Defensive linemen in the trenches always have a tough job, as they know that they are going to get beat up play in and play out in the quest to take down the man with the football. Here’s our list of the Top 10 defensive linemen in the NFL in 2012 that can’t be missed here at Bankroll Sports.

1: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings: It almost seems like it was really quiet last year when Allen had 22 sacks. It goes without saying that he is one of the best pass rushers in the game, knowing that he can get off the edge with a fury. Knowing how little teams really had to pass against the Vikes last year seeing how bad they were, it is amazing that Allen was able to get this many sacks. He clearly isn’t a one-trick pony either, as he had 66 total tackles, many of which came in the running game.

2: Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens: Being in the middle of a 3-4 is usually not a very sexy position, but Ngata plays it well and feels like he is always in the middle of the action. This is a huge monster of a man, and Ngata is a man that draws all sorts of attention from interior offensive linemen. Quite frequently, at least two of the three interior offensive linemen are thinking about Ngata, and that opens up the rest of the defenders in an aggressive defense to come in for pressure on the quarterback as well.

3: Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions: Suh might be overrated, but he is still a beast. He gets to the quarterback, and he has a massive mean streak about him. Sure, it gets him into trouble sometimes, but if he can ever just channel that rage on positives instead of all of the excess stuff, Suh will be the best in the game. He had just four sacks last year, but Suh is a game changer. And heck, he can even kick extra points for Detroit if needed, too!

4: Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants: Remember when George Selvie was considered one of the best pass rushers in the game, yet it was his teammate, Pierre-Paul that ended up being a first round pick in the NFL Draft? The Giants know that they got a steal with JPP, and he has really turned out to be a monster off the edge. Pierre-Paul has size and strength, and he is also a suitable run stopper along the defensive front as well.

5: Mario Williams, Buffalo Bills: For what the Bills are paying Williams, he had better turn out to be one of the best defensive linemen in the league this year. The former Houston Texan suffered a brutal injury after just five games last year and was never heard from again, but he is healthy now and should be as quick as ever off of the line of scrimmage. Williams is a terror in general, and he routinely was amongst the sack leaders in the league before getting hurt. There’s just no reason to think that that is changing any time in the near future.

6: Justin Smith, San Francisco 49ers: There are a heck of a lot of great defensive players on the 49ers, but this is one of the best of the bunch. Smith is a defensive tackle that can line up all across the 3-4 front and still be effective. He had 58 tackles last year and tied for the league lead for defensive tackles in sacks with 7.5. Smith is a veteran and knows what he is doing, and he was quietly one of the leaders for what turned out to be a remarkable defense in 2011.

7: Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions: Avril doesn’t get a lot of respect on this Detroit defensive line, but perhaps he should. He had 11 sacks last year, but more importantly, he forced six fumbles and had four pass deflections. Avril scored two touchdown as well, proving once again that he has a great nose for the football. Suh is the big name, but Avril gets the stats and is an incredibly talented lineman.

8: Jason Babin, Philadelphia Eagles: Here we do have a one-trick pony, as Babin really is totally useless against the run. However, he can get off the end in a hurry for the Eagles, and quite often, he is the fastest one into the backfield to get after opposing quarterbacks. Babin has been wildly inconsistent over the years, but he turned in a great campaign in 2011 with 18 sacks, and it is hard to leave him off of this list.

9: Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos: When we talk about linebackers, Von Miller’s name will come up for the Broncos, but here, we have a man in Dumervil that really has turned himself into a beast all over the defense. He can be a down linemen or an up man in a 3-4 outside rush and be just as effective either way. Denver knows that it has a real stud on its hands here with Dumervil, as he was the perfect man to start to build this defense around.

10: Chris Long, St. Louis Rams: Howie Long’s little boy had a lot of expectations in his career when he came out of the University of Virginia to the Rams four years ago. He only has 31 sacks for his career, but he had 13 of those last season and nine the year before. Long might finally be in a system in which he can succeed, and he has a nose for the football in general. He has a long way to go to really live up to that No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft that St. Louis spent on him, but Long is at least in the discussion as one of the Top 10 defensive linemen in football right now.

The tight end position has been one of the most talked about positions over the course of the last few years, especially in fantasy football. However, it takes a lot more than just pass catching abilities to be one of the best tight ends in football, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a look at the Top 10 tight ends in the NFL for 2012.

1: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: There is simply no denying just how good Gronk is. He has huge hands, he is quick off the line of scrimmage, and he is impossible to jam. He’ll be out in the route in a hurry, and if QB Tom Brady gets the ball anywhere near him, Gronkowski is going to get it. It can’t be expected that Gronk is going to be the league leader in touchdown grabs every single year, but as long as the rapport between him and Brady remains strong, there’s no reason that he shouldn’t be one of the best tight ends in the league.

2: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints: Graham has already told the media that he is never going to be catching passes from a quarterback not named Drew Brees in his career. That’s a bold statement to make considering just how much younger Graham is than his quarterback, but it is also a testament to just how well these two work together. Graham was one of the least heralded tight ends out of Miami in the most recent wave of tight ends to come from “The U,” but he has already eclipsed what any of the others have been able to do. This is one of the best receivers in the whole league, and he is built like a linebacker, not a receiver.

