Atlanta Falcons 2007 Draft Preview

Football Betting Lines

04/04/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Falcons have multiple needs on defense, and with the No. 8 overall pick (obtained in the Matt Schaub trade) could justify selecting any of the following players - safeties LaRon Landry (LSU) and Reggie Nelson (Florida), tackles Amobi Akoye (Louisville) and Alan Branch (Michigan), and defensive ends Gaines Adams (Clemson) and Jamaal Anderson (Arkansas). Atlanta could also use a cornerback to play opposite DeAngelo Hall and is in need of depth at linebacker, but those positions look like more of a second-round focus at this stage. If Atlanta takes an offensive player on the first day, he is likely to be an offensive lineman to help protect Michael Vick. Wide receiver is less of a need after the team obtained Joe Horn off the free agent wire. The Schaub trade gives the team a void at backup QB, and it seems obvious that the Falcons will take a signal-caller in the middle rounds to compete with Chris Redman and D.J. Shockley for that job.

2006 Record: 7-9

First Pick: No. 8

Number of Selections: 10 (1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7)

RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2006 - none; 2005 - Roddy White (WR, UAB); 2004 - DeAngelo Hall (CB, Virginia Tech), Michael Jenkins (WR, Ohio State); 2003 - none; 2002 - T.J. Duckett (RB, Michigan State); 2001 - Michael Vick (QB, Virginia Tech); 2000 - none; 1999 - Patrick Kerney (DE, Virginia); 1998 - Keith Brooking (LB, Georgia Tech); 1997 - Michael Booker (CB, Nebraska); 1996 - none; 1995 - Devin Bush (S, Florida State); 1994 - none; 1993 - Lincoln Kennedy (OT, Washington); 1992 - Bob Whitfield (OT, Stanford), Tony Smith (RB, Southern Mississippi); 1991 - Bruce Pickens (CB, Nebraska), Mike Pritchard (WR, Colorado); 1990 - Steve Broussard (RB, Washington State).

Gamblingriverboat Football Betting News

<< Arizona Cardinals 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona has long featured one of the weakest lines in the league, and with disappointing-yet-serviceable tackle Leonard Davis now a Cowboy, the Cardinals could be setting their sights on a player like Penn State's Levi Brown

<< Chicago Bears 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Bears front seven was pushed around a fair amount in the latter stages of the 2007 season, so Chicago GM Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith are likely to focus on that area on the first day of the draft. A replacemen

<< Dallas Cowboys 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The performance of the Dallas secondary was beyond poor during the second half of last season, and the emphasis in drafting corners and/or safeties this year will likely be focused on their ability to cover more than hit. Ano

<< Ducks welcome rival Sharks to Honda Center
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks will try for their fourth consecutive victory tonight, when they welcome the rival San Jose Sharks to the Honda Center. The Ducks, Sharks and Dallas Stars have already clinched a playoff berth, but are s

<< St. Louis Rams 2007 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Rams were extremely active in free agency, signing arguably the top wide receiver on the market (Drew Bennett), a very good tight end (Randy McMichael), serviceable linebacker (Chris Draft), two players with potential to

Green Bay Packers 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Ahman Green now a Houston Texan, the Packers have a hole at running back that the franchise has not experienced heading into a season since the pre-Edgar Bennett days. Head coach Mike McCarthy says he's comfortable with

San Francisco 49ers 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Niners are in major need of a No. 1 receiver after releasing Antonio Bryant, and might have to look long and hard at multi- talented Ohio State standout Ted Ginn, Jr. There are also secondary needs, though the signings of

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If he is still available at No. 4, there is no way the Buccaneers can pass up Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson. However, if another team trades up to snatch Johnson with one of the first three picks, it won't be the

Philadelphia Eagles 2007 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Outside linebacker and defensive tackle were two of the Eagles' biggest need areas entering the offseason, but a trade for ex-Bill Takeo Spikes and the acquisition of former Colt Montae Reagor helped offset those respective r

D-Backs, Rockies play rubber match at Coors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of pitchers will make debuts with their new clubs this afternoon when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies conclude their three-game series at Coors Field. Left-hander Doug Davis was acquired by Arizona in

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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