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Sports To Bet On (Week of November 12th, 2008)

Top games this week previewed by our cappers…Time to move on to a new week of betting opportunities. Football is in full swing…

Sports Betting Games of the Week – November 12

A post-election lull has swept over the United States. All those man-hours spent fixated on polls and pundits have to be diverted elsewhere. Excellent timing, because college basketball is here. Preseason tournaments are underway; there are a lot of cupcakes on the menu, but this is when sharp handicappers swoop in and get fat.

We’ll add more college hoops as the season wears on. For now, we feature the No. 1 team in the preseason rankings in our Top 5 betting games of the week (all times Eastern; for current lines, visit Bodoglife.com).

1. NFL: N.Y. Jets at New England (Thursday, 8:15 p.m.)

The NFL Network doesn’t have the greatest live football broadcasts out there, but that’s entirely forgivable considering the quality of analysis and ridiculously comprehensive coverage we get out of them the rest of the time. The Jets and Patriots are tied for the AFC East lead at 6-3. The Jets have won five of six as they get familiar with Brett Favre at quarterback; the Pats are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four with Matt Cassel at the switch. In Week 2, New England beat New York 19-10 as a 1-point road chalk. But the Patriots will be without LB Adalius Thomas for the rematch and the rest of the year due to a broken forearm.

Get all your NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.

2. NCAAF: No. 17 North Carolina at Maryland (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)

The college football scene is a little quieter this week; the most intriguing game features the underappreciated Tar Heels (7-2 SU, 5-3 ATS) against the Terrapins (6-3 SU, 4-4 ATS). Maryland fell out of the Top 25 after a brief two-week stay by losing 23-13 at Virginia Tech (-3). North Carolina has clawed its way back to No. 17 in the polls with wins at home over Boston College (+3) and Georgia Tech (+5.5). Brian Fremeau’s efficiency rankings had the Heels at No. 4 and the Terps at No. 56 heading into the weekend.

College football betting in Bodog’s online sportsbook.

3. NFL: Dallas at Washington (Sunday, 8:15 p.m.)

The most important rivalry in the NFL comes to Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys (5-4 SU, 3-6 ATS) and Redskins (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) have been going at it since Dallas joined the league in 1960. The Cowboys come out ahead on a regular basis at 56-37, although Washington is 2-0 in the playoffs. The ‘Skins (+10.5) took their most recent battle 26-24 in Week 4. That started a 2-4 SU (1-5 ATS) slide for Dallas. However, Tony Romo figures to be back at QB for the Cowboys, while Washington RB Clinton Portis (sprained knee) is said to be “50-50” for this NFC East matchup.

4. NBA: Atlanta at Boston (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)

This is a rematch of their thrilling first-round playoff battle, but with some notable differences on Atlanta’s side. Although Josh Childress is now playing in Greece, the Hawks have jumped out to a 5-0 start (4-1 ATS) and are the last undefeated team in the Eastern Conference. Boston won six of its first seven at 4-3 ATS and shows almost no weaknesses – but it’s early. Later in the season, Atlanta’s youth will be more of an advantage than it is now.

NBA odds from Bodog Sportsbook.

5. NCAAB: Pennsylvania at No. 1 North Carolina (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.)

You’ll recognize Pennsylvania as the usual Ivy League representative at the Big Dance. The Quakers have won the conference title seven of the last 10 seasons; they fell to third at 8-6 (13-18 overall, 10-14-2 ATS) in 2007 and were ranked No. 278 out of the 341 Division I teams by leading stathead Ken Pomeroy. Penn had to use a lot of freshmen last year and should compete once again for the Ivy League title. That improvement might not even register against a superior team like the Tar Heels. They beat Penn 106-71 last year on the road and 102-64 the year before at home, easily cashing in both times.

College basketball betting from Bodog Sportsbook.

Honorable Mentions

NFL: Baltimore at N.Y. Giants (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
NCAAF: California at No. 23 Oregon State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
NBA: New York at San Antonio (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.)
NCAAB: Toledo at No. 19 Florida (Friday, 6:00 p.m.)
NHL: Montreal at Boston (Thursday, 7:00 p.m.)
MMA: Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar, UFC 91 (Saturday, 11:45 p.m.)

 

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By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"