Things are so sad once the NFL season ends. What are people supposed to do on Sundays when it’s over? Chores? Errands? Church? Pass. Luckily we still have more than a month left.

My might Lions are on their way to achieving something no team has ever done – losing all their games. I don’t even know where to start. Calvin Johnson aka Megatron is pretty much their only keeper – BLOW THE REST UP. It’s funny because you look at the scores from Thanksgiving day and it just looks like all three teams (the Lions, the Cardinals and the Seahawks) were blown out; they each lost by more than 24 points. But the Lions were absolutely painful to watch (only six 1st downs & 154 total yards), the Seahawks at least had their moments and the Cardinals were actually entertaining. Sigh. On to the links!

Duhon looks like Nash, Al Harrington gets his revenge and David Lee does his best David Robinson impression in a route of the Golden State Warriors. 

Portland keeps winnings while the AI trade looks like a flop for Detroit and a great trade for the Nuggets.

TS favorite the red skate talks about God and asks about the Capitals’ biggest win of the season so far. I voted for the 4-3 victory over the Penguins.

Brian Westbrook fills the stat sheet vs. the Kurt-Warner-Dragon-Unleashing-Cardinals. If only he could maintain his health for a full season. It’s like he’s questionable or probable every other game. To his credit he almost always still plays.

The Bungles make Mark Clayton look like the second coming. While the Colts win ugly vs. the Browns.

NBA teams use video games to evaluate talent. Hey if you guys need help I’m available. NBA LIVE sucks though – use NBA 2k please.

The UFC heads to Germany.

Watch the Atlanta Falcons vs. the San Diego Chargers free & live.

Oklahoma moves up in the rankings says the BCS which should shorten it’s name to BS.

And in the least surprising news of the week, New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress shoots himself. 

Finally, here’s a video of Ryan O’Byrne of the Montreal Canadiens scoring on his own goal vs. the New York Islanders.

Sports MarketWatch – NFL Week 13

Recapping Last Week

NFL Week 12 was another downer for the sportsbook industry. November hasn’t been kind to the sports betting industry. It’s been the worst November in the last 4 years, and we still have one more Sunday to go. All sportsbooks reported losing anywhere from 3% to 5% of their handle, resulting in the third straight Monday with a long line at the payout window. The only games that seemed to go the sportsbooks’ way were Houston beating Cleveland and the New Orleans Saints pounding Green Bay on MNF. Pretty much every big game went the sportsbooks’ way – New England mauling Miami, and Chicago routing the St Louis, plus the New York Giants continuing to outperform and hurt the sportsbooks.

SportsInsights.com analysis shows that in games with over 65% of the action on one side, the Public continued its positive momentum, going 4-2, making the Public 42-51 = 45.1% for the season. SportsInsights.com Games to Watch analysis continued its downward spiral, posting yet another 1-2 record, making it 18-17-1 = 51.4% for the season. It’s time to stop the bleeding and turn this around!

View Last Week’s Column:
http://www.sportsinsights.com/sportsmarketwatch/sportsmarketwatch.aspx

NFL WEEK 13
We anticipate that Tennessee, Dallas, Baltimore, New York Giants, and the New York Jets will be the most “lopsided-bet” games of the week. Visit SportsInsights.com to view live wagering statistics from seven online sportsbooks.

NFL Week 13 Sports MarketWatch – Games to Watch (18-17 = 51.4%)

Indianapolis Colts vs Cleveland Browns

Teams are scrambling for playoff spots and the cream is rising to the top. Some of the old reliable NFL powerhouses have been hot — and the Indianapolis Colts are no exception. The Colts have rang up four wins in a row — and the Public thinks they are the Colts of the past few years. More than 90% of all bets are taking the visiting Colts over the Cleveland Browns. That is huge! We also want our readers to note that a huge 95% of teaser / parlay bets are on the Colts; teasers and parlays typically represent very “square” bettors. The Public is all over the Colts and you know what that means: we want to “bet against the Public” and take the Cleveland Browns as a live home dog.

Note that before Indy’s winning streak, they were 3-4. Even now, the Colt’s “points for” minus “points against” is only 247 – 244 = +3. Even with the Public pounding their hard-earned money on the Colts, the sportsbooks have left the line solidly at Colts -4.5. The books look very content at taking the other side at Cleveland +4.5. We’ll join the sportsbooks, bet against the Public — and look for Cleveland to at least stay close in this game at home. If you shop around, you can find some +5’s around.

