2010 NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

August 29th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist)
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The hot seat. Every coach finds himself on it at some point in his career. Some persevere, while others fold under the pressure. This year in the NFL, there are a number of coaches that are facing potential do or die situations. Check out who those coaches are, why they’re in trouble, what we can expect of them this year, and their odds to win the Super Bowl.

Chan Gailey, Buffalo Bills (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Bottom line: When you’re not a good coaching hire in the first place, you’re always on the hot seat. Gailey was an awful coach at virtually every stop along the way in his career, and this is probably going to be no exception. It looks like he has decided that QB Trent Edwards is the man to try to take his team from the ranks of the worst in the league to respectability. No chance. Edwards is, at best, the fifth best quarterback in this division, and he is clearly not the answer. Gailey will probably survive regardless, but this year has the potential to be a bloody one. We’ve seen coaches dismissed after one year before. Gailey might be the next in line.

Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Playoffs or bust. That’s the ultimatum that has been handed down from owner Bob McNair to Kubiak this year for the Texans. This is the only franchise in the NFL that has never tasted the playoffs, and by now, the fourth year of his rule in Houston, the Texans should be making the playoffs, particularly with the type of talent that the team has. The only problem is that the schedule is an absolute nightmare this year. Houston has also already lost its second round draft pick and projected starting RB Ben Tate, which really only leaves RBs Arian Foster and Steve Slaton. This could be a bad situation if Foster doesn’t pan out. Still, the top rated passing attack in the NFL from last year is only getting better with every pass that QB Matt Schaub throws. Every year this team gets better and better. Last year was the squad’s first season above .500. This should be the year that the playoffs are reached.

Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Here’s a man that probably should have already been fired. Jacksonville has drafted poorly in recent years, and it is really catching up. The team simply isn’t that great. The decision to make QB David Garrard the starter a few years ago paid off in the short term but has crippled the franchise now that it really needs its boost, as the Jags are threatening to move to Los Angeles if ticket sales don’t pick up. Unless RB Maurice Jones-Drew intends on having a year like Chris Johnson did last season in Tennessee, don’t expect Del Rio to be heading anywhere but the unemployment line once the year is out.

Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): It’s hard to think that the Eagles would part ways with Reid after all of the playoff years that this franchise has had, but this is the same team that just dumped QB Donovan McNabb unceremoniously to a divisional rival in exchange for a bag of peanuts and a box of footballs. Reid needs to at least finish .500 this year with new QB Kevin Kolb, or he might be out the door. The Eagles are searching for a new direction, and the fact that Reid only brought the team to one Super Bowl and never won the big one could ultimately cost him. If the standard of his job is going to be measured on the playoffs, the City of Brotherly Love will be watching the last season of Reid on the sidelines in green.

Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears (+5000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Bears made the biggest splash of the offseason last year when they acquired QB Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos. Cutler failed miserably, and the team flat out stunk last season. Now, Chicago was back at it again this year, picking up DE Julius Peppers, the best free agent that the open market has seen in years in the NFL. An 0-3 start to the preseason with just 36 total points scored isn’t a good start if you’re looking to put good mojo into your team for your make or break season. Somehow, Smith, just like Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, finds a way to keep saving his job with one good year every so often. This could be that “every so often” year in the Windy City… but if it isn’t, it is high time that Smith goes.

John Fox, Carolina Panthers (+6000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Panthers know that this is probably going to be a down year, but Fox is just as much putting them on the hot seat as they are putting him there. The team did go out and dump QB Jake Delhomme after so many failed seasons, and they even brought in his eventual successor, QB Jimmy Clausen in the NFL Draft. However, Fox doesn’t want to wait for some rookie to groom. He wants to win and win now. The rushing attack is great with both RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart capable of rushing for 1,000+ yards. However, the defense lost the aforementioned Peppers and has a lot of work to do to return to respectability. The Panthers are clearly the third best team in this division, and the end result could be a long, long season in which Fox either gets fired before its conclusion, or tells the team that he is not renewing his contract at season’s end.


2010 College Football Week 1 Lines; Quick Breakdown

August 29th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist)

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Complete List of Week 1 College Football Lines Can Be Found Below

Most of the 120 teams across the country in FBS are set to kick it off between Thursday and next Monday, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got all you need to know when you’re ready to analyze the Week 1 college football betting lines!

As always, there are a number of huge favorites that are going to be all over the board in the first week of play across the nation. The Ohio State Buckeyes, USC Trojans, Michigan State Spartans, Florida Gators, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Oregon Ducks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners, Wisconsin Badgers, Georgia Bulldogs, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Clemson Tigers, and Auburn Tigers are all favored by at least three touchdowns will be likely coast to easy victories against their lesser foes.

However, not every game on the slate has such little intrigue. On the opening day of the season on Thursday, the Utah Utes and Pittsburgh Panthers will square off in a rematch of the first ever BCS busting game. The Utes became the first team from a non-BCS conference to make it to a major bowl game, and they crippled the Panthers that day at the Fiesta Bowl. This will be the first time these two squads meet. Second year men will be on display, as RB Dion Lewis for Pitt and QB Jordan Wynn for Utah will be at center stage.

