Last-Minute Shopping not First on Ravens' List

Football Betting Lines

12/20/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - List of things to do for you Ravens fans in the week preceding Christmas:

1. File a formal complaint with whoever is responsible for selecting the AFC Pro Bowl team (be sure to CC yourself, since fan voting makes up a large portion of the selection process). No Ray Lewis? No Bart Scott? Have the voters been paying attention to who is leading the NFL's top-ranked defense of the moment?

2. Get out your Ben Roethlisberger, Joey Porter, or Bill Cowher voodoo doll, and prick, prick, prick away. This Sunday's trip to meet the suddenly- resurgent Steelers will be huge for team confidence, and will also have major implications in regard to AFC Playoff seeding. The Ravens, who drilled the reigning Super Bowl champs (27-0) back in Week 12, haven't won in Pittsburgh since 2001 and have never swept the Steelers in a home-and-home.

3. Find out which channel, either on your Sirius radio or Direct TV package, you can find the Colts/Texans game, also scheduled for 1pm on Sunday afternoon. If the Ravens wish to secure a first-round bye, a loss by similarly 11-3 Indianapolis would be extremely helpful. The Colts would win a tie- breaker with Baltimore based on a better record against common opponents. Indy/Houston will be the game to flip to when the Ravens go to commercial.

4. Repeat Step 3, only switch Colts/Texans to Chargers/Seahawks, which is the 4pm Christmas Eve game that matters most. San Diego (12-2) is a game better than Baltimore at present, but since the Ravens own the tie-breaker over the Chargers based on a head-to-head win, Brian Billick and company still have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. You can even find yourself a Shaun Alexander No. 37 jersey to slip on in time for the Seahawks game. You'll probably be able to find one on the discount rack.

If that sounds like a busy week, it is certainly preferable to the alternative, experienced by all of Ravens nation last season.

Baltimore was 5-9 and headed nowhere at this time in 2005.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MY FRIENDS

It was a little on the anti-climatic side, but the Ravens' 27-17 victory over the Browns on Sunday, coupled with the Bengals' 34-16 loss in Indianapolis the following night, gave Baltimore its first division title since 2003.

The ability to add a new "2006 AFC North Champions" hat to the collection was a tad bittersweet for the Ravens, who were actually rooting for Cincinnati to defeat Indianapolis to improve their position in regard to earning a top-two seed. However, the fact that the Ravens wrapped up the division with two games left to play, when few (present company included) had predicted them to finish better than third before the season began, was an impressive achievement nonetheless.

"We're still in the battle to get homefield and let the playoffs go through Baltimore," said Ravens linebacker Bart Scott. "Hopefully, we can keep chugging along because we know it's a huge advantage and something we're fighting for. By no means do we shut it down here."

The division crown was just the second in Ravens team history. Baltimore was a Wild Card entry when it won the Super Bowl in 2000, and also went as a Wild Card in 2001. The Ravens were 20-17 First-Round losers to the Titans following their only previous division title, in '03.

McNAIR SCARE

Sunday's win over the Browns will likely be best-remembered for the hand injury that kept quarterback Steve McNair out for most of the afternoon. McNair had his hand stepped on by Cleveland linebacker Andra Davis in the first quarter, and though he could have returned, Billick opted to leave him on the sideline to avoid re-aggravating the injury. McNair is expected to start in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Former starter Kyle Boller stepped in for McNair, the second time this season that the 2003 No. 1 pick has played meaningful minutes. Boller, who also played extensively in a 23-21 loss to the Panthers in Week 6, completed 13- of-21 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Cleveland. Boller's passer rating was raised to 104.0 in the victory.

PRO BOWLING

Though there were notable Ravens omissions on the AFC Pro Bowl roster, including Lewis, Scott, and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, Baltimore did manage to place five players on the squad.

From the defense, linebacker Adalius Thomas and safety Ed Reed were both named, starters and linebacker Terrell Suggs and cornerback Chris McAlister reserves. On offense, tackle Jonathan Ogden was the only player selected.

It was the ninth career Pro Bowl citation for Ogden, the third for Reed and McAlister, and the second for Suggs and Thomas.

