11/12/2008 - Moscow, ID (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sporting a perfect record across the board these days, the ninth-ranked Boise State Broncos continue to focus on one game at a time as they pay a visit to Moscow, Idaho to challenge the Idaho Vandals to a Western Athletic Conference showdown inside the Kibbie Dome.
Riding a nine-game win streak that spans the entire 2008 campaign and is tied for the fourth-longest run in the nation at the moment, the Broncos could actually lock up at least a share of the WAC regular season title with a win this weekend. At a perfect 5-0 in league play and all alone atop the conference standings, the Broncos last took the field last Saturday as they ripped Utah State in a 49-14 final. In the past two games, BSU has outscored its opponents by a combined 98-14.
As for the Vandals, a team with just two wins on the season against New Mexico State and Idaho State, they've been on the losing end of some ugly scores, bowing in as many as six games by no less than 23 points, with a trip to Hawaii still on the books for next weekend.
In a series that began in 1971, Boise State has won 19, lost 17 and tied once with the Vandals. However, in more recent years BSU has been all over Idaho, winning every meeting since a 36-35 overtime loss to the Vandals in the season finale back in 1998. Last year, the Broncos whipped up on Idaho in a 58-14 decision on the blue turf.
The Broncos knew what they had in starting quarterback Kellen Moore who converted 27-of-36 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the rest of the crew that livened up the offense in the win over Utah State.
"It's fun, especially when the ball's going all over the place," noted Vinny Perretta who was just one of three other players to throw a touchdown for the Broncos in the contest. "Just as long as we win, whether it's by one point or who knows how many. But it's good to see a lot of guys contribute. I think that's what's so special about our offense - there are so many guys that can step in and do great things."
The running game took a backseat in this one as Ian Johnson ran for a team- best 35 yards and a score. Moore, who could easily be picking up the award for WAC Freshman of the Year even now, has completed 70.9 percent of his pass attempts for 20 touchdowns and just sis interceptions on 268 attempts. Having a down year by his own standards, Johnson is still a relevant contributor to the offense with his 525 yards and eight touchdowns, but now the Broncos also have change-of-pace runners like Jeremy Avery and D.J. Harper who can give the squad a spark on just a single play.
"We've been doing a great job," senior safety Ellis Powers said of his defense's efforts this season. "Our main goal, obviously, is to get the ball back to our offense," but on Saturday Powers did the job himself with a four- yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the first half. Also making the big plays was George Iloka who, despite having just one tackles, managed to pick off a pair of passes. The team as a whole picked off three passes and recovered three fumbles, keeping Utah State out of contention.
After nine games, Boise State is first in the WAC and 18th in the nation in turnover margin with a plus-0.89 per game, thanks mostly to Moore who has not made many mistakes throwing the ball and has learned to take chances down the field only when necessary. With all the interceptions going their way this season, the Broncos are second in the nation in pass efficiency defense at the moment as well with a rating of 93.63 and the scoring defense is second in the country (again, behind only USC), with 10.3 ppg allowed. Six times this group has held opponents to a touchdown or less and only once has a team tallied more than 16 points versus Boise State in 2008.
Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle has been trying to keep this group above water all season long, but it just hasn't been happening for the squad. Enderle has completed a respectable 53.2 percent of his pass attempts for 168.8 ypg and 17 touchdowns, but his 12 interceptions tell the story of a passing attack that has been stifled almost as much as it is successful. Part of the problem for Enderle is that his offensive line is allowing far too many defenders into the backfield, leading to 2.5 sacks per game which is currently sixth in the WAC and 100th in the nation.
By far, Eddie Williams is the primary target in the passing game with his 54 catches for 687 yards and six touchdowns, all numbers that are at least twice as strong as his closest teammate at the moment. Trying to give the squad a push on the ground is Deonte Jackson with his 594 yards and three scores on 129 carries, but in all honesty, Princeton McCarty has done almost as much damage (434 yards, three touchdowns) on just 62 attempts over 10 games.
As Enderle tries to keep the Vandals moving in the right direction, it is clear that the defense has been the biggest disappointment thus far. The team has had trouble stopping the run, to the point where opponents are averaging 213 ypg, which means the Vandals rank 111th in the nation in that department. But if that were the only issue then maybe Idaho could fight through it, but its not. The pass defense is also being exploited for 265.3 ypg, which is seventh in the league and 108th in the country at the moment. Put it all together and the Vandals rank 117th in both total defense (478.3 ypg) and scoring defense with an amazing 41.9 ppg allowed.
On the positive side, the unit has looked much stronger in recent weeks by giving up a combined 44 points to New Mexico State and San Jose State, still far better than the effort in the season opener when the squad was pummeled by Arizona in a 70-0 thrashing. If not for Josh Shaw and his three sacks and 10 TFLs, the team's stats in those two areas would be even more bleak.
<< Top-ranked Tide host struggling Bulldogs
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The nation's top-ranked team puts its
undefeated record on the line this weekend as the Alabama Crimson Tide host
the Mississippi State Bulldogs in SEC action.
Not much has gone right for Mississippi State t
<< No. 12 Missouri visits Iowa State in Big 12 action
Ames, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 12th-ranked Missouri Tigers have seemingly
become an afterthought in the powerful Big 12 Conference, but they carry an
impressive 8-2 record into this weekend's road clash with the Iowa State
Cyclones.
Missou
<< Penn State hopes for return to win column in home clash with Indiana
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the dream of a national title
shattered, the seventh-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions get back to action this
weekend in a Big Ten home clash with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Indiana opened the season wit
<< Bulldogs and Tigers mix it up in SEC action
Auburn, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - SEC foes will collide this weekend when the
13th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs hit the road to take on the Auburn Tigers.
Georgia bounced back from an ugly loss to Florida with a 42-38 decision over
Kentucky last week
Eagles hope to soar past 20th-ranked Seminoles >>
Tallahassee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Florida State Seminoles
have their sights set on an ACC title and they will try to keep those
aspirations alive against the Boston College Eagles this weekend in
Tallahassee.
The Seminoles
With Pac-10 title in reach, 23rd-ranked Beavers host Golden Bears >>
Corvallis, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 23rd-ranked Oregon State Beavers try to
take one step closer to capturing the Pac-10 title this weekend, as they
welcome the California Golden Bears to Reser Stadium for a key league battle.
The Beavers c
Bearcats battle Cardinals in Big East brawl >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats try to
remain in the thick of the Big East race this Friday, as they tangle with the
Louisville Cardinals at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
The Bearcats are coming off thei
Winless Wizards welcome Jazz to town >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The injury-riddled Washington Wizards try and find the win
column for the first time Wednesday when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the
Verizon Center.
The short-handed Wizards, who are toiling without star guard Gil
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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