Keep as close eye as well on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Thursday, as QB Dwight Dasher might be able to lead the hosts to a big win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. MTSU is a three point underdog but is certainly a live dog that might be worth backing.

The Connecticut Huskies and Michigan Wolverines will fight it out in the Big House in what could be a huge game for both programs. The Huskies are still searching for some respect, and Heisman Trophy candidate, RB Jordan Todman will be the main focus of the attack. This is a do or die year for HC Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor, and he’ll need to come forth with a good effort to start the season or risk the wrath of the media and boosters calling for his head before the Big Ten season even gets started. This is a game that Michigan certainly expects to win even though it is just a three point favorite.

There are two big time rivalry games to keep on your radar as well. The Colorado Buffaloes will meet the Colorado State Rams at Mile High in a neutral site game to determine the top team in the Rockies for another year. It’s a big one for HC Dan Hawkins, who knows that a second straight loss to a poor CSU squad will ultimately probably cost him his job. The Buffs are 13 point favorites.

It’ll also be a battle to see whether the Bluegrass becomes a red state or a blue state, as Joker Phillips takes over the Kentucky Wildcats and Charlie Strong starts his coaching career with the Louisville Cardinals. Both of these new coaches would love a win over their arch rivals to get the teams going in 2010, but only one will cover the NCAA football odds in this one. The visiting Wildcats are favored by 3.5 points.

Saturday night wraps up with a crucial tilt between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Fresno State Bulldogs. We all know HC Pat Hill’s mantra… Anyone, anytime, anywhere. Cincinnati has no fear of coming West, as it did so last year in beating Oregon State en route to its perfect regular season. QB Zach Collaros will have a ton of pressure on his backside in this game, as he is taking over for QB Tony Pike. New HC Butch Jones is a 2.5 point underdog in this, his first game at U of C, but the Cats could scratch out a victory to open up their campaign.

However, Week 1 wouldn’t be complete without one of the biggest games of the entire year. The Boise State Broncos are probably going to put their BCS dreams on the line at FedEx Field when they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in a “neutral site game” that is going to look at lot like Lane Stadium would on your average Saturday. The stars will be shining in this, the first Top 10 battle of the year. The winner will have a massive leg up towards the BCS this year, while the loser will already have their National Championship hopes dashed in Week 1. The Broncos have finally gained some respect against the big boys in the big conferences, as they are 2.5 point favorites in this de facto road game.

2010 NCAA Football Week 1 Lines & Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 8/29/10):
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133 – Southern Miss Golden Eagles +14
134 – South Carolina Gamecocks -14
Over/Under 47
135 – Marshall Thundering Herd +28.5
136 – Ohio State Buckeyes -28.5
Over/Under 47.5
137 – Northern Illinois Huskies +3
138 – Iowa State Cyclones -3
Over/Under 47
139 – Pittsburgh Panthers +2.5
140 – Utah Utes -2.5
Over/Under 49
141 – USC Trojans -21
142 – Hawaii Warriors +21
Over/Under 53.5
143 – Minnesota Golden Gophers -3
144 – Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders +3
Over/Under 48.5
145 – Florida Atlantic Owls +15
146 – UAB Blazers -15
Over/Under 51.5
147 – Arizona Wildcats -15
148 – Toledo Rockets +15
Over/Under 60.5
149 – Western Michigan Broncos +22.5
150 – Michigan State Spartans -22.5
Over/Under 53.5
151 – Miami Redhawks +35
152 – Florida Gators -35
Over/Under 53
153 – Illinois Fighting Illini +12
154 – Missouri Tigers -12
Over/Under 53.5
155 – Colorado Buffaloes -13
156 – Colorado State Rams +13
Over/Under 46
157 – Northwestern Wildcats -5.5
158 – Vanderbilt Commodores +5.5
Over/Under 44.5
159 – Memphis Tigers +21.5
160 – Mississippi state Bulldogs -21.5
Over/Under 53.5
161 – Texas Longhorns -29
162 – Rice Owls +29
Over/Under 59
163 – Purdue Boilermakers +11.5
164 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish -11.5
Over/Under 54.5
165 – Connecticut Huskies +3
166 – Michigan Wolverines -3
Over/Under 54.5
167 – Kentucky Wildcats -3.5
168 – Louisville Cardinals +3.5
Over/Under 49
169 – New Mexico Lobos +33
170 – Oregon Ducks -33
Over/Under 56
171 – UCLA Bruins +2.5
172 – Kansas State Wildcats -2.5
Over/Under 43
173 – Syracuse Orange -8.5
174 – Akron Zips +8.5
Over/Under 43.5
175 – Washington Huskies +2.5
176 – BYU Cougars -2.5
Over/Under 56.5
177 – Washington State Cougars +15.5
178 – Oklahoma State Cowboys -15.5
Over/Under 48.5
179 – San Jose State Spartans +38.5
180 – Alabama Crimson Tide -38.5
Over/Under 53
181 – Utah State Aggies +32
182 – Oklahoma Sooners -32
Over/Under 57
183 – Army Black Knights -9.5
184 – Eastern Michigan Eagles +9.5
Over/Under 42
185 – Oregon State Beavers +13.5
186 – TCU Horned Frogs -13.5
Over/Under 50.5
189 – Cincinnati Bearcats +2.5
190 – Fresno State Bulldogs -2.5
Over/Under 58
191 – Wisconsin Badgers -21
192 – UNLV Rebels +21
Over/Under 57.5
193 – UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns +28
194 – Georgia Bulldogs -28
Over/Under 52.5
195 – Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +36.5
196 – Nebraska Cornhuskers -36.5
Over/Under 51.5
197 – North Texas Mean Green +23
198 – Clemson Tigers -23
Over/Under 56.5
199 – Bowling Green Falcons +14
200 – Troy Trojans -14
Over/Under 55.5
201 – Arkansas State Red Wolves +31
202 – Auburn Tigers -31
Over/Under 58
203 – Tulsa Golden Hurricane -8.5
204 – East Carolina Pirates +8.5
Over/Under 60.5
205 – SMU Mustangs +13.5
206 – Texas Tech Red Raiders -13.5
Over/Under 60.5
207 – Maryland Terrapins +7
208 – Navy Midshipmen -7
Over/Under 49
209 – Boise State Broncos -2.5
210 – Virginia Tech Hokies +2.5
Over/Under 50.5

