) or #6 Tennessee Volunteers (+1200 at 5Dimes) will see their stock increase in value dramatically, particularly if the #5 Butler Bulldogs (+1500 at 5Dimes) can pull off the upset of the #2 Kansas State Wildcats (+435 at 5Dimes) in the Elite 8.

The other #1 seed remaining, the Duke Blue Devils (+355 at 5Dimes) continue to fly under the radar just a bit, as they’re being overshadowed by what Kentucky is doing in the East Region and all of the other upsets that have occurred in the dance thus far. However, even without getting anything really significant out of G Jon Scheyer in this tournament, Coach K has his club playing well enough on the defensive side of the ball to be able to make life absolutely hellacious for his opponents.

His Dookies will take on the final team that we have yet to discuss, the #3 Baylor Bears (+985 at 5Dimes), who are going to be playing essentially behind a home crowd at the Toyota Center after annihilating one of the Cinderella teams in this field (St. Mary’s) on Friday night.

Current March Madness Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook(as of 3/27/10):
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Kentucky +245
Duke +355
Kansas State +435
West Virginia +785
Baylor +985
Tennessee +1200
Butler +1500
Michigan State +1600

Updated 2010 NCAA Tournament Prop Bets & Free Predictions (3/24)

March 24th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NCAA Basketball  
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Just 16 teams remain in the NCAA Tournament! There are a ton of juicy prop bets that are still available as we enter the second week of this three week spectacle, and BetUS Sportsbook has all of the ins and outs covered for you as you boost your bankrolls with the biggest tournament of the year!

Prop Bet #1 – Will all three #1 seeds reach the Elite 8?: Let’s just do some simply math at this point, shall we? If you take the best three lines you can find anywhere on the internet on the three #1 seeds to win on Thursday and Friday, you’ll come to just about +105 odds. By parlaying the Duke Blue Devils (-450), the Syracuse Orange (-290), and the Kentucky Wildcats (-500) on the moneyline at BetUS Sportsbook, you’ll come up with about -103 odds. Under that premise, there’s no reason to lay -115 with this prop, but there’s also no reason to wager no either. However, we do like the idea of assuming that the #1s are all getting through this weekend. Unlike Kansas, who was tested by #16 Lehigh for a little while before ultimately pulling away, the Cats, Dookies, and Orange have just come out and throttled their opponents so far in the dance. There’s no reason to think that an undermanned Purdue team is going to be able to stop the mighty Blue Devils, and certainly no reason to believe that a bunch of Ivy Leaguers are going to be able to stop a John Calipari coached team with almost a full week of preparation. That leaves Syracuse playing Butler. The Orange have probably been the most impressive of the #1 seeds after having rocked Gonzaga in the second round, and even though we’re not so sure that they’re the right choice against the six point spread, we are convinced that getting -103 odds on the moneyline for them is a fantastic price. So ignore the prop line, but run with the idea.
Selection: Parlay Kentucky, Duke, and Syracuse on the moneyline (-103) at BetUS Sportsbook. (100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #2 – Odds to win the South Region: It’s pretty clear that the Blue Devils are the favorites to win this bracket and go to the Final Four, but is that really justifiable at -145 odds? What you’re saying is that Coach K’s team is going to be at least three, if not four point favorites in a prospective Elite 8 matchup with Baylor? That doesn’t feel like what’s going to happen, especially if Duke even remotely struggles with #4 Purdue or the Bears obliterate #10 St. Mary’s. Don’t rest on the talent level on this Baylor team. G LaceDarius Dunn dropped 26 points on Old Dominion in the second round, and he has the ability to go off for 30+ on just about every team that he faces. Yes, this test against St. Mary’s is probably going to be a lot harder than it looks on paper with a #3 going against a #10, but if the Bears survive that one, you’ve got some fantastic odds on them to go to the Final Four.
Selection: Baylor Bears +225 at BetUS Sportsbook. (100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #3 – Odds to Reach NCAA Championship Final: We’re keying in on the left hand side of your bracket in the West and Midwest Regions. It’s pretty clear that the Midwest Bracket opened up a ton when #9 Northern Iowa knocked off overall #1 seed in this tournament, Kansas. Any of the four teams could still represent that region in our opinion. That leaves a date with most like either Syracuse or Kansas State in the Final Four. Why not take a stab on the Panthers at great odds in this situation? It’s basically a coin flip that they take out Michigan State, and we like our chances of Sparty getting bounced without G Kalin Lucas in the lineup. Yes, it could be a very difficult #2 Ohio State squad in the Elite 8, but it could just as easily be an overrated #6 Tennessee team as well. You may look up next week and see that you’ve got great odds on a mid-major team to win just one more game on the grandest stage in college basketball.
Selection: Northern Iowa Panthers +3000 at BetUS Sportsbook. (100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)