Cleveland Browns +5

Atlanta Falcons vs San Diego Chargers

This match-up falls into out “buy low and sell high” mantra. We’re selling Atlanta after its big win over Carolina — and buying San Diego on its lackluster performance in the previous week against a resurgent Indy team. The Public noticed these performances and is taking Atlanta plus the points to the tune of 70%. You don’t see the Public taking underdogs at this rate that often — and this is the same reason that you don’t often see our Sports MarketWatch pick favorites very often.

The NFL marketplace has been interesting for the Falcon-Charger game. The line opened at San Diego -5.5. We believe that the marketplace was surprised that the Public was on the underdog Falcons at the 70% rate they have been getting bets down on Atlanta. The line has been getting pushed down — and you can now get the Chargers -4. The past few years, San Diego has been hyped as a Superbowl contender. The Public is disappointed in the Chargers and is starting to jump on the Atlanta bandwagon. We like the value of the 1.5 line movement (especially into the “key 4″ number) — as well as a San Diego team at home — with its playoff-backs against the wall. Give the points.

San Diego Chargers -4

Pittsburgh Steelers vs New England Patriots

NFL fans have been looking forward to this game! The Steelers are 8-3 and the Patriots are 7-4. New England is starting to pull it all together — but because of their early-season difficulties, the Pats are just a 1 point favorite at home. We believe there is value on the Pats at home at -1 — particularly because the Public remembers their early season slump.

NE QB, Matt Cassel, has been “coming into his own” and there is even talk of Tom Brady being on the trading block! There are also stories about Cassel making a huge name for himself — and the potential for him signing a huge contract at some point in the near future (read: contract year!). Either way, New England is looking strong in the QB position and is gaining momentum at the right time of the season this year.

New England Patriots -1

So, here’s a wrap-up of SportsInsights.com analysis for this week’s Games to Watch:

Games to Watch (18-17 = 51.4%)

Cleveland Browns +5
San Diego Changers -4
New England Patriots -1

It should be another exciting NFL Weekend. Keep Sports MarketWatch picks handy and your browser pointed to SportsInsights.com for the latest real-time updates, using our exclusive Sports Investing tools. I’ll be back next Friday with the new edition of the Sports MarketWatch.

Enjoy the games!

Editor’s Note: The above was written by Daniel Fabrizio, founder of SportsInsights. Every week SportsInsights speaks directly with the line managers at some of the sports betting industry’s largest sportsbooks about which games the public is chasing and the Sharps are pounding giving sports fans unprecedented insight into the NFL Football point-spread market. Check out SportsInsights at http://SportsInsights.com.

Sports Marketplace – NCAA Week 14

Recapping Week 13

This is our first year providing the NCAA Football Marketwatch, and we went 1-1-1 in three very close games last week. Nevada fell behind to Boise State in the first half, but they made a late charge to lose by 7 for a push. Mississippi State held on for a 31-28 win, after Arkansas recovered an onside kick in the last minute and missed a game-tying field goal attempt. Arizona allowed a late touchdown to Oregon State, and the game appeared to be headed to overtime. OSU missed the extra point, stopped Arizona on defense, and then drove down the field for a game-winning field goal as time expired.

If you enjoy the insights this column provides, please be sure to visit SportsInsights.com. We are the leader in sports betting information and statistics.

Overall = 17-20-2 = 45.9%

NCAA WEEK 14

The week of Thanksgiving is a big rivalry week in college football, and many games carry significant post-season implications. No. 1 Alabama has clinched a sport in the SEC title game, but they are looking to stay undefeated as they host Auburn in the Iron Bowl. No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Oklahoma are battling for a spot in the Big XII Championship Game as they play their in-state rivals. The Longhorns host The Texas A&M Aggies in Austin on Thursday night. The Sooners have a tougher test as they travel to Stillwater to take on No. 12 Oklahoma State. We have three other rivalry games that feature top-25 teams facing off. No. 4 Florida prepares for the SEC Championship by traveling to Tallahassee to take on No. 20 Florida State. No. 11 Georgia plays host to No. 22 Georgia Tech in another ACC-SEC showdown. No. 17 Oregon State can clinch a Rose Bowl spot with a win over No. 23 Oregon in Corvallis.

