The NFL concludes its 13th week of football betting action on Monday night with the AFC South on display for sports bettors, as the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7, 3-8 ATS) invade Reliant Stadium to do battle with the Houston Texans (4-7, 4-7 ATS). These two divisional rivals met earlier this season in Jacksonville, with the Jags pounding out a 30-27 overtime victory. Houston got the better of the 6.5-point NFL betting line, and has now covered seven of the L/9 meetings between these teams.

The Texans have more wins against Jacksonville than any other team since joining the league in 2002. This will also be the first Monday Night Football game played in Houston since the Oilers left for Nashville.

Is there a team that appears to have put the season in the tank more than the Jags? In a year which the city of Jacksonville had high hopes and expectations, the Jaguars have simply fallen flat on their collective faces and will certainly be left home from the playoffs. Jacksonville has beaten just two teams with winning records this season, and is a very disappointing 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS at home.

Last weekend, the team put forth an incredibly uninspired effort against the Minnesota Vikings at home, losing 30-12 as short favorites. As has been their problem all season, the running game let the Jags down again, as RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew only carried the ball nine times for 24 yards. That just isn’t going to get it done for a Jack Del Rio offense. Short of dropping 38 on the hapless Lions three weeks ago, Jacksonville hasn’t reached 20 points in a game since its bye week in the middle of October.

Houston’s 4-7 looks more impressive than Jacksonville’s 4-7, as the Texans have had a number of teams on the ropes and have been incredibly competitive since opening up the season 0-4. Short of a real clunker against Baltimore three weeks ago, Texans bettors have found themselves in just about every ball game they’ve played. Four of their ATS defeats were decided by less than a touchdown, and in each of those four games, they were ahead of the football betting line at some point in the 4th quarter.

HC Gary Kubiak has to be happy with what he has seen from his young squad, especially in its 16-6 victory at Cleveland last week. The Texans rolled up 383 yards of offense and held the Browns to just 240 total yards from scrimmage. Rookie RB Steve Slaton has been a forgotten hero amongst the rookie class this year, and inched closer towards 1,000 total yards by racking up 73 yards on 21 carries on the day.

The Texans are rare favorites in this NFL betting match-up, as the oddsmakers have made them three-point selections. The ‘total’ is set at 48.5.

Houston is a lofty 9-2 for ‘over’ bettors this season, and each of the L/3 meetings between these teams has surpassed the ‘total’, so consider banking on plenty of points again this weekend. Give yourself an early Christmas present this year, and boost your bankroll with Bookmaker Sportsbook in this terrific Monday Night NFL betting affair!

by Bookmaker Racebook

Thanksgiving Day weekend means so many things to sports betting fans, but on Saturday night, there are few games with more importance than the 2008 edition of the Civil War between the Oregon Ducks (8-3, 5-6 ATS) and the Oregon State Beavers (8-3, 8-3 ATS).

Both teams have garnered plenty of national attention in recent weeks. The Ducks rank 23rd in this week’s BCS standings, while the Beavers chime in at #17. Oregon State has won back-to-back Civil Wars, including last year’s thrilling 38-31 overtime victory in Eugene. The stakes may never be higher than they are this year though, as a victory for the host Beavers will send them to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl as Pac-10 champions.

Oregon has flown under the radar for most of the season, but the team has been playing awfully good football of late. The Ducks were off from college football betting action last weekend, but have rolled off wins in four of their L/5 games to assure themselves of a quality bowl bid in December or January.

The offense isn’t quite as efficient now as it was last season with Dennis Dixon under center, but the unit still quietly ranks 11th in the country with 458.5 yards per game, and is 6th in rushing at 268.1 yards per game. Both RBs Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount have a chance to be 1,000-yard backs this season. Johnson paces the club with 863 yards and 11 scores, while Blount has 817 yards and 15 TDs. Quarterback play has been spotty this season, as neither Jeremiah Masoli nor Justin Roper has proven to be as effective as Dixon was in his Heisman-type season of a year ago.

Speaking of sneaking up on people… No one seemed to realize that Oregon State controlled its own destiny in the Pac-10 after shocking the world when it beat USC earlier this season. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Beavers would lose another Pac-10 game, and the Trojans would be heading back to Pasadena.

