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Sports To Bet On (Week of December 2, 2008)

Top games this week previewed by our cappers…Time to move on to a new week of betting opportunities. De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao on tap this week, and football is in full swing…

Sports Betting Games To Bet On – December 2

Black Friday (and its online counterpart, Cyber Monday) signaled the start of yet another holiday shopping season. The handicapping world is also in overdrive this month. We’ve got pro and college football, pro and college hoops, and a healthy dose of hockey to get us through December – not to mention the latest superfight from the boxing ring. These are our Top 5 betting games of the week (all times Eastern; for current lines, visit Bodog’s online sportsbook).

1. NCAAF: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Florida (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.)

College football isn’t nearly as busy this week, but they’re making up for it in quality. This matchup is for the SEC title, with the winner also going to the BCS Championship game in Miami. Alabama (12-0 SU, 9-3 ATS) will be the underdog despite playing in front of what should be a partisan crowd at the Georgia Dome. That’s how impressive Florida (11-1 SU, 9-2 ATS) has been over the past two months, bagging the cash in blowout fashion every game. Then again, Alabama covered this matchup when they met in 2005 and 2006.

College football lines in Bodog’s online sportsbook.

2. NFL: Dallas at Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:15 p.m.)

Both these teams have their flaws, but it’s all good for now. Dallas (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS) hasn’t missed a step since Tony Romo retuned to duty, going 3-0 SU and ATS and rebounding to 8-1 on the Super Bowl futures market. The Steelers (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) are also on a three-game winning streak at 2-1 ATS; however, they’re 2-4 ATS at Heinz Field this year, and Dallas will have CB Adam Jones back in the lineup – a key contributor on punt returns as well. Pittsburgh’s best ally: a 35-percent chance of snow. Dallas played its last two games at home.

NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.

3. NCAAF: No. 19 Missouri vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (Saturday, 8:00 p.m.)

The Big 12 title game is something of an anticlimax. All the action this year was in the South; although the Sooners (11-1 SU, 9-2 ATS) finished behind No. 3 Texas in the AP poll, they’re No. 2 where it counts – on the BCS computers. A win Saturday will ensure a shot at the national championship for OU. But it’s hardly a given. They’ll meet on neutral ground at Arrowhead, where near-freezing temperatures are expected under clear skies. Sooners QB Sam Bradford will play with an injured non-throwing hand, and starting LB Austin Box is out with a sprained left knee. OU is 5-0 SU and 2-3 ATS in this matchup since 2002.

4. NBA: Phoenix at Dallas (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)

Once again, even if LeBron James thinks Charles Barkley is stupid, we feature the opening game of Thursday’s TNT doubleheader. Phoenix (11-7 SU, 8-10 ATS) is in a bit of a funk at 3-4 SU and 2-5 ATS; Steve Nash’s considerable skills are underused in the new Phoenix system, and Nash is also dealing with a thigh contusion that kept him out of Friday’s loss to the Miami Heat. Dallas (8-8 SU and ATS) is back up off the canvas, erasing a horrible start by going 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven. And the Mavs have been doing it without Josh Howard – he was expected to return from a sprained ankle on Tuesday.

NBA betting in the Bodog Sportsbook.

5. Boxing: Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao (Saturday, 11:00 p.m.)

Pacquiao is the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but he’s also a +150 underdog versus the Golden Boy. That’s partly attributable to De La Hoya’s popularity, but also to the extra 30 pounds he’ll be carrying in this 147-pound welterweight fight. Pacquiao is a lightweight; his last fight (a TKO of David Diaz in June) at 134.5 pounds was his heaviest of a career that started in the flyweight division. De La Hoya is four inches taller with a six-inch reach advantage. This is a considerable advantage for the favorite in a matchup of smaller fighters.

Honorable Mentions

NFL: Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
NCAAF: Navy at Army (Saturday, 12:00 p.m.)
NBA: San Antonio at Denver (Thursday, 10:30 p.m.)
NCAAB: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Michigan State (Wednesday, 9:15 p.m.)
NHL: Vancouver at Detroit (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.)
Soccer: Fulham at Manchester City (Saturday, 7:45 a.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!"