Panthers' Delhomme upgraded to probable

Football Betting Lines

12/28/2006 - Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme practiced on Thursday and was upgraded to probable for the team's regular season finale in New Orleans.

Delhomme, who also practiced on Wednesday, has missed the Panthers' past three games with a sprained right thumb.

"He made it through (Wednesday) just fine and had no setbacks," Panthers head coach John Fox said on Thursday. "He slung it around pretty good (Thursday)."

The game is a must-win for Carolina, which is still in the NFL playoff hunt despite a 7-8 record. Even if the Panthers beat the Saints, they still need losses by the New York Giants (against Washington on December 30) and Green Bay (against Chicago on Sunday night) to claim the final playoff spot in the NFC.

Delhomme hurt his thumb after his hand hit a helmet on a first-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith in Carolina's 27-24 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 4. He stayed in the game and went 22- of-37 for 269 yards with three touchdowns and a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions.

He has completed 240-of-404 passes for 2,598 yards in 12 games overall this season, with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Chris Weinke has struggled while filling in for Delhomme, completing just 56- of-96 passes for 625 yards in three games, throwing two touchdowns and four interceptions. He has a 67.4 passer rating.

Blackjack-online-blackjack Football Betting News

<< Terry undergoes successful surgery
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea and England national team captain John Terry underwent successful surgery on a disc problem in his lower back according to a statement from the club Thursday. "Chelsea Football Club can con

<< Yao, James remain on top of All-Star voting
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets and Cleveland's LeBron James still lead their respective conferences in votes received after the second returns of the 2007 NBA All-Star balloting. Yao, who is

<< Hawks ink Medvedenko
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks signed veteran free agent forward/center Slava Medvedenko on Thursday. Per team policy, financial terms were not disclosed. Medvedenko spent the past six years with the Los Angeles

<< Villarreal captures young talent from South America
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Villarreal made its first signing of the winter break, introducing Chilean international striker Matias Fernandez from Colo Colo for an undisclosed transfer fee. The 20-year-old will not official

<< Report: Zito picks Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arguably the best free agent pitcher available this offseason, former Oakland ace Barry Zito has reportedly agreed to a deal with the San Francisco Giants. Numerous media outlets reported the deal

New England Revolution >>
Re-signed defender Joe Franchino and forward Pat Noonan.

How good is Gilbert Arenas? >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas is playing like an MVP this season for the Washington Wizards. He has stepped up his game and belongs in the same sentence with the elite players in the NBA. Arenas, who led the Wizard

Ronaldinho opens school; Edmilson begins foundation >>
Porto Allegre, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Five days after news that Ronaldinho would become a Spanish citizen early next year, the Brazil and FC Barcelona star showed the pride he has in his roots, as he announced plans to open a soccer

Noonan and Franchino staying with Revs >>
Foxborough, MA. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. National Team forward Pat Noonan re- signed with the New England Revolution on Thursday. The 26-year-old has spent his entire Major League Soccer career in Foxborough after being drafted by the Rev

Pirates staying in Bradenton >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The city of Bradenton agreed Thursday to a new 30-year lease that will keep the Pittsburgh Pirates in town through the year 2038. The lease takes effect on February 1, 2008 following the completi

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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