Not so fast, my friends. Since losing to Utah 31-28 in the first week of October, the Beavers are a perfect 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS. They’ve averaged beating teams by 19.8 points per game during that stretch, including last week’s 19-17 thrilling victory in Tucson. With 4:00 to go, WR Sammie Stroughter found the end zone to make the game 17-16, but the Beavers failed to convert the PAT. However, they managed to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired to keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive. The biggest question this week for Oregon State bettors is whether RB Jacquizz Rodgers is going to be able to play. Expect the Ducks defense to take a giant sigh of relief if he’s roaming the sidelines come Saturday night.

The oddsmakers are planning on seeing all of the Beavers carrying roses in their mouths after the game, as they have tagged Oregon State as 3-point favorites, with the ‘total’ coming in at 62.

All of the betting trends point to the Beavers in this one, as Oregon State is 39-18-1 ATS in its L/58 games in Corvallis, and 15-3 ATS in its L/18 overall. The home team has covered eight of the L/11 Civil Wars.

Bookmaker Sportsbook has all of the great NCAA betting action for you this weekend right through the bowl games, so login to your account right now and get down on the action!

by Bookmaker Racebook

The traditional Thanksgiving Day NFL betting match-ups are here, and Bookmaker’s sports betting gurus will have their chance to get in on all of the action on all three games this crowded sports day, beginning with the Tennessee Titans (10-1, 9-2 ATS) and their clash with the Detroit Lions (0-11, 4-7 ATS). These teams haven’t met since 2005. The Titans knocked off the Lions 24-19 as 2.5-point underdogs that day. This will be Tennessee’s first trip to the “Motor City” since 2001.

The undefeated season may be over, but there’s still no doubt that the Titans are going to pose a formidable challenge to the traditional AFC contenders for their spot in the Super Bowl come February. On Sunday, they suffered their first loss of the season against the Jets at home, in a 34-13 defeat. Tennessee had a very “un-Titan-line” performance, as they were dominated by more than a 2-1 margin in time of possession and only took 50 snaps for the entire game.

RB Chris Johnson was sub-par, only rushing the ball 10 times for 46 yards and chipping in another 3 catches for 15 yards. QB Kerry Collins was efficient, completing 21 of 39 passes for 243 yards and a score, but it just wasn’t enough.

The rush defense that had carried Tennessee to a perfect 10-0 mark was quite pitiful against the duo of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. The two Jets’ backs combined to tote the rock 35 times for 178 yards and two scores. The biggest question in the minds of Titans bettors is whether RB LenDale White’s complaints over only being in on three plays against the Jets will linger as a problem down the road.

Detroit bettors wish their only problems were locker room issues. Even after getting spotted nine-points on the NFL betting line and the first 17 points of the game, the Lions never really threatened to cover the spread in the second half. Detroit was down 21-17 at halftime after Tampa Bay rolled off three consecutive touchdowns in a matter of about eight minutes, and then opened the next 30 minutes of play with two more scores in the first six minutes of the half. It all added up to a 38-20 defeat at home.

The bright spot of the offense was rookie RB Kevin Smith. The Central Florida product carried the ball 16 times for 86 yards. The Daunte Culpepper experiment has had its ups and downs, but the former 1st round draft pick, also from UCF, had a pretty lousy game against the Bucs. He went 8/20 for 121 yards, one touchdown, and two picks. The offensive line gave up four sacks and opened virtually no holes for the running game in the second half.

Oddsmakers have installed the Titans as hefty 11-point road favorites, with the ‘total’ coming in at 44.

Thanksgiving Day hasn’t been fantastic for the Lions of late, as they have lost their L/4 games both SU and ATS under the national spotlight. Will Thursday change Detroit’s luck, or will the Titans continue to roll over their competition? There’s plenty to be thankful for this year, so place your Thanksgiving Day football bets with Bookmaker today!

by Bookmaker Racebook

AQUEDUCT

Sobee: Broke through gate prior to start, raced 10th and last 19 lengths behind last after a half-mile, rallied four wide on far turn to sixth in stretch, made up more than 4 ¾ lengths and finished third beaten a nose and a head at a mile on a good turf course Nov. 20; ran final quarter in 24 2/5.

Captain Backfire: Stumbled badly at start, raced seventh and last 12 lengths behind after a half-mile, fanned three wide heading home, rallied with good energy late to make up 6 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a length at six furlongs on Nov. 1; ran final quarter in 23 4/5.

CALDER

Sr. Encamacion: Broke slowly, raced sixth more than 5 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, rallied from fifth in stretch to make up more than 4 ¾ lengths and finished third beaten a nose and a head at five furlongs on the turf Nov. 16.

