Sports.com
Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter VI Mobile College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
Sports.com
VI Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
 

 
Weekly Rumblings
 
 
 
I wanted to write this column about O.J. Simpson's alleged involvement in a casino heist a couple days ago. I was going to title it "O.J.'s Eleven."

Unfortunately, there's not much more to the story (Simpson tried to get some stolen sports memorabilia back, and someone called the police), so I guess I'll have to talk about the Patriots stealing signals.

Now, don't get me wrong: New England probably did deserve to be punished by the commissioner for getting caught videotaping New York's defensive staff as it signaled plays in to its players. But a first-round draft pick? Methinks the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Advertisement
Is this really worse, for instance, than Mike Tice scalping Super Bowl tickets? Or a Detroit assistant coach getting caught naked at a drive-in? It's common knowledge (trust me) that teams look at defensive signals through binoculars, and have been doing so for years. That the Pats took another step, and started taping them, is a clear violation of an NFL edict. But make no mistake: they're not the only people trying to learn their opponents' signals. That's a practice as tried and true as eye black.

So is the fact that they used videotape so heinous that we should have 31 first-round draft picks in the '08 draft, instead of 32? Let me put it this way: There's no way on Earth the commissioner takes away the Patriots' first-rounder if they hadn't had two (one from San Francisco, and their own). But because the Pats did have two, Roger Goodell could "make an example" of them, and show his critics that he's not the butt-boy of Bob Kraft, one of Goodell's biggest supporters on his way to winning the commissioner's job. The world will keep spinning on its axis, but this heavy-handed punishment does not fit the crime.

The NFL is rolling. What were the most painful covers or non-covers of Week 1 for bettors?

Bodog Bookmakers, Newbodog.com: Week 1 was a good week for the bettors, with big wins coming from the Seahawks, Chargers and Steelers. The books won some back with the big Packers win, Carolina's dismantling of the Rams and the Bills keeping it close versus the Broncos. We didn't see any of those last-second covers that will rip your heart out and leave you slumped on the floor.

What team or teams are most likely to bust through its expected win total?

Bodog Bookmakers, Newbodog.com: I don't usually like siding with the so-called experts, but after the Lions put up 35 points on the much-underrated defense of the Oakland Raiders, I'll jump on the bandwagon. Detroit seems destined to win at least seven to cover their predicted win total, and could win as many as nine this season. Meanwhile, it looks like the Vikings have struck gold with Adrian Peterson. If the defense in Minnesota continues to shine, seven wins in a weak NFC shouldn't be out of reach.

What team or teams look like people who backed them to get over their expected win total are in trouble?

Bodog Bookmakers, Newbodog.com: The way the Chiefs played in their first game, eight wins seems out of the question. Their offense is in big trouble. Larry Johnson is a stud, but he's playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in all of football. Combine that with a horrible passing game, and Kansas City could be in the running for a top-five draft pick next spring. Also, I was definitely surprised to see what is considered by many to be the best run defense in the NFL give up the most yards on the ground in franchise history in Week 1 against the Titans. If the Jags are to reach the expected 10 wins, coach Jack Del Rio better hope this game was an anomaly and not a sign of things to come.

What's your favorite match-up for Week 2, and why?

Bodog Bookmakers, Newbodog.com: There are two that I'm going to be watching intently. The first is the Titans-Colts game. Tennessee stunned the champs last year with a last-second 60-yard field goal. The Titans will continue to run the ball behind slasher Chris Brown and the powerful LenDale White, but they'll have a hard time repeating last week's effort versus a revamped and much-improved Indianapolis run defense.

The Colts should win this game, as they, the Patriots and Chargers are the top three teams in the NFL. The other game of the week features New England hosting the San Diego. Everyone should be talking about what could be a preview of the AFC Championship game, but with the revelation that the Pats were caught videotaping the Jets' defensive play calls, all the buzz has been about how Commissioner Goodell punished New England. If the Chargers can capitalize on the Pats' loss of focus, they could steal this game and cement themselves as the premier team in the NFL.

  
HEADLINES
Sportsbook.com: ESPN Double-header
Sportsbook.com: Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Bovada.lv: NHL Props
Bovada.lv: Super Bowl Recap
Bovada.lv: NBA Betting Recap
Bovada.lv: Prop Results and Futures
Sportsbook.com: Pack, Saints favored in 2013
MORE HEADLINES
 
 Joe Nelson
 12-5 L17, 25-11 L36, +1,273 TY
 Doc's Sports
 5-1 L6 NBA Guarantee Run
 Jamie Tursini
 6 NBA Wins In A Row
 Antony Dinero
 11-5 L16 Picks, 4-0 L4 G-Plays
 Marc Lawrence
 5 Straight NBA Winners
 Bruce Marshall
 4-1 LN, 5-1 L6 NBA Guarantees
 ASA
 19-11 L30 Guaranteed Plays 
 Andy Iskoe
 3-1 L4 Totals, 2-0 G-Plays TY
 Vince Akins
 8-3 Last 11 NBA Guarantees
 Dave Cokin
 12-6 Guarantee Record TY
  
GOLD Membership
Receive a 20% discount on all Daily Picks. Signup Today!
 
 
Las Vegas Travel
 
 

NFL
NFL Picks
NFL Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

NBA
NBA Picks
NBA Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

MLB
MLB Picks
MLB Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores


NCAA FB
NCAA FB Picks
NCAA FB Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

NCAA BK
NCAA BK Picks
NCAA BK Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

NHL
NHL Picks
NHL Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores


More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
UFC
WNBA
Soccer

Features
Free Odds
Mobile Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Las Vegas Travel
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook


Sports Betting Tools
Live Odds
Parlay Calculator
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records
Sportsbook Reviews

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
User Feedback

Sportsbooks
BetOnline.com
Bodog.ca
Bovada.lv
SBG Global.com
Sportsbook.com
TopBet.com

Rotation Schedules
Hockey:
 
 
Basketball:

Jan 31 - Feb 27
Feb 28 - Apr 07
 
Jan 31 - Feb 27

Copyright © 1997-2012, VegasInsider.com Inc., The Global Leader In Sports Gaming Information. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-211-4759.