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AFC vs NFC Live – 2010 Pro Bowl – NFL

Sellier — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:12:30 +0000

The Pro Bowl’s experimental one-year move to Miami has resulted in better ticket sales, more media coverage and some grousing by players.

“I like Hawaii a lot better,” Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison said. He and the other all-stars wanted to end the season in Miami – but not this week.

With a new venue and new slot on the league calendar, the Pro Bowl will be played Sunday as a preliminary to next week’s Super Bowl on the same field.

It definitely feels like a warmup act.

“There’s a bittersweet taste,” said quarterback Tony Romo, a late addition to the NFC roster after his Dallas Cowboys came up two wins shy of a Super Bowl berth. “You’re always hoping to play in the big game.”

The NFL is trying to transform the Pro Bowl into a bigger game by playing it before the Super Bowl for the first time. The league also moved the game from Honolulu, its home since 1980.

One result: the best attendance in 51 years, with a sellout crowd of more than 70,000 expected. But some players said they preferred the more exotic setting of Honolulu for the game.

“Hawaii is considered kind of a vacation,” San Diego tight end Antonio Gates said. “A lot of these guys are from Florida, and a lot of people come to Florida on a regular basis.”

Defections by players were numerous, as usual. More than a dozen pulled out citing injuries. Minnesota tackle Bryant McKinnie was dismissed from the NFC team for unexcused absences after missing two days of practice.

Nearly 40 percent of those originally selected won’t play. That includes seven Colts and seven Saints missing because they’re preparing for the Super Bowl, a drawback to playing the Pro Bowl first.

“You take 14 guys from the Super Bowl teams that are not here,” Gates said. “Does it mean it’s a true all-star game now?”

Frank Supovitz, the NFL’s senior vice president for events, noted that the high defection rate was nothing new. It’s not what the league sought to fix by changing the date and site of the game, he said.

“The changes were meant to look at two things: Whether we could create more excitement with the Pro Bowl being the first event of Super Bowl week, and whether it would have an impact on TV ratings,” he said.

Ticket sales show the excitement level is up, Supovitz said. And he’s optimistic about the television audience for the game.

“It’s being shown on a weekend when there’s usually no football and interest in the NFL is at its highest,” he said.

Those tuning in will see established stars such as Ray Lewis, Chad Ochocinco and DeMarcus Ware, as well as first-time Pro Bowlers such as DeAngelo Williams, Clay Matthews and Matt Schaub. The TV audience they attract will help the NFL decide where and when to play future Pro Bowls.

The game will return to Honolulu in 2011 and 2012, but the league hasn’t decided whether to hold those games before or after the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl site for 2013 and beyond hasn’t been determined.

Players had mixed reactions to this year’s changes. Many said they preferred the old schedule so those in the Super Bowl could also be available for the Pro Bowl.

But Romo said he could see the appeal of putting the Pro Bowl first.

“There’s something to be said for playing the game during the season,” he said. “I think more people are interested.”

By moving the game to the Super Bowl site, the NFL created a bigger spotlight for the Pro Bowl. There are 1,076 credentialed media members this week, compared with 334 in Honolulu a year ago.

That’s good for the league, and maybe not so good for the all-stars.

“There’s a lot more media here, that’s for sure,” said eight-time Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae, addressing a throng of reporters after an AFC practice. “It’s not as relaxed here. There’s a little more hustle and bustle here than there would be at the resort where we stay in Hawaii.”

Still, practices this week were pretty laid back. AFC offensive linemen ran pass patterns. Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs took a wildcat snap. Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson threw a pass on an end-around. Ochocinco practiced punting and kicking and said he may boot one in the game.

The primary goal seemed to be having a few laughs, which at the end of a long season was understandable. For players who came up short of the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl can be a consolation prize worth accepting.

Running back Adrian Peterson decided not to play, then changed his mind two days after his Vikings lost in the NFC championship game.

“I was beating myself up, and then I realized that really wasn’t the right route to go,” Peterson said. “I’m here, and I’m going to enjoy myself.”

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Ravens Vs Steelers NFL Week 16 Betting Picks Sunday Football

Ramesh — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:27:45 +0000

Baltimore Ravens Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers , NFL Week 16 Football Match Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 27th, 1 PM. More at Live Sports Nation – Watch Live NFL Match

The defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive for this season with a last-second victory over Green Bay last Sunday. Now they’ll try to use whatever momentum they gained from that victory to make a late-season push toward the playoffs when they host the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC North Division clash Sunday afternoon at the Big Ketchup Bottle.