3: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers: The big problem that Gates has in his career is that he just can’t stay healthy. However, he is a basketball player by trade, and he is still a true power forward when he is in the middle of the field. Gates has lined up on the outside as well at receiver, and he has the speed to be able to get the job done out there as well. With WR Vincent Jackson now gone, if Gates can stay on the field (and yes, we know that that is a big, big “if”), he could easily be a 1,200-yard receiver once again.

4: Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers: Finley is often overlooked as one of the best tight ends in football because of the offense that he plays in. Yes, Finley doesn’t get the looks of WR Jordy Nelson or WR Greg Jennings, but there are still plenty of passes that come his way. He had eight touchdowns and 767 receiving yards last year, but in terms of talent, the sky truly is the limit. There is no challenging what Finley can do for the Packers if QB Aaron Rodgers looks his way more.

5: Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers: When Davis was drafted by the Niners, he was brought into be a physical monster. There have been moments that he has done some things that just make you go, “Wow!” He has had some spats with his coaches though, most notably the one with Mike Singletary a few years ago. However, Davis had 792 yards and six scores for the 49ers last year, and he was the favorite target at times of QB Alex Smith. In a safe offense, you need a good safety valve, and it doesn’t get much better than what Davis brings to the table with his huge hands and ability to leap out of the building.

6: Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons: Gonzalez is the standard for what tight ends have to live up to in their career. He is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer, and he is still producing, even at the age of 36. Gonzo has caught nearly 1,200 passes, and he’ll get to 14,000 receiving yards this year for his career in all likelihood, not to mention the 95 trips to the end zone. Even last year, Gonzalez had 80 catches, 875 yards, and seven scores, proving that he can still be a threat. His speed is down, and his leaping abilities aren’t what they once were, but Gonzalez is still an athletic freak of a tight end.

7: Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions: Part of Pettigrew’s success has been because of the offense that he is in, and part of the reason that the Lions throw the ball so much is because he can’t block. But as a receiver, we just can’t deny how good Pettigrew really is. He is a red zone threat because he is 6’6″, but more importantly, he is used as a short option in the middle of the field or on the sidelines when WR Calvin Johnson isn’t available for QB Matt Stafford. Pettigrew knows his role, and he knows it well, and he’ll have another 700+ yards this year for sure.

8: Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots: Hernandez was picked in the same draft as Gronkowski was, and though he hasn’t quite paid the same type of dividends, he is a different type of player. Hernandez is a better blocker than Gronk is, and he is a better threat around the line of scrimmage. The former Florida Gator has no problems carrying the ball or being a lead blocker, and to top it all off, he has great hands and solid speed as well. Without Hernandez on his opposite side, Gronkowski wouldn’t be so open, because linebackers and safeties have to pay attention to Hernandez as well.

9: Owen Daniels, Houston Texans: Daniels fell off the face of the earth last year as a receiver in Houston, but what we have to remember is that QB Matt Schaub was out for quite some time, and TE Joel Dreessen and FB/TE James Casey stole a lot of his touches. Still, in Houston, they’ll tell you that this is a man that blocks like there is no tomorrow, and he has a tendency of just finding ways to get open for Schaub. There’s a certain knack to Daniels that we like, and he could be in for a great year in 2012.

10: Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers: Apologies go out to Dustin Keller, Brent Celek, and Fred Davis, all of which were left off this list, but we still think that Miller is a tight end that is always overlooked. The former Virginia Cavalier set all sorts of records for receptions and receiving yards in college, and he came to the pros and became a vicious blocker as well. Miller can block in space, and on the line of scrimmage, and it isn’t his fault that he is utilized this way. Now that Todd Haley has taken over the offense though, we think that Miller could again become a big part of the passing game. Remember that this is a man that caught 76 passes just three years ago.

Whether it be the art of the interception, the thrill of the corner blitz, or the style involved with coming up to defend the run, defensive backs have to do just about everything in the NFL. Here’s our list of the Top 10 defensive backs in the NFL, including some of the best defensive players in the entire league.

1: Darrell Revis, New York Jets: Being on Revis Island definitely isn’t a place that you want to be. It happens to be that Revis’ numbers keep going down year after year, but that’s a testament to the fact that no one is throwing the ball his way. It is legitimately impossible for even the best quarterback to get the job done with his best receiver, and Revis really takes half of the field away. This is definitely one of the best corners in the league, and it is most certainly one of the most explosive defensive players in the NFL as well.

2: Nnamdi Asomugha, Philadelphia Eagles: Asomugha is another one of these players that just doesn’t get the stats that you would figure thanks to the fact that he just doesn’t get thrown at. It was a bit of a frustrating first season last year in the City of Brotherly Love for Asomugha, as he is under a lot more pressure now than he was when he was with Oakland. Still, this is a great corner that has massive shutdown skills, and he has a chance to become the best corner in the league with some more work.

3: Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns: There aren’t a lot of these draft picks that have worked out for the Browns over the course of the last few years, but Haden is most certainly one of them. The former Florida Gator is quietly becoming one of the best cover corners in the league, and he tends to have a nose for the football. We might be overrating Haden just a bit, but we think that he is one of the best kept secrets that the league has to offer.

4: Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens: Reed is probably at the tail end of his career, but quarterbacks still think twice when they throw the ball in his direction. The former Miami Hurricane still has this uncanny ability to jump the snap count, and it feels like five or six times per year that he gets into the backfield before a quarterback is even able to take three steps. He’ll help in the run and the pass, and he has this swagger about him. Reed is still absolutely one of the best defensive backs in the NFL.

5: Johnathan Joseph, Houston Texans: For years and years, the Texans really struggled to get cornerbacks to be able to stick with some of the big receivers in the AFC South. Now, they finally have one. Joseph was a Pro Bowler last year, and he is already the best defensive back that Houston has ever had. Joseph had four interceptions last year, and though that wasn’t one of the best marks in the league, his corner skills are definitely out of this world at this point.

6: Kyle Arrington, New England Patriots: The New England secondary is a gambling unit, and it is a unit that has been taught to do whatever it can to get the ball back in QB Tom Brady’s hands. Not only did Arrington end up with 88 tackles last year, but he also tied for the league lead with seven picks to boot. In terms of sheer talent, Arrington might not quite bit there at this point. However, he is a gambler and really can change a game, and often times, he does just that.

7: Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers: The Green Bay defense had a brutal year in 2011, and part of it might have been Woodson’s transition from corner to safety. Still, the Packers know that they are going to have to get the job done on this side of the ball at some point, and Woodson is likely the man that can turn the whole thing around. He is aging for sure, but his covering abilities are still outstanding, especially for a safety.

8: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Pittsburgh defense isn’t quite as good as it has been over the course of the last few years, but Polamalu is still the MVP of this unit, which is still one of the nastiest in the league. Just like Reed, Polamalu is a future Hall of Famer, and he is really one of the emotional cogs of this unit. The argument could be made that Ryan Clark is the best DB of the bunch, but we still think that Polamalu is the most important player this year for the Steelers.

9: Carlos Rogers, San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers took a massive jump last year to be one of the best defenses in the league. Rogers has been around now for a few years, but it looks like he really has a home now in San Francisco. He never really found a home with the Redskins, but playing next to a ferocious front seven, the former Auburn Tiger really has had the ability to get the job done.

10: Drayton Florence, Detroit Lions: The Lions haven’t had a great corner over the course of the last several years, but bringing in Florence is the hope that this franchise has to get the job done. He had 17 picks over the course of the first seven years of his career, and Florence is still one of the best cover corners that the league has to offer. He’ll be a key cog for Detroit this year, and if he doesn’t end up getting the job done, this could be yet another year in which the Lions really have no choice but to outscore everyone in shootouts.

The ACC Coastal Division is always one that is tight all season long, and college football matchups like this one tend to go a long way in deciding which team is going to go to the ACC Championship Game later in the year. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Virginia Tech Hokies might be decided right at the outset of the season, as they are going to be duking it out with one another on the first Monday night of the season, as the two get started on Labor Day. Don’t miss our Labor Day NCAA football picks for this crucial clash in the ACC!

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Picks & Info
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Date: Monday, September 3rd
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Spread: Virginia Tech Hokies -7

The Ramblin’ Wreck averaged 316.6 yards per game last year on the ground, and obviously with the triple option attack, they’ll be up there again this year. They got 243 yards last year against the Hokies, but that wasn’t nearly enough, especially in the fourth quarter when the offense was just totally shut down. Bud Adams’ defense clearly learned what it was doing, and now, Virginia Tech has really had the entire offseason to prepare for facing this defense. QB Tevin Washington is back, and it’s always good to have the leaders of a triple option offense returning to your lineup. Even better is the fact that all five starting offensive linemen from a campaign ago are going to be back as well. Sure, WR Stephen Hill is gone, but G-Tech has always been able to make due with whatever receivers it has had to work with in the Head Coach Paul Johnson era.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Virginia Tech 37 – Georgia Tech 26
2010: Virginia Tech 28 – Georgia Tech 21
2009: Georgia Tech 28 – Virginia Tech 23
2008: Virginia Tech 20 – Georgia Tech 17
2007: Virginia Tech 27 – Georgia Tech 3
2006: Georgia Tech 38 – Virginia Tech 27
2005: Virginia Tech 51 – Georgia Tech 7
2004: Virginia Tech 34 – Georgia Tech 20

That defense that we spoke about for Head Coach Frank Beamer and Coach Adams is returning a whopping nine players, and there is a lot of NFL talent in that bunch. Like we said, the Hokies figured out the triple option at the end of last year’s game, and with the full offseason to work, especially with the majority of the players back from that team that did so well in the fourth quarter last year, we are looking for good things. QB Logan Thomas is going to be the leader of an offense that only returns three players. The big question is going to be at tailback, as gone are both the team’s leading rusher from a season ago, RB David Wilson, and his backup from last year, RB Josh Oglesby. There is only one member left from the offensive line and just one receiver out of the four that were regularly in the rotation. Needless to say, offensively, it could be a slow start to the season if the running game can’t get going.

Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech Free Picks^^: This is a tough, tough game to handicap. We know that we want the ‘under’ for sure. But, given what we know about both of these teams, we think that the Georgia Tech offense is going to do the more struggling of the two teams. Again, it’s a heck of a lot easier to defend this triple option when you have the whole offseason and a longer week of preparation to get the job done, especially when the game is at home, then when you have to go on the road during a short week to prepare. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ramblin’ Wreck stuck in the high-teens in this one, and if that turns out to be the case, we just don’t see how they are going to be able to cover a TD of a spread.

