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03/02/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tuesday night marks the beginning of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, and headlining this year's postseason action is the surprising Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks. The Skyhawks rattled off a 14-4 mark in league play, claiming their first-ever OVC regular-season title. Finishing second to UT-Martin was the OVC defending champion Austin Peay Governors, who finished this season with a 13-5 mark in league play. Also finishing with a 13-5 ledger was the Murray State Racers. The Racers were one of the hottest teams in the conference down the stretch, and although the team is the third seed in this tournament, this is still a very dangerous group.
One of the big surprises this season, other than UT-Martin, was the exciting play of the Morehead State Eagles, as they soared to a 12-6 mark in league play. The team definitely stumbled down the stretch, but still managed the fourth seed and a home matchup against the fifth-seeded Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The Colonels posted a respectable 10-8 mark in conference play, but the team is definitely a step below the top four seeds in this tournament. A dark horse in this OVC postseason could be the sixth-seeded Tennessee State Tigers. The Tigers only finished 9-9 in conference action, but were one of, if not the hottest team in the league down the stretch. Eastern Illinois stumbled into the postseason with an 8-10 mark and the seventh spot in the tournament, while the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles defeated Jacksonville State, 91-74, to grab the final spot in this year's bracket.
The Golden Eagles' prize for getting past the Gamecocks and into the postseason is a date with the lethal Lester Hudson and the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks in the first round of play. The Skyhawks' tremendous season has plenty to do with the play of Hudson, who is currently second in the nation with 26.6 ppg. However, Hudson does much more than just score point at a rapid pace. The guard is also leading the team in rebounds (7.7 rpg), assists (121) and steals (70). Hudson is the top player on a UT-Martin squad that is extremely dangerous, averaging a conference best 79.1 ppg. Marquis Weddle, who scored 30 points in the team's season-finale win over Morehead State is the only other player posting double figures, as the guard is contributing 14.5 ppg. The win over the Eagles was the second straight victory for UT-Martin, which heads into this matchup with a strong 11-3 mark at home.
As for the Golden Eagles, they come into this matchup on a high note, defeating Jacksonville State soundly, 91-74. However, the win was the first for the team in the entire month of February, snapping a seven-game slide. Tennessee Tech does possess some solid scorers however, as the team is netting 73.6 ppg on the year, which is good enough for third in the OVC. Daniel Northern has proven to be one of the best frontcourt players in the league and is posting 12.4 ppg and a team-best 8.6 rpg. Frank Davis, who is shooting a strong 43.0 percent from behind the arc, is netting 10.1 points, while Will Bynum is also chipping in 10.1 ppg.
The second contest in the first round will be the defending champion Austin Peay Governors against the seventh-seeded Eastern Illinois Panthers. The Govs were able to taste OVC success last season, and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Although the team was bounced in the first game against Texas, the Govs have every intention on returning to the Big Dance. To do so however, the team must square off against EIU first. Austin Peay closed out its regular season with three wins in its last four games, and is led by the tandem of Drake Reed and Wes Channels. Reed has been a strong presence in the paint, netting 22.2 4ppg, while also grabbing 7.7 rpg. As for Channels, he has been a solid floor general, posting 16.8 ppg, to go along with a team-best 93 assists.
The Panthers will surely have their hands full in this matchup, especially since the team finished last in the OVC with 64.9 ppg. On top of their inability to score points, the Panthers won just three times on the road this season, and come into this contest with six losses in their last seven games. Romain Martin has been the only true bright spot for the Panthers, netting 15.2 ppg, but for EIU to grab a victory in this contest, the guard is going to have to have the game of his life and get plenty of help.
The third-seeded Murray State Racers will open up at home against the sixth- seeded Tennessee State Tigers. The Racers are an interesting team, as coach Bill Kennedy's squad relies mainly on tough defensive play in a conference that is filled with high-scoring teams. Murray State finished first in the OVC in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 62.7 ppg, which was three points better than the team in second, Eastern Kentucky. Murray State might not be as flashy as UT-Martin, but the team is just as hot, winning seven of its last eight games, finishing the year with a 13-5 OVC record. Where the team will likely have trouble is at the offensive end of the floor, as the Racers do not possess a go-to weapon. Danero Thomas is pacing the team with 12.2 ppg, while Isacc Miles is contributing 10.4 ppg and 109 assists.
The Racers by no means get an easy matchup, as the team will be pitted against a Tennessee State team that won its last six games to get to this point. The Tigers are on the other end of the spectrum in terms of defensive play however, as the team finished ninth in the OVC in scoring defense, as opponents have pounded TSU for 78.1 ppg. If the Tigers plan on having any success in the postseason the team will need Gerald Robinson and company to perform at a high level offensively. Robinson is currently leading the team with 17.6 ppg, and has also dished out 114 assists. Jerrell Houston is one of the more developed players in the frontcourt in the OVC, as the forward is contributing 14.0 ppg and a team-best 7.4 rpg.
The fourth-seeded Morehead State Eagles will collide with the fifth-seeded Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the final first-round matchup. The Eagles were one of the biggest surprises earlier in the year, as the team spent some time in first place. However, heading into the postseason Morehead State could be in trouble, as the squad has dropped its last four matchups, including a four- point loss to Eastern Kentucky. Morehead State was mediocre at both ends of the floor, but for this team to be successful the Eagles will need a tremendous effort out of their frontcourt tandem of Leon Buchanan and Kenneth Faried. Buchanan comes into the tournament leading the team with 15.3 ppg, and is also grabbing 6.5 rpg. As for Faried, he is a double-double machine, posting 13.5 ppg, while grabbing a league best 12.6 rpg. If there is a silver lining for the struggling Eagles it is their home record which is a sensational 11-1 on the year.
As for the Colonels, they also stumble into the postseason, having lost their final two games of the regular-season. EKU is another defensive-minded team, much like Murray State, as the team finished second only to the Racers, allowing just 65.7 ppg. Unfortunately the team is a one-trick pony offensively, and that pony is Mike Rose, who is third in the league averaging 20.2 ppg. Rose is also leading the team with 5.4 rpg, 74 assists and 50 steals. Rose has the ability to win a game by himself, but against Morehead State's gruesome twosome in the frontcourt, Rose and company could be out of luck.
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The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.
Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).
If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).
Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.
New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)
In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:
There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.
The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:
Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots
Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.
Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:
Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21
The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.
Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.
Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).
Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.
And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.
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