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NFL 2006: Vikings still making changes heading into seasonFootball Betting Lines09/05/2006 - EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -Just when the Minnesota Vikings looked to have completed a massive offseason overhaul, the changes keep on coming. A new backup quarterback. A new backup running back. Receivers. Defensive backs. The Vikings addressed all those areas over the weekend, just over a week before they open the regular season against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 11. In the last few days, the Vikings have: -Jettisoned Mike McMahon, who was a bust as the No. 2 quarterback. -Traded for quarterback Brooks Bollinger from the New York Jets and signed him to a two-year contract extension. -Signed maligned veteran Todd Pinkston in the latest effort to beef up a receiving corps rocked by the release of Koren Robinson. -Signed running back Artose Pinner to provide depth behind starter Chester Taylor, a move necessitated by Mewelde Moore's lingering injury problems. -Signed cornerback Rashad Baker after nickel back Dovonte Edwards was lost for the season with a broken arm against Dallas last week. And they might not be done yet. ``We will continue working this roster probably right up until gametime,'' coach Brad Childress said Monday. ``In terms of tweaking it, looking for people out there, seeing who best fits our situation.'' The team that finally does take the field at Washington for the opener will carry little resemblance to last year's 9-7 team that missed the playoffs. Owner Zygi Wilf cleaned house in the offseason, firing coach Mike Tice, hiring Childress from Philadelphia, reshaping the front office and trading quarterback Daunte Culpepper to Miami. Most of the big moves were made months ago, but this latest flurry of maneuvers shows that the rebuilding project is still very much a work in progress. Bollinger was brought in to provide an experienced player behind 37-year-old starter Brad Johnson after McMahon was a complete failure in the preseason. With second-round draft pick Tarvaris Jackson considered the long-term solution at the position, Childress was looking for another veteran should Johnson go down. The fourth-year pro started nine games for the Jets last season and now finds himself cramming like a college senior during finals week in an effort to get ready for the season opener. ``It's all happening pretty fast,'' Bollinger said. ``It's going to take a little time.'' Some might find all these changes this close to the season as a sign the team is scrambling to field a competitive roster. There also are questions about whether all these new players have jelled, especially on an offense that has eight new starters. ``It's just part of the business,'' said tight end Jermaine Wiggins, one of three remaining starters on offense in last season's opener. ``There's always going to be turnover. ... The main thing is to keep showing improvement as we transition into Monday night.'' The one pillar the Vikings have to lean on is the defense. The unit made significant improvements during last season's 7-2 finish and has been impressive this preseason. The starters have allowed just one touchdown, and that came when Pittsburgh opened the game in an unconventional no-huddle offense. The players, most of whom were here last season, have been quick to embrace first-time defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin's cover-2 scheme. ``You've watched Mike call the defenses,'' Childress said. ``Obviously he does a good job of mixing those things up.'' The coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and special teams coordinator Paul Ferraro, have meshed well. The lines of communication, Childress said, have been open and free-flowing and the gameday operations have been smooth. ``I'm very comfortable with those guys,'' Childress said. Now all Childress can hope is that the players can exhibit similar cohesion, or things could get ugly early. The Vikings open the season at Washington, followed by home games against Carolina and Chicago and a road trip to Buffalo. They also play at Seattle and host New England in the first eight weeks. ``We've done some things well, some things not so well,'' center Matt Birk said. ``We just have to keep on working our techniques, working our schemes until we're comfortable with it.'' Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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SAN DIEGO (AP) -Chargers linebacker Steve Foley will miss the season after being shot near his suburban home by an off-duty police officer.Foley was placed on the non-football injured reserve list on Monday, a day after he was shot by an off-duty Co
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College Football Betting Tips From a ProWhile the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly. Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules. The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers. What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by. These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end. College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well. Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football. Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play. Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration. I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key. Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season. It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage. As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital. Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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