NCAA Football Lines – Ducks Defend Top Spot in BCS Against Visiting Huskies Saturday

It took eight convincing wins to finally capture the top spot in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, but for number-one Oregon, there is an understanding that it will take just one loss for everything they have built this season to crumble. After watching four number-one teams lose their spots in the past five weeks, the Ducks are primed to make a statement in their debut as the top-ranked team in the country, welcoming the Washington Huskies to Eugene this Saturday.

Washington Huskies @ Oregon Ducks

Saturday November 6, 2010 – 3:30 PM ET

Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon

Online Sports Betting Odds: Oregon - 36

The Huskies are coming off consecutive college football betting losses to number-18 Arizona and number-13 Standford that dropped their record to 2-3 in the conference, but now get the toughest team of them all in Oregon. A 35-34 double overtime win over number-24 Oregon State now seems like nothing more than a distant memory, and the Huskies may need a miracle to keep this one close.

NCAA Football Betting Preview: Washington

Potential NFL betting first round pick Jake Locker didn’t help his stock in last weekend’s 41-0 shutout loss to Stanford, completing just seven passes for 64 yards while throwing away two interceptions. Locker was outplayed by Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck, and will need to regain his confidence in a hurry in order to help the Huskies avoid a second straight blowout loss. The running game will need to be better as well however, as Chris Polk has struggled to get much going in recent weeks. Part of the problem has been the offensive line, which has been inconsistent all year, and those issues may come down to talent and depth more than anything else. The Huskies have allowed an average of 34.1 points per game this year, which doesn’t inspire confidence heading in to a game against the top-ranked offense in the country.

NCAA Football Betting Preview: Oregon

A 52-32 win over rivals USC served as the metaphorical passing of the torch for the recognition to the Trojans as the best team in the conference. The Ducks’ high-powered offense steamrolled through the USC defense with LaMichael James showing the nation how he has averaged a phenomenal 7.1 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns this year. Meanwhile, quarterback Darron Thomas continues to provide Oregon with the dual-threat option from under center with 23 combined touchdowns. The Ducks have just one ranked opponent left on their schedule in number-15 Arizona, and will be tough to stop now four wins away from clinching the conference and BCS title game spot.

The Match Up: Washington @ Oregon

While 36 points is a lot to give any team, the Ducks are on a sportsbook bonus mission and given what the Cardinal were able to do to Washington, it doesn’t seem unreasonable for the spread to be so high. Oregon’s offense will smash through the Huskies defense both on the ground and through the air, and by the time this one is over the Ducks will be three wins away from a national title shot.

BSN Sports Pick: Oregon – 36

NFL Odds Preview for November 7, 2010: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons (-9 ½)

Betting Overview:

Has anyone even noticed that the Atlanta Falcons (5-2) are leading the NFC South over the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (5-3)? Has anyone even noticed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) are in second place in the NFC South and also leading the New Orleans Saints? The Buccaneers have been feasting on weaker teams to this point, but they do hold a victory over the up and coming St. Louis Rams.

This divisional game is extremely important to the Falcons. If Atlanta is going to wrestle the torch away from the Saints and take over the NFC South, then they will have to win as many divisional games as possible. This game will help give the Falcons the upper hand in any tie-breaking situations at the end of this season, and that may come into play as the playoffs get closer.

Offense:

The Falcons are led by steady quarterback Matt Ryan. To this point, Ryan has 1,714 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. He had a rough start to the season, but with the help of veterans like receiver Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez, Ryan has been able to turn the Atlanta offense back around. Running back Michael Turner has racked up 587 yards so far this season on his way to another 1,000+ yard season.

The Buccaneers are an interesting study because much of the NFL scores they put up to win games are done on special teams and not on offense. While the Bucs are exceeding any of the NFL predictions that came out in the preseason, they always look like they are living on borrowed time. They pulled out a win in week eight in the last minute against the Arizona Cardinals and, while the Bucs record is impressive, a quick look at who they beat to get the record instantly brings up questions about the quality of the Tampa Bay team.

Defense:

The Atlanta defense is getting better, but it still allows a lot of yards through the air. The Falcons pass defense is ranked 27th in the league allowing an average of 260 yards per game. However, the Atlanta run defense is ranked sixth in the league only allowing teams an average of 96 yards per game. The Buccaneers very limited running game will get shut down by the Falcons, and that will force Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman to take control and try to win the game for the Bucs.

The Buccaneers are 30th against the run allowing an average of 149 yards per year on the ground. This is a perfect invitation for Michael Turner to soften up the Tampa Bay defense on the ground, and then have Ryan attack the Bucs through the air. This could be a very long day for the Buccaneers defense.

The Bottom Line:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been able to take advantage of the mistakes made by others so far this season, but the Falcons play disciplined football. With few mistakes to capitalize on, the Buccaneers may find themselves unable to compete against Atlanta.

BSN Sports Pick: Atlanta Falcons 21-10

Titans lost Young, Britt and the Game Against Chargers 33-25

The San Diego Chargers won a valuable victory over the Tennessee Titans 33 to 25.

In what has become his style, San Diego fought against the Titans and his own mistakes in order to obtain a valuable result for Norv Turner and his men kept alive in their division but with the very high costs.

For Tennessee, the losses were significant because in addition to losing the division lead, then whoever wins between Houston and Indianapolis will take his place, Kenny Britt succumbed to a thigh injury and quarterback Vince Young, good performance with 235 yards and two touchdowns , left the game for what was reported as a knee injury.

The first score of the NFL betting game, according to the season for the Chargers, was a safety for the visitors after a blocked punt Mike Scifres. San Diego had to paddle upstream almost the entire first half but despite a goal by Chris Johnson, and Young's pass to Craig Stevens, the Chargers reached the half down only five.

In the third quarter achieved locals take the lead by five points thanks to a field goal and a reception by Antonio Gates, arguably the man of the match with 123 receiving yards and a touchdown.

But the ineffectiveness of the Chargers offensive series to close the opening the door would return to the Titans who found eight points down in the middle of the last four were approached by a huge 71-yard pass to Nate Washington Young, another major performance 117 yards and a touchdown, needing only two-point conversion to tie the game. The attempt, however, fail to San Diego giving breathing space.

The Chargers would benefit from the opportunity by getting a touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Darren Sproles. In another distressing and incomprehensible error premises failed extra point that would have the advantage of two runs giving an opportunity to the team of the AFC South.

Their return was cut short by the aforementioned Young injury in an attempt to career appeared to trip over the grass clutching his knee right away without having received any contact.

That was all for the match that kept the hopes of the Chargers (3-5) and left the Titans with many problems, few of which are related to the positions of their division. Must await the injury status of both players...