^^Please Note: The Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed in August 2012 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

You can purchase our premium Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech picks from our experts on Monday, 9/3

Give the Los Angeles Dodgers this much. At least they are going for the gold right now. Now that there is new ownership and new financial backing behind them, they are out to spend all of the money that they can to try to beat the World Series odds in Tinseltown. Join us at Bankroll Sports, as our expert baseball handicappers make their case for why this team should be favored on the odds to win the World Series a day after pulling off the massive trade to bring Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez to Dodgertown.

Manager Don Mattingly has always been looked at as one of the best potential managers in baseball, and now, he has a team at his disposal that could ultimately prove him to be a star. General Manager Ned Colletti has pushed all of the buttons that he has needed to push this year to get his team to the top, and he has done so by amassing just a slew of payroll. Shane Victorino first came from the Philadelphia Phillies, and then Joe Blanton was right behind him in a post-July 31st trade with the boys from the City of Brotherly Love. Hanley Ramirez was a disgruntled member of the Miami Marlins before he was dealt out to the West Coast to be with the Dodgers. But now, in the coup of coups, Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez are in Los Angeles after being sent here in an August 25th trade with the Boston Red Sox, who clearly needed to hit the self-destruct button. Carl Crawford is on his way as well, and that means that next year, someone that is in this crowded outfield is going to be pushed out.

Star power doesn’t always translate into wins, especially in the playoffs, but in this case, we think that there is a real chance for the Dodgers to shine and to beat the World Series betting lines. When you think of the teams in the National League, you see a lot of squads that can pitch. However, what you don’t see a lot of are teams that truly are dangerous from 1 to 8 in their batting order. The Dodgers, when they are totally healthy, are now arguably baseball’s most dangerous team.

When Dee Gordon returns from his wrist injury, he figures to return to the leadoff role and playing shortstop, while Ramirez will likely shift over to third base on more of a full-time basis. Luis Cruz will be pushed out, but the middle of the order will feature the likes of Ramirez, Gonzalez, Kemp, and Ethier in some sort of order. Victorino is likely going to be shoved down towards the bottom of the lineup as well, and that leaves just Mark Ellis and AJ Ellis as the other two batters in the fold. Mark Ellis has done a nice job this year at second base, and he has done a yeoman’s job leading off for this team while Gordon has been out of the lineup. AJ Ellis has very quietly batted .284 this year with 10 homers and an OPS of .815, numbers that most teams would kill for out of their catcher.

It’s not like the cupboard is bare in the rotation either. Clayton Kershaw has a Cy Young under his belt, and though he isn’t going to win the honor this year, he is still going to be amongst the best pitchers in the league in terms of ERA. This will be another season where his ERA ends with a two in front of it, and behind him, there are three other starting pitchers in Chris Capuano, Chad Billingsley, and Aaron Harang that all that winning records and sub-3.70 ERAs. Ted Lilly might be able to make a comeback for the playoffs, and Beckett and Blanton will prove to be the wild cards.

Blanton hasn’t pitched all that well this year, going a combined just 8-12 with a 5.02 ERA, while Beckett has been a disaster and a half in Beantown. Still, both have playoff success and tons of it, and both are going to bring that experience into this staff in one form or another.

It’s not like the bullpen is slacking either. Kenley Jansen has gone 25-of-31 in save chances this year, and he has a 1.93 ERA. Scott Elbert, Randy Choate, and Ronald Belisario are the go-to men out of the pen, and that’s a great combination to parlay with guys like Blanton and potentially Harang from the starting staff for the second season.

In the end, the only question that is left in our eyes is whether the squad is going to gel quick enough to get the job done. There are still two games separating the Dodgers from the San Francisco Giants for the top spot in the NL West, and if the playoffs started today, the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals would be in, while the Dodgers would be a half-game out.

The schedule though, is relatively easy. These next 11 games are against Miami (finishing this weekend series), Colorado, Arizona, and San Diego, and there should be at least seven wins in the bunch. From there, the Dodgers embark upon their toughest stretch of schedule. They take on the Giants on the road for three, the D’Backs on the road for two, then get the Cardinals at home for four before going east one last time for six games with the Nationals and Reds. The season finishes with three in San Diego, three at home against the Rockies, and three at home against the Giants, the last three games of the season that could prove to be the difference in the season for both teams.

In the end, if the Dodgers are one of the five teams in the National League that get into the playoffs, watch out! They are going to be a force to be reckoned with, and we think that they have the best team in baseball. The oddsmakers, as you can see, have adjusted their World Series lines (all Los Angeles Dodgers World Series odds listed above), but we don’t think that any of them have adjusted far enough. The Dodgers are here to stay, and they could be the team that goes all the way to win the Fall Classic.

Week 1’s college football schedule is just about set to get started, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be taking a look at all of the games that are on the slate for the week ahead! Below, you will find a full listing of all of the Week 1 college football odds and betting lines, along with a discussion regarding some of the best games that are going to be on the Week 1 NCAA football schedule.

We’ll start right at the top on the first Thursday night of the season. The South Carolina Gamecocks are the only Top 25 team in action to start off the year, and they are going to have a tough game on the road against the Vanderbilt Commodores to start off SEC play. No one is really expecting to see Head Coach Steve Spurrier and company struggle all that much this time around, though the wonder is there whether the ‘Dores are going to be able to put up a fight in the unusually somewhat weak SEC East. Vandy is the home team, but as expected, it is a 7-point underdog to start off the campaign.

