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09/01/2010 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes enter the 2010 season with tangible chance of winning the national title, and the first step of the process will be knocking off Marshall in Thursday's opener.
The Thundering Herd welcome Doc Holliday as the program's 29th head coach, and he brings with him 31 years of collegiate coaching experience. Holliday, an accomplished recruiter, inherits a Thundering Herd squad that finished 7-6 a year ago, including 4-4 versus Conference USA competition. A total of 45 letterwinners and 13 starters are back in place, including six players that earned post-season recognition from the C-USA coaches in 2009.
"My ultimate goal has always been to be a Division I head football coach at a major university and to have this opportunity at Marshall, a school rich in tradition and full of potential, is a dream come true," said Holliday upon being hired.
Ohio State is 9-0 in season openers under Jim Tressel, and it would be a complete shock to the college football world if that record wasn't pushed to 10-0 on Thursday. The Buckeyes have won 54 consecutive regular-season non- conference home games against unranked teams and are one of just three teams to post 10 or more wins in five consecutive seasons. Ohio State has an all- time opening day record of 104-12-4, and this year's group is absolutely loaded with talent.
The only previous meeting between Ohio State and Marshall occurred in 2004, a narrow 24-21 triumph by the Buckeyes.
Brian Anderson will be the man under center to start this game for Marshall. Anderson, who made 13 starts last season and threw for 2,646 yards and 14 touchdowns, had to win his job during fall camp, but that is understandable considering the new coaching staff and the fact that the signal caller tossed 13 INTs a year ago. There is a talented group of receivers to work with, and Antavious Wilson is the best of the bunch. The 6-0, 191-pound Wilson made an immediate impact as a freshman last season, leading the team with 60 catches for 724 yards and three touchdowns. The sophomore tandem of Martin Ward and Andre Booker step in to a void at tailback. Booker got less touches than Ward last season but is listed atop the depth chart and has better breakaway speed.
The strength of the Marshall defensive unit figures to be the line, and that was the case a year ago as well. Vinny Curry is a 6-4, 252-pound end who is ready to become a star after posting 59 stops and 3.5 sacks as a sophomore last season. Mario Harvey, a thumper at linebacker, is a big-time talent who came up with 117 tackles and seven sacks last season. He will be asked to help contain the Ohio State ground attack in this opener. As for the Marshall secondary, this group was dealt a big blow when corner DeQuan Bembry, who made 53 stops and three picks last season, was kicked off the team after being charged with assault on a police officer and underage consumption. That leaves Ahmed Shakoor as the most experienced corner, as he had 36 stops and a team- high 11 PBUs in 2009. Omar Brown is another returning starter in the defensive backfield, and both players will be under attack early and often on Thursday.
Throughout much of last season, no player was more heavily criticized than Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Then, in his final game as a sophomore, the gifted signal caller showed his true ability, throwing for a career-high 266 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 72 yards in a Rose Bowl victory over Oregon.
"I thought he learned a great deal throughout the regular season his sophomore year," said Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said at Big Ten Media Day. "And I thought it really started to crystallize in his mind during bowl practice."
Pryor posted 25 total touchdowns a year ago and is a legitimate Heisman candidate as a junior. The backfield tandem of Brandon Saine (739 yds, 5.1 ypc, four TDs) and Daniel "Boom" Herron (600 yds, 3.9 ypc, seven TDs) returns, and while Pryor did lead the Buckeyes in rushing a year ago, the hope is that he can do less with his legs in 2010 without sacrificing team success. At wideout, top targets DeVier Posey (60 rec, 828 yds, eight TDs) and Dane Sanzenbacher (36 rec, 570 yds, six TDs) are back. And along the offensive line, four starters return from a unit that dominated the trenches on a weekly basis last year. Put simply, this offense is loaded and figures to overwhelm Marshall and most other opponents.
The Buckeyes also return a wealth of talent from a defense that ranked fifth in the nation in both total defense (262.3 ypg) and scoring defense (12.5 ppg) last year. Cameron Heyward is a star in the making at defensive end, as he led the team with 6.5 sacks last year as a junior and opted to return to OSU instead of entering the NFL Draft. At linebacker, the Buckeyes return their top two tacklers in Ross Homan (108) and Brian Rolle (95), and both were recently named team captains. Homan also excels in coverage, as evidenced by his team-leading five interceptions and 10 passes defended. Moving to the secondary, both starting cornerbacks return in Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence. There are some fresh faces at safety, one of the lone questionable positions on the team.
<< Auburn opens at home against Arkansas State
Auburn, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked Auburn Tigers of the
Southeastern Conference kick off the 2010 season with a home game against the
Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference.
Arkansas State posted just a 4-8 record la
<< West Virginia opens 2010 campaign against FCS foe Coastal Carolina
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West Virginia Mountaineers try to prove
they are worthy of being ranked 25th in the nation as they open the 2010
season with a home date against the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina on
Saturday afternoon.
<< Leinart on his way out of Arizona?
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt has
yet to decide whether Matt Leinart or Derek Anderson will be the starting
quarterback for the defending NFC West champions in the wake of Kurt Warner's
retirement, but
<< AP Source: Big Ten will announce divisions tonight
A person familiar with the discussions says the Big Ten plans to announce Wednesday night how it will break up into two divisions.The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the conference hasn't released the
Broncos and Hokies square off on Labor Day >>
Landover, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The most anticipated season-opener on the
docket in 2010 takes place on Labor Day in Landover, as the third-ranked Boise
State Broncos set out to prove their lofty ranking is warranted, as they take
on the 10th-r
Top-25 foes LSU and UNC clash in Atlanta >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An intriguing 2010 season-opener takes place in
Atlanta this weekend, as 21st-ranked LSU takes on 18th-ranked North Carolina
in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Les Miles may be on the hot seat in Death Valley thi
Gators face Redhawks in season-opener in Gainesville >>
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The post Tim Tebow Era begins in
Gainesville this weekend, as the fourth-ranked Florida Gators open up their
2010 season at home against the Miami-Ohio RedHawks.
Florida returns plenty of talent from a team
11th-ranked Ducks open season at home against Lobos >>
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks get their 2010
campaign started this weekend, when the New Mexico Lobos visit Eugene for a
non-conference affair at Autzen Stadium.
Chip Kelly took over an already successful Oregon
American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting