NFL Proposition Betting – Prop-ping the Question Early
The oddsmakers at BetUS were just wondering how you thought about a few of the burning issues around the NFL in the early going, and come to think, these are some damn good things to look at. For more propositions on the NFL, check out the “Football” section at BetUS.com.
NEXT NFL PLAYER AFTER LAWYER MILLOY TO BE ARRESTED:
Adam “Pacman” Jones, Dallas 3/1
Tank Johnson Dallas 6/1
Chris Henry, Cincinnati 10/1
Ricky Willams, Miami 10/1
Randy Moss, New England 25/1
Ray Lewis, Baltimore 25/1
Steve Smith, Carolina 40/1
Kellen Winslow, Cleveland 40/1
— What a pleasant proposition to handicap. Oh well, let’s see…Pacman Jones, I truly believe, is going to behave himself in Dallas because this is the Last Chance Saloon for him. Tank Johnson just wants to carry a gun, and so what if it’s an Uzi? Ricky Williams smokes grass – so leave him alone. Randy Moss might find himself some mischief if he doesn’t get the ball enough from Matt Cassel, which could happen. I went on the Nancy Grace Show some years ago to argue for stiffer punishment from the NFL for Ray Lewis after he copped to leaving the scene of a crime (remember that?). But he’s gotten religion supposedly, and that forgives everything. Steve Smith has scored his TKO for the year. Kellen Winslow talks tough, but I’m not expecting any trouble out of him.
Puh-leeeeeeze, guys! You know who the winner is here, and shame on you for giving him to us at such value (10/1). Ladies and gentlemen, hide the children, it’s Chris Henry!
Just take a look at this glittering resume, culled from the pages of Wikipedia:
* December 15, 2005: Henry was pulled over in Northern Kentucky for speeding. During a search, marijuana was found in his shoes. He was also driving without a valid driver’s license or valid insurance.
* January 30, 2006: Henry was arrested in Orlando, Florida for multiple gun charges including concealment and aggravated assault with a firearm. He was reported to have been wearing his #15 Bengals jersey at the time of his arrest. Henry pleaded guilty and avoided jail time in both cases.
* June 3, 2006: Chris Henry was pulled over outside on Interstate 275 at 1:18 a.m by Ohio Highway Patrol trooper Michael Shimko. At 2:06 a.m. Henry voluntarily submitted to a breathalyzer test at Milford Police Department and registered a .092 blood-alcohol level, .012 above the level permitted in the state of Ohio.
* September 25, 2006: Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman was pulled over for driving under the influence. The truck Thurman was driving belonged to rookie quarterback/receiver Reggie McNeal. Neither McNeal nor Henry, who were passengers, were charged with any wrongdoing by authorities. However, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis suspended Henry for the Bengals game against the New England Patriots.
* October 6, 2006: Henry was suspended by the NFL for two games for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies.
* January 25, 2007: Henry plead guilty to charges of providing alcohol to minors, an incident that occurred at a hotel in the spring in 2006. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with all but two of those days being suspended.
* April 10, 2007: Henry was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 NFL season for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. His suspension came with a stern warning that future misconduct may result in the end of his career with the NFL. Henry was given permission by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to begin practicing fully. His suspension was lifted and he played in the November 11, 2007 game versus the Baltimore Ravens, amassing 4 catches for 99 yards.
* May 18, 2007: It was reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer that Henry allegedly failed a court-mandated drug test. The report showed that he had taken an opiate, but the result was later proven to be false. The failed drug test would have been the third violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. A third violation, per league rules, results in a one-year suspension. In addition to having his suspension increased to 24 games, he would have had to serve an 88 day jail sentence.
* June 12, 2007: Henry allegedly assaulted a 16-year-old boy with teammate Reggie McNeal. The claims were later reported to be unfounded and Henry and McNeal have been exonerated.
* November 6, 2007: Henry allegedly assaulted a valet attendant at Newport on the Levee.
* December 3, 2007: Henry arrested for the second time in Orlando, Florida for violating his probation he was on from a January 30, 2006 arrest. On February 21, 2008 he was found not guilty. On February 26, 2008, a motion to terminate probation in Orange County, Florida was denied.
* March 31, 2008: Henry was alleged to have punched a man named Gregory Meyer, 18, and thrown a beer bottle through the window of his car. Henry claimed it was a case of mistaken identity and also that he thought it was somebody else that owed him money. Henry was waived by the Bengals a day after this arrest and was then forced to serve a house arrest sentence.