There are four new teams that are going to be playing their first FBS games this year, including the Massachusetts Minutemen, South Alabama Jaguars, Texas State Bobcats, and San Antonio Roadrunners. U-Mass starts off on Thursday night on the road against the Connecticut Huskies, and the fledging program is +25 in spite of the fact that UConn is expected to have one of the worst programs in the Big East this year. Also on the first night of the season, either South Alabama or Texas San Antonio will be getting their first win, as these two teams are playing each other in ‘Bama. The Jaguars figure to have the sturdiest program coming into FBS this year, and they are probably rightfully -6.5 at home. Texas State opens up on Saturday on the road against the Houston Cougars. The Cougs will be playing their first game without QB Case Keenum, but they are still expected to romp right through this one. The C-USA reps are -36.5, amongst the biggest favorites on the board.

The other showcase game to start off the season pits the Washington State Cougars against the BYU Cougars. This Cougar showdown is probably going to be a rather one-sided affair in Provo, but considering the fact that just four of the nine games on the first night of the season feature spreads of nine points or fewer, this shouldn’t be considered all that much of a surprise. BYU gets the nod in this one by 13.5.

Three games are on the college football schedule for Friday night. No one expects to see the Stanford Cardinal (-25.5) struggle against the San Jose State Spartans in their first game without QB Andrew Luck. The Tennessee Volunteers and NC State Wolfpack are going to battling it out in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome in a clash of middling teams in the SEC and ACC respectively. With the game being played in the heart of SEC Country, it is no surprise that Tennessee, opening up a very important season under Head Coach Derek Dooley, is a four-point favorite.

The key game on the Friday docket though, pits the Boise State Broncos up against the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans have a heck of a schedule this year, and they are going to be in for quite the battle on Friday. This will be the debut for QB Andrew Maxwell, who is taking over for QB Kirk Cousins. Boise State has to undergo a massive change from the teams that have won just a slew of games over the course of the last few years. For the first time in four years, a quarterback not named Kellen Moore is going to be leading the troops out of the tunnel for the boys from the Smurf Turf. That doesn’t mean that QB Joe Southwick can’t get the job done, but he is going to have a tough time here in East Lansing. Michigan State is favored by a touchdown on Friday night. For more analysis and our Boise State vs. Michigan State picks, be sure to Click Here.

We have seen some crazy start times for college football betting affairs, but perhaps we have never seen anything quite like what we are going to be seeing at the top of the mornin’ on the first Saturday of the regular season. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are going to be playing in the land of the real Irish, Dublin to be exact. The Golden Domers are playing in the Irish Motherland against the Navy Midshipmen in a 9:00 a.m. ET start. QB Tommy Rees has been suspended for this one for Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish are still getting the nod by 17 points over what has really turned into a rather hapless Naval Academy football program.

The first game for the Penn State Nittany Lions since the finalization of the Jerry Sandusky situation could turn out to be a disaster. The Ohio Bobcats are coming to Happy Valley, and they are going to want to represent themselves well against a national power. PSU has had a ton of problems in this offseason on the field and off of it, and this is a dangerous game against a veteran team out of the MAC. The Bobcats are only six-point underdogs, but they definitely could be in for an upset when push comes to shove, and such a small college football betting line suggests just that.

As always on the Week 1 NCAA football betting lines, we have a ton of teams that are favored by just outrageous margins. Amongst them include the West Virginia Mountaineers (-24 vs. Marshall), Ohio State Buckeyes (-22.5 vs. Miami OH), Georgia Bulldogs (-37.5 vs. Buffalo), Florida Gators (-29 vs. Bowling Green), Texas Longhorns (-28.5 vs. Wyoming), Houston (already mentioned at -36.5 vs. Texas State), USC Trojans (-39 vs. Hawaii), Oklahoma Sooners (-30.5 @ UTEP), Oregon Ducks (-35.5 vs. Arkansas State), and the biggest of all, the LSU Tigers, who are -43 at home against the North Texas Mean Green.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great clashes that are going to be played over the course of the rest of the day, though. It’s strange to be seeing the Boston College Eagles and the Miami Hurricanes playing this early in the season, but the two are going to be having at it for sure. No, these teams aren’t powers like they were in the Doug Flutie days, but both know that they are going to need a few wins in the ACC this year to reach bowl eligibility. With this one in Chestnut Hill, the Eagles are getting some respect, but they are still just one-point favorites.

That night back in Hot ‘Lanta, the Georgia Dome will be hosting its second game. The Clemson Tigers and Auburn Tigers are going to be fighting it out in what will look a heck of a lot like a potential Peach Bowl. In fact, these two have met in this venue a number of times before. The stakes could be higher this time around, especially for a Clemson team that is trying to prove that it can legitimately contend for a National Championship this year. Is it farfetched? Probably. But if the Tigers can’t beat the three-point spread in a neutral site game against Auburn to start off the year, there will be no doubt that they won’t be able to contend for much more than an ACC title.

