11/21/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indianapolis Colts' season was at a crossroads just a few short weeks ago, until a resurgence led by their legendary quarterback put the annual postseason participants back in the playoff mix. The San Diego Chargers are now faced with a similar juncture at this point of their 2008 campaign.
With their backs squarely against the wall, the Chargers return to Qualcomm Stadium this Sunday for a pivotal showdown with a red-hot Colts team that has its sights set on a fourth consecutive win.
Save for a couple of home victories over AFC East contenders New England and the New York Jets, San Diego has hardly resembled the powerhouse which shattered the Colts' Super Bowl dreams with a 28-24 triumph in Indianapolis during last season's conference Divisional Playoffs. The talented Chargers have floundered their way to an inexplicable 4-6 record thus far and come in having lost three of their last four games, with the lone win over that rough patch a one-point verdict at home over doormat Kansas City.
Despite its season-long underachievement, San Diego still stands a reasonable chance of capturing a third straight AFC West title if it can find itself down the stretch. The Chargers currently sit two games off Denver's lead atop the division and have four of their six remaining regular-season tilts at Qualcomm Stadium, including a matchup with the Broncos in the December 28 finale.
San Diego will begin a sequence of three home games in a row on Sunday and is 3-1 as the host this season, with a two-point setback to NFC South leader Carolina in the season opener the club's only blemish.
While the Chargers are reeling entering this critical clash, Indianapolis is flying high with three wins in a row. The surge has placed the 6-4 Colts on solid footing in regards to a Wild Card berth in the AFC, which would extend their string of playoff appearances under head coach Tony Dungy to seven.
Indianapolis' recent run has coincided with a return to form from quarterback Peyton Manning, with the two-time NFL MVP overcoming some early-season struggles to put together three outstanding games. Over the course of the Colts' winning streak, the perennial Pro Bowl participant has thrown for 814 yards and seven touchdowns and has not been intercepted.
Manning was again the x-factor in Indy's latest victory, a hard-fought 33-27 decision over visiting Houston last Sunday in which the star triggerman amassed a season-high 320 passing yards and delivered a pair of second-half scoring strikes.
The Chargers will be attempting to regroup from a painful, narrow loss at AFC North front-runner Pittsburgh this past weekend. Steelers kicker Jeff Reed extended San Diego's woes with a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to play that lifted his team to an 11-10 win.
SERIES HISTORY
The Chargers hold a 14-8 advantage in the all-time regular season series with the Colts, including a 23-21 home win when the teams met in Week 10 of last season. Indianapolis is 0-2 in regular season games against San Diego since defeating them, 34-31 in overtime, in 2004. The Colts last won in San Diego in 1999.
In addition to the regular season series, the teams have split a pair of postseason games. The Colts claimed a 35-20 win in a 1995 AFC First-Round Playoff, and the Chargers returned the favor with a 28-24 win in an AFC Divisional Playoff, also the final game in the history of the RCA Dome.
Dungy is 2-2 all-time against San Diego, including a win for his Buccaneers in the 1996 season. The Chargers' Norv Turner is 3-3 all-time against Indianapolis, including 1-2 while head coach in Washington (1994-2000). Turner is 2-2 head-to-head against Dungy, including a loss for his Raiders to Indy in 2004.
WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL
With Manning (2568 passing yards, 17 TD, 9 INT) in an obvious groove right now and the Chargers having been extremely susceptible to strong aerial attacks all year long, expect the Colts to ride the right arm of their decorated signal-caller throughout Sunday's contest. He has averaged 271.3 passing yards per game while not committing a turnover during Indianapolis' current winning streak and has a wealth of outstanding receiving options in the NFL's sixth- ranked passing offense (249.6 ypg), the most dangerous of which is All-Pro wideout Reggie Wayne (56 receptions, 790 yards, 5 TD). Tight end Dallas Clark (39 receptions, 3 TD) and second-year slotman Anthony Gonzalez (40 receptions, 2 TD) are also highly-reliable targets, while future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (39 receptions, 4 TD) is coming off one of his best games of what's been a trying year. The 36-year-old wide receiver hauled in a season-best nine Manning passes for 77 yards and a touchdown against Houston last week.
Manning and his accomplished corps of receivers will be airing it out against a San Diego secondary that has been routinely picked apart by enemy quarterbacks in 2008. The Chargers are allowing a league-worst 267 passing yards per game and have had trouble forcing turnovers, one of the defense's strengths a year ago. Quentin Jammer (59 tackles, 1 INT, 16 PD) has been solid at one corner, but athletic counterpart Antonio Cromartie (50 tackles, 2 INT, 7 PD) has been dealing with a nagging hip injury that has reduced the 2007 Pro Bowler's effectiveness, and safeties Eric Weddle (78 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack) and Clinton Hart (49 tackles, 6 PD) have often been liabilities in coverage. The pass rush has been spotty as well with havoc-wreaking outside linebacker Shawne Merriman out for the season with torn ligaments in his left knee, as neither Shaun Phillips (49 tackles, 4 sacks) nor Jyles Tucker (21 tackles, 4 sacks) have been able to match the All-Pro's undeniable impact.
The Colts have had their problems running the ball on offense, with injuries to standout running back Joseph Addai (387 rushing yards, 13 receptions, 6 total TD) and across the offensive line contributing greatly to the team's league-low output of 77.7 yards per game on the ground. Addai seems to be recovered from a hamstring strain that rendered him inactive for two games in October, and the third-year pro showed off his good health by rushing for a season-best 105 yards on 22 carries against the Texans last week, and adding 48 yards on four catches. He'll be spelled at times by serviceable vet Dominic Rhodes (338 rushing yards, 25 receptions, 4 total TD), who's a valuable receiver out of the backfield as well.
