Carolina Panthers: NFL Season Betting Preview

Carolina Panthers
(+5250) – Odds to Win the Super Bowl
(Over 7.5, +125: Under 7.5, -145) – Over/Under Total Wins
(+605) – Odds to Win Division

The Panthers are definitely a dark-horse-surprise team to impress some people, at least from this guys’ point of view. If they didn’t have John Fox coaching, I’d probably like them even more. Listen, I see that Fox has done some things well, and his career record and winning playoff mark speaks for itself, but watching him call pass plays early and often while Jake Delhomme was playing catch with opposing secondaries, was painful – especially when Carolina’s run-game was so potent. But Delhomme is gone, and Matt Moore is the guy I see getting the snaps in Carolina, and here I am giving John Fox a second chance. Moore doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, and that’s going to be huge for the Panthers. They tried to improve offensive in the draft, and I think Brandon LaFell will help them right away at receiver. They picked up Jimmy Clausen, and while I think the pick was worthy, I’m not expecting him to help anytime soon. Eric Norwood is a solid LB picked late, he should help in situations. Remember, this team lost Julius Peppers, easily their biggest name on the defensive side of the ball, probably on their entire team. I don’t know if they’ll turn into mush defensively, but they’ll miss the very talented defensive end. This team has a legitimate shot to win their division, Atlanta and New Orleans are obviously favored, but the Panthers are good enough to make waves. They played very well down the stretch, winning 4 of their final 5 games including 3 straight to end the season. They played close games against good teams and beat Arizona, Miami, and Minnesota in meaningful games. Don’t count them out. I like their over and odds to win the NFC South – both have solid payouts and I expect them to win at least 8 games.

NFL Rookie Signings: Time for a Change

Lets face it, the current system is broken. I know the NFL faces a lot of interesting questions and discussions going forward, as it’s in the best interest of both the players and owners to get a deal done before there’s any kind of holdout. There may be huge things on the table that need to get changed, number of games, payment scales, salary caps and minimums, and franchising star players, but nothing needs to be changed more than this stupid draft pick signing situation.

Camps have either just started or are about to start for every single team in the NFL and there are just 3 First Round Draft Picks signed to their respective teams. What a joke. Three… Out of Thirty freaking Two drat picks. Football, more than MLB baseball or NBA basketball, relies heavily on your ability to play within your team schemes. You can still be useful in baseball if you don’t know the signs. You can be a 1 on 1 defender and offensive player for an NBA team even if you don’t know all the plays. In football, you’re useless if you don’t know the schemes, audibles, and intricacies of your team. You know what happens when a running back goes the wrong way on a dive? He gets destroyed, that’s what.

I’m all for young athletes making loads of money. Do I think rookie quarterbacks should make more money than Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? No, I do not. But that wouldn’t bother me nearly as much if this stupid system didn’t have players signing contracts well into the start of training camp. It’s dumb – no other sport has this problem, and that’s because of how pathetically obtuse the idea is.

3 out of 32 draft picks have signed in time to start camp with their teams. That’s supposed to be the best 32 players drafted this season, the guys expected to help their new franchises the most. It’s terrible when guys hold out and miss games because of it, and it’s bad when they miss too much training camp to be ready to go in Week 1 – but what makes it even more ridiculous is that it doesn’t need to happen at all. The NFL players union and the Owners need to get their aces together and figure it out – this rookie contract hold-out BS needs to go!

Buffalo Bills: 2010 NFL Season Betting Preview

Buffalo Bills
(+14250) – Odds to Win the Super Bowl
(Over 5.5, +120: Under 5.5, -140) – Over/Under Total Wins
(+385) – Odds to Win Division