But of course, the game of all games on the Week 1 College Football Schedule is the clash in Arlington between the Michigan Wolverines and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The defending BCS National Champions know that they are going to have their work cut out for them in this one, but they are going to hope to flex their muscles as they did against the Big Ten over the course of the last two seasons against Penn State. QB Denard Robinson has more on the line in this game than any individual probably has in quite some time. He is as explosive of a player as the Tide will ever see, and with a defense that could be doing some rebuilding this year, Robinson might be able to find some cracks. If the Wolverines can pull this one off, it would easily be the biggest win in the brief coaching career for Head Coach Brady Hoke, and it would really make the National Championship race this year wide open. Click Here for our Michigan vs. Alabama Preview, as it was the No. 3 game in our countdown of the Top 25 NCAA Football Matchups of 2012.

Most weekends, college football betting is said and done with on Saturday, but this week, there are still three more games to choose from. The two clashes on Saturday really might not be anything all that special. The Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals play their annual Battle for the Commonwealth on Sunday, a game which features the Cards as 13.5 point favorites. The SMU Mustangs are also going to be on the road against the Baylor Bears, who are prepping for life without QB Robert Griffin III. Baylor is favored by 10.5.

And finally, in what has become a great Labor Day tradition, the ACC opens up with its showcase game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The stakes are clearly going to be high in Blacksburg, knowing that the loser of this game is probably already going to be out of the ACC Championship hunt. With stakes this high, it is no wonder that this is one of the top games of the weekend even though only Virginia Tech is ranked in the Top 25 of these two teams. This should be a thrilling one that comes down to the wire, as the Hokies are favored by 7.5-points. This game is so important that it is also one of our Top 25 College Football Matchups of the Year, so don’t miss out on our Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech Game Preview.

2012 NCAA Football Week 1 Odds @ Bookmaker Sportsbook (as of 9/1/12):
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Week 1 NCAA Football Betting Lines for Thursday, 8/30/12

133 South Carolina Gamecocks -6.5
134 Vanderbilt Commodores +6.5
Over/Under 45

135 UCF Knights -24
136 Akron Zips +24
Over/Under 49

137 Eastern Michigan Eagles +3
138 Ball State Falcons -3
Over/Under 58.5

139 Texas A&M Aggies POSTPONED
140 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs POSTPONED
Over/Under POSTPONED

141 Massachusetts Minutemen +22.5
142 Connecticut Huskies -22.5
Over/Under 45.5

143 UCLA Bruins -16.5
144 Rice Owls +16.5
Over/Under 59.5

145 Washington State Cougars +12
146 BYU Cougars -12
Over/Under 65.5

147 Minnesota Golden Gophers -8.5
148 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels +8.5
Over/Under 49.5

301 Towson Tigers +8
302 Kent State Golden Flashes -8

303 Southeast Missouri State +27.5
304 Central Michigan Chippewas -27.5

305 Northern Colorado Bears +42
306 Utah Utes -42

307 McNeese State Cowboys +7.5
308 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders -7.5

309 Southern Utah Thunderbirds +20.5
310 Utah State Aggies -20.5

311 Sacramento State Hornets +6.5
312 New Mexico State Aggies -6.5

313 Eastern Washington Eagles +6
314 Idaho Vandals -6

315 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks +30
316 Arizona State Sun Devils -30

College Football Lines for Week 1 for Friday, 8/31/12

151 Tennessee Volunteers -3
152 NC State Wolfpack +3
Over/Under 52

153 Boise State Broncos +7
154 Michigan State Spartans -7
Over/Under 46.5

155 San Jose State Spartans +25.5
156 Stanford Cardinal -25.5
Over/Under 51.5

317 Villanova Wildcats +18.5
318 Temple Owls -18.5

319 Wagner Seahawks +17.5
320 Florida Atlantic Owls -17.5

NCAA Football Week 1 Odds for Saturday, 9/1/12

157 Notre Dame Fighting Irish -14.5
158 Navy Midshipmen +14.5
Over/Under 52

159 Marshall Thundering Herd +26
160 West Virginia Mountaineers -26
Over/Under 68

161 Ohio Bobcats +6.5
162 Penn State Nittany Lions -6.5
Over/Under 44

163 Northwestern Wildcats +1
164 Syracuse Orange -1
Over/Under 53.5

165 Miami Redhawks +25
166 Ohio State Buckeyes -25
Over/Under 51

167 Western Michigan Broncos +10
168 Illinois Fighting Illini -10
Over/Under 49

169 Tulsa Golden Hurricane -1.5
170 Iowa State Cyclones +1.5
Over/Under 50.5

171 Nevada Wolf Pack +11.5
172 Cal Golden Bears -11.5
Over/Under 57

173 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles +20
174 Nebraska Cornhuskers -20
Over/Under 53