The Ravens started 3-0 this season, then lost three straight by a total of 11 points to the Patriots, Bengals and Vikings, all of whom seem headed to the playoffs. Baltimore then alternated wins and losses for six weeks, but has won two in a row after pounding Chicago last week 31-7.

So the Black Birds, at 8-6, sit a game back of first-place Cincy in the AFC North, although the Bengals hold the tie-breaker over Baltimore, having swept the season series. More importantly, the Ravens also own the five seed in the AFC playoff standings, a game ahead of six teams, including Pittsburgh, who all sit at 7-7.

The Steelers began their defense of their league championship by losing two of their first three games, then won five straight to get to 6-2. Pittsburgh then proceeded to lose five in a row, two in overtime and all by a touchdown or less. But last week the Steelers got a Ben Roethlisberger TD pass on the last play of the game to beat Green Bay 37-36 and get back to .500 on the season.

More at Live Sports Nation – Watch Live NFL Match

So Pittsburgh is wedged in a six-way tie with the Dolphins, Jets, Jaguars, Titans and Texans, all one game behind Baltimore and Denver in the AFC wild-card race.

Baltimore QB Joe Flacco, in his sophomore season as a pro, has completed 64% of his passes for 7.4 YPA, with 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and an 89.9 passing rating.

His counterpart Sunday, Big Ben, has had a lot put on his shoulders this season, and has done well under that pressure. So far this season Ben has hit on 67% of his throws for 8.6 YPA, which ranks behind only San Diego’s Rivers and New Orleans’ Brees, with a 22/11 TD/INT ratio and a 100.6 rating.

On the season Baltimore is outgaining opponents on average by a 355-300 YPG margin, and outrushing foes 128-100.

The Steelers, meanwhile, are outgaining opponents 375-304 and outrushing them 110-83.

Last year Pittsburgh beat the Ravens three times, twice in the regular season by scores of 23-20 and 13-9, and in the AFC championship game 23-14. But in the first meeting between these two division rivals this season a month ago in Baltimore, the Ravens beat the Roethlisberger-less Steelers 20-17 in overtime.

More at Live Sports Nation – Watch Live NFL Match

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Steelers Vs. Browns – Thursday Night Football Matchup

Pavan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:04:46 +0000

Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers insisted they weren’t panicking about their sinking playoff chances after a three-game losing streak. A fourth straight loss, however, seems to have the Super Bowl champions contemplating wholesale changes.

With their chances of defending that title fading with each defeat, the Steelers hit the road Thursday night looking to halt their midseason swoon with a 13th consecutive victory over the feeble Cleveland Browns.

Pittsburgh (6-6) started the season 1-2, but then ran off five consecutive wins to put itself in position to challenge emerging Cincinnati in the AFC North.

An 18-12 Bengals victory at Heinz Field on Nov. 15, however, gave Cincinnati a one-game lead and a season sweep of the Steelers. Three subsequent losses by three points apiece have now left Pittsburgh’s wild-card hopes in doubt.

The Steelers’ once-vaunted defense has blown fourth-quarter leads in all three, with its worst collapse Sunday against Oakland. Pittsburgh coughed up three separate leads in the final 8:21, allowing the Raiders’ 31st-ranked offense to score 21 points and leave Heinz Field with a 27-24 win.

“I can’t even describe how frustrating it is right now to be 6-6,” linebacker James Farrior said. “We thought we’d be doing a lot better at this point. But we are what our record says we are.”

That record currently has the Steelers on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, but ground can certainly be made up in the muddled AFC wild-card picture the final four weeks. Denver (8-4) and Jacksonville (7-5) are the two current leaders, with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Miami and the New York Jets all 6-6.

The Steelers own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Broncos and face the Ravens and Dolphins to close the season.

Tomlin, however, is far more concerned with the franchise avoiding its first five-game slide since Sept. 28-Nov. 2, 2003. A week after saying his team “doesn’t blink in the face of adversity” and would “unleash hell in December,” Tomlin admitted Monday that personnel moves are on the way.

“We can’t stay status quo in terms of how we’re approaching this and expect the pattern of behavior or outcome to change,” Tomlin said. “That’s unrealistic. That’s hoping. This is not a hope business.”

One of those likely moves certainly won’t be by choice. Receiver Hines Ward, who has six touchdowns in his last eight games against Cleveland, likely won’t play after suffering a hamstring injury late in the loss to Oakland. Rookie Mike Wallace, who has five catches during the losing streak after having 25 in his first seven games, will get the start if Ward can’t go.

