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07/21/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - They are literally the first line of defense, the one group of players that controls the tempo of the game more than any other. They can completely negate skilled offensive performers with their tenacious play up the field, and the NFL simply can't get enough of them.
Below are the top FBS defensive linemen heading into the 2010 season.
DEFENSIVE ENDS
ADRIAN CLAYBORN, IOWA
The top collegiate defensive end plays for the Hawkeyes. The 6-4, 285-pound Clayborn is an every-down dominant force up front. He showed flashes of potential in his first two seasons at Iowa but really burst on the scene as a junior in 2009, racking up 70 total tackles, with an outstanding 20 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks, earning some All-American honors, as well as being tabbed an All-Big Ten First-Team honoree. The Hawkeyes aren't the team to beat in the Big Ten this season, but Clayborn should continue to excel and be a disruptive force for the Hawkeyes week-in and week-out.
ROBERT QUINN, NORTH CAROLINA
This Tar Heel has overcome adversity to become one of the nation's premiere ends. The 6-5, 270-pounder recovered from brain surgery as a high school senior and has really developed in a short period of time. As a sophomore in 2009, Quinn was a First-Team All-ACC selection, while picking up some All-American accolades as well, finishing the year with 52 total tackles, 19 TFLs and 11 sacks. The Tar Heels are under fire right now regarding potential NCAA violations, and while the team may not vie for an ACC crown in 2010, it won't be because of the play along the defensive line.
JEREMY BEAL, OKLAHOMA
It may have been a down year for the Sooners in 2009, but that wasn't because of a lack of effort from the 6-3, 267-pound Beal. This Oklahoma end racked up an impressive 70 total tackles, with 19 TFLs and 11 sacks, picking up First- Team All-Big 12 honors and Third-Team All-American status. His junior campaign was a nice follow-up to his sophomore season (15.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks), as he continues to reach his potential. The Sooners will be back in the thick of the Big 12 race in 2010 and Beal will be a centerpiece on the defensive side of things.
GREG ROMEUS, PITTSBURGH
The 2009 Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year, the 6-6, 270-pound Romeus amassed 43 tackles, with 11.5 TFLs and eight sacks. He will vie for All- American honors in 2010 and consideration for most defensive awards when all is said and done. The Panthers should take another step towards the Big East crown this year, and balanced play on both sides of the football could be the difference. Romeus is an every-down end, who must be accounted for by offensive coordinators.
SAM ACHO, TEXAS
Sergio Kindle has moved on to the NFL, leaving Acho as the premiere down- lineman in Austin. A veteran end, Acho has played in 38 career games, with 14 starts. As a junior in 2009, the 6-3, 260-pounder finished with 63 total tackles, 14 TFLs, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. He will once again be a key contributor along the Longhorn defensive front in 2010. Texas will be among the top teams in the country, and Acho very well may take the next step in his maturation as a dominant and disruptive force.
OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Marcel Dareus (Alabama), Cameron Heyward (Ohio State), Frank Alexander (Oklahoma), Cliff Matthews (South Carolina), Jonathan Freeny (Rutgers), Pernell McPhee (Mississippi State).
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
MARVIN AUSTIN, NORTH CAROLINA
This Tar Heel is currently embroiled in an NCAA investigation, but that won't keep him off my list as the top interior lineman in the game. Larger than life both on and off the field, the 6-3, 310-pounder is as good as it gets. He was a Second-Team All-ACC selection as a junior in 2009, as the outgoing Austin finished with 42 total tackles, six TFLs and two sacks. A space-eater in the middle, it remains to be seen if he will showcase his talents on the field in 2010, as the NCAA may hand down a lengthy suspension that could result in his career in Chapel Hill coming to a close.
ALLEN BAILEY, MIAMI-FLORIDA
A chiseled 290-pounder, Bailey has the ability to play both inside and out at the next level. An All-ACC First-Team selection as a junior in 2009, he led the Hurricanes in both TFLs (11) and sacks (7.0). Miami will take another step toward regaining its swagger on a national scale in 2010, and Bailey really has a chance to emerge as a difference-maker along the defensive front, vying for All-American honors in the process.