175 Miami Hurricanes -2.5
176 Boston College Eagles +2.5
Over/Under 44

177 Iowa Hawkeyes -9.5
178 Northern Illinois Huskies +9.5
Over/Under 50

179 Colorado Buffaloes -6
180 Colorado State Rams +6
Over/Under 47

181 Buffalo Bulls +38
182 Georgia Bulldogs -38
Over/Under 54.5

183 Bowling Green Falcons +28.5
184 Florida Gators -28.5
Over/Under 47.5

185 Wyoming Cowboys +31.5
186 Texas Longhorns -31.5
Over/Under 53.5

187 Texas State Bobcats +36
188 Houston Cougars -36
Over/Under 61

189 Clemson Tigers -2.5
190 Auburn Tigers +2.5
Over/Under 55

191 Hawaii Warriors +42
192 USC Trojans -42
Over/Under 63

193 Michigan Wolverines +13.5
194 Alabama Crimson Tide -13.5
Over/Under 47

195 Rutgers Scarlet Knights -20.5
196 Tulane Green Wave +20.5
Over/Under 47.5

197 Oklahoma Sooners -30
198 UTEP Miners +30
Over/Under 62.5

199 Toledo Rockets +11
200 Arizona Wildcats -11
Over/Under 62

201 San Diego State Aztecs +14.5
202 Washington Huskies -14.5
Over/Under 56.5

203 Troy Trojans -6
204 UAB Blazers +6
Over/Under 63

205 Florida International Golden Panthers +2.5
206 Duke Blue Devils -2.5
Over/Under 52.5

207 North Texas Mean Green +44
208 LSU Tigers -44
Over/Under 52

209 Arkansas State Red Wolves +37
210 Oregon Ducks -37
Over/Under 69

217 Texas San Antonio Roadrunners +6
218 South Alabama Jaguars -6
Over/Under 46

321 Appalachian State Mountaineers +19
322 East Carolina Pirates -19

323 Elon Phoenix +34.5
324 North Carolina Tar Heels -34.5

325 Jacksonville State Gamecocks +45
326 Arkansas Razorbacks -45

327 South Dakota State Jackrabbits +19.5
328 Kansas Jayhawks -19.5

329 Missouri State Bears +30
330 Kansas State Wildcats -30

331 Idaho State Bengals +38
332 Air Force Falcons -38

333 William & Mary Tribe +20.5
334 Maryland Terrapins -20.5

335 Nicholls State Colonels POSTPONED
336 Oregon State Beavers POSTPONED

337 Richmond Spiders +22.5
338 Virginia Cavaliers -22.5

339 Eastern Kentucky Colonels +22.5
340 Purdue Boilermakers -22.5

341 Northern Iowa Panthers +38
342 Wisconsin Badgers -38

343 Murray State Racers +45
344 Florida State Seminoles -45

345 Youngstown State Penguins +18.5
346 Pittsburgh Panthers -18.5

347 Liberty Flames +25
348 Wake Forest Demon Deacons -25

349 Lamar Cardinals +36.5
350 Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns -36.5

351 Tennessee Martin Skyhawks +8.5
352 Memphis Tigers -8.5

353 Tennessee Chatanooga Mocs +27
354 South Florida Bulls -27

355 Central Arkansas Bears +19.5
356 Mississippi Rebels -19.5

357 Austin Peay Governors +30.5
358 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers -30.5

359 Jackson State Tigers +37.5
360 Mississippi State Bulldogs -37.5

361 Southeast Louisiana Lions +47
362 Missouri Tigers -47

363 Savannah State Tigers +62
364 Oklahoma State Cowboys -62

365 Northwestern State Demons +36.5
366 Texas Tech Red Raiders -36.5

367 Indiana State Sycamores +11
368 Indiana Hoosiers -11

369 Southern Jaguars +22
370 New Mexico Lobos -22

371 Weber State Wildcats +23
372 Fresno State Bulldogs -23

Week 1 NCAA Football Odds for Sunday, 9/2/12

211 Kentucky Wildcats +13
212 Louisville Cardinals -13
Over/Under 42

213 SMU Mustangs +8.5
214 Baylor Bears -8.5
Over/Under 58.5

Week 1 College Football Odds for Monday, 9/3/12
215 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +7.5
216 Virginia Tech Hokies -7.5
Over/Under 49

The 2012 PGA Tour Playoffs continue this week with the 10th annual Deutsche Bank Championship. Our Deutsche Bank Championship picks are hot and heavy in Beantown for what should be a remarkable event involving 100 of the best golfers on the PGA Tour!

The 2012 FedEx Cup is clearly still up in the air at this point, as there are a ton of golfers that can still get the job done. The one that is leading the pack right now is the man who won last week at The Barclays, Nick Watney (Odds To Win 2012 Deutsche Bank Championship: 45 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook). Watney really came out of nowhere to win this title, as he hadn’t been playing all that well. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship, shooting an embarrassing +11 in the first two days of the event. Still, three rounds in the 60s at the Wyndham Championship served as the boost of momentum that he needed to claim victory at The Barclays, shooting a final round 69 to put the field away by three strokes. Still, that was one of just the four Top 10 finishes this year for Watney, and we are cautious to back him to win a second straight week.

2012 Deutsche Bank Championship Predictions & Info
2012 Deutsche Bank Championship Dates: Friday, August 31st – Monday, September 3rd, 2012
2012 Deutsche Bank Championship Location: TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts
Defending Deutsche Bank Championship Winner: Webb Simpson
2012 Deutsche Bank Championship TV Coverage – Network: Golf Channel, CBS

With two wins already under his belt this year, it is going to be hard to avoid making your golf picks this week on Rory McIlroy (Deutsche Bank Championship Odds: 11.55 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook). The Northern Ireland native won at the Honda Classic and the PGA Championship, and he nearly won the Cadillac Championship as well. Last week at The Barclays, McIlroy shot a -1 for the tournament, but he was never really in a position to challenge for the title. That being said, he knows that a win here in Beantown would give him the lead in the FedEx Cup, as we count down the meaningful events left in the 2012 PGA Tour Schedule.