Wild Blue Dreams: Raced five lengths behind in fourth after three-eighths of a mile, rallied four wide entering stretch, made up nearly 3 ½ lengths and ran second beaten a head at five furlongs on Nov. 6. (Tracked pace 1 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, chased winner in stretch, but couldn’t close gap and finished second by 4 ¾ lengths at 5 ½ furlongs on Nov. 22.)

Super Whipper: Raced inside more than 5 ½ lengths behind in fifth after three-eighths of a mile, angled outside winner in stretch, rallied to make up nearly four lengths and finished second beaten a head at 5 ½ furlongs on a good surface Oct. 25.

Appealing Runner: Raced more than 4 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, rallied to make up more than 3 ¾ lengths in stretch and finished third beaten 1 ¼ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs on Oct. 13. (Raced more than 7 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, rallied from fourth in stretch to make up 32 ½ lengths in stretch and finished full of run to gain second by 1 ¼ lengths at six furlongs on Nov. 1.)

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Choice Play: Broke alertly from the outside 12th post, raced seventh more than three lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied in traffic through stretch from third to make up nearly two lengths and finished second beaten a head at seven furlongs on Nov. 21; ran final three furlongs in 36 3/5.

Princessmarguerite: Raced more than 7 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, split rivals entering stretch, angled out for clear sailing and made up three lengths to finish second beaten a length at six furlongs on Nov. 7.

FAIR GROUNDS

Silver Bayer: Raced more than 2 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, rallied four wide into stretch, made up 2 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a length at five furlongs on the turf Sept. 6 at Calder. (Raced 4 ½ lengths behind in fourth after a half-mile, rallied inside to gain second and finished in that position by two lengths at 5 ½ furlongs on Oct. 18 at Calder.)

HAWTHORNE

Fashionable Time: Broke 12th and last, raced 11th more than 19 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, moved five wide to seventh in stretch, finished well making up more than 6 ½ lengths and ran second beaten a head at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 22.

Marvelex: Raced third early, dropped to fourth more than 1 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, lost ground angling out five wide for clear run, brushed with rival, made up 1 ¾ lengths in stretch and finished second beaten three-quarters of a length at six furlongs on Nov. 2. (Raced second early, dropped to third more than 1 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, moved four wide into stretch and finished second by a neck at 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 23.)

Sky High Spirit: Raced more than five lengths behind in eighth after a half-mile, rallied through traffic from fifth in stretch and finished second beaten a half-length at six furlongs on Oct. 22.

Bar Hoppin: Broke 12th and last, trailed by more than 7 ½ lengths after a half-mile, rallied three wide into stretch to third, closed steadily to make up six lengths and finished second beaten a half-length at six furlongs on Sept. 27; ran final quarter in 24 1/5. (Raced more than four lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, swung six wide into stretch, rallied from third to make up two lengths and won by three-quarters of a length at six furlongs on a good surface Oct. 24.)

HOLLYWOOD PARK

Perfect Magic: Raced sixth more than four lengths behind after a half-mile, made up more than three lengths in the stretch and finished second beaten a half-length at six furlongs on Nov. 20; ran final quarter in 24 3/5.

Warren’s Dreaming: Raced ninth and last more than eight lengths behind after as half-mile, came out leaving turn three deep into stretch, closed willingly from sixth to make up more than 4 ¾ lengths and finished third beaten three-quarters of a length and a nose at 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 20; ran final 2 ½ furlongs in 29 4/5.

Day of the South: Squeezed at start, raced seventh more than 8 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, angled in for drive, came out mid-stretch, rallied from fifth to make up more than four lengths and finished third beaten a length and a nose at six furlongs on Nov. 6; ran final quarter in 23 1/5.

Joe Bravo: Raced eighth more than 8 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, came out in seventh in stretch, closed willingly to make up more than 3 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a half-length at six furlongs on the turf Nov. 6; ran final quarter in 22 1/5.

LAUREL

Count On Lou: Broke sixth and last, steadied, trailed by more than 1 ½ lengths after a half-mile, lost ground moving to fifth for the drive, eased out near eighth pole, rallied from third and finished second beaten a nose at a mile on Nov. 19.

Unbridled Behavior: Raced seventh and last early, advanced to fifth four wide eight lengths behind after a half-mile, closed gamely in stretch from third to make up five lengths and finished second beaten a head at six furlongs on Nov. 5; ran final quarter in 24 seconds. (Raced 10 lengths behind in sixth after three-eighths of a mile, swung out very wide in mid-stretch, closed sharply from fourth under strong handling and won by three-quarters of a length at 5 ½ furlongs on Nov. 21.)