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Free NFL Picks: List of 2010 Regular Season NFL Props

August 28th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist)
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The NFL betting season is nearly here! As always at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got you ready for this year’s season by analyzing some of the NFL props available to you at our premier sportsbooks!

Find a Slew of NFL Props Available at BetUS Sportsbook

Player to Have the Most Passing Yards in Regular Season (Available at BetUS Sportsbook): Virtually every quarterback that has a chance at being the top passing QB is on this list at BetUS, but the man that we are focusing in on is the favorite, Drew Brees (+375). Brees has the potential to flirt with 5,000 passing yards again this season, and we love his chances of being able to cash in once again as the top passer in the NFL.

Player to Have More TDs in the Regular Season (Available at BetUS Sportsbook): BetUS has a whole allotment of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco props for you to dig into. The first prop to watch is whether TO or Ochocinco will have more touchdown receptions. The bottom line is that we think the artist formerly known as Chad Johnson has a better rapport going with QB Carson Palmer, and the end result is probably going to be #85 doing a ton of creative celebrating in opposing end zones this year. Cash in on Chad Ochocinco (-130) on this prop.

Division to Win Super Bowl XLV (Available at BetUS Sportsbook): Check out the options to win the Super Bowl by division at BetUS ! The worst part about trying to sort through this is that there really aren’t a ton of teams from the same division that can legitimately win the Super Bowl. However, the AFC South (+450) at least has one of the biggest favorites to win it all in the Indianapolis Colts and two real dark horses in the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

Complete List of NFL Props Can Be Found at JustBet Sportsbook

Player to Have the Most Rushing Yards (Available at JustBet Sportsbook): Almost 20 running backs are available for this prop at JustBet! Don’t be so shocked to see Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall (+1200) pull off the big upset here. The Steelers are going to have to run the football quite a bit, particularly early in the season without the suspended QB Ben Roethlisberger, but even when Big Ben is back, WR Santonio Holmes is gone. There will be a lot of pressure to return to the running roots that this team had for years and years.

Player to Have the Most Receiving Yards (Available at JustBet Sportsbook): JustBet has a plethora of wide receivers that could lead the NFL in receiving this year. Larry Fitzgerald (+650) of the Arizona Cardinals no longer has Anquan Boldin to deal with, so he is going to be a fantastic choice to be the league’s top receiving target. QB Matt Leinart is going to have to build a rapport in a hurry with a big wide out, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Fitzgerald. Expect at least 1,500 receiving yards this year, which will at least be enough to keep him in consideration for this prop.

Some Of The Best NFL Props On The Web Can Be Found @ Hollywood Sportsbook

Player to Record More Passing Yards (Available at Hollywood Sportsbook): Hollywood has a boatload of different passing matchups for the most passing yards on the season. The one that has caught our eye is the one between New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and his former backup, current Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel. The bottom line is that Cassel could potentially be benched at some point over the course of the year, especially since the Chiefs probably aren’t going anywhere on the season. The Pats obviously aren’t replacing Mr. Brady. Even though we have to lay a ton of yards, we’ll take our chances that Tom Brady (-650.5 yards) is the right choice, since Brady will probably flirt with at least 4,000 yards, while we aren’t so sure that Cassel can reach the 3,000 mark.

