Bulldogs face Hokies in Atlanta

NCAA Football Betting Lines

12/27/2006 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A couple of schools that have not met in over 70 years hook up in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, as the Georgia Bulldogs tangle with the 14th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies from the Georgia Dome.

The Bulldogs' regular season was up and down, but they finished on a strong note, defeating a a pair of top tier teams in Auburn (37-15) and Georgia Tech (15-12) in their final two games. The wins pushed the team to 8-4 overall and landed it in its 10th straight bowl game. Overall, this will be Georgia's 42nd bowl game, which ranks as the sixth most of any team in the country. The Bulldogs own a 22-16-3 record all-time in bowl games, including an even 2-2 mark in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

As for Virginia Tech, it comes into the contest red-hot, having closed out the regular season with six straight wins. During that stretch, the Hokies beat the likes of Clemson (24-7), Miami-Florida (17-10) and ACC champion Wake Forest (27-6). Having already notched their third straight 10-win season, Virginia Tech is now set to make its 14th consecutive bowl appearance. Overall, the Hokies have made 19 previous bowl appearances, going just 7-12 all-time, including 1-1 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Virginia Tech and Georgia have met just two times previously, with the last encounter occurring during the 1932 season. The Hokies won that meeting by a score of 7-6, while Georgia posted a 40-0 shutout the year before.

The Bulldogs have struggled to move the ball on offense at times this season and that shows in the mediocre 321.1 total ypg they are currently averaging. The biggest problem for this unit is passing the ball, as Georgia is throwing for just 189.0 ypg with only 11 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. Freshman Matthew Stafford has struggled with consistency this season, but he has shown flashes of brilliance at times. Still, Stafford has completed only 53.6 percent of his throws for 1,620 yards with 12 interceptions and a mere six touchdowns. However, he does have a team-best seven rushing touchdowns to his credit. One player that must step up to take some of the pressure off Stafford is tailback Kregg Lumpkin, who leads the team with 759 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Lumpkin is averaging a solid 5.1 ypc, and is also a decent receiver, ranking third on the team with 17 catches.

On the defensive side of the ball is where Georgia has excelled this season, holding its opponents to just 17.1 ppg and meager 264.0 total ypg. The unit has been especially tough against the pass, yielding only 150.2 ypg and 10 touchdowns through the air. The defense has even posted 16 interceptions, while sacking opposing quarterbacks 30 times. Tony Taylor has had himself quite a season up to this point, and he leads the team in tackles (87) to go along with three sacks and five interceptions. Tra Battle and Charles Johnson are two more players to keep a look out for, as Battle leads the squad with six interceptions, while Johnson's 16 TFLs and 7.5 sacks are the most of any player on the roster.

The Hokies' offense has benefited greatly from the field position their defense has provided them, and that is illustrated in the fact they are averaging a solid 26.0 ppg despite gaining only 304.0 total ypg. Tailback Branden Ore however, is a big time player and he is the key to this unit's success. In 11 games, Ore has amassed 1,095 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, while averaging a solid 5.0 ypg. Under center, Virginia Tech relies on Sean Glennon to manage the offense. Glennon has had a solid campaign thus far, completing 56.9 percent of his throws for 2,097 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He hasn't favored any one receiver, as no one player has more than 33 catches on the roster.

Defensively, there aren't many teams around as good as the Hokies are, as they are holding their opponents to a miniscule 9.3 ppg and a nation's best 221.1 total ypg. The defense has been simply outstanding against the pass this season, giving up just 128.2 ypg and five touchdowns through the air. The unit has also picked off 16 passes to go along with 28 sacks. Vince Hall heads this balanced and talented defense with 115 tackles and 10 TFLs. Xavier Adibi has also had a fine year and he has 78 stops, three sacks and three interceptions to his credit.

This should be a close one, as both teams rely heavily on their defenses to win games. Virginia Tech is not only the better defensive team, but it also has a difference maker on offense in Ore and that is why it should come out on top.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Virginia Tech 20, Georgia 13

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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