Crack the Opus: Broke in air, rushed up inside to chase pace 4 ½ lengths behind in second after a half-mile, eased out for drive, made up nearly three lengths in stretch and finished second beaten a head at six furlongs on a sealed muddy track Oct. 25. (Prompted pace a length behind after a half-mile, failed to respond in stretch and finished second at seven furlongs on a sloppy surface Nov. 14.)

Rescigno: Broke 11th and last, trailed by more than 20 ½ lengths after a half-mile, advanced between rivals to fifth in stretch, eased outside near sixteenth pole, made up 3 ½ lengths and drove clear to win by a length at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Oct. 23; returned $12 on the front end. (Raced ninth more than 12 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied wide entering stretch and finished third by a length at 1 1/16 miles on a good turf course Nov. 22.)

PHILADELPHIA PARK

Lemon Spray: Broke a step slow eighth and last, steadied and bumped along backstretch, rallied to lead by 1 ½ lengths off rail approaching far turn, bore out leaving quarter pole, drifted further outward in stretch, wavered lanes and finished second by a length at a mile on Nov. 11.

Take a Look: Raced more than 4 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, split rivals entering stretch, finished fast to make up 4 ½ lengths and gained second by three lengths at six furlongs on Nov. 4.

Wildcattwentyfour: Broke eighth and last, raced seventh more than six lengths behind after a half-mile, advanced wide to sixth in stretch and finished third at seven furlongs on Oct. 14. (Raced fifth early, dropped to sixth after a half-mile, came three wide into stretch and finished third by a neck at 6 ½ furlongs on Oct. 25.)

Etrain: Raced fourth early, dropped back to eighth and last through the turn, rallied from seventh in stretch and finish third beaten a neck for place at six furlongs on Oct. 20; ran final quarter in 24 4/5 at Delaware Park.

RETAMA PARK

Magic Misty: Raced seventh more than five lengths behind after a three-eighths of a mile, angled out off turn to fifth in stretch, closed willingly to make up 3 ¼ lengths and finished second by a head at five furlongs on Nov. 7.

Cowgirl Cool: Raced more than 5 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, fanned three wide on far turn dropping to sixth, rallied five wide in upper stretch from fifth, closed willingly to make up 2 ½ lengths and finished third beaten a neck and two lengths at a mile on the turf Oct. 30. (Fractious in gate, original rider hurt and replaced, stalked pace 2 ½ lengths behind in second, dropped to third after six furlongs, rallied in stretch and gained second by 2 ¾ lengths at a mile on Nov. 21.)

Fiesta Margarita: Broke from the outside 10th post, raced 10th and last early, advanced to ninth more than 7 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied four wide to fourth in stretch, closed fast to make up 4 ½ lengths and finished second nosed out at 5 ½ furlongs on Oct. 11. (Raced more than 3 ½ lengths behind in sixth after three-eighths of a mile, swung out four wide in upper stretch, rallied from second and won by a length on Nov. 20.)

Bill’s Last Fling: Broke alertly from the outside 13th post, chased leader early in second, took lead by a length after a half-mile, drew clear in upper stretch and won by 6 ½ lengths ridden out at six furlongs on Sept. 27.

Waco Hug: Broke 10th and last, raced seventh more than five lengths behind after a half-mile, swung out three wide for the drive, advanced to second in stretch, closed fast to drew off and won by two lengths at a mile on Oct. 10. (Broke seventh and last, trailed by eight lengths after a half-mile, rallied on far turn to grabbed lead, increased margin to six lengths in stretch and drew off ridden out to win by 12 ¼ lengths at a mile on Oct. 17.)

Ms Classic Seneca: Raced more than four lengths behind in eighth after a half-mile, advanced four wide for drive, steadied off heels of rivals inside quarter pole, rallied from sixth to make up more than 2 ¼ lengths in stretch and gained second by a half-length at six furlongs on Sept. 6. (Raced fourth early, dropped to fifth more than 1 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, rallied four wide to second in upper stretch and won by a half-lengths at five furlongs on the turf Oct. 4: returned $12.20 on front end.)

TURF PARADISE

His Way: Raced more than three lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, dropped to seventh after six furlongs, awaited room on turn and top of the stretch, closed to gain third beaten a head and a half-length at about a mile on the turf Nov. 21.

