If it’s a beauty pageant, and style points definitely matter in college football, UCLA is on the ugly side looking in, and Brett Hundley is far from the best-looking quarterback in the country.
Matt Youmans
The opening Sunday of NFL season was an unpredictable one for bettors and sportsbooks alike.
When it’s time to pull the trigger and bet against the New Orleans Saints, there is plenty to fear. The quarterback is the biggest factor, because Drew Brees plays a cool hand.
The NFL season opened with a dud, just like last season ended. But for those betting on the Seattle Seahawks — and it’s a big mistake to bet against them — easy money comes with no complaints.
Finally, the thrills of NFL betting are back, with the Seahawks shooting for a successful sequel, opening their title defense today as 6-point home favorites over the Green Bay Packers.
On the final night of the NFL preseason, Johnny Manziel was scrambling around and leading the Cleveland Browns to a victory. But his exhibition was mostly meaningless, and his replacement stole the show.
It is the time of year for bold predictions, and several will be made Friday, when “SuperContest Weekend” kicks off at the LVH with a seminar featuring some of the top football handicappers in their field.
It’s not always easy being famous. The curious case of Jameis Winston, the Florida State quarterback and controversial face of college football, is another example.
Horse racing and football provide adrenaline rushes of different kinds. The races can present instant gratification, with bets decided in two minutes. A football game can be a three-hour grind. Wagering on regular-season win totals is a totally different story, a roller-coaster ride extending for four months. Yet, sometimes, the payoff is worth the wait.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, and Pete Carroll is wearing it now. But if Carroll is worried, he never shows it. This is not about the Seattle Seahawks’ quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions, not yet anyway. Before he won the biggest game of the season, Carroll was king of the NFL preseason.
On a snowy day on the Chicago lakefront, Aaron Rodgers’ value to the Green Bay Packers became crystal clear. Without him, they had no prayer. With him, their prayers were answered.
In three weeks, the New England Patriots open training camp, and the sight of Tom Brady’s passes will ease our sore eyes. The sports betting world revolves around football season, which is almost here.
Fourteen quarterbacks were called during the three-day NFL Draft marathon, and at least half will be busts in the long run. Expect none to make a bigger impact this season than Josh McCown will for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It could have been dumb luck that brought the Cleveland Browns and Johnny Manziel together. He was there for the taking, but team after team passed him by, and eventually everything fell perfectly into place.
As a quarterback, Johnny Manziel is a playmaker and risk taker, the definition of a gambler. Sometimes that’s a problem. But even the cynics can see his entertainment value is a sure thing.
How about a rematch with Seattle and another road trip to New England? Those are the so-called highlights of the Denver Broncos’ regular-season schedule, which calculates as the second toughest in the league. It’s not necessarily a doomsday scenario, but for Peyton Manning, it’s definitely not getting any easier.
The worst Super Bowl is over, and now we look ahead to the next one. At Station Casinos, Seattle is the 9-2 favorite, followed by San Francisco at 5-1. “You have the two favorites to win the Super Bowl in the same division,” Sunset Station sports book director Chuck Esposito said. “I can’t remember that ever happening.”