Warning to all new readers of the NCAA Football Sports Marketwatch column: in order to follow our selections, you’ll need ice running through your veins. Be prepared to take up meditation or acupuncture to calm the nerves. The goal of this weekly column is to highlight games that offer true “line value.” Often, if a line looks too go to be true, there is a reason. The underlining theme every week is line value. You’ll consistently need the worst teams on the board to come through. We typically buy on bad news and sell on good.

We’re expecting heavy action on the top-25 games, as well as the other big rivalry games. Notre Dame-USC, Virginia-Virginia Tech, South Carolina-Clemson, Kansas-Missouri, and Maryland-Boston College should all draw heavy interest from the betting public. Visit SportsInsights.com to view wagering statistics on NCAA games from multiple online sportsbooks. Here is a trio of line value games we are keying on.

NCAA Sports MarketWatch Week 14 – Games to Watch

Colorado vs Nebraska (11/28 3:30P)

Colorado needs another victory to become bowl eligible as they come into the match up with Nebraska at 5-6 overall. The Buffalos have lacked consistency on offense, and they have changed quarterback choices multiple times. At the moment it seems sophomore Cody Hawkins has reclaimed the job. Colorado also lacks a reliable kicker, which has created more fourth down attempts than normal (16-23 on fourth downs). The Buffalos defense has been solid, but they don’t create many turnovers with only 15 on the season.

Nebraska doesn’t have much on the line against Colorado other than strengthening bowl positioning. A win will likely place them in the Gator Bowl on January 1st. The Huskers have won four out of their last five following a three-game losing streak that ended in October. Nebraska is ranked 10th nationally in total yards, and they are also in the top-20 in scoring, averaging 35.8 points per game. Nebraska’s defensive line has collected nine sacks in his last two games, wins over Kansas and Kansas State. Quarterback Joe Ganz comes into the game ranked 12th nationally with an average of 282.1 passing yards per game.

Nebraska opened as 15-point home favorites at Pinnacle, and the line has steadily moved to Nebraska -18. The Huskers are receiving 61% of spread bets and 77% of parlay bets. We saw a move in the line from Nebraska -17 to -16.5 at WSEX (15-9, +4.6 units), which was the start of a Steam Move for Colorado. We’ll follow the positive steam, and take Colorado with the points.

Colorado +18

Nevada vs Louisiana Tech (11/29 2:30P)

Nevada fell just short in a rally against undefeated and BCS-bound Boise State last week, as they lost by a touchdown. The Wolf Pack rank5th nationally in total offense with 522.2 yards per game, and they are the top rushing team in the nation with 308.5 yards per game. Nevada allows 31.5 points per game. The rushing defense is second in the nation, giving up 64.5 yards per game, but the passing defense ranks dead last nationally by allowing 326.8 yards per game. .

Louisiana Tech comes in at 7-4 with a chance to finish second in the WAC and a shot at their first bowl game since 2001. The Bulldogs have won four straight and are looking to remain undefeated at home. Tech’s passing offense ranks 112th in the nation, and the strength of their team is the tailback duo of Daniel Porter and Patrick Johnson. Both backs are nursing injuries, but will be ready to play this weekend. The Bulldogs’ defense is allowing an average of 100.1 yards per game on the ground.

Nevada opened as 3.5-point favorites at Pinnacle, despite Louisiana Tech have the better overall record. Nevada has faced some tough opponents this season, with games against Texas Tech, Missouri and Boise State. This national exposure is probably a one reason the public is so strongly behind the Wolf Pack; another may be the high-scoring offense. The line has fluctuated between Nevada -3.5 and -5.5 at most books tracked by Sports Insights. The Wolf Pack are receiving a whopping 91% of spread bets and 90% of parlay bets. The line fluctuation and the strong Nevada backing has triggered multiple Smart Money plays on the Bulldogs, including one at BetOnline (28-18, +7.12).

Louisiana Tech +5 (The Pig)

Maryland vs Boston College (11/29 3:30PM)

Maryland is coming off a home loss to Florida State that finished off any chance the Terrapins had at a berth in the ACC Championship Game. Maryland still has a reason to play hard because a win will still mean a tie for the top record in the ACC Atlantic Division (which they would lose in a tiebreaker.) The Terrapins have been a tough team to predict this season, as they have beaten four ranked teams, while losing to four unranked teams. Maryland’s ground attack is the strength of its offense, with a pair of strong tailbacks in Da’Rel Scott and Davin Meggett. The Terrapins have had some issues defending mobile quarterbacks this season, and they are allowing 147 rushing yards per game.