Player to Record More Receiving Yards (Available at Hollywood Sportsbook): Hollywood also has a bunch of running back props as well. We aren’t so sure why DeAngelo Williams is considered a favorite over Frank Gore this year. Gore is clearly going to be in a one back system, especially after the San Francisco 49ers lost out on Glen Coffee during the preseason. Williams will be splitting plenty of time with Jonathan Stewart for the Carolina Panthers. Thus, the proper choice is clearly Frank Gore (+25.5) over either Carolina back.

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2010 College Football Coaching Changes

August 24th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist)
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Some of the biggest programs in college football have seen changes right at the top this year. The odds to win the 2011 BCS Championship have altered as well, as there have been hirings, firings, and replacements, along with some surprise changes that could shake the entire core of the NCAA football betting world. A number of schools have made changes at the top in what has been a very, very interesting offseason. Here is the list of the schools that are heading in new directions with their football programs and their 2011 BCS Championship odds.

Akron Zips (+700000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Akron has been a train wreck in the MAC for a number of years, and last season was no exception. The Zips went just 3-9 and just 2-6 in conference, and a 4-8 ATS record didn’t make many college football betting friends either. Now, there is a huge quarterback battle going on in Akron, as QBs Patrick Nicely and Matt Rodgers are both candidates for the job. Rodgers’ injury last year might’ve been the final straw to getting JD Brookhart fired. Rob Ianello, the new man in charge, has a long way to go to get this program back to the form that it was in back in 2005 when it won the MAC Championship.

Buffalo Bulls (+500000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Without a doubt, Turner Gill was the most beloved coach in the history of Buffalo Bulls football. He really helped put the program on the map, especially two seasons ago when the Bulls upset the previously unbeaten Ball State Falcons to win the MAC Championship Game when no one gave them even the remotest of chances. If the name Jeff Quinn sounds familiar to you, think back to both Central Michigan and Cincinnati. Both of those teams lost Brian Kelly right before their bowl games. Quinn was the man in charge of both a bowl win for the Chippewas over Middle Tennessee in 2005 and last season’s Bearcats loss to the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. Getting back to a bowl game would be a triumph for Buffalo, which fell a game short of eligibility last year.

Central Michigan Chippewas (+120000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): The Chippewas had a chance to really make some noise last year, the final season with QB Dan LeFevour. However, just as has been the case in quite a few instances when a legendary coach leaves a program, Butch Jones decided that LeFevour’s departure was the best time for him to try to move on to a big time coaching gig. Now, the Chippies are left with Dan Enos, the former running backs coach for the Michigan State Spartans. Enos has never been a head football coach at any level, clearly showing that CMU didn’t have a heck of a lot of options. No one wanted to be the man that followed Jones in Mount Pleasant, especially without LeFevour there to quell the pain of transition.

Cincinnati Bearcats (+15000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Shame on Brian Kelly for leaving the Bearcats right before their bowl game after a perfect regular season and a Big East championship! The team made the right call by going after Kelly’s successor at Central Michigan, Butch Jones as a replacement. We already know that Jones knows Kelly’s system after taking over for him without missing a beat at Central Michigan, and several teams were eager to grab his services. Jones made a good call as well, as he knows that QB Zach Collaros might actually be better than the departed Tony Pike. Collaros can win this team the Big East title this year, which might immediately put Jones in line for an even better position.

East Carolina Pirates (+160000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): ECU was on the verge of something special with Skip Holtz in charge, but when South Florida came calling for the second generation coach, he had to move on to the bigger named school. Ruffin McNeill has been an assistant at Texas Tech for a number of years. Many thought that he would be a logical successor to Mike Leach, especially after guiding the Red Raiders to a 41-31 Alamo Bowl win over Michigan State last year. Will the spread offense work at East Carolina, though? It is certainly a huge shift from the traditional, “take care of the football and play good defense” mentality that Holtz had. There could be a bit of a transition period for the Pirates, but ultimately, McNeill should make a good director of the ship there.

Florida State Seminoles (+7000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): For the past three seasons, Jimbo Fisher has just been waiting patiently for Bobby Bowden to retire so he could take over command at Florida State. Truth be told, the Noles have been under Fisher’s watchful eye ever since he stepped foot in Tallahassee, so this might not be a huge transition for the garnet and gold. Fisher has transformed this offense into a train wreck from the Drew Weatherford/Xavier Lee days into one that is genuinely feared with QB Christian Ponder at the helm. It’s going to be fun watching this team grow once again, especially with the QB of the future, EJ Manuel already waiting in the wings. A defense still needs to be picked back up to get Florida State back on the map. Fisher has huge shoes to fill from the second winningest coach in NCAA FBS history.

Kansas Jayhawks (+35000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Kansas had to think that last season was the year that it could really contend for a National Championship. However, Mark Mangino, who helped resurrect the program and turn it into a national contender in the first place, failed miserably, as he wasted the talents of seniors like Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier, Todd Reesing, and Jake Sharp. Turner Gill was the hottest young coaching commodity on the planet, and KU was sure to snatch him up. He is already looked at as a hero in Lawrence, as very few of the players and even fewer of the alumni had any care for the way that Mangino treated his team at all.