Cut the Silk: Tracked pace two lengths behind in second after a half-mile, rider lost whip in upper stretch, continued willingly to the wire making up a length and lost by a half-length at a mile on Nov. 2.

Dante’s Gulch: Raced seven lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, advanced to third in stretch, made up 3 ½ lengths and finished second by 3 ¼ lengths at a mile on Oct. 25.

Hills of Roses; Broke from the outside ninth post, raced fourth more than 4 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, angled in during stretch run, rallied to make up more than 2 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a half-length at five furlongs on Oct. 10. (Chased pace five lengths behind in second after three-eighths of a mile and rallied in stretch to win by a half-length at 5 ½ furlongs on Oct. 26.)

WOODBINE

Mighty Fenian: Broke a step slowly, raced ninth more than 4 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, closed four deep on turn to gain fourth in stretch, made up 3 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a neck at seven furlongs on Nov. 16.

Kingcarey: Broke 12th and last, trailed by more than 12 lengths after a half-mile, angled from rail to six wide late on far turn, rallied willingly through stretch from ninth, made up 2 ¾ lengths and finished second beaten three-quarters of a length at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 5.

Tap Show: Raced more than nine lengths behind in eighth after a half-mile, rallied between rivals in stretch from sixth to make up nearly 2 ½ lengths and finished third beaten a length and a head at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 19. (Broke a step slowly, stalked pace four wide on far turn, gained second in stretch, led briefly and lost by a length at 1 ¼ miles on Nov. 10.)

by Bookmaker Racebook

ESPN’s Monday Night Football heads to the Big Easy, and Bookmaker will offer all of the great football betting action you care to sink your teeth into in the critical NFC showdown between the Green Bay Packers (5-5, 7-3 ATS) and the New Orleans Saints (5-5, 6-4 ATS).

The last time these squads hooked up was back in 2006 in Green Bay. The Saints were short favorites that day and put the Pack away by a 34-27 final count. The last time Green Bay visited the Bayou was back in 2002 in a game the host Saints won, 35-20. With respect to the series between Green Bay and New Orleans, the Pack holds a 6-2 ATS and 5-3 SU advantage since 1987.

Green Bay made a huge statement last Sunday against the visiting Chicago Bears. Oddsmakers only favored the hosts by 3.5-points, a line they obliterated by bouncing their division rivals by the resounding score of 37-3. The defense was fantastic, holding Chicago to 234 yards of offense and scored a touchdown when Jason Hunter rumbled a fumble recovery for 53-yards for the score that pushed the lead to 31-points in the 4th quarter.

QB Aaron Rodgers had another efficient performance, going 23/30 for 227 yards and two scores. RB Ryan Grant had one of his best games of the ’08 campaign, rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown. The win kept the Packers’ playoff chances alive and forced them into a first place tie in the crowded NFC North.

Speaking of crowded divisions, no team may have a harder route to the postseason in the entire NFL than the New Orleans Saints. In a division that wasn’t expected to be so strong, the Saints are in last place with three games to make up on the Panthers if they hope to win their second division title in the L/3 seasons.

They took a giant step in the right direction on Sunday, with a 30-20 victory in Arrowhead Stadium over the Chiefs. Sports bettors who backed the black and gold cashed winning tickets at -6. Though names like Bush, McAllister, Brees, and Colston are normally amongst the stars in the New Orleans offense, Sunday’s brightest included RB Pierre Thomas and WR Lance Moore. Thomas rushed for 88 yards and a score on 16 carries and added 56 yards in the receiving game, while Moore paced all receivers with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. It was the first cover for the Saints on the road since September 21st.

If the Saints are going to make a move to get back in the playoff race, this week’s game is imperative, and the NFL betting line reflects it. The Saints currently sit as 2.5-point home chalks, while the ‘total’ sits at 51.5.

It may seem like a high number to reach, but the NFL betting trends justify it. Green Bay is 8-1-1 in its L/10 road games for ‘over’ bettors, while the ‘over’ has cashed in nine of New Orleans’ L/10 home games. Whether the points are flying on the scoreboard or not, one thing is for certain, and that’s that this game will have a playoff atmosphere to it.

Will the Saints keep their playoff hopes alive, or will the Packers march towards another NFC North title? Login to your Bookmaker Sportsbook account immediately and get your Monday night pigskin wagers in!

by Bookmaker Racebook

The NFL season enters its 12th week of play, and Bookmaker Sportsbook has all of the football betting options available for NFL bettors. As a part of the weekend’s festivities, the cloudy AFC playoff picture will become a bit clearer when the Indianapolis Colts (6-4, 4-6 ATS) invade Qualcomm Stadium to do battle with the San Diego Chargers (4-6, 4-5-1 ATS).

