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      Questions about Andy Dalton in Cincy

      October 2, 2013 /

      Andy Dalton is a pretty good quarterback. The question is whether he can ever be any better than that and actually lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a playoff win, let alone the Super Bowl. With his lame performance against the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday, questions are starting to emerge around the league and in Cincinnati as to Dalton’s ceiling as a quarterback.

      Dalton has a decent arm, but not a great arm. Under pressure his accuracy seems to falter as well. The Bengals were looked at as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but Dalton always made me skeptical about that prediction, and now his recent performances are causing more people to be skeptical as well.

      NFL

      Cheering from across the pond

      October 2, 2013 /

      A great lack of support – both physical and financial – is evident throughout the ranks of British basketball, but it’s perhaps no clearer than in the country’s premier basketball league, the BBL. Following multi-million-pound support prior to the 2012 Olympics, UK Sport withdrew it’s funding from the BBL in January 2013, unhappy with the national team’s poor performance at the games (Great Britain won just one 1 their 5 group games, failing to progress to the knockout stages).

      But while it could be said that British basketball is struggling, basketball in Britain certainly is not.

      A huge and ever expanding base of enthusiasm for american basketball, namely the NBA, is becoming increasingly more visible; take a walk down the high-street and you’ll spot 100 NBA uniforms for every Leicester Riders or London Lions jersey you see. Some of this may be the fashion choice of those emulating the styles of US music artists, but for the most part it’s proud basketball fans. Britain is hungry for the NBA, and in the age of unlimited broadband capacity and Sky Sports HD, it has never been more internationally acessible.

      But British fans no longer need only cheer from across the pond.

      The NBA has been staging regular season games in the UK since the mid-nineties, but when the New York Knicks met the Detroit Pistons at the O2 Arena in January 2013, the game sold out. That’s a crowd of nearly 19,000, which is just a touch above the average attendance for these teams on the other side of the water. But compare that with the 7,500 that attended the BBL Cup Final that same week, and it becomes a lot more significant. If you want to see what teh Brits are currently betting on as that is always a good indicator of where their hearts lie you can always check out http://betfair.com/ as it’s a popular choice for Brittish sports fans.

      Without local pride in any team in ‘The League’, British fan’s interest tends to focus on those franchises boasting the most exciting players, with this driven by the smart way in which players are branded. Brits sporting current NBA champions Miami Heat jerseys will most likely be wearing the no.6 of MVP Lebron James, and they most likely have the no.23 shirt of James’ previous team the Cleveland Cavliers stashed in their wardrobe. Similarly, there has been a notable increase in online viewing figures of LA Clippers games in the past few seasons, who were relatively ignored before acquiring crowd-pleasers Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

      NBA

      Lee Westwood deals with injuries

      October 1, 2013 /

      Lee Westwood’s nagging back and neck injuries have caused many to speculate on the former world number one golf champion’s future after a disappointing performance at the ongoing BMW Golf Championships, meaning the player has failed to qualify for the Tour Championship.

      Westwood’s gradually worsening back and neck strain, caused in part by his advancing age and the rigours of the game, follow last year’s calf injury, creating a less than stellar run of luck for the Brit, who has admitted he is bowed but not defeated by his move to the US and subsequently disappointing season.

      However, the US-based PGA Tour does represent a significant amount of money and media for the Worksop-born golfer, and affords easier opportunities for Westwood to play in many of the key matches, rather than facing the difficulty of travelling across the world in order to compete. This could perhaps aid Westwood in recovering from his injuries and improving his game in future.

      Injuries and recent disappointment aside, Westwood is already being touted to captain for Europe at the 2024 Ryder Cup, which perhaps indicates that belief in the unlucky player has not entirely waned, and that freebets.org/ will be taking many more bets on the former champion player in the future.

      Golf, News

      College Football Week 5, NFL Week 4 Free Picks

      September 28, 2013 /

      Mississippi vs. Alabama, 6:30PM ET
      Alabama doesn’t look as dominant as it has in year’s past, and bettors have taken notice. The spread in this game has been bet down from one key number of 17, to another key number in 14. The Rebels have fared well against the Tide, covering in all four of their last four meetings with ‘Bama in Tuscaloosa. They’re also 6-2 against the spread in their last eight meetings overall with the Tide, while the road team is 5-0 against the number in the last five meetings between these two teams. Ole Miss has a balanced offensive attack thanks to quarterbacks Bo Wallace and Barry Brunetti, who is a running threat. The Rebels enter tonight’s game with plenty of confidence and should stay within two touchdowns of a Tide team that didn’t look sharp defensively two weeks ago versus A&M.
      FREE PICK: OLE MISS +14

      Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, 8:00PM ET
      The Buckeyes have been flat-out dominant in their first three games and own the fourth-highest scoring offense in the country (52.5 points). But Braxton Miller is set to return tonight following a sprained left MCL injury suffered a few weeks ago. Rust might be a factor in the early going, which could give Wisconsin confidence for the rest of the game. The underdog is 10-3 against the spread in the last 13 meetings between these two teams and the Badgers are 4-0 against the number in their last four games overall. They’re also 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 conference games and have rushed for 387 yards or more in three of their four games. Look for Wisconsin to give Ohio State its first challenge of the season.
      FREE PICK: WISCONSIN +6.5

      Bengals vs. Browns, 1:00PM ET
      The Bengals are coming off two emotional victories against Pittsburgh and Green Bay, and now has to travel to Cleveland and play a team in the Browns that they’re expected to beat. There’s always value in the home underdog, especially one in Cleveland that shocked bettors a week ago by beating Minnesota outright as a 6.5-point dog. The line in this game has been bet down from 5 to 3.5 despite the public siding with Cincinnati. The underdog is 10-1-1 against the spread in the last 12 meetings between these two teams and the Bengals are just 2-5-1 against the number in their last eight games versus the Browns. Look for a confident Cleveland team behind Brian Hoyer to keep this game within a field goal.
      FREE PICK: BROWNS +3.5

      Seahawks vs. Texans, 1:00PM ET
      The Seahawks look every bit a Super Bowl contender in the early going. They suffered no letdown last Sunday when they thumped a brutal Jacksonville team a week after crushing division rival San Francisco on Sunday Night Football. But the Seahawks have never been a team that travels well and the Texans are licking their wounds after being embarrassed in Baltimore last week. Houston knows it can’t afford to fall behind in the AFC South, especially with Indianapolis playing Jacksonville this week. Look for the underdog Texans to win outright as a small home dog.
      FREE PICK: TEXANS +1

      College Football

      Peyton Manning on a roll

      September 24, 2013 /

      Peyton Manning has always been a stud in the regular season, but this is ridiculous.

      Adding to his historic start, Manning led the Broncos to a 37-21 whipping of the Oakland Raiders on Monday night at Sports Authority Field. Manning was an absurd 32-of-37 — all five incompletions hit the intended receiver in the hands — for 374 yards and three touchdowns.

      The Broncos’ quarterback is making it look ridiculously easy three games into the 2013 season. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 12 touchdown passes through the first three games. And Manning had his passing dozen by halftime of Game 3.

      That’s 12 touchdowns against zero interceptions. The best he’s ever been?

      The question again remains however as to whether Manning can extend this to the post season. Until that happens, this is great fodder for conversation, but it really doesn’t matter that much. Winning in the playoffs will be critical to Manning’s legacy.

      NFL

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