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01/27/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Devin Thomas always believed he'd be an impact player in the National Football League, albeit with another team and in a far different role than the one he currently occupies with the New York Giants.
Four years ago, the physically-gifted wide receiver was hailed as a potential future frontline player after bursting onto the radar of scouts and personnel executives with a sensational junior season at Michigan State. Blessed with 4.4 speed on a chiseled 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame, Thomas was a tantalizing prospect but a cautionary one as well, having to overcome the dual stigmas of a limited track record of collegiate success as well as the position's history of early entrees struggling at the professional level.
Thomas did indeed get his career off to a slow start, managing just 120 yards on 15 receptions as a rookie with the Washington Redskins, who made the now 25- year-old the third pick of the second round (No. 34 overall) in the 2008 draft. But a more productive second season, highlighted by a seven-catch, 100-yard, two-touchdown outburst against New Orleans in December, seemed to be a positive sign that the talented youngster was on the right path to stardom.
There would be a few unexpected bumps along that road, however. The Redskins changed coaches following the 2009 campaign, with Mike Shanahan taking over for the ousted Jim Zorn, and Thomas quickly fell out of favor with the new regime. He was waived four games into the 2010 season, promptly picked up by Carolina, then cut loose again in November after failing to make an impression on that staff.
In dire need of wide receiver depth after injuries to starters Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith, the Giants claimed Thomas off waivers from the Panthers offering the sudden journeyman nothing more than a chance to contribute on special teams.
Having realized it could be his last chance, Thomas was quick to accept and embrace his new duties. He logged two tackles and partially blocked a punt that led to a field goal in his first game as a Giant, a 31-7 win during Week 13 of last season.
The opponent? Why, the Washington Redskins.
Thomas has maintained a permanent place on the active gameday roster in his first full year in New York, despite having little opportunity on an offense that boasts a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Nicks and breakout performer Victor Cruz and a more established No. 3 man in Mario Manningham, taken by the Giants in the third round of that same 2008 draft in which such notables as Jordy Nelson, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Stevie Johnson were also picked behind Thomas.
"My position as a fourth or fifth wide receiver and special-teams player, I take pride in that and do anything to help this team win," he said following the Giants' 20-17 overtime victory over San Francisco in the NFC Championship.
Thomas did just that against the 49ers, astutely pouncing on a pair of fumbles by San Francisco punt returner Kyle Williams that were both pivotal to the final outcome. The first was converted into an Eli Manning touchdown pass to Manningham that gave New York a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter; the last set up kicker Lawrence Tynes' 31-yard field that landed the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
"I had vision in my mind that I was going to make some type of big play to help us win the game," Thomas said.
And for maybe the first time in a career that's better known for its downs than ups, Devin Thomas could say he was in the right place at exactly the right time.
Below is a capsule look at the special teams of the New York Giants, with regular season statistics in parentheses:
Placekicker: Tynes didn't have a remarkable regular season, as his 79.2 percent (19-of-24) success rate on field goals was the Scottish-born kicker's lowest in his five years with the Giants and he made good on a shaky 4-of-8 tries from 40 yards or beyond. The 33-year-old has shown an affinity for coming through in the clutch, however, having also sent Big Blue into its memorable Super Bowl clash with New England four years back by drilling a deciding 47-yard attempt in overtime to down Green Bay in the 2007 NFC Championship.
Punter: Free-agent pickup Steve Weatherford, a member of the crosstown-rival Jets the previous two seasons, bolstered what had been a major problem area for the Giants in 2010 by averaging a career-best 45.7 yards per punt with his new team. The six-year pro has been even better during this playoff run, averaging 46.4 yards per boot (40.6 net avg.) and having only nine of his 18 kicks returned.
Long-snapper: The versatile Zak DeOssie has handled these duties since breaking into the league in 2007 and has twice been named to the Pro Bowl (2008, 2010) as a need player during his time with the Giants. Initially drafted as a linebacker, the Massachusetts native also serves as New York's special teams captain and finished fourth on the club with 10 coverage tackles this season.
Punt Returners: This has not been an area of strength for the Giants in 2011, as their average of 6.1 yards per return was the fourth-lowest mark in the league and the team didn't have one of more than 18 yards. Cornerbacks Aaron Ross (7.1 avg.) and Will Blackmon (4.2 avg.), who does own three career punt return touchdowns, have received the bulk of the work.
Kickoff Returners: Thomas began the season as New York's primary kick returner and averaged a respectable 24.3 yards per attempt for the year, but was taken off the assignment in November after experiencing some ball security issues. Rookie receiver Jerrel Jernigan (23.3 avg.) has been the main man as of late and performed steadily, though the Giants finished just 20th in that category as a team prior to the postseason.
Special Teams Defense: The Giants' coverage corps was solid during the regular season, limiting teams to 9.9 yards per punt return and 22.9 on kickoffs while not allowing a special-teams touchdown over the course of the year, and certainly made a difference in the narrow win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship. Rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams came up with the critical strip of the Niners' Kyle Williams in overtime and recorded a team-best 17 special-teams tackles for a group that also received noteworthy efforts from two other 2011 draft choices -- safety Tyler Sash (15 tackles) and linebacker Greg Jones.
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Larranaga receives three-year extension >>
Coral Gables, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami-Florida men's basketball coach Jim
Larranaga has agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep him
with the Hurricanes through the 2018-19 season.
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Cullowhee, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Speir's first season as Western
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Marshall and Alabama.
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Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros on Friday agreed to terms
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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup
September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to name a few. Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR. They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.
The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
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Ryder Cup Odds| Europe Tie USA |
4-5 10-1 6-5 |
| Tiger Woods Jim Furyk Phil Mickelson Chris DiMarco David Toms Stewart Cink Chad Campbell Scott Verplank Zach Johnson Vaughan Taylor JJ Henry Brett Wetterich |
9-4 4-1 5-1 7-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 |
| Sergio Garcia Luke Donald Padraig Harrington Colin Montgomerie Darren Clarke David Howell Lee Westwood Paul Casey Henrik Stenson Jose Maria Olazabal Paul McGinley Robert Karlsson |
5-1 5-1 6-1 13-2 8-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 12-1 12-1 20-1 25-1 |
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