List Of Past Deutsche Bank Championship Winners
2011 – Webb Simpson
2010 – Charley Hoffman
2009 – Steve Stricker
2008 – Vijay Singh
2007 – Phil Mickelson
2006 – Tiger Woods
2005 – Olin Browne
2004 – Vijay Singh
2003 – Adam Scott

Scores are generally low here at the Deutsche Bank Championship, as demonstrated by the fact that all nine previous winners have finished with a score of at least -14. Does that mean that this is a good week to back Tiger Woods (Odds To Win The Deutsche Bank Championship: 11.60 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook)? Tiger did win this tournament back in 2006, and until last week, he was leading the FedEx Cup standings. There have been some remarkable individual rounds this year by Tiger, but most haven’t come lately. A 66 in the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational does come to mind, but aside from that, there haven’t been any rounds better than 67 since March. That being said, Woods has been competitive for sure, accounting for a whopping nine finishes in the Top 20 this year out of just 16 events.

There has never been a back-to-back winner of the Deutsche Bank Championship, but we know that Webb Simpson (Deutsche Bank Championship Lines: 35 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook) has to at least be considered. He won this title in a playoff, marking the only time in the tournament’s history that extra holes have been needed beyond the first 72. Simpson really looked like he was going to be on his way to a massive year after winning the US Open, especially after finishing seventh at the Greenbrier Classic just a few weeks later. However, he pulled out of The Open Championship, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, and then missed the cut last week at The Barclays. All of a sudden, this might be an even that Simpson has to do remarkably well in if he wants to stay in the FedEx Cup race.

Odds to Win Deutsche Bank Championship @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 8/27/12):
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Rory McIlroy 11.55 to 1
Tiger Woods 11.60 to 1
Luke Donald 16.50 to 1
Dustin Johnson 18 to 1
Jason Dufner 18 to 1
Bubba Watson 22 to 1
Adam Scott 26 to 1
Lee Westwood 28 to 1
Brandt Snedeker 30 to 1
Louis Oosthuizen 30 to 1
Steve Stricker 30 to 1
Justin Rose 35 to 1
Webb Simpson 35 to 1
Keegan Bradley 44 to 1
Nick Watney 45 to 1
Phil Mickelson 45 to 1
Bo Van Pelt 50 to 1
Jason Day 50 to 1
Matt Kuchar 50 to 1
Geoff Ogilvy 60 to 1
Jim Furyk 60 to 1
Padraig Harrington 60 to 1
Rickie Fowler 60 to 1
Tim Clark 60 to 1
Charl Schwartzel 66 to 1
Hunter Mahan 70 to 1
Zach Johnson 70 to 1
Graeme McDowell 75 to 1
Ian Poulter 80 to 1
Bud Cauley 90 to 1
Carl Pettersson 90 to 1
Bill Haas 95 to 1
John Senden 95 to 1
Ernie Els 100 to 1
J.B. Holmes 100 to 1
Vijay Singh 100 to 1
Ryan Palmer 125 to 1
Harris English 175 to 1
Kyle Stanley 175 to 1
Ryan Moore 175 to 1
Jimmy Walker 200 to 1
Martin Laird 200 to 1
Robert Garrigus 200 to 1
Seung Yul Noh 200 to 1
Aaron Baddeley 225 to 1
K.J. Choi 225 to 1
Kevin Stadler 225 to 1
Scott Piercy 225 to 1
Scott Stallings 225 to 1
Blake Adams 250 to 1
Greg Chalmers 250 to 1
Marc Leishman 250 to 1
Brendon De Jonge 275 to 1
David Toms 275 to 1
Graham Delaet 275 to 1
Jeff Overton 275 to 1
John Huh 275 to 1
Pat Perez 275 to 1
Troy Matteson 275 to 1
Ben Crane 300 to 1
Ben Curtis 300 to 1
Cameron Tringale 300 to 1
Charlie Wi 300 to 1
Chris Kirk 300 to 1
John Rollins 300 to 1
Jonathan Byrd 300 to 1
Matt Every 300 to 1
Spencer Levin 300 to 1
Charles Howell III 325 to 1
D.A. Points 325 to 1
David Hearn 325 to 1
Rory Sabbatini 325 to 1
Brian Davis 350 to 1
Charley Hoffman 350 to 1
Sean O’Hair 350 to 1
William McGirt 350 to 1
Brian Harman 375 to 1
Greg Owen 375 to 1
Bob Estes 385 to 1
Bryce Molder 385 to 1
Jonas Blixt 385 to 1
Kevin Na 385 to 1
Josh Teater 400 to 1
Tom Gillis 400 to 1
Daniel Summerhays 425 to 1
George McNeill 425 to 1
Ken Duke 425 to 1
Ricky Barnes 425 to 1
Tommy Gainey 425 to 1
J.J. Henry 475 to 1
John Merrick 475 to 1
Michael Thompson 475 to 1
Roberto Castro 525 to 1
Johnson Wagner 575 to 1
Sang Moon Bae 575 to 1
Dicky Pride 625 to 1
Mark Wilson 625 to 1
Martin Flores 625 to 1
Ted Potter Jr. 700 to 1