Boston College can clinch the ACC Atlantic Division and a berth in the ACC Championship Game with a win this week. The Eagles lost starting quarterback Chris Crane to a broken collarbone last week, but backup Dominique Davis led BC on a 70-yard game-winning drive against Wake Forest last week. The win pushed their winning streak to three games. BC ranks 95th in total offense, but they are 55th in scoring offense. The Eagles ranks fifth in the nation in total defense, and they lead the nation in interceptions.

Boston College opened as 6.5-point favorites at Pinnacle and most books tracked by Sports Insights. The line has moved between BC -6 and -7 throughout the marketplace, and the movement triggered a Steam Move on Maryland at ABC (70-57, +6.5 units). Early in the week, the Eagles were drawing heavy public backing, but late Wednesday that started shifting. Maryland is now drawing 54% of the public’s spread bets, but the Eagles are receiving 72% of parlay bets. The numbers earlier in the week triggered a Smart Money play on the Terrapins at The Pig (113-99, +.2.7 units).

Maryland +7 (Bodog)

So, here’s a wrap-up of SportsInsights.com analysis for this week’s Games to Watch for NCAA Football Week 14.

Games to Watch (17-20-2)
Colorado +18
Louisiana Tech +5
Maryland +7

It should be another exciting week for NCAA Football. Keep Sports Marketplace Games to Watch picks handy and your browser pointed to SportsInsights.com for the latest real-time updates, using our exclusive Sports Investing tools. Also check out our new feature Campus Reports for NCAA Football information you won’t find anywhere else. We’ll be back next Friday with the new edition of the NCAA Football Sports Marketwatch.

Enjoy the games!

Editor’s Note: The above post was written by Mike Norris at SportsInsights. Every week SportsInsights speaks directly with the line managers at some of the sports betting industry’s largest sportsbooks about which games the public is chasing and the Sharps are pounding giving sports fans unprecedented insight into the NCAA Football point-spread market. Check out SportsInsights at http://SportsInsights.com.

If you haven’t already heard, which I’m sure you haven’t seeing as how soccer still flounders in the American sports scene, Ohio’s own Columbus Crew won their first ever MLS Cup Championship yesterday afternoon in Los Angeles, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1. For those of you who missed out on catching a Crew game this past season, you missed something incredibly memorable. Not only did they win the MLS Championship, but they boasted the best record in the MLS and were far and away the most exciting team to watch in the league. So they don’t have big names like David Beckham or Landon Donovan, but that doesn’t take anything away from the exciting atmosphere that this team was able to produce this year. Perhaps the new household names will be Schelotto (3 assists in the championship game) and Hedjuk (team captain and fan favorite).

If you haven’t been to a Crew game in Columbus then you are really missing out on a great time. Tickets are easily available in the box office directly before kickoff for less than $15 a piece, and they offer Amberbock on tap (one of my favs). Fans at Crew games can get just as rowdy as any game played at the ‘Shoe, where fans in the northeast stands sing, play drums, jump up and down, and start stadium-wide cheers throughout the entire match. This is known as the “Nordecke”, where only the craziest and most loyal Crew fans are permitted to sit…err, stand for the entire game. You’ll notice that every time the other team has a goal kick the Nordecke crowd will shout “YOU SUCK ASSHOLE!” at the top of their lungs, absolutely hilarious.

At any rate, the games are always exciting to watch, even if you aren’t a fan of watching soccer. Being in Crew Stadium is a whole different experience than watching soccer on your couch, the fans are loud, the tickets are cheap, and the beer is good. For about $30 you can get a ticket, a few beers, and have a great time cheering on your 2008 MLS Cup Champions. There’s a reason to get excited for Columbus sports again, and this time it won’t cost you $100 to get in to see it.

This fall has kicked some serious ass. First I got to see Madonna in Chicago and then I managed to make it to the Ohio State vs. Michigan game at the Horseshoe. That’s two things crossed off my bucket list in just two months! Next up is taking off work for two months to backpack through Europe. That may take a little bit more time, but I did apply for a passport last week just in case someone decides to whisk me away somewhere.

