Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
12/23/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Prior to the start of the 2006 NFL season, it was easy to look at a Christmas night matchup between the Jets and Dolphins in Miami and expect one team to be looking to advance its playoff position, while the other played the role of spoiler.
That is exactly the situation at hand in Monday night's game, though the projected roles are reversed.
Preseason playoff favorite Miami (6-8) will be spending the month of January watching postseason football on its collective couch. The supposedly not- ready-for-primetime Jets (8-6), meanwhile, can still see the playoffs dangling before them like so much Christmas mistletoe.
Eric Mangini's surprising team has put itself in the postseason running by going 6-3 over its past nine games, including a dominating 26-13 win in Minnesota in Week 15. The Jets have displayed a road warrior mentality throughout the season, going 5-2 away from the Meadowlands, and the franchise's current three-game road winning streak is its longest since it won five consecutive away from friendly confines in 2001.
New York closes its 2006 season with a home game against the woeful Oakland Raiders.
The Dolphins are attempting to ruin Christmas for the Jets, and are also trying to reach another peak in what has been up-and-down season for Nick Saban's club.
Miami started the year at 1-6, before placing itself back into postseason contention with a four-game winning streak. But the Dolphins subsequently squandered their new-found status by losing two of their last three, including a 21-0 blanking at the hands of the Buffalo Bills last week that effectively eliminated them from the playoff race.
The Fins, who close their 2006 campaign in Indianapolis next Sunday, will be playing at Dolphin Stadium for the first time since their 21-0 domination of the New England Patriots in Week 14, a game that snapped the Pats' seven-game regular season road winning streak.
SERIES HISTORY
The Jets hold a 42-38-1 lead in their all-time series with Miami, including a 20-17 home victory when the teams met in Week 6. New York has now won four of the last five in the series, with the Dolphins' only win over that stretch coming at home (24-20) last season. The Jets' most recent win in Miami occurred in 2004.
In addition to their regular season history, the Jets and Dolphins met in the 1982 AFC Championship, which went to Miami by a 14-0 score.
Saban is 1-2 against the Jets in his brief tenure with Miami, while New York's Mangini is 1-0 against both Saban and the Dolphins as a head coach.
JETS OFFENSE VS. DOLPHINS DEFENSE
Seeking to build on a career day in Minnesota will be Jets quarterback Chad Pennington (2958 passing yards, 15 TD, 16 INT), who completed 29-of-39 passes for a personal-best 339 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a lost fumble against the Vikings. After losing a fumble on the second play from scrimmage, which Minnesota cashed in for a touchdown, Pennington led scoring marches on six of the team's next seven drives. The enigmatic quarterback has posted eight single-game passer ratings of better than 90.0 this season (including a 99.1 against the Dolphins on Oct. 15th), but has also been under 50.0 in three games. Pennington has had three regular targets this year - wideouts Laveranues Coles (87 receptions, 6 TD) and Jerricho Cotchery (71 receptions, 5 TD) along with tight end Chris Baker (28 receptions, 3 TD). Coles turned in a 12-catch, 144-yard, one-touchdown performance in Minnesota, and now needs four receptions, 200 receiving yards, and two touchdowns over his final two games to set personal single-season bests in all three major receiving categories. Cotchery and Baker combined for 10 catches totaling 89 yards against the Vikings. The young Jets line has surrendered 32 sacks through 14 games, including two last week.
Pennington would be wise to keep at least one eye on Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor (53 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 2 INT) at all times Monday night. Taylor was named to his fifth career Pro Bowl on Tuesday, and remains among the foremost contenders for league Defensive Player of the Year honors. The veteran has at least a sack in nine of his last 11 games, has nine forced fumbles over that span, and also has two interception returns for touchdowns on the year. The secondary, which has totaled just five interceptions on the entire season, has shown less playmaking ability than the pass rush, but has contributed to the team rank of third in NFL pass defense (178.3 yards per game). Who will match up with Coles and Cotchery is up in the air at this stage, as cornerback Will Allen (52 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) is listed as questionable with a groin problem. Andre' Goodman (39 tackles) and Travis Daniels (27 tackles, 1 INT) would likely start if Allen can't go, with Yeremiah Bell (60 tackles, 2 sacks) and Renaldo Hill (75 tackles, 2 INT) lending support from the safety positions.
One week after facing a Vikings front seven that is on pace to allow the fewest rushing yards in a 16-game NFL season, the Jets will be pleased to see the Dolphins' less suffocating front. Cedric Houston (330 rushing yards, 5 TD) did a bulk of the running against the Vikings, totaling 53 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Apart from his six-yard touchdown run and a 20-yard rush on a 3rd-and-22 play in the second half, Houston, who is listed as questionable with a calf injury for this week, averaged just 1.4 yards per rush. Rookie scatback Leon Washington (571 rushing yards, 3 TD, 19 receptions) was held to five yards on three carries in the win, but should see more work this week against a Miami team that he beat for 58 yards on 11 carries back in Week 6. Washington continues to lead the Jets, who are 18th in the league in rushing offense (109 yards per game), in ground yards.
The Dolphins rank eighth in the league against the run (100.4 yards per game), with the main reason for that statistic, middle linebacker Zach Thomas (142 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT), earning his seventh career Pro Bowl citation for his efforts earlier this week. Thomas had another huge game against the Bills last Sunday, tallying 18 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in a losing effort, and entered Week 16 as the NFL leader in stops. Fellow LB Channing Crowder (93 tackles, 1 sack) has also been good this season, and Keith Traylor (31 tackles, 4 sacks) and Vonnie Holliday (63 tackles, 7 sacks) have provided the Dolphins' main presence at the point of attack.
