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NCAA Football Betting: Youngstown @ Penn State

Lionel Jefferson — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:21:06 +0000

The Youngstown State Penguins will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the season opener for both teams. This team will certainly have a heavy favorite as these two squads square off.

Check out NCAA Football Odds at Legends for all the matchups this weekend.

Penn State has been an established national power in college football for decades. Although they hit a rough spot a few years back it appears that Joe Paterno has led the team back to their winning tradition. Last season the Nittany Lions managed to win 11 of their 13 games that they took part in. The only two games that they lost were to Big Ten foes as they went 6-2 in the Big Ten last season.

The Penguins will have a tough matchup before them. The Penguins enjoyed a solid season in 2009 with a 6-5 record, but they never had to play against a team like Penn State. Last season the Penguins did not play against any teams ranked in the top 25. This season Penn State has a preseason ranking of number 19 and will be a real test for the Penguins.

Last year the Penguins managed a 4-4 record in the MVC. The MVC isn’t exactly a powerhouse conference by any means. The Penguins rarely face competition like this at their school.

The good news is that there is nothing to lose for Youngstown State. They are not expected to win this game. They will have the chance to put up a good showing or shock the world though as they take on Penn State.

NCAA College Football: Washington vs. BYU

Lionel Jefferson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:58:48 +0000

The Washington Huskies will take on the BYU Cougars in what should be one of the most heavily anticipated games of the week.

NCAAF Odds have the Cougars as a 2-point, -130 moneyline favorite and the over/under total at 57.

Washington did not perform well last season. They only managed to win 5 of their 12 total games on the season. Despite all of this, everyone is watching them and expecting big things. The reason comes in the form of their quarterback.

Jake Locker is seen as one of the top players in the nation. Many scouts look at him and expect him to be one of the top picks in the NFL Draft. Last season he had a solid year, throwing for 2800 yards and 21 touchdowns. He still has a lot of work to do however. The key for his draft position in the upcoming year will be whether or not he can step up. If he can step up the Huskies will be a threat against every team that they play.

BYU is a perennial contender to reach the top 25. They seem to find their way to the top 25 teams in the nation despite their preseason ranking. Although they are not ranked highly this year, you can expect them to put out a solid team as always.

BYU suffers from two weaknesses. They have always struggled against teams with a big, strong running back. That was evident as Florida State ran all over BYU last year. Secondly, their pass defense has always been suspect. The defensive backs for BYU are known for being burned on a regular basis. They cannot give up big plays if they hope to make their way up to the top 25 again this season.

Phillies try to halt skid; Cardinals look to extend streak

Bob Denver — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:11:38 +0000

The Philadelphia Phillies will try to stop a short losing skid while the St. Louis Cardinals will be trying to extend a winning streak when the teams clash in the second game of a three-game set Tuesday at Busch Stadium.

The Phillies (48-44 SU), are 5-5 SU in the past 10 games and are in danger of sliding out of the playoff race in the NL East division, as they are now in third place, six games behind the leading Atlanta Braves.

The Cardinals (52-41 SU) are in first in the NL Central, just a half-game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds.

The Cardinals are a -178 moneyline favorite for tonight’s tilt, and the over/under is 8 in Baseball Odds at Legends.

Albert Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and three runs batted in to lead the Cardinals past the Phillies 8-4 on Monday night. St. Louis cashed as -125 home favorites and the score went over the 9-run total.

Jon Jay was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Cardinals, as Brad Hawksworth allowed four runs over six innings to get the win for St. Louis. Shane Victorino knocked in two runs for Philadelphia, while losing pitcher Kyle Kendrick was rocked for seven runs over five innings for the Phillies.

Philadelphia will start lefty Jamie Moyer, who is 9-9 with a 4.88 ERA this season. St. Louis will counter with ace righthander Chris Carpenter, who is 10-3 with a 3.16 ERA.

World Cup Preview: Switzerland versus Honduras

Lionel Jefferson — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:06:06 +0000

Switzerland and Honduras conclude group play in what could be either team’s final World Cup match on June 25. The match will start at 2:30 pm ET and will take place at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

The Swiss are a -220 moneyline favorite and the over/under total is 2.5 in World Cup Odds at Legends.

The two teams are considered the bottom two teams of Group H. They play in the same division as tournament-favorite Spain and a Chile team considered to be a dark horse. However, if either team manages a win in their first two games, this match will possibly determine who gets to advance to the next round.

This match represents Honduras’s best chance at winning their first World Cup game in team history. They are in the World Cup for just the second time. The aging team qualified on the last day of CONCACAF’s hexagonal after a win over El Salvador. They have been unimpressive in recent friendlies, however, losing with its full squad in Turkey in March and losing at home to Venezuela.