Kicker Matt Stover, tight end Todd Heap and special teams stalwart Gary Stills were all listed as Pro Bowl alternates, as was Lewis. A selected player at each's position would have to bow out in order for any of the above to make the trip to Hawaii.

QUICK HITS

-Running back Jamal Lewis rushed 22 times for a season-high-tying 109 yards and a touchdown against the Browns, leaving him just 14 yards shy of the fifth 1,000-yard season of his career. After scoring one touchdown in his first seven games, Lewis has scored seven times in his last seven contests.

-Rookie wide receiver Demetrius Williams posted his first career 100-yard game on Sunday, with most of the damage coming on a 77-yard catch from Boller that staked Baltimore to a 24-17 lead in the third quarter. The fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon is the third Raven this season to post a 100-yard receiving game, joining Mark Clayton (3 times) and Derrick Mason (once). Williams joins Clayton as the only Ravens rookies to accomplish the feat.

-Scott (9.5 sacks) and Suggs (8 sacks) have two games to join Ravens end Trevor Pryce (12 sacks) and linebacker Adalius Thomas (10 sacks) in the double-digit sacks category, which would make Baltimore the first team in NFL history to have four players with 10 or more sacks.

NEXT UP: PITTSBURGH

The Steelers hold a 13-8 edge in the all-time regular season series with the Ravens, but as mentioned, were routed, 27-0, when the teams met in Baltimore in Week 12. The teams split last year's home-and-home, including a 20-19 Pittsburgh win when the teams met for a Monday Night showdown in the Steel City in Week 8. The home team has won the last eight installments of the series since Pittsburgh won in Baltimore during the 2002 campaign. The Ravens are 0-4 in regular season games played in Pittsburgh since last winning there in 2001.

Pittsburgh won the only postseason meeting between the teams, a 27-10 triumph in a 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff at home.

Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher is 14-8 against Baltimore all-time (including postseason), while Billick is 7-9 overall against both Cowher and the Steelers.

Online-wagering-casino Football Betting News

<< Browns place Butler on IR
Berea, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Kelly Butler has been placed on injured reserve with a broken bone in his foot. Butler suffered the injury during last week's loss to the Ravens. He had been starting in pla

<< Tomlinson among AFC Players of the Week
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Diego Chargers standout running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and Buffalo Bills punter Brian Moorman took home the weekly AFC honors for Week 15 of the

<< Grossman, Dawkins, Turk earn Player of the Week honors
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and St. Louis Rams punter Matt Turk have been named the NFC Players of the Week for Week 15. Grossman was named Offensi

<< 49ers' Smith shows his leadership
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Everyone was as sure as Pacific Northwest rainfall that Seattle would avenge an early-season defeat against the 49ers last Thursday, and in the process clinch the NFC West. But Alex Smith had a different idea. Smith sho

<< Injuries, inconsistency plague Browns once again
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns lost another game this past Sunday. That should have come as no surprise, considering they were facing a very good Baltimore Ravens squad on the road. Romeo Crennel's troops displayed grit, fighting ba

Keane, Miller Named Team Captains for AHL All-Star Classic >>
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that Mike Keane of the Manitoba Moose and Kip Miller of the Grand Rapids Griffins will serve as playing captains for the 2007 Rbk Hockey A

Clippers need to find their game >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Expectations are high for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. After winning 47 games during the 2005-06 campaign and advancing to the conference semifinals, the Clippers are expected to be a factor in the West. The Cl

Carolina places Wahle, Rucker on IR >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Panthers placed offensive lineman Mike Wahle and defensive end Mike Rucker on injured reserve Wednesday. Wahle will undergo surgery within the next week to repair a torn labrum in his righ

The Rockets are Yao's team >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All-Star center Yao Ming has been huge for Houston, which is a solid 15-9 and is 3 1/2 games behind the first place San Antonio Spurs in the Southwest Division. The second place Dallas Mavericks are just one game behind

Braves agree to terms with Woodward >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves and infielder/outfielder Chris Woodward agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2007 season on Wednesday. Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Woodward, 30, played

MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.