The other noticeable changes will come in the secondary. All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu (knee) will likely miss his fourth straight game — he left early in the November loss to Cincinnati — and struggling cornerback William Gay might not play after suffering a concussion against the Raiders.

Meanwhile, Tomlin suggested veteran corner Ike Taylor, who was beaten for a 75-yard touchdown Sunday, could be benched, with rookies Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis seeing more playing time in the secondary. Polamalu, who’s played in three full games, has three interceptions, but no Pittsburgh cornerback has a pick.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” Tomlin said. “I think we’re capable of playing winning football with or without Troy. Are we different? Yes, because Troy’s a unique individual. Maybe the ceiling is different but the floor, the level of expectation, is the same.”

Ben Roethlisberger, who missed the team’s Nov. 29 loss at Baltimore with a concussion, had a quarterback rating over 100.0 for his second straight game despite Sunday’s loss, and the Ohio native was outstanding against the Browns (1-11) earlier this season. Roethlisberger was 23 of 35 for 417 yards and two touchdowns on Oct. 18 in Pittsburgh’s 27-14 win, its 12th straight against Cleveland.

San Diego’s 13-game winning streak over Oakland is the active record for most consecutive wins over one opponent.

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NFL Week 13 : Packers Vs. Ravens Preview

Venu — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:45:45 +0000

The 7-4 Green Bay Packers host the 6-5 Baltimore Ravens Monday night, and both teams’ seasons may already on the line.

There is no doubt this is true for the Ravens—mark my words: there will not be a 9-7 team to make it in either conference. Losing this would mean the team must win every game the rest of the way, and they still have to play at Pittsburgh, a team they needed overtime to beat at home despite Ben Roethlisberger not playing.

The Packers could lose this one and still have a one-game margin of error. However, with a loss the green and gold would fall out of the playoff picture as of now, and have two tough road games to follow: a division game against a desperate Bears team and then one against the desperate Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

What’s more, they finish the season against the Arizona Cardinals, who may be playing for the second seed based on tonight’s thrashing of the Vikings.

Let me put it bluntly: I believe there are two losses in those three games. (We should beat the Seahawks at Lambeau since they only beat the Niners because of three or four bad calls.

Packers Passing Attack vs. Ravens Pass Defense: Advantage, Packers

The Packers are the sixth-ranked passing attack in the league, averaging 262.8 yards per contest, and rank eighth in yards per play. The Ravens are the 12th-ranked pass defense, yielding 211.3, and rank 19th in yards per play.

Green Bay’s stats are inflated by some weak pass defenses—two games against the Lions and one against Cleveland—but the Packers have spent much of five games running out the clock with the game well in hand in the fourth quarter. The Ravens have played three bad passing attacks—the Chiefs and the Browns twice—and have had to face more passing in just three games that were won by two scores.

Packers Rushing Attack vs. Ravens Rush Defense: Big Advantage, Ravens

The Packers average 119.2 yards per game, good enough to rank 13th in both total yards and yards per play. The Ravens give up 97.6 yards per game, good enough for sixth in the league; however, no team gives up fewer yards per play.

While Green Bay has played some tough run defenses (Minnesota twice, San Francisco, and Dallas), the Ravens have played the Bengals, a top rushing offense, twice. Green Bay’s numbers are inflated by needing to grind out five games, while the Ravens have never been blown out where they might face teams doing the same.

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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs NFL Betting Picks

Abu — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:41:49 +0000

Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Kansas City Chiefs: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City 1:00 PM EST Sunday November 22, 2009.

The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their high-flying offense hit a big stumbling block in their latest game, but have reason to believe it will bounce back at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pittsburgh tries to get its offense recharged Sunday by taking advantage of the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, who look to win consecutive games for the first time in more than two years.

The Steelers (6-3) had the NFL’s fifth-ranked offense (403.7 yards per game) through six weeks, with Ben Roethlisberger’s passing attack averaging 315.5 yards — second behind Indianapolis. The next two weeks saw Pittsburgh’s rushing game take over, averaging 140.0 yards behind the emerging Rashard Mendenhall in wins over Minnesota and Denver.

But neither the ground attack nor Roethlisberger could get untracked last Sunday, when the Steelers failed to score a touchdown in an 18-12 home loss to Cincinnati. They were limited to a season-low 226 total yards and held under 27 points for the first time since Week 3, giving the Bengals a one-game lead in the NFC North and a season sweep of the Super Bowl champions.