Oh the Buffalo Bills. I must say, I have a little more hope for them with Dick Jauron out of the picture, but by no means do I expect them to play like a contender. They certainly have a talented trio of running backs, and 1st Round Draft Pick, C.J. Spiller is a talented touchdown maker indeed – something the Bills had a very tough time scoring in 2009. But as much as offense was a problem for Buffalo (and it will likely continue to be in 2010), their inconsistencies defensively will hurt them again. While their secondary ranks out pretty well (allowed just 184 yards per game, 2nd in the NFL), it might be a false statistic – I mean, why pass on a talented ball-hawking secondary when you can just run? Most teams figured that out and decided not to pass at all, and that worked out pretty well for the Bills’ opponents as Buffalo gave up 156 rushing yard per contest, good for 30th in the NFL. Buffalo did take a tough DT (Torrell Troup) and a DE (Alex Carrington) in 2 of their first 3 rounds of the draft, but this team needed lots of help and they still don’t have an answer to their reoccurring question at quarterback. TO is gone, and say what you will, he was their best pass catching weapon by far. They have a completely new coaching staff, but at least it’s one that highlights the teams’ strengths – running the football. The Bills Super Bowl Odds are huge for a reason, even in a blue-moon type situation 10 total wins is probably the limit and there’s no way to win a Super Bowl with 10 total wins. At least I don’t think so… Winning the division seems impossible with 3 very solid teams ready to give the playoffs a run. Over/Under 5.5 wins, I’d lean on over. They had so many injuries last season, and they were all playing for a coach on the way out – never easy – and they still won 6 games. With a decent running game to lean on, 6 wins seems like a good bet to me.

Baltimore Ravens: 2010 NFL Team Preview

Baltimore Ravens
(+1015) – Odds to Win the Super Bowl
(Over 9.5, -155: Under 9.5, +135) – Over/Under Total Wins
(-135) – Odds to Win Division

The Ravens were a couple wins away from a Super Bowl showing, but couldn’t get by their arch nemesis, Peyton Manning, and his Colts. They were very good defensively, but their awesome rushing attack led by Ray Rice, and solid sophomore quarterback play out of Joe Flacco, really saw them flourish into a balanced team. With the addition of Anquan Boldin, the offense is expected to be even stronger, as they plan on being even more balanced team wide. But it’s not all sunshine for the Ravens. One of their young talented draft picks, Sergio Kindle – who many touted as a steal late in the first round, recently had a run-in with a couple flights of stairs and came out on the losing side of that battle. He may not contribute right away, if this year at all, as his skull is fractured. The Ravens also won’t have Ed Reed, at least not likely, until partway through the season. He’s still recovering from his hip surgery, and isn’t expected to come back until he’s been given a full bill of health. For those that don’t know, he might be the best safety in the league – a truly special ball hawk and leader in what was a semi-shaky secondary with him. The Ravens have Ken Hamlin to fill in for Ed until he’s healthy, and can hopefully lean on the offense a little more with Joe Flacco coming into his 3rd year, Ray Rice becoming a house hold name, and Boldin bringing his talents to Baltimore. I still think their over/under total wins of 9.5 is a tough one, and would probably stay away. They don’t have a great payout for winning the Super Bowl either, and they are even favorites to take the AFC North. Both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have just as good of chances to complete those tasks. I would steer clear of the Bengals’ preseason bets as a couple close games in the AFC North will decide too much of their fate.

Atlanta Falcons: 2010 NFL Season Preview

Atlanta Falcons
(+2550) – Odds to Win the Super Bowl
(Over 8.5, -180: Under 8.5, +155) – Over/Under Total Wins
(+205) – Odds to Win Division

The Atlanta Falcons were everybody’s favorite team to make a big time playoff run last season. They had a young QB, Matt Ryan, going into his 2nd year after a great rookie season. They had Michael Turner ready to rumble again. Tony Gonzalez was added – they were ready to take the next step! But somebody forgot defense, and the Falcons struggled to stop the ball all season long. They also had injuries up front, and Mike Turner was hurting often, and they struggled to run the ball with as much success as 2008. This season, the Falcons did their best to sure up the defensive unit by grabbing Sean Weatherspoon with the 19th pick, a nice linebacker that can do it all. They also grabbed a big DT with their 3rd round pick. To sure up the O-line, they picked two guards in the middle rounds that might get into the rotation up front. The Falcons signed big-name free agent corner back, Dunta Robinson to a big deal to help sure up their secondary, something they’ll need unless they can get pressure on opposing QBs. The Falcons might be a little under the radar this season, something that often happens when teams don’t meet expectations the year prior. I don’t know if they have the defense ready to compete for a Super Bowl, but getting 9 wins (+155 payout if they do that) and winning the division over the Saints (+205 – and remember, Super Bowl teams often struggle the next season) – they are good enough to do both.