Kentucky Wildcats (+50000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Rich Brooks deserves a lot of credit for keeping Kentucky football relevant for a number of years. Still, it was time for him to go, as it seemed as though the program hit a peak under his direction. Head coach in waiting Joker Phillips is set to unleash his offensive talents on the rest of the SEC in a move that is probably going to take a few years to get perfected. The Cats are always going to be a second rate team in the SEC, particularly in the East, where programs like Florida and Tennessee will always be the hottest recruiting beds. Phillips has his work cut out for him to make the Wildcats more than Music City Bowl honorary members on an annual basis.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+150000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Here’s a team that wasn’t so certain that it was really changing coaches. La Tech was shocked when Derek Dooley left for Tennessee, and they had to scramble to try to replace him at the last second with most of the best coaching options already off the board. Little known Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes is the man that was suddenly put in charge on January 20th. He is bringing in a spread offense which will bring La Tech essentially into the 21st century of WAC football. This program has bigger problems, though… trying to figure out what conference it is going to be playing in once the WAC finishes falling apart.

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (+750000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Mired in the middle of a bad conference for a number of years, the Warhawks are just trying to figure out how to get to a bowl game and to challenge the top teams in the Sun Belt. Signing Todd Berry made a lot of sense though, as he is very familiar with the system at Louisiana-Monroe having served under previous head coach Charlie Weatherbie as an assistant for two years. He has bounced around as assistants in other locations since 2005, but he’ll return to the Bayou and try to get the Warhawks on the map for the first time in the history of the school.

Louisville Cardinals (+50000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Simply put, the firing of Steve Kragthorpe was an absolute must in Louisville. Kragthorpe single handedly destroyed the program that Bobby Petrino turned into a Top 10 program year in and year out in the Big East. Kragthorpe couldn’t find a way to win in the senior year of QB Brian Brohm, one of the most decorated players in the history of the school’s football team, and since then it has been all downhill. Charlie Strong comes in from Florida, where he will bring a spread offense that should at least spark a bit of promise for a program that has been dropped into the doldrums of the Big East for the past few years.

Marshall Thundering Herd (+140000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Mark Snyder was one of the many coaches that were essentially forced out of their positions. Snyder wasn’t even allowed to hang around for the team’s bowl game, a 21-17 win in the Little Caesar’s Bowl over Ohio. John “Doc” Holliday has been the associate head coach at West Virginia for a number of years, and many are surprised that it took this long for him to land a head coaching job. The cupboard certainly isn’t bare at Marshall, and many think that Holliday can be the man that can bring this program back to prominence in its new conference, C-USA.

Memphis Tigers (+350000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Simply put, Memphis is in terrible shape right now. The Tigers might not be favored in any game which they play this season, and if that’s the case, the prospects of a one or two win campaign is a real possibility. Former coach Tommy West blasted the program on the way out the door, which might cause us to never hear his name again. Larry Porter is going to be taking over, but even he knows that this is probably nothing more than a temporary stop before he gets fired as well. The Tigers are going nowhere fast, and unless the school pumps some more money into the facilities there, this program is closer to being gone than being relevant.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+11500 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Notre Dame football has been on a steep decline ever since Lou Holtz retired. Coaches like Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie helped wreck what was once one of the most proud programs in the history of college football. Charlie Weis didn’t help matters any either, though he at least took the team to a BCS game in his reign. Former Cincinnati HC Brian Kelly accepted the Irish position just days before his Bearcats tried to complete an undefeated season with a Sugar Bowl victory over the Florida Gators. Cincinnati’s players elected to play without their skipper, and the end result was a huge loss to mar an otherwise fantastic campaign. Kelly probably has three years to turn the Irish into winners.

San Jose State Spartans (+800000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): There aren’t many programs that have been as inept as San Jose State in recent years. The Spartans really were never in a position to let Tomey, a legendary coach in West Coast college football go. However, he announced his retirement, which is leading way to Mike MacIntyre to come across the country from Duke, where he was the team’s defensive coordinator. Working on the defense would be a good start for the Spartans, as they were one of the worst ‘D’s in the land last year… Of course, they had one of the worst offenses as well. A couple home wins would be a huge triumph this season.

South Florida Bulls (+50000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Jim Leavitt was the only head coach that the Bulls ever knew, even when they were just a tiny I-AA school just trying to make ends meet. However, amidst some off the field issues, the university decided to get rid of their head coach and sign Skip Holtz to replace him. The move made a lot of sense, as Holtz has been leading East Carolina up the ranks of Conference USA, the same conference that South Florida came out of from back in the day. With QB BJ Daniels and a host of returning starters, the Bulls might be the most BCS ready hire of the bunch, especially with a proven coach like Holtz on the sidelines.