“There was just something missing all day, I don’t know what it was,” said Roethlisberger, who was 20 of 40 for 174 yards and an interception. “We weren’t good in the red zone, we weren’t good in the run, we weren’t good in the pass. … It hurts. But how can we rebound now?”

Visiting Kansas City (2-7) could be a good way to do it. The Chiefs have allowed averages of 443.3 yards and 30.0 points in losing their last three at Arrowhead, and they are 0-4 at home for the first time since opening 0-6 in 1976.

They’ve given up an average of 152.3 rushing yards in the last six games overall, and that bodes well for Mendenhall after he was held to 36 yards on 13 carries last week.

However, perhaps the Steelers’ two biggest problems against Cincinnati had nothing to do with their lackluster offense.

Troy Polamalu left with an injury to his left knee in his fourth game back after previously missing four games with an MCL sprain in that knee. While this injury wasn’t initially considered as serious, the All-Pro safety has been limping this week and is all but certain to be out Sunday.

The Steelers also need to shore up their special teams, which allowed a kick return for a touchdown for the third time in four games. It was the seventh straight they allowed a TD via defense or special teams.

Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed a league-low 11 touchdowns, but a season after having the league’s best kickoff coverage unit (19.1 yards per return), it’s 29th (25.9 ypr) in 2009.

“They’re all head-scratchers. … It’s detail, it’s about shedding blocks and making tackles and being schematically sound,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’re in the process of looking at all elements of that unit.”

No team has allowed four kickoff returns for TDs in a season since the 1998 Vikings. The Chiefs haven’t had one since Dante Hall did it in 2005.

Kansas City was happy to get any sort of touchdown in Oakland last Sunday. Jamaal Charles had a 44-yard TD — the Chiefs’ first on the ground this season — in a 16-10 victory, less than a week after Larry Johnson was released.

“We talked about that before the game, that one of the running backs had to go and make something happen,” said Charles, who rushed for 103 yards. “It turned out to be me, and I’m blessed to be in that position.”

Kansas City hasn’t won back-to-back games since Oct. 14-21, 2007.

The positive feelings from the win in Oakland were dimmed Tuesday, when leading receiver Dwayne Bowe was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing substances. Bowe, who had 466 yards and four touchdowns, took a diuretic for weight loss, according to his agent.

“It’s no different than injuries,” coach Todd Haley said. “When somebody goes down, somebody has to step up and that’s all part of the process of us becoming a good team.”

Haley has ties to Pittsburgh — he was a ball boy for the Steelers when his father, Dick, was their director of player personnel and the architect of four Super Bowl winners in the 1970s.

He also was Arizona’s offensive coordinator last season, when the Cardinals scored 16 fourth-quarter points before Pittsburgh rallied to win its sixth championship, 27-23.

“I know the Super Bowl was a surreal experience, having to play of all the teams, the Steelers,” Haley said. “Now we get to play them again and I’m just looking forward to the challenge.”

The Chiefs and Steelers haven’t met in Kansas City since 2003. Roethlisberger was 16 of 19 for 238 yards and two TDs in a 45-7 win in Pittsburgh in 2006.

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NFL Week 10 Betting Odds & Picks

Ramesh — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:24:55 +0000

Week 10 in the NFL is highlighted by a huge matchup in the AFC North, an old school NFC rivalry and a matchup of great quarterbacks on Sunday Night Football.

NFL Week 10 Betting Tips

The game of the week is in Indianapolis, as the undefeated Colts host the 6-2 New England Patriots at 8:20PM ET. Tom Brady has been on fire recently and will look to trade blows with Peyton Manning and the seemingly unstoppable Indianapolis’ passing attack. Oddsmakers from online sports book Sports Interaction have made the Colts 3-point favorites over the Patriots in Week 10.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to avenge a tough road loss in Cincinnati a couple weeks ago when they host the Bengals at 1:00PM ET. It’s a huge matchup in the AFC North and one that could determine which team is crowned division champion. Oddsmakers have yet to release odds for this game.

The struggling Green Bay Packers will look to get back on the right track when they host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. The Packers had already lost twice to the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings when the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated them in Week 9. Now, with their backs firmly pressed against the wall, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers take on a Cowboys team that has been playing very well of late.

Check out Full NFL Week 10 Betting Odds & Start NFL Betting Week 10

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Bengals Vs. Steelers Week 10 Watch out NFL Betting Tips

Rubell — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:29:40 +0000

The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in what has become the most important game of the year in the AFC North.