DOLPHINS OFFENSE VS. JETS DEFENSE
The Dolphins' Joey Harrington (2194 passing yards, 12 TD, 15 INT) played the worst game a quarterback can play last week, posting a 0.0 passer rating before being pulled late in favor of backup Cleo Lemon. Amid difficult weather conditions in Buffalo, Harrington completed 5-of-17 passes for 20 yards with two interceptions, dropping his record as a starter this year to 5-5. Harrington was 27-of-43 for 266 yards with a touchdown and two picks against the Jets in Week 6. Wideouts Chris Chambers (55 receptions, 4 TD) and Wes Welker (63 receptions, 1 TD) will look to get involved this week, along with tight end Randy McMichael (53 receptions, 1 TD). Chambers did not have a catch last week, the first time that has happened since 2002. Welker and McMichael had four receptions each, while usual No. 2 receiver Marty Booker (51 receptions, 6 TD) played only sparingly due to an ankle injury. Booker is listed as doubtful for this week. McMichael had a season-high eight grabs against the Jets in Week 6. The Miami line has given up 36 sacks on the year, including one last Sunday.
Seeking to goad Harrington into another miserable outing will be a Jets defense that ranks 19th in the NFL against the pass (212.3 yards per game). The Jets intercepted Harrington twice in Week 6, with cornerback Andre Dyson (59 tackles, 4 INT) and linebacker Victor Hobson (88 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 INT) both notching picks, and also harassed Vikings QBs Brad Johnson and Tarvaris Jackson in last week's game. The Jets ran Johnson from the game after holding him to 96 yards on 10-of-17 passing, and denied Minnesota any shot at a comeback when cornerback David Barrett (31 tackles, 3 INT) intercepted Jackson late in the going. Linebackers Hobson and Eric Barton (93 tackles, 3 sacks) had two of the Jets' three sacks last week. The best player in the New York secondary this season has been strong safety Kerry Rhodes (91 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INT), who was unjustifiably snubbed when the AFC Pro Bowl team was announced on Tuesday. The Jets have 30 sacks on the year, led by Bryan Thomas' (70 tackles) seven-and-a-half, but did not have one against Harrington in Week 6.
The Dolphins are just 25th in the league in rushing offense (99.9 yards per game), but could get a spark from the possible return of running back Ronnie Brown (783 rushing yards, 5 TD, 29 receptions) this week. Brown has missed three games since breaking his left hand against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, but his return is listed as questionable for Monday night. Sammy Morris (367 rushing yards, 1 TD, 17 receptions) earned three starts in Brown's place, averaging 80.3 yards per game and 4.2 yards per rush but scoring just one touchdown. Brown rushed 22 times for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in Week 6.
Whoever does the running for Miami should be able to make some gains on a Jets defense that ranks just 24th in NFL rushing defense (133.7 yards per game). New York was able to limit the effectiveness of Minnesota's Chester Taylor in Week 15, holding him to 38 yards on 11 carries, though the big early lead that the Jets built demanded a pass-first approach from the Vikings. Hobson led the linebacking corps with eight tackles in the victory, and interior lineman Dewayne Robertson (56 tackles, 2.5 sacks) was a difference-maker with six tackles. Inside linebackers Jonathan Vilma (100 tackles, 1 INT) and Barton are 1-2 on the team in stops as Week 16 begins.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Like most young teams, the Jets have had difficulty playing well when they are saddled with expectations. As an underdog, New York has generally played up to the level of its competition, but when they have had a golden opportunity to improve their postseason and/or division standing, Mangini's club has seized up more often than not (see losses to Browns, Bills). Look for that M.O. to hold up on Christmas night. Despite their disappointing season, the Dolphins have shown via decisive wins over the likes of the Bears and Patriots that they can beat anyone when especially motivated. In a primetime home game against a hated rival with the whole NFL world watching, expect the Fins to find that motivation.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Dolphins 17, Jets 14
<< Preds' Nichol gets nine-game suspension
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nashville Predators forward Scott Nichol has
been suspended for nine games, without pay, for his blind-side punch to the
head of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jaroslav Spacek during Thursday night's 7-2
setback
<< 49ers' Bryant suspended four games
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Antonio
Bryant has been suspended four games for violating the NFL Substance Abuse
Policy.
Bryant was arrested last month for suspicion of drunk driving, among ot
<< Air Force tabs Calhoun to replace DeBerry
Colorado Springs, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Air Force Academy hired Troy Calhoun
as its new head football coach a little more than a week after Fisher DeBerry
retired.
Calhoun, who is finishing his first season as the Houston Texans offen
<< Feyenoord looking to continue push up Dutch ladder
Rotterdam, Holland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Feyenoord are traditionally looked
at as one of the big three in Holland, along with PSV and Ajax. This season,
Erwin Koeman's club have endured plenty of ups and downs on their way to a
fifth-p
Cadillac downgraded to doubtful >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay running back Carnell "Cadillac"
Williams was downgraded to doubtful on Friday because of a foot injury, making
it unlikely the Buccaneers starting back will play Sunday at Cleveland.
Williams h
Saints' Horn downgraded to doubtful >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn
was downgraded from questionable to doubtful for Sunday's game against the New
York Giants.
Horn, who has been battling a groin injury since Week 9, has been
Boston signs RHP Hernandez to minor league deal >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox signed pitcher Runelvys
Hernandez to a minor league contract Friday.
Hernandez will join Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League, but he was
also invited to Boston's major leag
Spezza sidelined with knee injury >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators will be without points
leader Jason Spezza for an indefinite period due to a left knee injury he
suffered in Thursday's 4-2 home loss to Tampa Bay.
According to TSN in Canada, the
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
Mysportsbook.com online online sportsbook accepts Visa & Mastercard
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting