San Diego Chargers 2007 Draft Preview
Football Betting Lines
04/02/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chargers could end up with as many as six first-day picks, as the team would add a first- and third-rounder if another club signs away restricted free agent running back Michael Turner. The possibility of six more ready-to-play members heading to a team that was 14-2 last year is a scary thought indeed. Whether Turner stays or goes, the Chargers' top priority will be to bolster a defense that lost the likes of inside linebacker Donnie Edwards and safety Terrence Kiel in the offseason. Secondary helps seems to be a perpetual need for this franchise, so one or two of the team's first-day picks could be used to address this area. On offense, the Bolts might have to find a replacement for the valuable Turner, and could use a polished receiver to replace departed veteran Keenan McCardell.
2006 Record: 14-2
First Pick: No. 30
Number of Selections: 8 (1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 7)
RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2006 - Antonio Cromartie (CB, Florida State); 2005 - Shawne Merriman (OLB, Maryland), Luis Castillo (DT, Northwestern); 2004 - Philip Rivers* (QB, North Carolina State); 2003 - Sammy Davis (CB, Texas A&M) 2002 - Quentin Jammer (CB, Texas); 2001 - LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, TCU); 2000 - none; 1999 - none; 1998 - Ryan Leaf (QB, Washington State); 1997 - none; 1996 - none; 1995 - none; 1994 - none; 1993 - Darrien Gordon (CB, Stanford); 1992 - Chris Mims (DE, Tennessee); 1991 - Stanley Richard (S, Texas); 1990 - Junior Seau (LB, Southern California).
*Originally drafted by N.Y. Giants, then traded to Chargers on draft day in exchange for San Diego first-round pick Eli Manning
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jaguars were done in last season largely due to injury problems on defense, so enhancing their base of talent on that side of the football will likely be the franchise's top draft-day goal. High-priced defensive end Reggi
<< Oakland Raiders 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Draftniks everywhere are sitting on pins and needles
waiting to see what the Raiders will do with the No. 1 pick. Conventional
wisdom says that offensively-challenged will select strong-armed LSU
quarterback JaMarcus Russell,
<< Cincinnati Bengals 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati had its problems defensively last season, then
lost reliable players like linebacker Brian Simmons (released) and safety
Kevin Kaesviharn (free agent to Saints) in the offseason. The Bengals need to
get younger and
<< Kansas City Chiefs 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though defensive-minded head coach Herm Edwards would
probably rather shore up his area of expertise, there is no disputing that
Kansas City has more significant needs on offense. The Chiefs have long lacked
a first-rate No.
<< Miami Dolphins 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The million dollar question for the Dolphins involves the
quarterback position. Joey Harrington was released, Daunte Culpepper cannot
realistically be viewed as a reliable option, and Dan Marino does not appear
ready to come
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Like the Dolphins, the Browns are a team with a draft status that will be impacted by what it chooses to do at the quarterback position in the coming weeks. Conventional wisdom suggests that Cleveland will add a veteran QB su
Denver Broncos 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Broncos are likely to be in the market for linebacker
help, since middle man Al Wilson is being shopped in a trade and is set to be
released if he is not dealt. After releasing the disappointing Courtney Brown,
some assis
Buffalo Bills 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first day of the 2007 Draft will be extremely important
for a Bills team that cut ties with the likes of running back Willis McGahee,
linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher-Baker, and cornerback Nate
Clements during
Indianapolis Colts 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colts lost five somewhat recognizable players in
running back Dominic Rhodes, wide receiver Brandon Stokley, linebacker Cato
June, defensive tackle Montae Reagor and cornerback Nick Harper, but June is
really the only pla
Renteria's homers help Braves rally past Phillies >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edgar Renteria's two-run homer in the 10th
inning lifted Atlanta over Philadelphia, 5-3, in the 2007 season opener for
both clubs at Citizens Bank Park.
Renteria, who finished 2-for-5 with three runs
MySportsbook.com refunds all bets on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay from NFL week one.
(September 14) – Week one of NFL action saw three teams go scoreless for the first time since 1977. Another four were unable to get a touchdown and almost half of the underdogs covered the spread. Those three teams saved bettors at MySportsbook.com from losing out completely, thanks to the company’s unique NFL Shutout Rule -- which ensures that if the team you backed goes scoreless, your wager is refunded.
Sportsbook refunded tens of thousands of dollars to customers who bet on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the three teams that stunk up the field so badly that their fans and backers never had a chance to get up from their couches and cheer. In the spirit of the low scoring start to the season, odds makers at the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino have set odds on how many total shutouts there will be this season.
MySportsbook.com has posted updated sports betting lines for week two of the season. Ben Roethlisberger’s health status is still questionable, so Willie Parker will try to lead Pittsburgh again as they travel to Jacksonville as a one point favorite. After beating up on his little brother last week, Peyton Manning will look to lead the Colts to victory against Houston. Indianapolis is a whopping 13.5 favorite in the match-up.
Seattle, last year’s highest scoring team, showed the power of their defense with their gritty 9-6 win in Motown over the ravenous Lions. They take their act back home to the comforts of Qwest Field where they will face the resurgent Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are favored by a touchdown.
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SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting
NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.
That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.
A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."
It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.
The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.
So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."
Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
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