Tag: Top 25

Is Andrew Luck ready to become the best QB in the NFL

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Luck’s youth, his excellent durability and intelligence on the field absolutely make him the perfect player to build a franchise on. Most of the QBs with his sleek ability to scramble, oftentimes try to scramble out of the pocket, in a short moment or two, luckily and smartly he doesn’t always do that. Luck actually at times, seems to scramble into the pocket, to avoid getting pushed into bad situations. He often lets linemen end up corralling around the outside of him but he stays in the middle and fires the ball on a rope. Luck has that big strong arm and a very smooth and quick release. And on top of that, he does have some legs that can get him from A to B in a short period of time.

 

Luck has the strength to take hits and still stand big in the pocket and complete the pass, and has the power to run over pass rushers, he stands in the pocket differently than other, the only other comparatively, would be Roethlisberger.

Granted, his success, some critics say it could have something to do with playing in AFC South, the worst division in the league since he came barreling into the league in 2012. I do like statistics and I feel they absolutely are important in a players career, but of course, they cannot be used at all times. His poor division, has helped him greatly as well. When playing his divisional opponents since coming into the league has accounted for 32 TDs only 11 INTs and 4565 YDs, in 18 games, those numbers are awesome. The teams in that period have had a combined record of 45-97 between them all.
His one biggest issue to me, he has had many problems with his accuracy, having 26 games of completing 59% or less of his passes. And at times can try to do too much, and make some pretty bad decisions when under stress. But, his issues are fortunately coachable. He certainly has all the physical tools that you want from your franchise QB.

 

Luck, in his short career, he definitely has had way too many picks every year to be considered the best right now. Make no mistake, physical attributes can fall apart as well, look at Jay Cutler, who seems to have every needed physical aspect that you want from a QB, big laser arm, scrambling ability, but over and over, comes up with simply mind boggling mistakes no matter who is coaching him.
Can a QB be great, even with making a lot of bonehead plays?  I think historically we can say yes. Favre certainly is the first to come to mind. His ultimate faith in his cannon reminds me very similarly to Jay Cutler. Only difference, is that Favre played with passion, that has always been Cutlers biggest disappointment.
Russell Wilson will be in the comparison with his 2012 draft class buddy. They will always be linked now for the future. But realistically, Luck has never had even close to the backfield or the mighty defense that Wilson has had the opportunity to play with. And Luck, on top of that, has never had a superior O-line. But I think from his class, and the QBs from the 3 year “vets” he could be the best of the bunch.
A teams success cannot be solely judged on the QB. They are brought about by way more than just a quarterback. Think about it, realistically, Tom Brady would not have the ring run like he has had if not for some great FG kickers, and excellent defense as well. Football is, to me, the ultimate team sport, not a solo sport. Just winning a Super Bowl tells you how great and/ or lucky a team is, not how great a player is. Really, is Eli Manning better than Dan Marino? Imagine if we saw a quarterback who didn’t complete one pass go on to win the Super Bowl, would they then be in the discussion about being the best in the league?
C’mon now.
I don’t think currently that Luck is close to the best in the league, of course if he did lead his team to and was even fortunate to win
a Super Bowl, that would certainly help his case. His games in the playoffs have lacked fire , with 9 TDs and 12 INTs in 6 playoff games, isn’t a good thing. I am not sure if it’s the stiffer competition, or the pressure, or the team not always being that talented around him.
Truthfully, Andrew Luck is the real deal and I think he is going to be a great player for many years down the road.Currently, without question, Aaron Rodgers is clearly the best in the NFL right now. And honestly, Brady is at a distant 2nd in my opinion.
I just think it’s a bit premature to call Luck the best in the game now, and he’s taking a brutal pounding behind his lousy O-line every year
Eventually, he may be the best overall, but he has a long way to go to be in the same ballpark as Rodgers, Brady and Brees. Granted, over the next 3-5 years, it could be possible. If he stays healthy, Luck could be the best, he is the heir apparent to this title, but he is not quite their yet.
Written by Mike Anthony for VegasTopDogs.com

Does Chris Johnson have anything to prove, or is there nothing left in the tank?

