New York Giants 2007 Draft Preview
Football Betting Lines
04/04/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Giants have two gaping holes to fill. One is at left tackle, where Luke Petitgout was released (and subsequently became a Buccaneer), and Bob Whitfield retired. Trouble is, the only two tackles with bona fide first-round talent are Joe Thomas (Wisconsin) and Levi Brown (Penn State), both of whom will likely go in the Top 10. Unless the G-Men trade up, drafting an LT will be a reach. It looks a lot like left guard David Diehl will be moving over to protect Eli Manning in 2007. The other problem is in the backfield, where the Giants have no one to replace Tiki Barber's production in the receiving game. Barber averaged 64 catches a year over the final eight seasons of his career, while probable 2007 starter Brandon Jacobs has a grand total of 11 receptions in two NFL seasons, and recent acquisition Reuben Droughns is not known for his pass-catching skills. Other areas that should concern Giants fans are wideout, where the team lacks depth; linebacker, where Antonio Pierce is the only player that has been even remotely consistent over the past two years; and the secondary, where the team has had problems in coverage.
2006 Record: 8-8
First Pick: No. 20
Number of Selections: 8 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7)
RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2006 - Mathias Kiwanuka (DE, Boston College); 2005 - none; 2004 - Eli Manning (QB, Ole Miss)*; 2003 - William Joseph (DT, Miami); 2002 - Jeremy Shockey (TE, Miami); 2001 - Will Allen (CB, Syracuse); 2000 - Ron Dayne (RB, Wisconsin); 1999 - Luke Petitgout (OT, Notre Dame); 1998 - Shaun Williams (S, UCLA); 1997 - Ike Hilliard (WR, Florida); 1996 - Cedric Jones (DE, Oklahoma); 1995 - Tyrone Wheatley (RB, Michigan); 1994 - Thomas Lewis (WR, Indiana); 1993 - none; 1992 - Derek Brown (TE, Notre Dame); 1991 - Jarrod Bunch (RB, Michigan); 1990 - Rodney Hampton (RB, Georgia).
*Originally drafted by San Diego, then traded to Giants on draft day in exchange for New York first-round pick Philip Rivers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Young Matt Cain officially takes hold of the No. 2 starting slot in the San Francisco Giants rotation tonight when they host the San Diego Padres in game two of their three-game curtain-raising series at AT&T Park. Cain,
<< Detroit Lions 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For all the speculation about the Lions taking Brady Quinn,
Calvin Johnson, or trading down for multiple picks, it would still fly in the
face of the logic if GM Matt Millen does anything other than draft Wisconsin
left tackl
<< Washington Redskins 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington places little to no value on the draft, as
evidenced by the fact that it has one pick among the first 142 and has an NFL-
low five selections overall. Which isn't to say that the Redskins are without
needs, particu
<< Pettitte's return to the Bronx rained out
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Pettitte's much anticipated return to the
Bronx will have to wait as Wednesday's game between the New York Yankees and
Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium has been postponed due to rain.
No makeup da
<< New Orleans Saints 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Saints defense was held together with duct tape last
season, and the New Orleans brass wasn't delusional enough to believe the team
could get by under similar circumstances in 2007. Head coach Sean Payton has
spoken publi
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Burnett hopes to put an injury-plagued 2006 behind him this afternoon when the Toronto Blue Jays play the middle contest of their season-opening three-game set against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. After signi
Wizards, Bobcats close out home-and-home set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards are caught in a funk and will try to
right the ship tonight versus the Charlotte Bobcats in the back end of a home-
and-home series at the Verizon Center.
Washington dropped a 122-102 decision on
White Sox aim to rebound against Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Garland hopes to give Chicago a better effort than
Jose Contreras did on Opening Day when the White Sox play the middle contest
of their three-game season-opening series with the Cleveland Indians at U.S.
Cellular Field.
Magic host Raptors at Amway Arena >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic try to keep their playoff hopes
moving in the right direction this evening, as they resume a four-game
homestand versus the Toronto Raptors at Amway Arena.
Orlando currently owns the
Hawks swoop into New Jersey >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets close out a brief two-game homestand
when they welcome the Atlanta Hawks this evening to Continental Airlines
Arena.
New Jersey has won three of its last four games, including Saturday's 86-
Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
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Betting the NFL preseason
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
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