I have been wanting to see the Buckeyes lay the smack down on the Michigan Wolverines at home for a really long time now. As soon as I moved to Columbus this past January, I started putting feelers out there for tickets knowing that this is always our biggest game of the the year. As of Friday night when Meg flew in from Chicago for the game we still didn’t have tickets and were pretty much banking on tailgating the entire time.

Saturday was cold. Really cold. A high of 23 degrees, in fact. We woke up at 4:30AM, layered on the Under Armor and thick wool sweaters and headed down to Four Kegs Bar & Grille for kegs and eggs. Beers were literally $1 and the shots of tequila I treated us to were only $3. By 7AM parking was scarce and people were already out in full effect. As the excitement continued to swell, Meg was welcoming the idea of scalping us some tickets.

We headed down to Heiny Gate, had a few beers, and then counted up our cash. $120 was what we were looking at without having to head back to an ATM. Meg stayed behind to polish off a few more beers while I walked up and down Lane Avenue seeing what kind of I deal I could conjure up. $150 a ticket. $250 for a pair. It wasn’t looking good.

Now the brothers peddling the tickets love a girl with some hips so obviously I was negotiating prices that the old dudes couldn’t get close to, but we were still way beyond our $120 cap. I headed back to Heiny Gate to tell Meg it wasn’t looking good. We decided to head to another tailgate as soon as kickoff happened and they went to a commercial break. As we walked back down Lane Avenue, one of the scalpers asked me if I still needed tickets. “Sure do.” “Well what you got?” “I told you man, $120 for a pair..” “Can’t you just throw me another $40 and we will call it a deal?” “Nope, don’t have the cash.” “Alright, here you go.”

He handed us two tickets for the student section in the south end zone – Section B and two student ID’s that have to be scanned upon entering. I was going to be Amber, Meg was Thomas.

Tickets to this game were going for around $400 at the beginning of the season. The Ohio State and Michigan rivalry is one of the greatest in all of college football. Ohio State has beaten them for the past four years, but this year with two losses on the Buckeye’s record, not to mention coming off of two back-to-back National Championship losses, and the Wolverines who won’t be making to bowl game for the first time in thirty-three years (breaking the longest streak in college team bowl appearance history), the ticket prices were dropping. A week ago you could find single seats for as little as $100 on TicketStumbler. But to score two seats in the student stands for $60 a piece is virtually unheard of. Clearly, the key was to wait until after kickoff when the scalpers are desperate to unload (and have a ghetto booty). It’s a bummer we missed the Script Ohio and all other pre-game traditions, but we got in and saw our beloved Bucks hammer on the Wolverines which was nothing short of an amazing experience.

There were maybe 300 Michigan fans in attendance. I barely saw any during the entire tailgate. When one was spotted, everyone began to chant “ASSHOLE, ASSHOLE.” Personally, I find this to be super annoying. It’s one thing to sport an “I LOVE APP STATE” shirt but it’s quite another to be totally obnoxious. No wonder Ohio State fans are known as the worst and most hated among all big teams. It’s not like this title is unfair… have you seen the videos from the 2001 and 2002 riots when we actually won and still proceed to burn cars and trash the city? What ever happen to the love of the game? Lets work on having some class, mkay? Luckily, officials said that this year was one of the most controlled and tame Michigan games to be hosted in the great city of Columbus.

Anyway, now it looks like we are onto the CapitalOne Bowl to take on Georgia. Let’s hope the Bucks can come out of this with a win. We need to redeem ourselves.

Additionally, I would like to extend a huge congratulations to Big Ten Champs, the Penn State Nittany Lions. I don’t really know what happened with Iowa, but as we know, no team is infallible and you guys certainly deserved a great year. Best of luck at the Rose Bowl! I will be cheering you on from a far off distance, JoePa style.

Below is the BCS Top 25 as of November 23, 2008.

The Boston Red Sox offer Jason Varitek a one year contract.

Vladimir Radmanovic pulls a red eye.

Here are the BCS rankings as of November 23, 2008.

The results from the 2008 Philadelphia Marathon.

Right now, the hottest tickets aren’t related to sports, concerts or theater. They’re Obama Presidential Inauguration tickets. HuffPo has more.

NBC Philadelphia talks about how Donovan McNabb was divorced via text message.