Arizona Cardinals: 2010 NFL Season Preview

Arizona Cardinals
(+6050) – Odds to Win the Super Bowl
(Over 7.5, -125: Under 7.5, +105) – Over/Under Total Wins
(-260) – Odds to Win Division

When Ken Whisenhunt was hired in Arizona there were people claiming he would finally be the guy that turned the Cardinals around. After 3 seasons, I think it’s safe to say those people were right. Whisenhunt went to a Super Bowl and has a 31-23 overall record in his Arizona career. That includes a 4-2 playoff record. But now Kurt Warner has retired. Two of the teams best defensive players, Antrel Rolle and Karlos Dansby, have signed elsewhere. And Anquan Boldin was finally granted his trade request and sent to Baltimore. So the question is, do the Cardinals still own the NFC West? Without 4 of their best players, they will become more of a running team, but they will still be great against the run defensively (adding Dan Williams in the 1st Round will only help). They only have to compete with the 49ers in the NFC West, because Seattle and St. Louis don’t appear ready to make a playoff run. I wouldn’t waste my money on taking the Cardinals to win the division or get to the Super Bowl, but getting 8 wins seems very attainable. It depends a lot on Matt Leinart, but not as much as you’d think – this team will run the ball a lot more now that Kurt and Boldin are gone. Expect Beanie Wells to get lots of attempts for the Cardinals. They won’t be as exciting, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they won 10 games.

2010 Fantasy Football Sleepers

Follow Lucky Lester on Twitter or on Facebook

Fantasy Football Super Sleepers:

Again with this sleeper thing. People love to throw sleepers down that aren’t to be justified sleepers. Because a dude was hurt last year, and is now healthy, it doesn’t mean he automatically qualifies for sleeper status. Yes, I know he didn’t produce sweet stats that make your mouth water yesteryear, but if he’s been a stud in the past, and is in his prime, he doesn’t have stock in sleeper possibility. Another thing about a “sleeper” – he’s no longer a sleeper when every fantasy guy in the world thinks he’s going to break out. That means he’s kind of awake, right? Here are 10 guys (kind of) that have sleeper credits that should break out from their normal production.

A couple half-sleeper guys…

What can I say except the Raiders are beginning to make smart moves, and the best running back in Oakland just happens to be named Michael Bush. If Oakland continues to think outside Al’s power strip, this guy will be getting 20 carries a game and producing big stats for Raiders. He’s currently getting drafted in the late 30’s amongst RBs, but I think he finishes in the Top 20. That being said, how is Ahmad Bradshaw getting drafted as the 47th running back? This guy is the best RB on a New York Giants’ team that should be much better this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he finished with 1000 yards and a handful of touchdowns. He can’t be a sleeper based off my definition – but dang, he’s a heist that late.

The Full Sleeper Hold…

Mohamed Massaquoi: I wouldn’t want a Browns’ WR to be in my starting fantasy line-up, but that’s doesn’t mean that Massaquoi won’t have value. Somebody has to be the #1 in Cleveland, and Massaquoi will almost certainly be that guy. It’s rare that you can get a teams’ #1 as late as you can grab Mohamed, and I think he’s worth the pick for his upside potential.

Mike Bell: 65th rated running back – will almost certainly get goal line and tough yardage opportunities in Philadelphia. You never know what the Eagles are going to do, and an Eagle running back situation is a scary thing, but Bell has always been a hard-nosed runner and the Eagles haven’t seen one of those in a long time.

Donnie Avery or Laurent Robinson: I have a pretty good feeling that one of these guys becomes Sam Bradford’s #1 target, and I’ve always liked Robinson. Before his injury, he was putting up some pretty solid stats for a terrible passing team last season. He’ll be back to 100% (the injury happened early) and he could be a nice big target for the young QB. Donnie Avery just has too much turbo in the bank to be forgotten. He’s one of the fastest wideouts in the game, and he has upside. If you’re deciding on going for Kevin Walter or Deion Branch, you might want to just pick Avery and hope he becomes the sure-fire #1 in St. Louis.

Jacoby Jones: Is this the year for the speedy receiver with an even faster name? Seriously, say his name out loud to yourself – fast right? JacobyJones… One word. This guy makes touchdowns happen. He’s the fastest receiver on their roster and he’ll get single coverage just about every time he steps on the field. Jones is a much better big-play guy than Walter – I say take a late chance on him and see where it goes. Currently being drafted outside of the Top 200.

