Legends Sports

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: UC Davis vs. California

bailea07 — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:13:59 +0000

The University of California Golden Bears will take on the UC Davis Aggies to kick off the season. This should be a matchup that triggers a lot of excitement within the state of California.

In universities like this that have branches in different areas there are often debates as to what schools are better than other. This game should give bragging rights to whichever team comes out on top in this season opener.

Check out NCAAF Lines at Legends for all the matchups this weekend.

Although it sounds like a good story, there is a clear favorite entering the game. The Golden Bears are a solid, consistent football team out of the Pac-10. They are perennial contenders to make it into the top 25 and challenge for the Pac-10 title. Last season the Golden Bears managed to win 8 games on the season to go along with their 5 losses. This doesn’t sound like an amazing record, but they did show that they could keep up with top level teams.

Last season they managed to go 2-2 in their matchups against teams in the top 25. This is an excellent indicator that the Golden Bears have enough talent and discipline to stick with the best teams out there. The key for the Golden Bears will be consistency in all of their games this season.

The Aggies are a D-1AA independent team. They had a solid season last year, posting a 6-5 record. This game will be their opportunity to make a difference in their school’s outlook on football. By sneaking away a victory they could make a lot of noise. The key will be forcing turnovers.

This should be an entertaining instate matchup.

College Football Betting: Western Kentucky vs. Nebraska

Lionel Jefferson — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:03:02 +0000

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers to kick off the 2010 season on Saturday.

It is tradition for the top teams in the nation to have a few games like this in order to pad their stats on the season. By ever viewpoint it appears that Nebraska would have to have an absolute disaster occur in order for it to drop this game.

And the discrepancies between the teams are reflected in the betting line: The Cornhuskers are 37.5-point favorites in College Football Betting at Legends.

Western Kentucky simply did not have a successful team last season. They managed to lose every game they played last year. This sort of thing can be changed over time, but it is hard to get enough talent in just one year to overturn a program that loses every game.

This being said, they will have a difficult time playing against Nebraska. Nebraska is ranked 8th in the nation entering the season and they believe they are in the National Championship hunt.

Nebraska won 10 games last season. They play in the Big 12, which sports 3 great teams this year. Each of these teams knows they need to put away teams like Western Kentucky in impressive fashion if they hope to win the conference and the title. It is likely that if Nebraska, Oklahoma or Texas is able to go undefeated through their conference that they will have a great shot at the National Title.

The game will start at 7 pm Eastern Time. Tune in to see if Nebraska is everything that they are cracked up to be entering the season.

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.

NCAA Football: Villanova vs. Temple

bailea07 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:31:59 +0000

The Villanova Wildcats will square off against the Temple Owls to start the 2010 College Football season on Friday. These two teams are coming off of great seasons and look to start things off right in 2010.

Check out College Football Odds at Legends for all the latest betting lines for Week 1 matchups.

The Villanova Wildcats had a spectacular season in 2010. The Wildcats managed to win an incredible 14 games last season while only losing once. This is significant because there are tons of teams around the nation that do not even play 14 games on the season. The Wildcats managed to enter the field with confidence week in and week out last season. They hope to start things off with the same mentality in 2010.

The Temple Owls came off of a very solid season in 2010. The Owls won 9 of their 13 contests on the season. They were particularly dominant in the MAC as they went 7-1 on the season in the MAC. The big thing for the Owls in 2010 is proving that they can win games outside of their conference. While they were excellent within their conference they only managed to win 2 of their 5 games outside of the conference.

These sorts of statistics suggest that Temple may be a team that feeds on the lower level competition within their conference.

This matchup should be a good one as these teams square off. Villanova will be trying to get national attention with another big season as the Owls will try to show everyone that they can win games outside of their conference.

NFL Odds: Cardinals favored over Redskins

bailea07 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:58:30 +0000

The Washington Redskins and the Arizona Cardinals close out their NFL Preseason schedules when they meet Thursday at the University of Phoenix Stadium (10 pm ET, NFL Network).

Arizona is a 6-point favorite and the over/under total is 37 in NFL Odds at Legends.

As weak as the Redskins have been the past few seasons, they have definitely had the Cardinals’ number head-to-head. Washington is a dominating 9-1 straight up and 7-3 against the point spread in the past 10 meetings.

The teams last squared off on Sept. 21, 2008, when the Redskins prevailed 24-17, cashing as a 3-point home favorite. The score went under the total of 43.5. Seven of the past 10 meetings have gone under.

Washington was a lousy 4-12 SU and 6-8-2 ATS last season, while Arizona went 10-6 SU and 9-7 ATS, winning the NFC West division.
In the NFL Playoffs, the Cardinals beat the Green Bay Packers in a thrilling 51–45 overtime victory in the Wild Card round, then were blown out 45-14 by eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in the NFC divisional round.

The Redskins last game was last Friday when they visited the New York Jets and picked up a 16-11 win. The Cardinals last played on Saturday, a 14-9 win against the Chicago Bears.

MLB: Phillies, Dodgers open series

Bob Denver — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:05:26 +0000

The Philadelphia Phillies go for their fourth-straight win on Monday when they open a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium (10:10 pm ET, FOX).