Matt Light fights scuffles with Channing Crowder at the Patriots vs Dolphins game.

In an absolute shocker, Dice is going to rejoin the Detroit Pistons.

The Neil Rackers free kick field goal video.*

Freerunning never ceases to entertain me (video).

I still laugh at this Michael Phelps video.

*After a fair catch, an NFL team has the right to take a free kick from the line of scrimmage on the next play. If the kick goes through the uprights, the kicking team scores 3 points. It is also known as a “free kick field goal.”

Sports MarketWatch – NFL Week 12

Recapping Last Week

NFL Week 11 was another downer for the sportsbook industry. This was the first back-to-back losing Sunday for the industry this season. All sportsbooks reported losing anywhere from 1% to 3% of their handle, resulting in another long day of payouts on Monday. The only thing that seemed to go their way was the controversial San Diego vs. Pittsburgh ending — in which a clear touchdown was ruled a forward pass — and the points taken off the board. The Public took it on the chin in that one.

SportsInsights.com analysis shows that in games with over 65% of the action on one side, the Public continued it’s positive momentum, going 6-4, making the Public 38-49 = 43.7% for the season. SportsInsights.com Games to Watch analysis continued its downward spiral, posting yet another 1-2 record, making it 17-15-1 = 53.1% for the season.

View Last Week’s Column:
http://www.sportsinsights.com/sportsmarketwatch/sportsmarketwatch.aspx

NFL WEEK 12
We anticipate that New England, Chicago, Denver, Washington, Indy, and Green Bay will be the most “lopsided-bet” games of the week. Visit SportsInsights.com to view live wagering statistics from seven online sportsbooks.

NFL Week 12 Sports MarketWatch – Games to Watch (17-15 = 53.1%)

Tampa Bay Bucs vs Detroit Lions

Our offshore contacts circled this game because early “Sharp” action on Detroit moved the line from Detroit +9 down to Detroit +7.5. The current line is Detroit +7.5 but there are some +8.5’s available. At this lower line, the betting percentage on “point spreads” is closer to 50% than we would expect — but the bets on teasers/parlays are still overwhelmingly on Tampa Bay (to the tune of 76%). Thus: we’ll “bet against the Public” and join the “Sharps” on the winless Detroit Lions.

At 0-10, the Lions are the league’s doormat. Although the Lions are winless, their record ATS (against the spread) is a reasonable 4-6. As we know, the point spread is a great equalizer — and in this case, getting more than a TD on Detroit — as a home dog — looks like it has some positive value.

Detroit Lions +8.5 (SIA)

Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons

A few years ago, you would never have thought that Atlanta would be involved in a key match-up between two of the NFL’s stronger teams — with playoff implications. And — the Public STILL doesn’t believe it. The Public loves the mighty Panthers in this game, with almost two out of every three bets taking the 8-2 Carolina Panthers.

The Atlanta Falcons have “quietly” gone 6-4 and are actually a very slight favorite at home. The sportsbooks are leaving the line at Atlanta -1 / Carolina +1 and seem to love taking all the action they can get on Carolina +1. We’ll “bet against the Public” and join the side of the sportsbooks. This match-up pits an under-rated Atlanta squad against a Carolina team that has been red-hot all season. Let’s “buy low and sell high” in this key divisional match-up.

Atlanta -1

New York Giants vs Arizona Cardinals

The Giants have been hurting contrarian sports investors all season. The Giants have surpassed most sports fans’ expectations and seem to be on a runaway path to the Superbowl. This game looks like a classic “bet against the Public” contrarian play. A huge five out of six bets (84%) are on the Superbowl Champion Giants to continue their dominating ways. And our readers know what that means: there is value going the other way!

In addition to “fading the Public” — we have the added value of joining “Sharps” in this game. With almost every bet taking the Giants, the line actually moved in the other direction! The line opened at NY Giants -3.5 but actually declined to the Giants -3. This means that some “big money” has gotten down on Arizona and moved the line, offsetting the Public’s smaller bets. Once again, we’ll “sell” the Giants at their recent peak and try to grab some value on the Arizona Cardinals at home. The Giants have been lighting up the scoreboard with all of their W’s — but did you know that Arizona is in first place at 7-3? Take the Cardinals as a “real live dog.”

Arizona +3

So, here’s a wrap-up of SportsInsights.com analysis for this week’s Games to Watch:

Games to Watch (17-15 = 53.1%)
Detroit +8.5 (SIA)
Atlanta -1
Arizona +3

It should be another exciting NFL Weekend. Keep Sports MarketWatch picks handy and your browser pointed to SportsInsights.com for the latest real-time updates, using our exclusive Sports Investing tools. I’ll be back next Friday with the new edition of the Sports MarketWatch.

Enjoy the games!

Editor’s Note: The above was written by Daniel Fabrizio, founder of SportsInsights. Every week SportsInsights speaks directly with the line managers at some of the sports betting industry’s largest sportsbooks about which games the public is chasing and the Sharps are pounding giving sports fans unprecedented insight into the NFL Football point-spread market. Check out SportsInsights at http://SportsInsights.com.

Sports Marketplace – NCAA Week 13

Recapping Week 12

This is our first year providing the NCAA Football Marketwatch, and we finally produced another 3-0 week. Auburn wasn’t able pull the upset over Georgia, but they did beat the 10-point spread. Boston College held on for the outright win over Florida State, and Houston easily beat Tulsa 70-30 to complete our second 3-0 week.

If you enjoy the insights this column provides, please be sure to visit SportsInsights.com. We are the leader in sports betting information and statistics.

Overall = 16-19-1 = 45.7%

NCAA WEEK 13

We’ve got four top-25 match ups this weekend. The biggest involves two top-5 teams in a Big 12 showdown with huge implications for the conference and national championship picture. No. 2 Texas Tech travels to Norman to take on the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners. A win by the Red Raiders would leave them one win away from the Big 12 Championship Game, but a loss would likely create a three-way tie in the Big 12 South Division between Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our second match up takes place between two teams hoping to break into the BCS. No. 14 BYU hopes to hand No. 7 Utah its first loss of the season and end their BCS hopes. In the Big Ten, No. 15 Michigan State travels to Happy Valley to take on No. 8 Penn State. The Spartans still have a shot at a Rose Bowl berth, but need a win and an Ohio State loss against Michigan. The final top-25 showdown takes place in the Big East between No. 20 Pittsburgh and No. 19 Cincinnati.

Warning to all new readers of the NCAA Football Sports Marketwatch column: in order to follow our selections, you’ll need ice running through your veins. Be prepared to take up meditation or acupuncture to calm the nerves. The goal of this weekly column is to highlight games that offer true “line value.” Often, if a line looks too go to be true, there is a reason. The underlining theme every week is line value. You’ll consistently need the worst teams on the board to come through. We typically buy on bad news and sell on good.

We’re expecting heavy action on the top-25 games, as well as the rivalry games as the season winds down. Mississippi-LSU, NC State-North Carolina, Illinois-Northwestern, and Tennessee-Vanderbilt should all garner attention from the betting public. Visit SportsInsights.com to view wagering statistics on NCAA games from multiple online sportsbooks. Here is a trio of line value games we are keying on.

NCAA Sports MarketWatch Week 13 – Games to Watch

Boise State vs Nevada (11/22 4P)

Boise State can clinch the WAC title with a win this week, and they will also remain in contention for their second BCS bowl game in three seasons. The Broncos feature the nation’s second-best scoring defense (10.3 points per game) and rank 12th in total defense (285.5 yards per game.) Boise State features a balanced attack on offense, led by freshman quarterback Kellen Moore (20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions) and senior tailback Ian Johnson (NCAA record 54 career rushing touchdowns.) Last week the Broncos gained 315 yards on the ground against Idaho, despite Johnson only gaining 14 yards.

Nevada is trying to strengthen its bowl position with its third consecutive win. The Wolf Pack feature the nation’s top rushing offense and the No. 2 rushing defense. They average 325 yards per game on the ground; they are the only team in the nation to average over 300. The ground attack already features two 1,000 yard rushers in tailback Vai Taua (1,284 yards) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (1,017 yards), who are the top two rushers in the conference. The Wolf Pack defense allows and average of 63.9 yards on the ground. They also feature an intimidating pass rush, with defensive ends Dontay Moch and Kevin Basped (15.5 sacks combined.)

