Steelers name Dixon starting quarterback

Football Betting Lines

09/06/2010 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers named Dennis Dixon as the team's starting quarterback in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's suspension and Byron Leftwich's knee injury.

The choice was between either Dixon or longtime backup Charlie Batch, and head coach Mike Tomlin decided Dixon would be the better choice.

"Dennis has had a very productive preseason and training camp," Tomlin said. "He wedged himself into a battle and got some first-team reps in some preseason games. Largely, we've been very impressed with how he's handling himself and the situation."

Dixon made his first career start last season against the Ravens -- when Roethlisberger was out with a concussion and Batch with a broken wrist -- and Dixon completed 12-of-26 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The former Oregon quarterback and dual-threat lost the game in overtime, 20-17.

"It's an honor. It's every quarterback's dream to get an opportunity to start in the National Football League," Dixon said. "My number's called now, so I'm going to have fun with it. I'm happy, but then again there's a lot of work to be done. I just want to be even-keeled and put my team in the best situation."

Roethlisberger is suspended for the team's first four games, so Dixon could get an extended look at the position. Leftwich was set to be the starter, but sprained a knee ligament in the team's last preseason game.

Footballgamblegambling Football Betting News

<< One More Laugh claims Cane Pace
Freehold, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Odds-on favorite One More Laugh rolled to victory Labor Day in the $300,000 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace is the first of Pacing's Triple Crown races. Pacing's Triple Crown will continue

<< Bucs claim RB Blount, release WR Brown
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed running back LaGarrette Blount off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released veteran wide receiver Reggie Brown. Blount was let go Sunday by the Titans afte

<< Soto's homer in eighth lifts Cubs past Astros
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto's two-out homer in the eighth proved to be the difference, as the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros with a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field. Soto launched his

<< Kubel, Thome homer to help Twins edge Royals
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Kubel and Jim Thome both homered in the bottom of the fifth inning, as the Minnesota Twins clipped Kansas City, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field. Thome, who now has 585

<< Roberts, Orioles top Yanks to start series in Bronx
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Roberts' seventh inning single drove in the winning run as Baltimore downed New York, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game set. Roberts finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Matt Wieters knocked in a run and

Hoffman rolls to big win at Deutsche Bank >>
Norton, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charley Hoffman fired a nine-under 62 Monday to roll to a five-stroke win at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Hoffman, wearing his Celtic green, missed the course record at the TPC Boston by a single stroke, but

Glenn, Tiger-Cats beat Argonauts, win fourth straight >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Glenn went 27-for-33 with 313 yards, one touchdown and one interception as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats downed the Toronto Argonauts, 28-13. Dave Stala caught seven passes for 90 yards and a score while

Molina's slam sends St.Louis past Brewers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yadier Molina's second career grand slam capped a six-run eighth inning to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a three-game set. Albert Pujols drove in a

Anderson sensational as Oakland slows down Seattle >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coco Crisp drove in two runs and Brett Anderson spun a gem on the mound, as the Oakland Athletics beat Seattle, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game series. Anderson (4-6) scattered a run on four hits and d

Padres scratch Latos due to illness >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Just hours prior to his scheduled start against the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres scratched pitcher Mat Latos due to an undisclosed illness. Latos has been the team's most consistent starter this season, goi

College Football Betting Tips From a Pro

While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.

Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.

The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.

What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.

These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.

College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.

Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.

Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.

Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.

I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.

Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.

It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.

As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.

Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.