San Diego ranks a respectable 14th against the run (105.2 ypg) and has improved in that area since inserting Tim Dobbins (38 tackles, 1 INT, 3 forced fumbles) into a starting role at inside linebacker opposite the ultra- productive Stephen Cooper (53 tackles, 1.5 sacks) in Week 6. The defense may be without one of its best stoppers up front on Sunday, as sturdy end Luis Castillo (29 tackles, 1.5 sacks) left last weekend's loss with a groin strain and is highly questionable to face the Colts. Fill-in Jacques Cesaire (12 tackles, 2 sacks) did notch a pair of sacks against the Steelers after replacing Castillo, however.
WHEN THE CHARGERS HAVE THE BALL
With game-changing running back LaDainian Tomlinson enduring a down season due to a lingering turf toe problem, the Chargers have relied more on fiery quarterback Philip Rivers (2518 passing yards, 21 TD, 10 INT) to move the offense. The results have been mixed. Rivers leads the NFL with 21 touchdown passes and tops the AFC with a 100.9 passer rating, but the former first-round pick has thrown in a few clunkers to go with a number of stellar outings. He's been intercepted four times over the last two weeks and managed just 164 yards on 15-of-26 passing against Pittsburgh's top-notch defense last Sunday. Still, San Diego is seventh in the league in passing offense (243.1 ypg) and has gotten a breakthrough year out of physical wide receiver Vincent Jackson (37 receptions, 646 yards, 4 TD), a 6-foot-5, 240-pound target with speed who presents matchup problems for opposing quarterbacks. His emergence has been essential to the offense, since four-time Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates (40 receptions, 6 TD) and veteran wideout Chris Chambers (19 receptions, 5 TD) have been slowed by injuries at times this year.
Rivers gets another stern challenge again this week, as the Colts' ninth- ranked pass defense (189.4 ypg) has yielded only two touchdowns through the air through the first 10 games. Indy has survived a season-ending knee injury to regular corner Marlin Jackson and knee and hamstring problems to fellow cover man Kelvin Hayden (17 tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD) that have sidelined him for the past six games, as substitutes Tim Jennings (44 tackles, 2 INT) and Keiwan Ratliff (21 tackles, 1 INT) have both held their own. Top pass rusher Dwight Freeney (18 tackles, 7 sacks) has stepped up his play as well lately after a slow start, with the three-time Pro Bowl end having recorded four sacks in the last two weeks. Dungy is hopeful that Hayden can return to action for Sunday's test, but he figures to be a game-time decision.
The Colts' speed-based defense can be quite vulnerable to power running games, and the unit was burned for 156 yards on just 14 carries by Houston rookie Steve Slaton last Sunday, with a good chunk of that total coming on a 71-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Indianapolis is allowing a subpar 138.5 yards per game on the ground (25th overall) and will likely be without dynamic strong safety Bob Sanders (28 tackles, 1 INT) again this week. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has played in just four games this year due to knee surgery and now a high ankle sprain. Second-year pro Melvin Bullitt (50 tackles, 6 PD) has compiled a team-best four interceptions in Sanders' place, but he's not as skilled in defending the run. The team will have leading tackler Gary Brackett (88 tackles), who's garnered at least eight stops in five straight games, in the lineup for Sunday's matchup at the all- important middle linebacker spot.
The Chargers are hoping Indianapolis' shaky run defense will enable Tomlinson (686 rushing yards, 6 total TD) to get untracked. The former league MVP has produced only two 100-yard days this season, and his present 3.8 yards per carry average is the superstar back's lowest since his rookie campaign of 2001. Tomlinson is still a weapon to account for in the passing game, as his 36 receptions and 299 receiving yards are the third-most among San Diego players. The Chargers are a disappointing 27th overall in rushing offense (93.1 ypg) and ran for a paltry 66 yards on the tough Steelers' D last Sunday.
FANTASY FOCUS
Manning owners have been rejoicing over their prized quarterback's recent wave of huge fantasy days, and there's no reason to believe his streak of heavy point totals won't continue against a San Diego defense that has too often not had an answer against the pass. Wayne should be in line for a big afternoon as well come Sunday, and Clark is a must-start at the tight end spot because the Chargers have been particularly powerless in stopping that position. Harrison and Gonzalez are riskier bets for Indianapolis, but the potential is there for both receivers to have productive games. Tomlinson and Addai, two consensus first-round picks in preseason drafts, haven't quite lived up to their lofty status, but both running backs still warrant a place in weekly lineups. Rivers has earned his place as a top-tier fantasy quarterback and usually plays very well at home, so feel free to ride him again this week. Gates and Vincent Jackson also merit starting consideration on the San Diego side.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The importance of this game for San Diego cannot be understated, but will it really matter? The Chargers haven't put together a performance fitting of a playoff participant in over a month, and it's questionable as to whether one will come against an Indianapolis team that's been playing its best ball as of late. This isn't the same San Diego defense that has given Manning fits in the past, and the well-prepared quarterback shouldn't have much of a problem finding open receivers on Sunday. Rivers does have the weapons to keep up in a shootout, but his team is going to need to win the turnover battle like it did in its two meetings with Indianapolis a year ago, and that's been an ongoing problem for San Diego throughout this season. The Chargers used to match up very well with the Colts, but with Merriman sidelined and Tomlinson a shadow of his former self, that's no longer an issue.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Colts 31, Chargers 26
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
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