Nine carries in preseason plenty for Jackson
Football Betting Lines
08/31/2010 -
ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson says nine carries in the preseason is enough to get ready for the season.
The Pro Bowler said he didn't want to play Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. Then came the long, rumbling guffaw that has become a Jackson trademark.
``If coach wants me to go out there, I'm fully prepared to go out there and play however long the ones are going to be out there,'' Jackson added. ``But me, personally, no, I don't want to play.''
The finale is a lot more important for Kenneth Darby, Chris Ogbonnaya and Keith Toston, the trio vying to be Jackson's backup. All three are likely to get a lot of playing time.
``This game is always about competition,'' Darby said. ``I love competition. It's what makes me great, makes me better as a player, makes me better as a person also.''
Jackson understands, though, that a little playing time can aid in developing timing with rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. The No. 1 pick will get his second start of the preseason ahead of A.J. Feeley, still recovering from a sprained right thumb, and could be under center for the opener Sept. 12 against Arizona.
``It would definitely be beneficial in letting us grow more chemistry, yes,'' Jackson said. ``But the gentleman asked, 'Do I want to play?' I do think it's probably something what coach will probably want and I'm ready for it if it happens.''
Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Monday he hadn't finalized the plan for the Ravens game, but anticipated the first-team offense and defense would get some playing time. How much time Jackson gets, if any, hadn't been decided.
``There's a chance he could go out there, but I don't know,'' Spagnuolo said. ``Fifty-fifty on that one.''
The Rams would have given Jackson a light workload in the preseason even if he had not been coming off surgery to repair a herniated disk in April. He's gained 42 yards on those nine carries for a 4.7-yard average, and the Rams have scored touchdowns on both possessions he's played.
Throughout training camp, Jackson has talked about how good he feels heading into the opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
``I'm really excited, I'm ready,'' Jackson said. ``As the days go by I'm getting more anxious about it. A few more short weeks and we'll be there.''
The offensive output last week at New England was a positive sign for a unit that was the NFL's worst last season. Bradford threw two touchdown passes in a 36-35 victory.
``It's definitely a confidence booster,'' Jackson said. ``We know we're capable of putting up points.''
Jackson said it's especially impressive considering the youth on the offense. Besides Bradford, there are two rookie tight ends, and the offensive line has one rookie and a second-year player.
``It's very encouraging,'' Jackson said. ``We're going in the right direction.''
None of the three backup candidates have put up scintillating numbers. Toston, an undrafted rookie, has 80 yards and a 2.8-yard average. Darby, the primary backup last year, has 60 yards and a 2.9-yard average. Ogbonnaya, a sixth-round pick last year, has 39 yards and a 2-yard average.
Toston is the only one who hasn't gotten a chance to go with the first-string offense. He's trying not to worry about upcoming roster cuts.
``It's going out just playing every game like it's my Super Bowl,'' Toston said. ``Because it really is. I'm not promised the next game.''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.
HOUSTON (AP) - Houston running back Arian Foster wants to get one of his offensive linemen into the Pro Bowl. He certainly wouldn't turn down an invitation for himself.Foster has emerged as Houston's top running back at training camp. That's a hopef
<< Seattle still searching for running game solution
RENTON, Wash. (AP) - One week left in the preseason and Pete Carroll still doesn't have an answer for Seattle's stumbling run game.Carroll doesn't need one back to emerge from his group of three competing for playing time. He just wants to see somet
<< Cardinals activate P Motte
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals activated reliever
Jason Motte from the 15-day disabled list Monday.
He had been on the list since August 4 due to an AC sprain of his right
shoulder.
Motte has excelled
<< Nats use homers to down Florida
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn both clubbed a
three-run homer, as the Washington Nationals outlasted the weather to beat
Florida, 9-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Sun Life Stadium.
Dunn added
<< Angels use long ball to down Seattle
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peter Bourjos, Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui
all homered in the sixth inning and Ervin Santana was solid through 7 2/3
innings as Los Angeles downed Seattle, 5-3, to open a three-game divisional
set at
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) -The smoke will billow near East Carolina's locker room, the pyrotechnics will sparkle and they'll blast Jimi Hendrix's ``Purple Haze'' over the speakers.Then, for the first time, Ruffin McNeill will lead the Pirates onto the f
Ho hum. It's business as usual for No. 1 Tide >>
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Nick Saban didn't so much as raise his voice. The trademark scowl never made even a cameo appearance.Sure seems as if No. 1 Alabama's top ranking and elephant-sized expectations are becoming the status quo around here, judging
2010 World Basketball Championship update - August 31st >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
Halftime - Group C: Russia 34, Ivory Coast 30 (Ankara)
Halftime - Group D; New Zealand 51, Lebanon 32 (Izmir)
Group C: Puerto Rico vs. China, 11:30 a.m. (Ankara)
Group D: France vs. Canada, 11:30 a.m. (Izmir)
Gro
Surging Rockies try to take down Giants once again >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies are up to their old tricks again.
Known for late-season surges, the Rockies appear to be headed in that
direction and will try to stay hot Tuesday in the second installment of a
three-game series again
Carpenter hopes to pitch slumping Cards past Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Even with stud right-hander Chris Carpenter on the mound
tonight, the St. Louis Cardinals will not be guaranteed a win over the Houston
Astros in the second portion of a three-game series between NL Central
inhabitants at Min
American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.