Honduras’s inconsistency is matched by Switzerland. They qualified by topping a relatively easy qualifying group, but along the way they lost to Luxembourg at home. They have played in 16 matches against World Cup qualifiers since the last World Cup, and are 6-8-2 in those games.

Switzerland will hopefully have midfielder Alexander Frei back by the time they play this game. He sprained his ankle recently in the team’s final preparations before flying to South Africa. Currently, his status is up in the air as to whether he will play in the team’s opener against Spain but coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is optimistic that he will be recovered before the end of group play.

World Cup Preview: Chile vs. Spain

Bob Denver — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:32:49 +0000

The consensus top-two teams of Group H, Chile and Spain, meet up in the final match of group play on June 25. The match will take place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, at 2:30 PM ET.

Get odds for this match in World Cup Betting at Legends.

Heading into the tournament, this match appears to be Spain’s biggest challenge. Chile has put together a solid string of performances heading into the World Cup and is predicted to join Spain as the two teams to advance to the second round.

There are a few ingredients for Chile that may lead to an upset over Spain. They finished second in the 2010 South American qualifying campaign and displayed toughness by winning a number of matches on the road. Additionally, they are already accustomed to playing in the Southern Hemisphere seasons and high altitudes.

As impressive as Chile’s pre-World Cup campaign has been, it is dwarfed by Spain’s. The Euro 2008 winners won all 10 qualifiers and have lost just once in the past 47 games.

Spain will likely be favored to win this match but they are not a completely obvious pick. They have several key players, including Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, and Fernando Torres, who are battling injuries.

World Cup 2010: Group H – Switzerland

Bob Denver — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:57:43 +0000

World Ranking

24

Overview

Switzerland does not have much of a history in World Cup finals. Being a small country, it follows that it has a small talent pool to draw from. But the Swiss bucked the odds and one of the 13 European qualifying spots among the 53 participating nations.

The Swiss do have some good players, but there are no standouts to carry the team on his shoulders. Switzerland has to stick to what got them to South Africa, and that’s playing as a team.

Outlook

As mentioned, the Swiss need to stay unified and play as a team. Any thing else will surely lead to a quick dismissal from the 2010 World Cup. They have shown they can beat good teams when playing together.

That said, Switzerland will have to pull off some upsets to make it past the qualifying round. And an upset probably won’t occur in Switzerland’s first game against heavily favored Spain. The Swiss will need wins against Honduras and Chile to make it to the knockout round.

Key Players

There are Swiss players playing on top European clubs, but they do have some solid players nevertheless. Alexander Frei is a veteran who is injury prone and past the peak of his career, but has much-needed experience. Blaise Kufo is a Congo born striker that has been a great benefit to the Swiss national team.

Injuries

None to report.

Schedule

June 16 vs. Spain @ Durban

June 21 vs. Chile @ Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth

June 25 vs. Honduras @ Mangaung/Bloemfontein

Results

Please check back when games start.

Mariners look to start season 2-0

Bob Denver — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:38:03 +0000

The Seattle Mariners look for their second-straight win to start the 2010 MLB season when they play the second of a four-game set with the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.

Oakland is a -125 home favorite and the over/under total is 8.5 in MLB Betting Odds at Legends sportsbook.

Seattle will start righthander Ian Snell (ERA: 0.00 W/L: 0-0) while Oakland will counter with lefthander Dallas Braden (ERA: 0.00 W/L: 0-0).

Snell, acquired last season from the Pittsburgh Pirates, was 5-2 in 12 starts last season, including two wins against the Athletics.

Braden was 8-9 with a 3.89 ERA for Oakland a year ago before a foot infection knocked him out for the season.

Seattle won its fourth straight season opener on Monday, beating the Aâ€™s 5-3. The Mariners were led by Casey Kotchman, who drove in four runs including a two-run single in the ninth inning that put the Mariners on top.

Seattle starter Felix Hernandez allowed three hits and three runs, while walking six and striking out four over 6 2/3 innings.

Brad Ziegler suffered the loss for the Athletics after relieving starting righthander Ben Sheets, who missed all of last season recovering from elbow surgery.

Ryan Sweeney, Cliff Pennington and Rajai Davis led the Aâ€™s, driving in runs with singles.

No. 8 Oregon State favored over No. 15 BYU in Las Vegas Bowl

Bob Denver — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:35:04 +0000

The Brigham Young Cougars, ranked 15^th in the nation, take on the No. 8 Oregon State Beavers in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl on Tuesday (8:05 pm ET, ESPN).

Oregon State is a -130 moneyline, 2.5-point favorite and the over/under total is 58.5 in College Football Bowl Odds at Legends sportsbook.

The teams have never faced each other. This is the first Top 25 matchup of this season’s bowl games.