Football bettors will remember last season’s epic playoff battle in the final game in the history of the RCA Dome, a game that San Diego won 28-24 to advance to the AFC Championship Game. The Colts were 10.5-point favorites that day, but the Chargers covered their fourth straight game between these two teams with ease.

The Indianapolis swagger appears to be coming back. The Colts have won three straight games, with the most recent win coming against the Houston Texans. It didn’t come without a fight though, as the Texans gave Indy a real battle, ultimately losing 33-27, but sticking in front of the 9-point spread on the closing football betting line.

QB Peyton Manning and RB Joseph Addai are finally starting to look like the superstars that Colts fans have gotten used to. Manning completed 30-of-46 passes for 320 yards and two scores. Addai picked up 105 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, but also chipped in with a big contribution to the passing game, hauling in four passes for 48 yards and a score. DE Dwight Freeney harassed Texans QB Sage Rosenfels all day, picking up a pair of sacks, but the final dagger came in the closing moments when Melvin Bullitt picked off Rosenfels to ice the ball game.

San Diego played in one of the wildest games, not only for the week or the year, but also in the history of the NFL. Holding a 10-8 lead with inside a minute to play, the Chargers appeared to have conceded a touchdown to the Steelers that would’ve put them up five points, but the score was called back on an illegal block penalty. Pittsburgh took an 11-10 lead with just 0:15 remaining, and San Diego bettors had to be lined up to collect their winnings.

The controversy started when a defensive touchdown that should’ve been allowed by Troy Polamalu was overturned on the field. Later, ref Scott Green admitted that the touchdown should have stayed on the board, but those holding San Diego +4.5 on their football betting tickets were already cashed out. Philip Rivers threw two interceptions in defeat, and LaDainian Tomlinson only managed 57 rushing yards on 18 carries. The loss dropped San Diego two games behind Denver with just six games to play, which puts a ton of pressure on it to pick up a victory this weekend.

Oddsmakers have installed the hosts as 2.5-point favorites in this must-win game. The ‘total’ has been set at a lofty 49.5.

The NFL regular season is rapidly approaching its close, so be sure to boost your bankroll while you can at Bookmaker! Login to your account and place all of your Sunday night football bets today!

by Bookmaker Racebook

College football betting enters another fantastic weekend of action, and Bookmaker Sportsbook will have all of the action covered for sports bettors when the Mississippi Rebels (6-4, 6-3 ATS) head to the Bayou to do battle with the LSU Tigers (7-3, 2-7 ATS). LSU has won every meeting between these SEC West rivals since 2001.

Most recently, the Tigers knocked of the Rebels 41-24 in Oxford, but Ole Miss got the best of the football betting match-up. The last time these teams met in Baton Rouge was in ’06, and in a thrilling overtime game, the Tigers avoided the upset as 28.5-point home favorites with a 23-20 victory.

Mississippi bettors had a cakewalk last weekend, as its Rebels routed Louisiana-Monroe 59-0 on homecoming weekend. QB Jevan Snead only completed six passes, but he finished the day with 170 yards and three scores, to go with his two rushing touchdowns. The running game racked up a whopping 350 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry in the victory.

The ‘D’ held the Warhawks to just 131 total yards and seven first downs. Non-conference play was fantastic for Ole Miss this year, as they went 3-1 SU and a perfect 3-0 ATS. SEC play has been a different story, as the Rebels are just 3-3 ATS in conference, but they’re the only team in the country that can say they covered both Alabama and Florida, and did so both on the road.

LSU also faced a Sun Belt opponent over the weekend, but they got a much stiffer challenge. The Tigers trailed the Trojans of Troy by an alarming four touchdowns until late in the 3rd quarter when they flexed their muscles. They scored on five out of their final six possessions to pick up the 40-31 victory, avoiding the upset as 16-point favorites on the football betting line. Quarterback play continues to be an issue in Baton Rouge. Jordon Jefferson only completed one out of his six passes for five yards, while Jarrett Lee went 20/34 for 216 yards with one touchdown and an interception, but he had only completed 5-of-13 passes at halftime.

The defense had no answer for QB Levi Brown and the Troy offense until the 4th quarter, as the visitors rolled up 380 total yards. At one point in the 3rd quarter, Troy had almost four times the offensive yards as their SEC counterparts. The disastrous college football betting season is thankfully almost over for LSU fans. The Tigers have yet to cover a spread in the Bayou this season, going an alarming 0-6 ATS, including losses for their football bettors in each of the past four weeks.

