Burris leads Stampeders over Winnipeg

Football Betting Lines

08/01/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Henry Burris threw for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Calgary Stampeders held on to defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 23-20, at McMahon Stadium

Burris converted 28-of-38 pass attempts and added 55 rushing yards for Calgary (4-1), which won its second game in a row to remain in a tie with Saskatchewan for the top spot in the Western Conference. Nik Lewis hauled in 10 balls for 160 yards, while Ken-Yon Rambo made six catches for 86 yards and a score in his first game back since suffering a torn knee ligament against the B.C. Lions last July.

Steven Jyles, starting his second consecutive game in place of the injured Buck Pierce, threw for 227 yards and a score on 17-of-30 tosses, as Winnipeg (2-3) suffered its third loss in the past four games. Terrence Edwards grabbed six passes for 162 yards and a score in the defeat, while Fred Reid rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

It didn't take long for Rambo to make his impact felt, as he hauled in a 20- yard touchdown pass from Burris to give Calgary the lead after one quarter of play. The catch, which came after a holding penalty that made it second-and- goal from the 20-yard line, capped a five-play, 74-yard drive.

Calgary added to its lead early in the second quarter when Rob Maver connected on a 45-yard field goal.

A response from Winnipeg came midway through the second quarter, with Reid breaking off a 46-yard touchdown run. A 66-yard punt by Winnipeg's Alexis Serna then resulted in a single to make it a 10-8 game.

The Stamps answered on the ensuing drive, as Burris connected with Deon Murphy from four yards out for a touchdown with 32 seconds left in the half. The drive took less then two minutes and spanned 75 yards on eight plays.

After Winnipeg forced and recovered a Burris fumble to stall a promising Calgary drive midway through the third quarter, the Bombers moved into scoring position courtesy of a 45-yard pass interference call. The Bombers would settle for a 33-yard field goal by Serna, and they now trailed just 17-11 heading into the fourth quarter.

Calgary wasted little time extending its lead early in the final frame, as Maver snuck in a 37-yard field goal just minutes into the period.

The Bombers though, responded less then two minutes later when Jyles hit a wide open Terrence Edwards on a 61-yard touchdown pass.

With 3:22 remaining, Maver knocked through a 45-yard field goal to give Calgary a little cushion at 23-18.

Following a quick two-and-out, Winnipeg's defense came up with a big stand and forced Calgary into a punt.

The Bombers, who had the ball at their own 24-yard line with 1:40 remaining, moved right down to the Calgary 30-yard line courtesy of a 43-yard pass from Jyles to Edwards.

Winnipeg, however, was unable to convert on any of the next three downs, twice going for it all with passes to the end zone. Brock Ralph had a shot at the first toss to the end zone, but the pass went off his shoulder, and Jyles overthrew Edwards on the third down.

Calgary then took a safety while running out the final seven seconds of the game.

Game Notes Rambo's touchdown was his first since October 18th, 2008..Burris has thrown for over 300 yards in four of the last five meetings against Winnipeg...The Stamps are now unbeaten in their last nine contests at home, going 8-0-1 in that span...Calgary has now won three of the last four meetings in the series...The Bombers remain winless in Calgary since 2002...These teams are set to finish off the 2010 regular season against each other in Winnipeg, their only other scheduled meeting of the campaign.

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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.

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