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12/22/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a year where it seems like every team has a shot at the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns meet this Sunday in a battle for draft positioning.
With two weeks left in the regular season, Tampa Bay and the Browns are two of just eight teams that have been officially eliminated from postseason contention.
The Buccaneers find themselves out of the playoffs for the third time in four years since winning Super Bowl XXXVII.
The Browns have been knocked out of the postseason hunt for the fourth straight year and the franchise has played in just one playoff game since returning to Cleveland in 1999.
Tampa Bay put forth a valiant effort last Sunday in Chicago, but fell short of a comeback victory. The Bears won 34-31 on Robbie Gould's field goal in overtime, after the Bucs rallied back from a 24-3 deficit in the third quarter.
It was the fourth straight loss and seven in eight games for Tampa Bay.
Meanwhile, the Browns were handed their second consecutive loss last Sunday, as they dropped a 27-17 decision in Baltimore. The game was tied at 17 midway through the third quarter, but Cleveland faltered down the stretch for its fourth setback in five games.
SERIES HISTORY
Cleveland has a 5-1 edge in its all-time series with Tampa Bay, losing to the Buccaneers for the first time in the most recent matchup, at Raymond James Stadium in 2002. The Browns won the first five installments in the series, with their most recent win coming at home in 1995. The Buccaneers are 0-2 all- time in Cleveland.
Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden is 2-0 in his career against Cleveland, including 1-0 since coming to the Buccaneers in 2002. The Browns' Romeo Crennel will be meeting both Gruden and the Bucs for the first time as a head coach.
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE VS. BROWNS DEFENSE
The Buccaneers will have a new starting quarterback this week, as they hand over the reins to Tim Rattay. Rookie Bruce Gradkowski (1,661 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT) had been the team's starting QB since Chris Simms suffered a season- ending spleen injury in Week 3. After a strong start to his NFL career, Gradkowski began to struggle. Then last Sunday in Chicago, Gruden decided to make the switch to Rattay near the end of the opening half. Rattay (351 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) was superb, throwing for 268 yards with three TDs and an interception, and nearly rallied Tampa Bay from a 21-point deficit in the second half. This will be the seven-year veteran's first start since playing for the Bucs on October 2 of last season. Wideout Joey Galloway (52 catches, 905 yards, 6 TD) had three catches for 107 yards, including a 64-yard TD reception, last week. Tight end Alex Smith (31 catches, 205 yards, 3 TD) and veteran wide receiver Ike Hilliard (29 catches, 268 yards, 2 TD) hauled in Rattay's other two TD tosses.
Cleveland has done few things well on defense this season, but its pass defense would have to be its stronger suit. The Browns are giving up an average of 211.1 yards through the air per game, and are ranked 22nd in the NFL in passing defense. Last week, the Browns knocked Baltimore quarterback Steve McNair out in the first quarter, and Kyle Boller came in for the remainder of the game. Boller, a first-round pick in the 2003 draft, completed 13-of-21 passes for 238 yards with two TDs and an interception. Cornerback Leigh Bodden (30 tackles, 2 INT) came away with the pick for Cleveland, while strong safety Sean Jones (91 tackles, 1/2 sack, 5 INT) led the secondary with nine tackles. One of the Browns' problems against the pass has been their inability to get pressure on the quarterback. They are near the bottom of the league with just 24 sacks, and that includes one by middle linebacker Chaun Thompson (18 tackles, 3 sacks) in last week's game.
Tampa Bay's offense has struggled with the running game this season, and at this stage of the season is ranked 29th in the NFL with just 90 yards on the ground per contest. The Bucs would have been thrilled to reach even that average last Sunday, as they were held to just 57 rushing yards in Chicago. Running back Cadillac Williams (798 yards, 1 TD) continued his disappointing sophomore season, ending with only 26 yards on 11 carries against the Bears. Williams, last year's AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, needs 202 yards in his final two games of the year just to reach the 1,000 yard mark. He is questionable for this week's game with a foot injury. If Williams can't go, then fullback Mike Alstott and halfback Michael Pittman will take over most of the running duties. Alstott (111 yards, 3 TD) posted 26 yards and a touchdown on six carries last Sunday, and Pittman has just 86 yards all season.