Tennessee Volunteers (+50000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): The poor Volunteers finally looked to be heading in the right direction, as the family of Kiffins, Lane and Monte were finally starting to round this program into shape after several lousy years with Phil Fulmer in charge. Kiffin decided to bolt to USC when the opportunity arose this year in spite of the fact that the program could be in shambles. That left the men on Rocky Top scrambling. Though it wasn’t a sexy hire, Derek Dooley was about the only name that the Vols could come up with. No one is expecting this hire to work, and if someone better becomes available next year than a coach that was mediocre with a WAC school, expect Tennessee to jump on it.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (+17500 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): In one of the more bizarre stories in a very awkward offseason, Texas Tech fired Mike Leach following allegations surrounding one of his players. Leach is still sitting out this season to sure up some legal matters against the university, but hiring Tommy Tuberville was a huge coup for the program. The biggest question that is yet to be answered is whether Tuberville will let the Air Raid continue, or whether he will instead install a more run first offense which is similar to the ones used in the SEC where he came from at Auburn two years ago. Texas Tech was on the verge of being a real national power under Leach. Tuberville is expected to, at minimum, keep that up.

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (+300000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): One of the two FCS coaches that took the jump into the FBS this year was Montana’s Bobby Hauck. Hauck takes over for Mike Sanford, who went just 16-43 overall in five years with the Runnin’ Rebs. Not only did Hauck have a lot of success at the FCS level, but he also coached under one of the great FBS coaches of our time as well in Rick Neuheisel both at Washington and Colorado. The Rebels might have themselves a real winner coaching them up, but reaching a bowl game would be a huge accomplishment for a program that has been a wreck since turning over its coaching staff the last time.

USC Trojans (No Line to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Pete Carroll saw this one coming. He knew that USC was about to get hammered by the NCAA for recruiting violations which saw RB Reggie Bush lose his Heisman Trophy. Before the dust settled though, the university successfully conned Lane Kiffin into coming back to Southern Cal, the place which he became a highly coveted assistant coach just a few years ago. Kiffin is upset about the punishments, which make the Trojans ineligible for the National Championship or a bowl game for the next two years and costs the program a number of scholarships. Still, this is clearly a very, very talented team that could run the table… if it wanted to. It’s Kiffin’s job to make sure that his team is ready to play and isn’t worried about the fact that it won’t be in a bowl game this year.

Vanderbilt Commodores (+60000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Bobby Johnson actually had the Commodores ranked for the first time in their history just two years ago, but since that point, they have fallen upon relatively hard times. He elected to resign just a few months ago, which was a shocking move to the program which he helped assemble. Assistant head coach Robbie Caldwell was immediately named the interim coach of the team, and just a few weeks ago, he had that tag removed. Still, Vandy isn’t going to be competing in the SEC East any time soon, and six wins would be a massive, massive triumph any year.

Virginia Cavaliers (+60000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): Be careful what you wish for, Cavaliers fans. UVA at least had a lot of great recruits coming to Charlottesville under former head coach Al Groh, and for quite awhile, it was a relevant team in the ACC. However, the Cavvies got tired of Groh and got rid of him this year, bringing in Mike London, a former assistant and the previous head coach of the Richmond Spiders, making London the other FCS coach to leap up to an FBS program as a head coach. However, the cupboard is entirely dry for Virginia. This could be the worst BCS conference school in the land this year.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+900000 to win 2011 BCS Championship at 5Dimes Sportsbook): With the transition to the Sun Belt now fully complete, the Hilltoppers decided to go in another direction this season, firing David Elson after an 0-12 season in which the team really wasn’t competitive at all. Taggart is a WKU alumnus and has since been the running backs coach at Stanford. His key project? Toby Gerhart, who became one of the top running backs in the nation last year. The Hilltoppers hope that Taggart can bring just a shadow of respectability to this program over the next few seasons as they try to establish themselves as a legitimate member of the FBS.


2010 NFL Coaching Changes

August 24th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist)
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Coaches change in the NFL seemingly every single season, and this year is absolutely no exception. Here at Bankroll Sports, we are looking at the teams that have new men in charge and what that is going to do to those teams’ Super Bowl odds in NFL betting action.

Buffalo Bills (100 to 1 to win the Super Bowl at JustBet Sportsbook): The Bills probably knew that they were never going to get to the Promised Land under old HC Dick Jauron, but what makes them hire out Chan Gailey now? Gailey was a miserable head coach for the Dallas Cowboys back in the day, and he really hasn’t turned any football program that he has been with into a success. There’s a reason that Paul Johnson stepped right in at Georgia Tech and did a fantastic job bringing the Yellow Jackets to the BCS, whereas Gailey never stood a chance of winning the ACC. Gailey was miserable as a coordinator as well. Now, he has to sort through a quarterbacking mess that includes Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards, and Brian Brohm… Needless to say, it’s going to be a long, long season for Buffalo. Don’t be shocked if Gailey is ultimately one and done, as the Bills showed last year that they had no problems firing a coach in the middle of the season.