Both the Bengals and Steelers are 6 and 2 on the season, two games head of Baltimore and five games ahead of the Cleveland Browns. The winner of the Bengals vs. Steelers game this coming Sunday is going to be the favorite to win the AFC North title. The other team will be one of he favorites to get an AFC Wildcard.

Both teams look good going into this key matchup.

The Bengals thwarted one of the best offenses in the NFL in the Baltimore Ravens last week, holding QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens to only 7 points in a 17 to 7 victory.

The Steelers looked really impressive on Monday night, traveling to the Mile High City and handing the Denver Broncos their second loss of the season, 21 to 10.

The interesting thing about this matchup is that the Steelers are the offensive passing powerhouse, averaging over 266 yards per game through the air, while the Bengals are the running team averaging 130 yards per game on the ground.

Expect Pitt to end up as a 3 ½ to 4 ½ point favorite in this game.

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College Basketball Future Odds

Rubell — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:29:00 +0000

The eyes of the betting world are focused on Tampa Bay as Super Bowl XLIII is a week away from kick off; the Pittsburgh Steelers are listed as 7-point faves with the Total set at 47.

But while bettors gear up for one of the biggest betting events of the year; this is a great time to also start looking ahead to another big event, March Madness.

As it stands, the usual suspects are getting money on college hoops futures. Talking to online sports book with, they are seeing significant action on North Carolina, the big favorite. UCLA is also getting attention form the betting public, as this Top 5 ranked team appears to have favorable odds with some value right now.

If you take a look at the Associated Press’ preseason Top 5 you would see the aforementioned North Carolina Tar Heels in top spot followed by the U of Connecticut Huskies, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins and Pittsburgh Panthers.

Taking a look at the rankings today, and the picture looks a bit different.

1) Wake Forest Demon Deacons +1000

Ranked 21st in the AP’s preseason poll, Wake Forest sure has come a long way.

The Demon Deacons went 16 games without a loss before bowing to the Virginia Tech Hokies as a 13.5-point fave in a 78-71 loss earlier in the week and on top of being 16-1 SU are 8-5 ATS.

With the rest of its schedule conference game-heavy, Wake Forest will be hoping to add more wins to its 3-1 conference record.

2) Duke Blue Devils +700

It’s no surprise that the boys from Durham are the second best team according to the Associated Press; after all, they are consistently amongst the best teams in the nation.

The Blue Devils are a game better than ACC rival Wake Forest with a 17-1 record SU; when it comes to ATS numbers, Duke is 9-7-1 and has yet to lose a game SU to any of its conference rivals, currently at 4-0.

On top of a good record straight up, Duke has also been a fairly reliable play on the under going low in 12 out of 17 of its contests where there was a posted Total.

3) UConn Huskies +600

Like Duke, Connecticut is also among the top teams in college basketball.
While UConn has been an extremely profitable Money line team, with a 17-1 record, the Huskies have been mortal against the spread at 7-7.

Furthermore, the team is 4-5 ATS at home and 5-7 ATS when favored, the team is 6-1 SU within the Big East conference though.

UConn Huskies games tend to go Under the Total as nine of their last 13 have been on the low side.

4) Pittsburgh Panthers +800

While Steel Town’s focus is solely on its NFL team, that shouldn’t take away from the Panthers’ accomplishments.

Ranked No. 1 a mere week ago, Pitt dropped out of top spot thanks to a 69-63 loss to the Louisville Cardinals; the game was listed as a pick’em.

Sitting at 17-1 SU and 8-5 SU, the Panthers have been a solid home team with a 14-0 record SU and a 6-3 record ATS.

Pittsburgh is 5-1 within the Big East conference.

5) North Carolina Tar Heels +225

As funny as it seems, the team ranked lowest in the Top 5 is the team with most of the betting action on them. Of all the NCAA Basketball future odds money wagered, 19% is on the Tar Heels.

UNC has been solid in Money line betting sitting at 17-2 but like UConn, the Tar Heels are less than reliable when it comes to ATS numbers.

The boys from Chapel Hill are only 9-9 ATS, 5-6 ATS at home and 7-9 ATS as a favorite; they are slightly profitable against the spread away from home at 4-3.

Against fellow teams from the ACC, North Carolina is only 3-2 thus far.

Out of the 18 games where there was a listed Total, North Carolina went Over 10 times.

After the Super Bowl, the focus of many bettors will switch to college hoops so why not get the early jump? After all the early bird gets the worm as they say.

Have a good weekend.

Watch & check out sports betting for latest online betting events.

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