Report: Temple in talks to join Big East

NCAA Football Betting Lines

02/22/2012 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Temple is reportedly in talks to join the Big East in all sports as early as next season, which would give the conference 13 teams in football and 18 in basketball.

A planned move could be completed this month after the Philadelphia-based school works out legal issues with the conferences it currently belongs to, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Temple plays football in the Mid-American Conference and basketball in the Atlantic 10. The Owls previously played football in the Big East, but were kicked out in 2004 for underperforming.

The Times said Temple would also have to let its intentions be known to the new super-conference formed by the recent merger of the Mountain West and Conference USA, which has asked the school to join.

Memphis was the latest school to join the Big East in all sports, continuing the game of musical chairs in college athletics that has greatly affected the conference.

The Big East had been reeling from the planned exits of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Its goal was to have 12 football members. Temple would be the 13th.

Prior to adding Memphis, the Big East had already brought on Central Florida, SMU and Houston as full members and Boise State, San Diego State and Navy for football only.

It hopes to create two divisions and stage an annual conference championship game.

Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced in September that they were leaving for the ACC and West Virginia is moving to the Big 12. TCU, which had agreed to leave the Mountain West for the Big East, decided instead to join the Big 12.

Gamblee NCAA Football Betting News

<< Ivy power Penn to play two CAA teams
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Penn will play a difficult non-conference schedule to try to set up a run for the Ivy League football title this year. Penn announced its 10-game schedule on Wednesday and will play five home games and fiv

<< Tsonga wins Marseille opener
Marseille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded former champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was an easy second-round winner Wednesday at the Open 13 tennis event. The 2009 Marseille titlist trounced fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-2 on the i

<< Detriot Tigers
Agreed to terms with pitchers Matt Hoffman, Andy Oliver and Adam Wilk, infielder Hernan Perez and outfielder Andy Dirks.

<< Catania tops Siena to ease relegation worries
Siena, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Francesco Lodi's first-half penalty kick handed Catania a 1-0 win at Siena on Wednesday that lifts the visitors nine points clear of the relegation zone. Wins have been scarce for both clubs in rece

<< Zusi re-signs with Sporting
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi has signed a new contract with the club, it was announced on Wednesday, although terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 25-year-old Zusi is coming of

Royal Delta set for Sabin >>
Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Champion filly Royal Delta is ready to make her 2012 debut in Saturday's $100,000 Sabin Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The four-year-old will face four challengers in the 1 1/6-mile race. Royal Delta,

Aubameyang's hat trick topples Lorient >>
Saint Etienne, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a second-half hat trick to help St Etienne to a 4-2 win over Lorient at the Geoffrey-Guichard Stadium on Wednesday. The match came to life after a scoreles

This Week in Auto Racing February 23 - 26 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Get ready for what is expected to be a wild four days of racing at Daytona International Speedway, culminating with Sunday's Daytona 500. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 - Daytona International

Hurricanes, Ruutu agree to 4-year extension >>
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with forward Tuomo Ruutu on a four-year contract extension on Wednesday. "Players like Tuomo are extremely difficult to replace, and it is very important for

Company sues Marlins based on auction bid >>
Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Marlins are being sued for damages by a corporation that says it won a bid to buy the team at an auction more than four years ago. In a complaint filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard