NFL Picks Week 1, Sunday’s NFL Schedule, Week One NFL Picks

The sports betting community, bet republic like most sports betting enthusiasts, we were anxiously awaiting the kick-off to the new NFL season. Thursday night gave us a tase of what was to come, as the Titans and Steelers mixed it up in Pittsburgh.

We broke that game down in our Thursday Night sports betting TV show and will go through all the Sunday action in our Sunday NFL Blitz sports betting TV show at the site.

Here are a handful of NFL picks and write-ups from the Bet Republic office focused on Sunday’s NFL schedule.

It’s always tough making football picks in Week 1 since preseason games are the only opportunity we’ve had so far to really gauge the impact of off season player/coaching changes. Looking over the odds online presented a handful of spots that could be a good betting opportunity and we’ve previewed those games here.

Into the 2009 season we go…

Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons
NFL Odds: Falcons -4
Over/Under: 44
Both teams were a surprise last season finishing 11-5 SU and getting into the playoffs. Opponents will be more prepared for each of these squads in `09 and this matchup will give bettors a good opportunity to see which team has made the greatest adjustments. The Falcons have signed TE Tony Gonzalez to their offense, which is a very thoughtful addition.

Atlanta finished 6th in total offense last year and Miami 11th. Defensively, Atlanta ranked 24th and Miami 15th. Miami was 6-2 ATS on the road last year and getting more than a field goal, we like the Fish in the season opener.

BetRepublic’s Pick: Take the underdog Dolphins
Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers
Line: Eagles -2
Over/Under: 44
This is a matchup between two teams that, in the past decade, have been a mirror image of each other. Both are led by veteran coaches and QBs, both have had solid regular season success and both have fallen victim to the Patriots dynasty in the Super Bowl. The Eagles had a ton of preseason hype and the Panthers are trying to recover from their last playoff debacle. Look for both teams to feature the run and for this contest to finish under the number.
BetRepublic’s Pick: Take the “Under”

New York Jets at Houston
Line: Texans -4
Over/Under: 44
Houston is the only AFC team in the past decade that has failed to make at least one trip to the post-season. For that to change the team needs a strong start and this home opener vs. the Jets could be the break Houston needs. QB Matt Schaub has recovered from his ankle injury and will start. Jets QB Sanchez will find the going tough against Mario Williams and the rest of the Houston D. Jets without two suspended defensive starters who were last season’s sack leaders – Shaun Ellis and Calvin Pace. The Texans are 1-3 ATS in recent home openers but were only favored once (2007), beating KC 20-3.
BetRepublic’s Pick: Take the Texans

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Line: Patriots -11
Over/Under: 47.5
Cover your eyes kids this could get ugly. The Bills are one of a handful teams that appear to be in disarray heading into the season. The Patriots will use this Monday Nighter to put a scare into the rest of the league. Look for Brady to throw for more than 400 yards. We usually steer clear of double-digit favorites, but will throw a unit down on this one.
BetRepublic’s Pick: Take the Patriots

England v Australia 3rd ODI Preview, Ed Hawkins Betting Recommendations

If you want to bet on Wednesday's big match at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire make sure you read the thoughts of sports betting community chief cricket analyst Ed Hawkins.

You can always find Hawkins updated betting previews at the popular sports betting social networking site “bet republic”

Having lost the first two one-day internationals (ODIs) against Australia Bet Republic cricket analyst Ed Hawkins reckons England are the value bet to win the third match (of the seven-match series) on Wednesday.

If you want to read Ed Hawkins' Preview of the game, then you can read it here.

At the moment England are a best-priced 11/8 (available across the board) while Australia are a best-priced 3/5 (with Bwin). But if Hawkins has told members of the sports betting community to back England he also believes he has unearthed a key stat that can also be used to turn a profit on the game, which will be played at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl ground.

Hawkins says: “In the six completed Friends Provident Trophy matches, which are 50-over county contests, the wicket has proved to be excellent to bat on. Six centuries have been scored and there have been no fewer than 12 50s scored.