Anthony Gonzalez: Currently rated as the 75th receiver via ESPN, Gonzo has never had a season better than 57 grabs for 664 yards and 4 scores. That being realized, he’s only really played one season. Now Indy looks to be stacked with receiver talent, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon did work last year when Gonzo went down in the first few plays of the season, and many have suggested that Gonzo will be lucky to come in as the #4. I don’t buy it. I thought he’d be great last year, he didn’t get the chance. I’m not as sure this year, but he’s definitely worth the draft price to grab and see what happens.

Matt Leinart: It feels like an obvious pick, but I don’t see many other donkeys throwing Matt’s name out there. So I’ll go ahead and do it. I know he lost Boldin, and that stinks – and this team will probably throw a lot more now that Kurt’s old ace is retired – but there are still three very good receiving options, one of which might just be the best in the game in Larry Fitz. Breaston could be a beast opposite Larry (he often has when given the chance in Boldin’s absence) and Doucet has shown good upside. Matt is being rated outside the Top 24, and I see him getting in the Top 15 amongst QBs – making him a good #2 and a fringe starter.

Jermaine Gresham: There is 12 guys that I really think could be good TEs – well, 12 guys that are basically sure things. Then there’s John Carlson (Hawks, ugh), and this guy, Mr. Gresham. Jermaine judges the ball in the air as good as any rookie receiver and he’s really fast. Even better, he keeps his eyes on the ball and makes big time plays with his elite size and athleticism. For a team that didn’t score too much through the air, Jermaine might just walk in and be a gem for the fantasy guy that waits until the final rounds to take a TE.

Mike Williams: Yeah, laugh if you want, but last time Pete Carol and this guy teamed up, Mike was one of the best players in college football. His hands have always been amazing, and while he’s not super-fast, he knows Seattle’s offense as well as any he’s run as a pro. He might get his chance to start and make big plays in Seattle, and he’s definitely worth his weight in draft position (148th rated WR on ESPN).

Here’s an entire different type of SLEEPER ARTICLE – something I imagine you’ll find useful on draft day!

2010 MLB All Star Game: Free Pick and Preview

It’s an All-Star game, so obviously it’s tough to get a perfect read on what’s going to happen. Some people are saying the American League roster is way more impressive than that of the National League, and some think the pitching is better in the AL as well. Maybe – but I’m looking for a reason to make a pick in this game, and I think I’ve found a couple. It’s easy to just pick the AL with the old back-up – THEY HAVEN’T LOST IN 13 YEARS!!! But that’s too easy – here’s what I see in the match-ups.

Starting Line-ups:

Hanley Ramirez, SS              Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Martin Prado, 2B                Derek Jeter, SS
Albert Pujols, 1B               Miquel Cabrera, 1B
Ryan Howard, DH                 Josh Hamilton, CF
David Wright, 3B                Vladamir Guerrero, DH
Ryan Braun, LF                  Evan Longoria, 3B
Andre Ethier, CF                Joe Mauer, C
Corey Hart, RF                  Robinson Cano, 2B
Yadier Molina, C                Carl Crawford, LF

I have to admit, the National League has some awesome players in their order, and power roaring throughout, however, the American League line-up could start either way, from Ichiro to Crawfor or Crawford to Ichiro, and it wouldn’t lose much luster. I mean, Crawford, Cano, Mauer, Longoria is a filthy 1,2,3,4 start. But then again, so is Ichiro, Jeter, Cabrera, and Hamilton. This line-up is absolutely loaded. Coming off the bench the AL has guys who are very hot of late, like Paul Konerko, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Tori Hunter, and David Ortiz – to name a few. Alex Rodriguez and Vernon Wells will also get a chance to hit for the AL. I like Joey Votto, McCann, Scott Rolen, and Matt Holliday coming off the NL’s bench, but the advantage here goes to the AL.

Starting Pitching: I would say “starting pitching” but let’s be honest, it would be surprising if either starter pitched to more than 6 batters. But that being said, you have David Price starting for the AL (really good lefty) and Ubaldo Jimenez on the bump for the NL. Price kills lefties, giving up a .194 average on no home-runs in 108 chances against lefties. He’s still a stud against righties, but better against lefties. 5 of the first 6 guys he’ll face are righties, and very good ones at that. Ubaldo has been dominant against just about everyone, hence his 15-1 record, 1.05 WHIP and 2.2 ERA. However, he’s been just a little better against righties. 4 of the first 6 guys in the AL line-up are righties. It may be little, but advantage NL in the starting pitcher match-up.