Washington Redskins (40 to 1 to win the Super Bowl at JustBet Sportsbook): Here’s quite the interesting hire. Had the Broncos not collapsed down the stretch two years ago, Mike Shanahan would most likely still be coaching in Denver. However, he was canned after the ’08 season and is now on the sidelines in DC, where owner Daniel Snyder brought him in to try to right the ship that was messed up by Jim Zorn for a number of years. Not only did Snyder find a new coach, but he found a new quarterback as well in the form of QB Donovan McNabb. Things aren’t going so well for Shanny in our nation’s capitol, though. DT Albert Haynesworth, a former defensive leader of the team, has been clashing with Shanahan all preseason long. Truth be told, this is still probably the worst team in the NFC East, but finishing with a respectable record this year and challenging for the playoffs in 2011 isn’t out of the question.

Seattle Seahawks (80 to 1 to win the Super Bowl at JustBet Sportsbook): It only took one year of the Jim Mora Jr. era for the brass in Seattle to realize that they made a huge mistake in hiring him. Almost immediately, the younger Mora was booted out of the ranks of head coaching for the second time in the last four years. Now, a former NFL skipper and one of the legendary college coaches of our time, Pete Carroll is set to take over. Carroll immediately said that he was going to come in and sort out the pass rushing problems for this team. We don’t quite see the personnel there yet to accomplish that. Now, Carroll also has a quarterback problem, as QB Matt Hasselbeck doesn’t seem to have the same tools that he did back in the day when the Seahawks were going to Super Bowls. Is QB Charlie Whitehurst the answer? Carroll had better find out soon, or he might be in more trouble than his former college program, USC.


PGA Tour Betting: 2010 FedEx Cup Odds, Preview, and Predictions

August 24th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist)
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PGA Tour betting action is set to embark on its biggest four weeks of the year. The FedEx Cup starts this Thursday with the Barclays Tournament, the first of four tournaments that will determine this year’s winner of golf’s equivalent of the playoffs. Bankroll Sports has all of your FedEx Cup betting analysis for the upcoming tournaments.

The top 125 ranked golfers in the world will get a chance to compete at the Ridgewood Country Club this weekend, but the field will get whittled down to just 30 golfers that will get to play in the finale of the FedEx Cup, The Tour Championship.

The first man to clearly keep an eye on in this event is the recently divorced, Tiger Woods (+1500 @ Sportsbook.com). Woods is going to play in this week’s tournament at the Barclays just days after finalizing his divorce with ex-wife Elin, which should finally put to rest all of these other marital issues that have gotten in the way of his golf in recent months. Woods won the FedEx Cup in 2007 and 2009 and has earned nearly double what any other man has in this four week tournament in its three years in existence. However, Woods has a major issue right now, and that’s that he has been playing very poor golf in recent weeks. Tiger enters this tournament as just the 112th ranked player in the 2010 FedEx Cup, making him a bit of a dark horse, per se to try to survive in this tournament through to its conclusion.

The man in the lead right now in the FedEx Cup points standings is Ernie Els (+600 @ Sportsbook.com). Els has been leading this competition since early March, but he has missed a pair of cuts in recent tournaments and has also been on a bit of a cold run of late. The South African also hasn’t performed that well in this tournament in its history, as he isn’t even the top man from his home country in career earnings. Rory Sabbatini is. Still, Els’ wins this year at the World Golf Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational aren’t to be ignored.

The ever so consistent Jim Furyk (+1000 @ Sportsbook.com) has been on fire on the PGA Tour of late, as ten of his last 12 rounds of golf have been shot under par. Furyk has a pair of wins this year at the Transitions Championship and the Verizon Heritage, and he is almost certain to make The Tour Championship with numbers like that on his side. Furyk has never been a huge factor in the FedEx Cup, but this year could prove to be an incredible exception.

The Masters winner, Phil Mickelson (+500 @ Sportsbook.com) is the favorite to capture the FedEx Cup, though. Unfortunately for Lefty, he has yet to capture another tournament this year. In fact, he hasn’t had a Top 10 finish in an event since the middle of June and has even struggled just to make some cut lines. Mickelson has had good showing after good showing here at the FedEx Cup though. However, the elusive FedEx Cup victory is still eluding him in spite of the fact that he finished third in 2007 and second in 2009. He has earned a cool $5.7M in three years in this event.

Perhaps the best option might be The Field (+125 @ Sportsbook.com), though. A number of red hot golfers are in this bunch that are certainly ones to watch. Matt Kuchar has the most Top 10 finishes on tour this year with nine, and he ranks in the Top 25 in seemingly every major category. Bo Van Pelt is considered a huge dark horse, as he clearly has the talent to come out of nowhere just as Camilo Villegas did two years ago to challenge for the FedEx Cup title. Kevin Sutherland will be one to watch as well. He has 14 cashes this season and leads the PGA Tour in greens in regulation, which is crucial to success in all four of these tournaments, particularly the first here at the Barclays.