Philadelphia is a -142 moneyline favorite and the over/under total is at 6.5 in MLB Odds at Legends.

Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in the past six meetings, five of which have gone over the total.

The Phillies will start ace righthander Roy Halladay, who is 16-9 this season with a 2.22 ERA. The Dodgers will counter with righthander Hiroki Kuroda, who is 9-11 with a 3.56 ERA so far this season.

Philadelphia is atop the National Wild Card standings, 1.5 games up on the San Francisco Giants, and also is just two games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL east division.

The Phillies are coming off a three-game sweep of the NL West-leading San Diego, wrapping it up with a 5-0 win as a -110 favorite on Sunday. The score went under the over/under total of 6.5.

Cole Hamels pitched eight shutout innings, allowing four hits while striking out six for Philadelphia and Mike Sweeney hit a two-run home run in the win.

The Dodgers lost to Colorado 10-5 as a +120 underdog on Sunday, with the 15 runs going well over the total of 8.5.

Ryan Theriot drove in two runs for the Dodgers and Ted Lilly was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits in four innings.

Philadelphia (73-57 SU) has won three straight games. Los Angeles (67-64 SU) has lost two straight games.

NCAA Football: Rhode Island vs. Buffalo

Lionel Jefferson — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:04:50 +0000

Rhode Island Rams and Buffalo Bulls square off in the season opener of the 2010 NCAA Football season on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010. These teams will square off having had an entire offseason to prepare for the game that will come.

Check out NCAA Football Odds at Legends for all the latest lines for Week 1 of the 2010 College Football season.

Season opening games are always quite important. The way you start a season could start a trend that will dictate the way your team will play throughout the entire season. By starting off with a solid win your team could have a chance to gain the momentum necessary to go on a streak.

Starting off the season with a loss could be equally effective in starting a streak, but this streak would be in the wrong direction. This sort of game is huge, especially for teams like this. Neither one of these teams has really shown reason for us to consider them as major contenders. Without a reputation to carry them they will need a solid start to compete in their conference.

Last year Buffalo was 5-7 on the season. They certainly hope to improve on that record this season. They will have a good chance as they face off against Rhode Island. Rhode Island was a team that struggled badly last year. They managed to win just one game on the entire season.

Rhode Island will need a win early in the season if they hope to turn the tide around. Another poor start could be devastating and could lead them into another 1-10 season. Thursday will show us what each team is made of.

NFL: Colts @ Packers on ESPN

bailea07 — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:58:21 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts visit the Green Bay Packers in a nationally televised NFL exhibition game Thursday (8 pm ET, ESPN).

NFL Betting at Legends has the Packers as a 3.5-point favorite and the over/under total at 44.5.

Indianapolis and Green Bay are both 2-2 straight up and against the point spread over the past four meetings, the last coming two seasons ago when the Packers dumped the Colts 34-14, covering the spread as a 1-point home underdog.

Indianapolis is still looking for its first preseason win, as the Colts dropped their opener 37-17 to the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 15, and then lost 34-21 against the Buffalo Bills last Thursday.

The Packers lost their preseason opener 27-24 against the visiting Cleveland Browns on Aug. 14, but then followed that up with a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday at Qwest Field.

Indianapolis was 14-2 straight up and 10-6 against the point spread in 2009. The Colts won the AFC South division title for the sixth time in the past seven years.

Green Bay was 11-5 SU and 11-4-1 ATS and finished second in the NFC North division behind the Minnesota Vikings.

NCAA College Football Season Preview: Mississippi Rebels

Bob Denver — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:53 +0000

Since taking over as head coach of the Mississippi Rebels in 2008, Houston Nutt has led the Rebels to back-to-back nine-win seasons and appearances in New Years Day bowls. But this is the year that will ultimately define what kind of coach Nutt is, as he has benefited from the solid recruiting job done by his predecessor Ed Orgeron.

Ole Miss has undergone quite the turnover from last season, losing 27 letterman from the 2009 season. Eight offensive starters and five defensive starters will need to be replaced.

On offense, the Rebels lost their best quarterback, receiver, and running back. Coach Nutt will have to play the 2010 season with a first-year quarterback. Possible starters include sophomore Nathan Stanley, redshirt freshman Raymond Cotton and junior college transfer Randall Mackey. Stanley appears to have the edge.

Brandon Bolden will remain as the Rebels traditional tailback. He had decent numbers last season – 1,169 yards and eight touchdowns – but has lost weight over the offseason and appears to be in better shape.

Defense has been Ole Miss’s key to success the last two seasons, but it will be even more important in 2010. With a new quarterback at the helm, the defense can do him big favors by preventing him from playing from behind. Returning senior players like Kentrell Lockett, Jerrell Powe and Ted Laurent will have big responsibilities on defense this year. Of their nine wins in 2009, they allowed more than 20 points just once.

As members of the consistently brutal SEC, Ole Miss will have their work cut out for them as they add new faces to the team’s game plan. However, The Rebels have a relatively easy schedule to open up the season (Jacksonville State, Tulane, Vanderbilt and Fresno State are their first four games). That may be an advantage as new players get acquainted to college football.

Check out College Football Odds for Week 1 of the 2010 season.