This could be another high-scoring affair after Boise State’s four overtime 69-67 victory last year. That game was the highest scoring affair in Football Subdivision Series history since official stats started being kept in 1937. Boise State opened as 6-point road favorites at Pinnacle and most other books tracked by Sports Insights. At Pinnacle the line remained Boise State -6, with only the money behind the spread changing, despite the Broncos receiving over 80% of spread bets and over 90% of parlay bets. At BetOnline, the line actually moved to Boise State -5.5 with the heavy public backing, and that triggered a Smart Money play on Nevada at BetOnline (26-15, +8.32). We like homedogs when they’re getting getting a touchdown, and there are still some books like The Pig and SIA offering the Wolf Pack +7.

Nevada +7

Oregon State vs Arizona (11/22 7P)

Oregon State comes into this match up controlling its own destiny. If the Beavers can win their final two games, they are the Pac-10 Champions and will be playing in their first Rose Bowl since 1965. If they lose, there are a variety of bowl scenarios for Oregon State. The Beavers have won five straight behind a ground attack led by freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who leads the Pac-10 with 1233 yards. Oregon State’s defense has turned up the heat on opposing quarterbacks recently with 19 sacks during the five-game winning streak.

Arizona is bowl eligible for the first time in 10 years, but they suffered an embarrassing 55-45 loss last week to Oregon, while allowing 45 points and 411 yards to the Ducks in the first half. The Wildcats almost overcame a 31-point deficit, but they couldn’t make the final jump late. The defense had been ranked in the top-25 nationally recently, but last week’s loss didn’t help those rankings. Arizona’s offense can put up some points, as they average 39.7 points per game. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is a monster at 6′6″ and 260 pounds, and he has eight touchdowns on the season.

Arizona opened as 3-point home favorites despite last week’s showing against Oregon. So it’s no surprise that the Beavers are drawing huge backing from the public. Oregon State is garnering 68% of spread bets and 84% of parlay bets from the public. That backing has pushed the line to Arizona -2.5. The Wildcats are 4-1 at home this season, including 5-0 against the spread in Arizona Stadium. Oregon State may be looking ahead to next week’s showdown with Oregon and a Rose Bowl berth. We’ll take the home Wildcats to bounce back and end the Beavers win streak.

Arizona -2.5

Arkansas vs Mississippi State (11/22 2:30PM)

Arkansas comes in needing wins in its final two games to qualify for a bowl in Bobby Petrino’s first season as head coach. Even two wins won’t guarantee the Razorbacks a bowl berth. Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick suffered a head injury two weeks ago against South Carolina, and he was replaced by his brother Nathan Dick. Both quarterbacks could see action against the Bulldogs. The Razorbacks are giving up 166.2 rushing yards per game on the season.

Mississippi State couldn’t beat Alabama for the third consecutive season, and the loss ended any possibility for a bowl game. Head Coach Sylvester Croom is on the hot seat. The Bulldogs are only averaging 104.5 yards rushing per game. The passing game hasn’t fared much better with an 178.5 average. Their passing defense has been solid in giving up only 154.5 yards per game. The defense held No. 1 Alabama to their season averages in terms of yards last week, as 16 of the Crimson Tide’s 32 points can be blamed on MSU’s kicking game.

The game opened as a pick at Pinnacle, and it moved to Mississippi State -1.5 a few hours later. Since then the line has steadily moved in the other direction, and Arkansas is now a 1.5-point favorite. The Razorbacks are receiving 70% of the public’s spread bets and 52% of parlay bets. We’ll take another home underdog in Mississippi State.

Mississippi State +2 (ABC)

So, here’s a wrap-up of SportsInsights.com analysis for this week’s Games to Watch for NCAA Football Week 12.

Games to Watch (16-19-1)
Nevada +7
Arizona -2.5
Mississippi State +2 (ABC)

It should be another exciting week for NCAA Football. Keep Sports Marketplace Games to Watch picks handy and your browser pointed to SportsInsights.com for the latest real-time updates, using our exclusive Sports Investing tools. Also check out our new feature Campus Reports for NCAA Football information you won’t find anywhere else. We’ll be back next Friday with the new edition of the NCAA Football Sports Marketwatch.

Enjoy the games!

Editor’s Note: The above post was written by Mike Norris at SportsInsights. Every week SportsInsights speaks directly with the line managers at some of the sports betting industry’s largest sportsbooks about which games the public is chasing and the Sharps are pounding giving sports fans unprecedented insight into the NCAA Football point-spread market. Check out SportsInsights at http://SportsInsights.com.