CFL Previews - Grey Cup Championship (November 23rd)

Football Betting Lines

11/23/2008 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's only fitting that the best team in the East Division takes on the first-place team in the West Division to decide the '08 Grey Cup champion.

Montreal finished first in the East, then defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 36-26 in the conference final to advance to its sixth Grey Cup championship since 2000. However, the Alouettes head into this contest having won just one CFL title, that coming in 2002.

Special-teams player Larry Taylor led Montreal past Edmonton, returning two punts for a record touchdowns in the game. Taylor scored on returns of 64 and 97 yards and finished with a CFL-record 203 yards on six returns.

Anthony Calvillo, named the CFL's outstanding player this week, was 20-of-32 passing for 295 yards and a touchdown. Calvillo finished the season with 43 TD passes and was second in passing with 5,633 yards.

Montreal will definitely have the home-field advantage for the Grey Cup, with the game being played at Olympic Stadium. And with upwards of 65,000 spectators expected to be on hand, the Alouettes will also have the benefit of having a raucous crowd firmly behind them.

Calgary qualified for its first Grey Cup game since 2001 - when it beat Winnipeg at Olympic Stadium _ by downing the B.C. Lions 22-18 in the West Division final.

Quarterback Henry Burris, the West Division candidate for the outstanding player award, had 236 yards passing and a touchdown and also scored one himself.

Burris has had a brilliant season to date. The 10-year veteran established career highs with 5,094 yards passing and 39 touchdowns for Calgary. He was also the CFL's leading rusher among quarterbacks with 595 yards.

However, it was defensive end Mike Labinjo who was Calgary's top performer against the Lions. The former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker had three sacks and eight tackles - two huge ones for losses coming on a crucial goal-line stand - as the Stampeders managed to keep B.C. from scoring a touchdown in the West final.

The numbers: Montreal was 7-2 at home during the regular season but 3-5 against West Division teams and 0-2 versus Calgary. The Stampeders were 6-3 on the road and 7-1 against Eastern clubs.

Keys to the game: There was no more potent offense in the CFL this year than Montreal, which led the league in scoring (32.4 points per game), total yards (429 per game), pass attempts (712) and completions (495). The Alouettes' offensive line contributed to that success, allowing just 22 sacks, which was lowest in the league.

Montreal guard Scott Flory was also honoured this week, being named the league's outstanding lineman.

Calvillo will also have three pretty good receivers to throw to. Jamel Richardson (98 catches, 1,287 yards, league-high 16 TDs), Ben Cahoon (league- best 107 catches, 1,231 yards, seven TDs) and Kerry Watkins (84 catches, 1,178 yards, 10 TDs).

Calgary's strength will also be its offense, which also includes the CFL's leading receiver (Ken-Yon Rambo, 100 catches, 1,473 yards, eight TDs) and top running back (Joffrey Reynolds, 1,310 yards).

Both teams have good defenses. Calgary gave up an average of just 21.5 points per game to lead the CFL but Montreal surrendered just 23.5 points per game as well.

Special-teams are also solid on both sides. Calgary kicker Sandro DeAngelis was the CFL scoring leader with 217 points while Montreal's Damon Duval was second with 206 points.

So while the Alouettes will have the home crowd behind it, the Stampeders will have a team that established itself during the regular season as the league's best. The fact this game is being played in Montreal is the only reason why it should be close.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Calgary 35, Montreal 30.

Last week's record: 1-1; Season record: 43-33.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.