The average 50-ups make-up is 100, exactly 30 points higher than Sporting Index’s buy price and when we have such a stat in our favour it would be pure folly not to take advantage of it.”

Admittedly, Hawkins says he is relying on England’s batsmen to do their share of the runscoring but he has decided to put his faith in the surface nonetheless. Indeed, even if England’s batsmen have managed only one 50 between them so far the law of averages and a batting paradise are on our side.

So good is the track that Ian Bell – who has a reputation for making hay on flat wickets – scored a century at the Rose Bowl when England last played there, and won, against India in 2007.

Another bet Hawkins likes is Shane Watson to score more than 49 performance runs which makes up at 1-point per run, 10 per catch and 20 per wicket.

The Rose Bowl is a ‘home’ ground for the all-rounder having spent some time with Hampshire and he averages a whopping 188 with the bat.

The best way to get with him is to take the 4/5 Bet365 offer that he scores more than 49 performance points (1-point per run, 10 per catch, 20 per wicket).

The hosts, who are 2-0 down, must hit back. The key could be the toss with five of the six games won by the side batting first. England have won only twice from eight ODIs in the last year when fielding first.

Ed Hawkins Betting Recommendations:

Buy 50-ups

2pts at 70 with Sporting Index

S Watson more than 49 performance points

3pts 4/5 Bet365

Betting Baseball - The Playoff Race

It’s September and that means back to school, NFL betting kicks in and the Major League Baseball pennant races start.

The expansion to include one wild-card playoff contender in each league began in 1995 and provides more excitement to the season for those teams and their fans.

The wild-card race is open to all divisions across the American and National leagues adding to the thrill of the pennant race.

BetRepublic has been paying close attention to the pennant races, giving out their top baseball picks on the Bet Republic online TV sports betting show. This year is serving up its share of excitement, with teams battling down to the finish to determine who gets into the playoffs.

Teams play a whopping 162 games and it usually comes down to one game to either make the playoffs or not. Heading into September, the division leaders in both leagues all have at least a 41/2 game lead on the second place teams.

The closest race is in the American League Central where the Tigers lead the Twins by 41/2 games. Over the past 13 seasons, no team that led a division by more than three games entering September has failed to make the playoffs.

Now a lot can happen between now and the end of the regular season on October 4th but the division front-runners have been playing good ball since the all-star break.

One team that is slipping a bit right now are the L.A. Angels who are 4-6 in their last 10 games, but Texas who are five games behind the Angels have gone 5-5 over the same stretch. The addition this weekend of pitcher Scott Kazmir, acquired from Tampa Bay, will help the Angels keep their lead over Texas.

The Wild Card races are where the real excitement will be this fall. Boston leads the American League by 3 ½ games over Texas and is 5 ½ clear of Tampa Bay. In the National League it’s a dead heat between Colorado and the Giants.

San Francisco swept the weekend series between the two clubs to even their records at 72-59. Atlanta Braves and Florida are both 3 ½ games back with the Cubs just five games back. The Braves begin a four game series in Florida this week that will certainly have an impact on the race.

In the National League the wild-card teams are backing into the playoffs with no team other than the Giants at 6-4 in their last ten winning more than five over the same span. Colorado will try to right their ship against the hapless Mets this week and will meet the Giants for one more three-game set in September.

The Cubbies have Houston for two games this week before a make-up game with the White-Sox on Thursday. Chicago has a big four game series with the Giants at the end of September which could go a long way in deciding the wild-card winner. San Francisco is in tough this week with a three-game tilt at home against the Phillies.

In the American League, the Rangers host the miserable Blue Jays in a three game set to kick off the week. Tampa Bay plays host to Boston for a three game series this week. The same teams meet in Boston the following week for three games.

Boston is the hottest team in the race having gone 7-3 in their last ten but that includes sweeping the Jays this weekend. The Jays appear to have thrown in the towel for the season and the Rangers should take three against them to begin the week to keep them in the race with the Angels for the division.

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