Oddsmakers have installed the home team Tigers as 3.5-point favorites, and the ‘total’ has been set at 54.5.

There’s good news for Mississippi in the betting trends, as the underdog is 7-1 ATS in the L/8 games in this series, while the road team is 7-2 ATS in their L/9. Thirteen of LSU’s L/16 SEC games have gone over the ‘total’ as well, so consider banking on lots of points again this weekend.

Login to your Bookmaker account right now and place your football bets for this weekend’s action!

by Bookmaker Racebook

I’m making an addition to my handicapping toolbox after an experiment since late summer produced quite a few winners.

It’s one of the helpful features of Brisnet.com past performances listed on the front of each race – the figure beneath “SPEED.” The number is the average winning speed at the distance during a particular track’s meeting.

From time to time I adjust my toolbox. This is just another way to consider speed when handicapping races no matter the track. I still include my favorites: class, horses for courses, successful jockey-trainer combos, running styles and racing patterns.

What I like about this tool is it separates the speedier and slower horses at a particular distance that’s especially telling after the first couple of weeks at a meeting no matter the surface.

I offer two recent examples starting with an allowance route Nov. 10 at the Meadowlands. This eight-horse contest was the 49th at a mile and 70 yards. Forty-six percent of the winners showed early speed.

The top figure of 99 belonged to Fuencia posted three races back when the son of Fusachi Pegasus broke his maiden in a sprint.

The next highest, 97, belonged to favored Stevil, the classiest of the bunch that ran fourth in this year’s Blue Grass Stakes and fifth in the Preakness. But the son of Maria’s Mon hadn’t won since running that fast in his debut last fall taking a sprint.

I went for second-choice Pampered Sir, who won once at 1 1/16 miles and finished second three times at a mile and 70 yards, all allowance races since departing the grass in August. His speed figure: 93. A good omen: The son of Concerto was one of three contenders that consistently showed early speed.

Pampered Sir pressed the pace in second, took the lead after six furlongs and held off Stevil down the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. Madman, who also had a high-speed figure of 93 winning last time out but in a low-level claimer, finished far back in third.

On Nov. 11 at Churchill Downs, an allowance race at seven furlongs featured nine fillies and mares with five evenly matched. But not a single one of the seven horses that raced the distance at the track posted the average winning speed figure: 93.

Two top contenders shared the top 88 number this year: Distorted Passion, third in an allowance contest with the fastest time, and Geniver, who captured a claiming race.

I thought the main danger was Silent Street, but went for Distorted Passion, who stayed closer to the pace in most sprints.

The son of Distorted Humor tracked the pace, took the lead in the stretch, drew clear under steady urging and scored by 2 ½ lengths. Silent Street finished second while Geniver ran fourth.

On Nov. 16 at Churchill Downs, a five-furlong race scheduled for the turf was transferred to the sealed muddy main track. Three horses were scratched.

I liked second-choice Simply Seattle, the top speed on grass with 94, who possessed the highest figure on dirt. 91. In addition, the daughter of Chief Seattle scored last spring on a sloppy surface, leading every step of the 5 ½ furlongs. She won the same way in the first race at the distance on the main track during this meeting.

Favored Time Flies, with her debut on the turf postponed, was shortening up after impressively breaking her maiden by 8 ½ lengths at Church Down three back at six furlongs.
However, the daughter of Gilded Time hadn’t raced on an off track. She finished 1 ½ lengths back in second.

by Bookmaker Racebook

NBC’s Sunday Night Football heads to the nation’s capitol, and Bookmaker Sportsbook has all of the action covered for sports betting pundits when the Washington Redskins (6-3, 5-4 ATS) play host to the Dallas Cowboys (5-4, 3-6 ATS) at FedEx Field. Earlier this season, the Skins marched into “Big D” and beat the Boys 26-24 as 10.5-point underdogs. Washington has covered six of the L/7 games between these two rivals, and the Cowboys haven’t beaten or covered them in D.C. since 2004.

Though neither team is likely to run down the Giants atop the NFC East, the winner of this one will have a huge advantage in the race for one of the two Wild Card spots in the conference.

There isn’t a team in the NFL that needed their bye week more than the Cowboys. QB Tony Romo has been on the shelf for three week, and the Cowboys offense has struggled mightily during that time. QBs Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger have combined to turn the ball over six times in Romo’s absence. Though it is still uncertain just how healthy Romo is, he is expected to suit up against the Skins on Sunday night.