Reserve Pitching: The AL has an impressive staff with CC Sabathia (though he won’t pitch), Phil Hughes, Cliff Lee, and Jon Lester (and a gaggle of very good closer types), but the NL has to get the nod here. They have a chance to throw Tim Lincecum, Adam Wainright, Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Yovani Gallardo, and Chris Carpenter at the AL. Every single one of those guys is absolutely lights out. The AL does have a better situation with very good righties and lefties while the NL has just two lefties on the team, both middle relievers. So maybe this one’s a toss up after all. Better names, but against the solid AL lefties (Crawford, Mauer, Ichiro, Hamilton, and Cano to name a few) might give the NL relievers trouble…

Luck: Obviously the AL has a nice lucky streak going. The NL hasn’t won in 13 straight All-Star games, and most of them have been close. In a game that is very much mental, you have to give that one to the AL!

While the NL isn’t getting near enough credit, I still have to bet against them. The fact that the NL has just two lefty pitchers is too much for me to ignore, and that alone makes me give the AL the nod.

TAKE THE AMERICAN LEAGUE!!!

Uruguay VS Germany: World Cup 3rd Place Game Prediction

Uruguay VS Germany (Saturday, July 10th, 2010)

The two teams playing on Saturday in the bronze medal match couldn’t be more different (yes, I know that nobody will be awarded a bronze medal, it just happens to be another way to describe the game).

Coming into the Semi-Finals, Germany had scored 13 goals in the World Cup, more than any other team in the tournament. But Spain looked to be an entirely different defensive beast, as they shut the Germans down without giving up a goal.

Uruguay, on the other hand, came in holding opponents to very few scoring chances. In the Group Stage, Uruguay didn’t allow a goal, taking the top spot from Group A. They allowed just two goals in the tournament before the Netherlands dropped 3 shots into the net in the Semi-Final.

Uruguay has kept defenders back throughout the World Cup, leaving the scoring up to Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. For my money, Forlan has been the best player throughout the World Cup as he (and David Villa of Spain) seem to be the only players to have figured out the ball – and they’re taking full advantage.

Uruguay gets Suarez back after his one game suspension for using his hands to keep Uruguay alive against Ghana, and he should be a big offensive boost to a team that only uses a couple offensive attackers.

But Germany gets one of their best players back on the pitch as Thomas Muller returns after sitting out the semi-finals because of a very shifty yellow card.

I’m taking the underdog team from Uruguay to pull the 3rd place upset over Germany. The Germans seem to have already lost, looking back and morning their loss in the semi-finals where Uruguay looks as though they are ready to win and take home 3rd place. Also, Uruguay’s defense is an elite group, and we saw how tough of a time Germany had breaking Spain’s wall. Without getting behind the defense in the open field, Germany’s chances dwindle. All Uruguay needs is a couple good chances off Forlan’s foot and this game could be theirs!

Uruguay VS Germany

Markus Naslund number to be retired by Vancouver Canucks WTF?

When Mike Gillis got named as the new GM of the Vancouver Canucks after the owner Francesco Aquilini made the statement “we will do whatever it takes to win the cup” I thought to myself everything but bring in an experienced person to the GM position. Well it has been a couple of seasons now and while he has made some interesting deals and signings since then, raising Markus Naslund’s #19 to the rafters is probably his worst so far.

Sure Markus Naslund has accomplished a few accolades while playing in Vancouver but he never led the team when it mattered the most, in the post season. There was even a time when he could have won the NHL’s scoring title but in his usual fashion he choked when the pressure was on.

As someone who is not a hockey fan but is exposed to stark raving mad hockey fans and even worse, Vancouver Canucks fans, I have had to endure many years of fanatical rationalizations regarding this second rate team and their underwhelming captain.

Was Markus Naslund a skilled hockey player, yes? As the team captain did Markus Naslund lead this team to anything significant, no? The only reason his number is being retired is because his old agent just happens to be the Vancouver Canucks’ current general manager Mike Gillis and I have to question his motives on this one.

To my mind the retiring of a player’s jersey is generally reserved for players who make huge impacts on the team and no disrespect to Markus Naslund as he is a good player and as far as I understand it, a really decent person but, is that enough? If it were I am sure that all of the stadiums in every city that hosts a major league sports team would be littered with retired jerseys lifelessly dangling from the rafters.

Next Page »