21st-ranked Hokies host Hurricanes in ACC action

NCAA Football Betting Lines

10/05/2011 - Blacksburg, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After dropping their ACC-opener for the first time since joining the conference, the 21st-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies seek a quick turnaround, as they welcome the Miami Hurricanes to Blacksburg for league action at Lane Stadium this weekend.

Frank Beamer's Hokies closed out non-conference play with a perfect 4-0 mark, but were no match for the surprising Clemson Tigers last weekend in Blacksburg, suffering a 23-3 defeat.

Beamer was pleased with his defense, but critical of the offense and special teams in the loss.

"Defensively, we were good except for a couple of long plays. But overall, I thought we hung in there. We just couldn't take advantage of some opportunities offensively, and the kicking game couldn't give us field position the way we like for it to."

Al Golden's first season with Miami has already had its ups and downs. The Hurricanes have alternated wins and losses over the first four games, but enter this contest off a 45-14 rout of Bethune-Cookman, to pull to 2-2 on the year. Miami is already 0-1 in ACC action, suffering a 32-24 defeat at Maryland in the season-opener.

This is the 29th all-time meeting in this series. Miami holds a 17-11 series advantage, but the Hokies have won the last two meetings, including a 31-17 decision last year at Miami to clinch the Coastal Division.

It is tough to get a true gauge of Miami's offense off of last week's performance against Bethune-Cookman, as the Hurricanes were simply better in every phase of the game, following a sluggish start. On the season, Miami is averaging a modest 369.0 yards per game, leading to nearly 30 points (29.2 ppg).

Quarterback Jacory Harris missed the opener, but has been effective the rest of the way, completing 69 percent of his throws, for 570 yards and six TDs. The senior gunslinger has a healthy 155.9 passer rating. Senior wideout Travis Benjamin (15 receptions, for 170 yards, one TD) leads the way downfield, although junior Tommy Streeter (12 catches, 213 yards, three TDs) certainly has big play ability.

It certainly helps to have a strong rushing attack to keep opposing defenses honest. Sophomore tailback Lamar Miller has been a force on the ground, averaging 127.8 yards per game, on 6.7 yards per carry. He is the first back in school history to eclipse over 100 yards in each of his first four games of a season.

The Hurricanes have been strong against the pass this season (179.8 ypg), but that is due in large part to the team's inability to stop opposing ground games. Miami has given up huge chunks of real estate to runners this year and is allowing 202.2 yards per game on 5.0 yards per carry.

Despite missing the first game of the season, All-American candidate Sean Spence leads the team in tackles. The senior LB has 28 stops on the year, with 5.0 TFLs and two sacks.

The Hokies are sure to test Miami's suspect run defense, as that is the preferred mode of travel for the Virginia Tech offense. The Hokies are getting it done at almost 200 yards per game (196.0) and 4.5 yards per carry. Junior tailback David Wilson has been a true workhorse, averaging 6.0 yards per carry and 127.8 yards per game. He is also tied for the team-lead in rushing touchdowns (five) with backup Josh Oglesby.

Quarterback Logan Thomas was ineffective in the loss to Clemson last weekend, but has been better for much of the season. He is completing 56.8 percent of his throws to date and has a plethora of receivers to go to, headlined by Danny Coale (23 receptions, 326 yards, one TD), D.J. Coles (18 catches, 200 yards, one TD), Jarrett Boykin (13 catches, 103 yards, one TD) and Marcus Davis (nine catches, 185 yards, two TDs).

Despite the struggles against Clemson last weekend, the Hokies remain one of the more productive defensive units in the nation. The team is allowing just 12.6 ppg this year on a mere 249.6 yards of total offense. The stop unit has been particularly strong against the run, allowing just 58.2 ypg on just 2.0 ypc.

Linebackers Bruce Taylor and Tariq Edwards pace the team with 33 and 31 tackles, respectively. Rush end J.R. Collins (20 tackles, 4.5 sacks) has been effective off the edge, while DBs Eddie Whitley (25 tackles, one INT), Kyle Fuller (19 tackles, one INT) and Jayron Hosley (19 tackles, three INTs) highlight the play in the secondary.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.