In their last game, Cougars quarterback Max Hall found Andrew George for a game-winning touchdown, giving BYU a 26-23 win over Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Week 13.

Utah covered as an 8.5-point road underdog while the final score played under the 56.5-point total.

Oregon State was defeated 37-33 by Oregon in Week 14 as a 9.5-point underdog. The score eclipsed the total of 63.

Sean Canfield threw for 306 yards with a pair of touchdowns in that loss.

BYU was 10-2 SU and 5-7 ATS this season while Oregon State went 8-4 SU and 7-4 ATS.

BYU is 8-2 SU when facing opponents outside the Mountain West Conference while Oregon State is 6-4 SU.

BYU is 8-1 SU in its last nine games but has had big trouble against the point spread, going 6-15 ATS in its last 21 games. By contrast, Oregon State is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games.

On the injury front, BYU will be without CB Brian Logan, who is out indefinitely with a hand injury. Oregon State will be without WR Darrell Catchings, who also is out indefinitely with a hand injury.

Utes, Cougars clash in Top 25 NCAAF matchup

Lionel Jefferson — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:04:59 +0000

Here’s a preview of three big matchups in Week 13 of the NCAA Football season, with Legends College Football Betting Odds highlighted:

Utah Utes (+7.5) @ BYU Cougars (-7.5)

(Saturday, 5:00 pm ET)

Believe it or not, this is the only match-up of the week pitting two Top 25 teams against each other. It may not be the biggest game, hence no national TV audience, but it might be one of the best. Both teams can really play. Both are 9-2, but both have struggled ATS, Utah is 4-7 while the Cougars are 6-5. Utah is ranked 19th in the country while BYU is 15th. Utah has failed against top-level opponents but played well against Oregon. BYU got killed by TCU and FSU, but beat Oklahoma in Week 1.

Washington State Cougars (+25) @ Washington Huskies (-25)

(Saturday, 6:30 pm ET)

You can saw what you want about these two schools having a 4-17 combined record, or how WSU is one of the worst teams in college football history, or how the Huskies are good at finding ways to lose. But the Apple Cup is here! And rivalry games are what college sports are all about. This is the largest spread between these two in the last 10 years, by nearly double. It’s the largest I can remember. Half the Cougars’ starting team is questionable. Washington State has won 4 of the last 5, including upset wins in each of the last two. 59% of the public likes the Huskies as the line has moved 2 points in almost every book.Â

Arkansas Razorbacks (+3.5) @ LSU Tigers (-3.5)

(Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, ESPN)Â

Arkansas has lost 2 of their last 3 including last week’s heavily criticized loss to Mississippi where the Tigers spiked the ball at the 4 yard line, effectively running out the clock and sealing their fate. The Razorbacks have won 2 of the last 3 against LSU, covering in 3 of the last 4. The road team has won 3 of the last 5, but just 3 of the last 10 overall. Arkansas has won 4 straight coming in, outscoring opponents greater than 2 to 1. An upset may be on the horizon.

Thursday NCAA Football features rare Top 25 matchup

Bob Denver — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:03:06 +0000

Rarely do two ranked teams meet up on Thursday Night Football, and this just happens to be one of those special occasions.

The No. 21 Nebraska Cornhuskers and their 3-1 SU record visit undefeated, 24^th-ranked Missouri Tigers, who this week earned a spot in the top 25 for the first time this year (9 pm ET, ESPN).Â Â

Missouri is a big 17-point favorite and the over/under is 52.5 in NCAA Football Odds.

Both teams average around 450 yards offensively, Missouri a little more, Nebraska a little less. Defensively, the Cornhuskers allow just 285 yards per game compared to Missouriâ€™s 352 yards per contest. Both teams have out-gained their opponent in every single game theyâ€™ve played this year. That will change for one of these teams.Â

Both teams have been great against the spread this season, Missouri is 3-1 during their undefeated start while Nebraska has yet to lose ATS, going 4-0 to start the season. Combined, these two teams are 2-6 O/U so far this season.

Missouri has ousted Nebraska in 3 of the last 4 match-ups between these two schools. And it hasnâ€™t been pretty. Over the last two seasons, Missouri has outscored the Cornhuskers 93-23.Â Missouriâ€™s Sophomore quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, has yet to throw an interception while tossing 11 touchdowns in 4 games. Nebraskaâ€™s Zac Lee has also been good, completing 65% of his passes with 7 TD passes and just 3 INTs.

The Tigers best win came at Nevada. The Cornhuskers went to Virginia Tech and lost by just a point to the Hokies, but their best win is probably Arkansas State. Needless to say, neither team is what youâ€™d consider proven at this point.

54% of the public bets are coming in on Nebraska. The spread has really been on the move, starting out at (-1) for the Cornhuskers, and moving past a field goal to (-3.5).