Yes, he and Pacman Jones must have made quite a pair when they were both at West Virginia.
What should be added here is that on August 18, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who had previously said that he had no interest in Henry, took him back when the team suffered multiple injuries to receivers in training camp. Certainly that’s a good example for the youngsters out there. Maybe Lewis took him back just so you could bet on him now.
Whatever the reason, get that bet in soon.
NUMBER OF GAME WINNING TWO POINT CONVERSIONS THIS SEASON:
Over/Under 2.5
— Please put me down for an “under.” No, Mike Shanahan is not starting a NFL trend. Even though the odds might be better on getting the two-point conversion than they are in kicking the extra point, going to overtime, winning the coin toss, and being the first to score, try telling that to a coach who could be fired for it the next day. As one commentator this past week put it (I think it was Mike Tirico), “You better have your name carved into your office door if you’re going to do that.”
WHEN WILL LANE KIFFEN BE FIRED?
Week 3: 5/1
Week 4: 6/1
Week 5: 2/1
Week 6: 7/1
Week 7: 4/1
Later: 10/1
— It can’t avoid happening, can it? I mean, you just know the Raiders are going to lose some games. But when will the axe actually fall? Well, I don’t think it’s going to happen after this week’s contest with Buffalo, because I think the Raiders will be competitive in that game. But it just may happen after the September 28 game against San Diego, which would be Week 4 and right before the bye week. Now my question is this: if Kiffin gets canned on the Monday following the game, does that bring us into Week 5? Apparently the guys at BetUS are on the same page as me, because they have it pegged at 2/1.
WHO WILL BE FIRED FIRST – SCOTT LINEHAN OR LANE KIFFIN?
Scott Linehan: 10/1
Lane Kiffin: 3/2
— This is actually a good question. You know, so much of the focus has been on Kiffin getting jettisoned that not enough has been paid to Linehan. I know that one long-time NFL exec told me before the season that Linehan shouldn’t have been a head coach in the first place and that he would certainly be the first one fired. The Rams should be doing better; there is no doubt about that. And they are losing in embarrassing fashion. Whether they’ll embarrass themselves again versus Seattle is another question. Buffalo comes to town on Sept. 28, and if the Rams go to 0-4 after that, guess what? They’ve got a bye week! Then it becomes a race to see who can do the press conference first. Remember that St. Louis is two time zones earlier than Oakland. Hey – maybe it won’t happen that way, but at 10/1, there is some value in St. Louis.
WHEN WILL LADANIAN TOMLINSON HAVE HIS FIRST 100 YARD RUSHING WEEK?
Vs. NYJ: 3/1
Vs. OAK: 4/1
Vs. MIA: 3/2
Vs. NE: 20/1
— Don’t look now, but the Jet have yielded just 153 rushing yards in two games. That might not mean a lot, and L.T. will unquestionably be “suiting up” for Monday Night Football. But if you’re talking “likelihood,” try Oakland. The Raiders did a good job against Larry Johnson and the Chiefs last week (55 rushing yards – total), but Tomlinson has eaten them up over the course of his career. In 14 games against Oakland, he’s averaged 122 yards a game. Over the last three years it increases slightly, to 123.5 (and 5.5 yards per carry). So he’ll burn them again, and that will help get Lane Kiffin fired. See how that works?
WHO WILL FINISH THE SEASON WITH MORE RUSHING ATTEMPTS FOR THE PATRIOTS?
Lamont Jordan: 4/1
Lawrence Maroney: 3/2
Sammy Morris: 10/1
— This is not a bad question, and it is reflective of the fact that the Patriots do have some depth in their backfield, which will be of great assistance to quarterback Matt Cassel as they try to take as much pressure as possible off his shoulders. Jordan was acquired in the off-season, having been with the Raiders previously, and he did have the most carries in the game against the Jets. But ultimately the go-to guy is going to be Maroney, who, if his health allows, can be a workhorse and carry the load if need be. Down the stretch last season, he had a couple of 100-yard games, and had 122 in back-to-back performances in the AFC playoffs. Maroney provides more explosiveness than the other two guys, and the only thing that will hold Bill Belichick back is if he thinks the guy is going to get worn down if he plays too much.