Though the offense has struggled due to Romo being out of the lineup, the defense’s struggles don’t seem to have a logical explanation. The unit has allowed 30+ points in three out of their L/4 games, and has given up 22 or more points in all but two games this season. It should come as no surprise that Cowboys bettors have been bitterly disappointed this season, now dropping six of their L/8 games.

The Skins were also off from NFL betting action in Week 10. The biggest question on the minds of Washington bettors is regarding the health of RB Clinton Portis. The star running back has a knee injury that has caused HC Jim Zorn to classify him as “50-50” for the game this weekend. Portis leads the team with 995 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.

If Portis can’t go, there will be added pressure on QB Jason Campbell. The Auburn product has been solid this season, completing 64.5% of his passes for 1,960 yards and eight touchdowns against just two interceptions. The defense ranks 4th in the NFL, allowing just 272.7 yards per game. Only two opponents have reached 20+ points this year on the unit.

Oddsmakers installed the Redskins as two-point home favorites, but the news of the Portis injury has caused sports bettors to sway the line the other direction. Dallas is now -1.5, while the ‘total’ sits at 43 after opening at 46.

There are several NFL betting trends that point towards the Skins this weekend. The underdog in this match-up has gone 20-6 ATS in their L/26 meetings. Washington is 7-2-1 in its L/10 against teams with a winning record, while the Cowboys are just 2-6 ATS in their L/8 in that same situation. Dallas is also 2-10 ATS in its L/12 conference battles.

No matter whether you plan on cruising with the Cowboys or risking it all on the Redskins, Bookmaker has all of your football betting options covered, so login to your account right now and get it on all the action!

by Bookmaker Racebook

Two of the best teams for sports betting fans hit the gridiron this week in the Meadowlands when the Baltimore Ravens (6-3, 7-2 ATS) take the short road trip to do battle with the New York Giants (8-1, 7-2 ATS). The Ravens dominated their only regular season meeting at Giants Stadium back in 2004, knocking off the G-Men 37-14, easily covering the 10.5-point spread. The only other time these two teams have met since the Ravens moved to Baltimore was in Super Bowl XXXV, when Baltimore hammered the Giants 34-7. Both teams have their sights set on the Super Bowl yet again, and the winner of this game will have a huge leg up towards securing a playoff birth.

Oddsmakers gave no respect to the Ravens last weekend, as they were short underdogs in Houston against the lowly Texans. Baltimore was successful in just about every aspect of the game. QB Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, RB Willis McGahee ran for 112 yards and two scores of his own, and TE Todd Heap hauled in five balls for 58 yards and two scores to pace the offense.

The defense was simply stifling, intercepting Texans QB Sage Rosenfels four times including two by standout LB Ray Lewis. It all added up to an overwhelming 41-13 victory and an easy cash for Ravens bettors. Baltimore has now won and covered four straight games, and has averaged beating the NFL betting line by 17.1 points per game during that stretch.

While the Ravens were rolling, the Giants were busy extending their lead in the NFC East. On NBC’s Sunday Night Football, the G-Men held off the Eagles 36-31 to extend their divisional lead to two full games over Washington and three over Philadelphia. It wasn’t the greatest game in the world for QB Eli Manning, but his 17/31 for 191 yards and two scores were good enough. RB Brandon Jacobs toted the rock 22 times for 126 yards and two TDs.

Giants bettors have been thrilled this season with the effort of both the offense and the defense. The offense ranks 4th in the NFL, averaging 374.7 yards per game. The defense has been just a step better, ranking 3rd in yards per game (264.8) and 2nd in pass defense (177.1). Much like their counterparts, the G-Men have a four-game winning streak both SU and ATS. Their average margin of victory against the spread is also impressive at 7.9 points per game.

Oddsmakers have installed the Giants as 6.5-point home chalks in this critical NFL betting match-up with the ‘total’ set at 41.5.

Expect to see a higher scoring affair, as both teams are 6-3 for ‘over’ bettors this season. In Baltimore’s L/16 games played on grass, the ‘over’ has come in 13 times. Though both teams have astounding ATS marks this season, the Giants are 10-1 ATS in their L/11 games against teams with a winning record.

Bookmaker Sportsbook offers all of the great Week 11 football betting match-ups you can sink your teeth into, so login to your account right now and get down on all of the action!

by Bookmaker Racebook