JERRELL POWE, OLE MISS
A mammoth interior lineman at 6-2, 320 pounds, Powe is a prototypical nose guard. He saw action in 13 games for Ole Miss last season with 10 starts, recording 34 tackles (25 solo), with 12.0 TFLs. He is very strong at the point of attack and has the ability to handle double-teams, freeing up his teammates to make the play. The Rebels won't win the SEC any time soon, but few teams will find it easy to run up the middle on Ole Miss in 2010.
JARVIS JENKINS, CLEMSON
Jenkins has played in the shadow of some really good defensive linemen at Clemson over the course of his career, but is ready to make a name for himself in 2010. The 6-4, 310-pound Jenkins earned second-team All-American honors as a sophomore in 2008 and followed that up with a solid junior campaign in 2009, ranking fifth on the team with 69 total tackles, 11 TFLs and one sack. He will be the centerpiece of the Clemson defensive front this season and should be a productive player on a weekly basis.
JARED CRICK, NEBRASKA
Though perhaps best known for playing next to Ndamukong Suh, Crick carved out his own little niche in 2009, earning All-Big 12 honors, after the 6-6, 285- pounder racked up 73 total tackles, 15 TFLs and 9.5 sacks. Without the luxury of Suh taking on double-teams, Crick will now be forced to prove he is not a product of his environment. Still, it wasn't Suh alone that put Nebraska among the national leaders in scoring defense (first), pass efficiency defense (first) and sacks (second) in 2009. This is Nebraska's last season in the Big 12 and although the team is probably not ready to win the league title, Crick will do everything in his power to keep the Cornhuskers relevant each week.
OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Stephen Paea (Oregon State), Jurrell Casey (USC), Adrian Taylor (Oklahoma), Cameron Jordan (California), Lawrence Marsh (Florida).
<< Hemphill returns to Delaware coaching staff
Newark, DE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former University of Delaware football graduate
assistant Lyle Hemphill has returned to the staff as its new cornerbacks
coach, head coach K.C. Keeler announced today.
Hemphill, a Delaware native, served on the
<< Orioles reinstate Gonzalez from DL in roster shuffle
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles announced a series of
moves Wednesday, including the reinstatement of reliever Mike Gonzalez from
the 60-day disabled list.
Gonzalez was placed on the disabled list in April wit
<< Nats turn to Strasburg in hopes of stopping slide versus Reds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Who knows what sort of goodies Nationals phenom Stephen
Strasburg received yesterday for his 22nd birthday. The rookie will try to
give Washington a gift this evening, when he attempts to end his club's four-
game skid in the
<< Rockies seek to build off rout of Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Francis showed last night that he still belongs in
Colorado's rotation. That hasn't been an issue for Jason Hammel for most of
this season.
Coming off his first loss in nearly two months, Hammel will try to pitch the
Bacsinszky moves into quarters in Austria >>
Bad Gastein, Austria (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Timea Bacsinszky
recorded a comeback win Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals at the Gastein
Ladies tennis tournament.
The Swiss Bacsinszky dropped the first set to qualifier
Cech sidelined for one month with calf injury >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea confirmed on Wednesday that
goalkeeper Petr Cech will miss the next month because of a calf injury that he
sustained in training on Tuesday.
"Scans have shown Petr Cech has torn a calf mu
Eduardo signs for Shakhtar Donetsk >>
Kiev, Ukraine (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Croatian striker Eduardo signed a four-year
contract on Wednesday with Shakhtar Donetsk, bringing to an end his time at
Arsenal.
The move is believed to have cost Shakhtar a reported $9 million, and it
Boston's Buchholz returns to rotation >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz returns to
the rotation Wednesday, as he has been activated from the 15-day disabled list
to start against the Oakland Athletics.
Buchholz landed on the disabled list in l
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.
Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.
Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.
A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.
Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.
Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.
And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.
2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win
Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1
Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1
Donald Brown (IND) 5/1
Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1
Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1
Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1
Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1
Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1
Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1
Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1
Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1
Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1
Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1
Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1
Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1
Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1
Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1
LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2
Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1
Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1
Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1
Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1
Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1
Jason Smith (STL) 40/1
Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1
Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1
Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1
Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2
Pat White (MIA) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 9/1
To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.
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