Florida inches closer to SEC crown, as Gators host Gamecocks

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The third-ranked Florida Gators have been knocked off their perch atop the college basketball world, at least temporarily, but they continue to rule the SEC and are heavy favorites in tonight's matchup with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

South Carolina carried a five-game skid into Saturday's home game against Tennessee, but the result was a thrilling 81-64 victory. The Gamecocks are a game over .500 overall, but their 3-9 league mark leaves much to be desired.

Florida was a perfect 11-0 in SEC play heading into Saturday's road clash with a strong Vanderbilt squad, and the Commodores scored an 83-70 upset victory in that tilt. Still, the Gators are steamrolling toward a regular season league title and are a perfect 16-0 at home.

Also, keep in mind that Florida crushed South Carolina by an 84-50 final back on January 13th, and the Gators own a 31-19 advantage in the all-time series between the teams.

South Carolina guard Tre' Kelley is one of the better players in the SEC, but he doesn't receive a great deal of attention because of the struggles of his team. Despite facing constant double teams, Kelley is averaging 18.3 ppg to rank among the league leaders. He is also dishing out five assists per contest and gives maximum effort every time he takes the floor. Unfortunately, only one other player in the lineup is scoring in double figures, as Brandon Wallace checks in with 10.3 ppg and 9.6 rpg. USC is netting a modest 64.9 ppg on 42.4 percent overall shooting, and the lack of offensive production has resulted in the poor record. Kelley scored 25 points against Tennessee and actually got plenty of support from his teammates for a change in Saturday's win. The Gamecocks shot 53.7 percent from the floor and limited the Vols to 38.2 percent.

After winning the national championship last season, all five starters for Florida decided to return to school rather than give in to the lure of NBA riches. All five standouts are averaging double figures in scoring this season, as the Gators may be the nation's most unselfish team. Taurean Green paces the club with 13.6 ppg on the strength of his 42.2 percent shooting from three-point range, and he has dished out 96 assists. Corey Brewer checks in with 13.0 ppg, and Joakim Noah adds 12.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 47 blocks. Al Horford is contributing 12.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg, while Lee Humphrey rounds out the group with 10.2 ppg on 47.4 percent accuracy from behind the arc. The Gators are racking up 81.0 ppg while limiting opponents to 61.0 ppg. Noah scored 15 points to pace Florida in the loss to Vandy, but the freakishly athletic forward only took five shots from the floor and needs to be a bit more assertive at the offensive end. Poor defense led to the defeat, as the Gators permitted the Commodores to shoot 57.1 percent from the field.

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.