FedEx Cup Championship Odds @ Sportsbook.com (as of 8/24/10):
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Adam Scott +6000
Anthony Kim +2000
Camilo Villegas +2500
Ernie Els +600
Geoff Ogilvy +6000
Hunter Mahan +1500
Jim Furyk +1000
Kenny Perry +8000
Padraig Harrington +3000
Paul Casey +2000
Phil Mickelson +500
Rory McIlroy +1000
Sean O’Hair +4000
Steve Stricker +700
Tiger Woods +1500
Vijay Singh +10000
Zach Johnson +3000
Field +125

Posted in Golf / PGA Tour   Comments Off on PGA Tour Betting: 2010 FedEx Cup Odds, Preview, and Predictions

2010 Free NCAA & NFL Football Contests List (Updated 8/15)

August 15th, 2010 by Bankroll Sports Staff

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Free Football Contests

Once again, in 2010, we are back with our complete list of free football contests on the internet. We are always happy to save our visitors the time and the hassle it takes to dig through the web and search for free nfl survivor contests and free nfl pick em contests. Just be sure to bookmark this page as we update it throughout the month of August and September prior to the start of the 2010 NCAA and NFL football seasons. If you are aware of of any FREE NFL or college football contests, please reply in the comments section below this post so that we can add the contests to our list. Thank you very much for visiting the Bankroll Sports blog. We wish you the best of luck with your football betting this season.

Latest Update: August 15, 2010 @ 6:00 a.m. (EST)

Free Football Contest Website: NFL.com
Number of Football Contests: Two

  1. Football Contest Title/Link: NFL Playbook Challenge
    1st Prize: Full Superbowl XLIV Experience
  2. Football Contest Title/Link: NFL Touchdown Challenge
    1st Prize: Trip For Two To Superbowl XLIV

Free Football Contest Website: ESPN.com
Number of Football Contests: Five

  1. Football Contest Title/Link: Gridiron Challenge
    1st Prize: $2,000 Best Buy Gift Card & Fan Pack
  2. Football Contest Title/Link: College Football Challenge
    1st Prize: $2,000 Best Buy Gift Card & Fan Pack
  3. Football Contest Title/Link: NFL Pigskin Pick Em’
    1st Prize: $2,000 Best Buy Gift Card, Xbox 360, & Game Pack
  4. Football Contest Title/Link: College Football Pick Em’
    1st Prize: $1,000 Best Buy Gift Card & Fan Pack
  5. Football Contest Title/Link: NFL Eliminator Contest
    1st Prize: $2,000 Best Buy Gift Card & Fan Pack
Free Football Contest Website; FanNation
Number of Football Contests: One
  1. Football Contest Title/Link: Peter King Challenge
    1st Prize: 5 Night Stay @ The Wynn in Las Vegas
Free Football Contest Website; Cappersinfo.com
Number of Football Contests: Five
  1. Football Contest Title: Greatness of the Gridiron
    1st Prize: $1,000 Sportsbook Account ($100 Weekly)
  2. Football Contest Title: NFL Power Points Contest
    1st Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card
  3. Football Contest Title: NFL Three Picks Contest
    Requirements/Link: Must Have A JustBet Sportsbook Account
    1st Prize: $250 or 10000 JustBet Sportsbook Account
  4. Football Contest Title: Monday Night Football Contest
    Requirements/Link: Must Have A Diamond Sportsbook Account
    1st Prize: $300 Diamond Sportsbook Account
  5. Football Contest Title: College Football Pick 4 Saturday
    Requirements/Link: Must Have A Diamond Sportsbook Account
    1st Prize: $200 or $750 Diamond Sportsbook Account

Free Football Contest Website: Wagerline
Number of Football Contests: One

  1. Football Contest Title/Link: NCAA Football League Champions
    1st Prize: $2,000 Cash
Free Football Contest Website; Las Vegas Review Journal
Number of Football Contests: One
  1. Football Contest Title/Link: U Pick Em’ Football Contest
    1st Prize: Trip for Two to Hawaii
Free Football Contest Website; SportsBetting.com
Number of Football Contests: Two
  1. Football Contest Title/Link: Gridiron Pick Em’ Challenge
    1st Prize: Trip To The Pro Bowl / 50″ Plasma HDTV
  2. Football Contest Title/Link: Pigskin Pick 14
    1st Prize: To Be Determined (Last Year; 50″ HDTV)
Free Football Contest Website; HGTVPro.com
Number of Football Contests: One
  1. Football Contest Title/Link: Builders Fooball League
    1st Prize: $1,000 Cash

Once Again, if you run any contests or know of any contests, we would appreciate you contacting us or commenting below about the free football contest. We fully intend to have a list of over 25 contests on this page by September 1st. And again, thank you for visiting Bankroll Sports Handicapping Blog.

Posted in College Football, NFL Football   Comments Off on 2010 Free NCAA & NFL Football Contests List (Updated 8/15)