Browns experience offensive explosion against Bengals

Football Betting Lines

09/18/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Brady Quinn era might have to wait a little longer in Cleveland.

After a disappointing opening-week loss to Pittsburgh, the Browns capped a strange week with an unbelievable 51-45 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Following their 34-7 loss to the Steelers, the Browns became the first team since the AFL/NFL merger to trade their season-opening quarterback before Week 2, when they shipped Charlie Frye to Seattle for a sixth-round draft pick.

Derek Anderson was named the starter and Quinn, one of Cleveland's two 2007 first-round picks, was elevated to the backup. With Quinn expected to lead the Browns' offense at some point this season, all Anderson did on Sunday was throw for 328 yards and tie a franchise record with five touchdowns.

"We knew that the capabilities were there," said Browns head coach Romeo Crennel of Anderson on Monday. "So it just came to the front on (Sunday)."

Offseason acquisition Jamal Lewis also played a huge role, compiling 215 yards on the ground, including a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. It was Lewis' best game since he rushed for an NFL single-game record of 295 yards against Cleveland on September 14, 2003 as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Besides opening up holes for Lewis, Cleveland's offensive line, one week after giving up six sacks, didn't allow a single Cincinnati defender to get to Anderson.

Despite compiling 554 yards and the most points since Cleveland returned to the league in 1999, the game was still in jeopardy late in the fourth quarter as Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer led his team into Browns' territory. However, with 20 seconds remaining, cornerback Leigh Bodden made a diving interception near Cleveland's sideline and managed to stay inbounds at the 27- yard line, giving Crennel just his second win against an AFC North opponent (2-12).

Surprisingly, this wasn't the highest scoring game between Cleveland and Cincinnati. On November 28, 2004, Rudi Johnson rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns as the Bengals defeated the Browns, 58-48.

DYNAMIC DUO

Anderson made good use of two of Cleveland's up-and-coming offensive threats: wide receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow.

Edwards, a third-year pro out of Michigan, caught eight passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Taken with the third overall pick in the 2005 draft, Edwards is coming off a 2006 season in which he had 61 receptions for 884 yards and six touchdowns.

Winslow, meanwhile, had six catches for 100 yards on Sunday, including a 25- yard touchdown right before halftime that gave Cleveland a 27-21 lead at the break.

Winslow, the sixth overall selection in the 2004 draft, was healthy for the first time last year. The Miami-Florida product, who played in just two games his rookie season after breaking his right leg and missed the entire 2005 season after tearing his ACL in an off-season motorcycle accident, caught 89 passes for 875 yards and three touchdowns in 2006.

DEFENSELESS DEFENSE

Sunday's thrilling victory over Cincinnati hid the fact that Cleveland's defense is still a work in progress.

The Browns have now given up 79 points through the first two games this season, including 896 total yards and 10 touchdown passes. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger established a career-high with four touchdowns, while Palmer set a Bengals' franchise record with six touchdowns.

"We struggled a little bit defensively," said Crennel. "We knew it was going to be a challenge going in. (The Bengals) offense is a high-powered offense. They got receivers, they got a runner, they got a quarterback. We knew it was going to be tough."

Regardless of who is under center for Cleveland, the Browns will struggle this season if they can't defend the pass.

UP NEXT

The Browns will hit the road for the first time next week when they travel to Oakland to square off with the Raiders.

One of Cleveland's four wins last year came against Oakland on October 1. The now-departed Frye threw for three touchdowns in that game as the Browns won 24-21.

Crennel is 2-0 against the Raiders, and the Browns have won six of their last seven games against Oakland.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.