The Browns have had a tough time stopping the run all season long, and are currently ranked 29th in the NFL with 144.7 rushing yards allowed per contest. Cleveland was slightly below that average last week in Baltimore, as it surrendered 142 yards on the ground. Rookie middle linebacker Leon Williams (21 tackles) had a busy day for the Browns, notching a team-high 11 tackles and forcing Ravens running back Jamal Lewis to lose a fumble. Thompson also posted seven tackles, and veteran defensive tackle Ted Washington (44 tackles) clogged up the middle with four tackles.
BROWNS OFFENSE VS. BUCCANEERS DEFENSE
Cleveland played its second straight week with Derek Anderson as the starting quarterback last week, and the young signal-caller was able to move the ball effectively once again. Anderson (670 yards, 5 TD, 4 INT) threw for 276 yards two weeks ago against Pittsburgh, in his first NFL start, and put up 223 in last Sunday's game at Baltimore. The second-year player out of Oregon State connected on 23-of-32 passes against the Ravens, and threw a pair of touchdown passes to go with two interceptions. Anderson is filling in for the injured Charlie Frye (2,267 yards, 10 TD, 16 INT), who has missed the last two games with a wrist injury. Frye is listed as questionable for this week's contest. Braylon Edwards (55 catches, 831 yards, 6 TD) had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, and fellow wide receiver Joe Jurevicius (36 catches, 437 yards, 3 TD) added 46 yards and a TD on five receptions. Tight end Kellen Winslow (76 catches, 755 yards, 3 TD) chipped in with five more catches for 61 yards against the Ravens. Jurevicius (concussion) and Winslow (knee) are questionable for Sunday's game. As a team this season, Cleveland is ranked 22nd in the NFL with 187.4 passing yards per game.
The Buccaneers gave up 446 yards of offense last week, and 339 of those were credited to the arm of Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. Chicago's signal- caller has been criticized for his erratic play this year, but with two touchdown passes and no interceptions, Grossman looked downright efficient against Tampa Bay. That is not a ringing endorsement for the Bucs' pass defense, which is rated 23rd in the NFL with an average of 217.6 yards allowed through the air every week. A great deal of Tampa Bay's problems in pass defense likely come from the fact that the Buccaneers have placed very little pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The team is second from the bottom in the NFL with just 21 sacks this year, and 10 of those have come from defensive end Dewayne White (33 tackles, 5 sacks) and tackle Ellis Wyms (26 tackles, 5 sacks). Despite Tampa Bay's trouble against the pass this year, the team did have a member of its secondary named as a Pro Bowl starter, as cornerback Ronde Barber (93 tackles, 3 INT) was sent to Hawaii for the fourth time.
Cleveland has been a dreadful running team all season long, and that trend continued last week against the stout Ravens defense. The Browns, who are 30th in the NFL with 79.8 rushing yards per game, managed just 68 yards on the ground in Baltimore last Sunday. Cleveland's leading rusher this season, Reuben Droughns (583 yards, 4 TD), had just 31 yards on eight carries last week Jason Wright (189 yards), who started the game at running back, posted 37 yards on eight rushing attempts.
After allowing three 100-yard rushers in the first six games of the season, the Buccaneers haven't let a back pass the century mark since. Last week, that streak grew to eight consecutive games, as Tampa Bay kept all of the Bears' runners under 100 yards. However, Chicago was able to rush for 134 yards as a team. Middle linebacker Shelton Quarles (92 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks) helped Tampa Bay avoid the big gain and ended with a game-high 15 tackles. Outside linebacker Derrick Brooks (103 tackles. 2 INT) made 10 stops and defensive end Greg Spires (42 tackles, 2 sacks) led the front four with seven tackles. Overall this season, the Buccaneers are 17th in the league with an average of 121 yards on the ground per game.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Rattay gave the Buccaneers a shot of life in the second half of last week's game, but he won't have the element of surprise when he gets the start this Sunday. Still, the way Gradkowski had been playing, Rattay has to give Tampa Bay a better chance at winning. It's true that the Bucs are 0-7 on the road this season, but this is their last and possibly best chance to end that skid. Tampa Bay should be able to run the ball against this Browns defense, and that will set the tone for a close victory.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Buccaneers 21, Browns 20
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Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go.
MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points.
Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game.
Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again.
After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes.
Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at.
Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds.
If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time.
Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now.
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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