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Jetsfans

The Jets signing Chris Johnson for their backfield comes with a lot of flash. About 5 years ago, he ran for more than 2,000 yards with the Titans, for a blistering 5.6 average per run. And he added 14 TDs as well. He indeed had a pretty amazing season, that left many fans asking about who was the best RB in the league at the time, between him and Adrian Peterson. They picked him up only for a 2 year deal, paying him 8 million. Figure he’s 28 years old, 2 years sounds just about right.

Now with a change of teams, and a new start for him in New York, can he possibly return to his Pro-Bowl form, that many people raved about years ago. Johnson has always been that player who could be a long ball guy, who could take it to the house on any play. He could be their home run threat on the field, firing through the line. When Johnson pounded the ground for his monster season, it was only his second year in the league, and the amazing performance was one of the best single seasons ever for anyone at his position.

Now in New York, he also fits in to help Geno Smith at QB, being that he is a solid receiver as well. And what makes Johnson dangerous is the fact that he is such a dangerous pass-catching RB. He has been grabbing a little over 45 balls out of the backfield per season.

But there are many things going through my head for the Jets this season. The true fact is, they are more than stacked at the running back slot. Chris Ivory is built like a house on his burly and powerful 6 ft 225 lbs frame. He totaled up 833 yards on the ground last season, burrowing through defenses like they were cheese steaks. With an impressive 4.6 avg on the ground. But, he did have injuries that seemed to hound him throughout as well. Many that limited his time on the field. The Jets got by 1530 YDs last season with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, as their RBs, combining for a solid 4.3 per carry.

In a way, I think the Jets are hoping for a combination of Johnson and Ivory to take on a Bradshaw and Jacobs role that the Giants had in 2010 When they tore up the league for a combined 2058 YDs and 17 TDs. And again, with his pass catching ability, he could actually line up as a WR as well, or in the slot.

His last year in Tennessee was disastrous, getting buried behind the line of scrimmage almost all the time. Making us ask was his dramatic dip in production due to the knee injury? Or was it his line, or maybe that he isn’t quite the RB that many thought he actually was. Don’t get me wrong, Chris Johnson has great intangibles, he is mobile and is capable of busting off a pretty deep ball, but his power running is weak and he struggles with that tremendously. I’m curious to see how they will work Chris Johnson into their scheme. Johnson definately looks more comfortable when he is able to get to the outside again.

The Jets have been an organization that wallows in a pits of mediocrity. Their front office has been making bad moves and creating issues for seasons upon seasons now. I am sure that Chris Johnson feels confident that the Jets will feed him the ball all season long. And the fact that the OC Marty Mornhinweg likes his style, seems like he will see probably 50% of the carries. I think potentially Johnson can get about 1300 all-purpose YDs, the Jets O-Line is not dominating enough to think can they run the ball strongly 35+ times a game.

I don’t feel he is going to be the man in New York, although he’s athletic and quick, one if his main problems is that he can’t seem to be able to shed tacklers. Plus the fact that the running game has been de-emphasized in the NFL. He isn’t what he thinks he is, in my honest opinion. Numbers don’t lie, changes in scheme is going to be tough, his small size, his speed is only effective is he can get into an open field. I think that he was a good back with incredible speed. He is too small to keep taking the hits week in and week out. At only 195lbs, he keeps taking big hits and struggles to keep coming back.

He has had seasons where he has disappeared, his holdout in 2011, in which he ended up the season with a sad 1047 YDs and 4 TDs. There never has been any legitimate explanation for his falling off the charts, except that he is extremely dependent on his O-line. When he rushed for his massive 2,006 YDs, the Titans offensive line was awesome.

Johnson is an ordinary RB, who had one very special year. In the 5 years since his mega season, he’s averaged only 4.18 yards per carry.

Written by TonyK of VegasTopDogs.com

Is Ryan Tannehill the answer in Miami

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NFL: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill has been steadily decent in his first 2 seasons in Miami. With 36 TD passes in his first 32 games, to his 30 picks in the same time-frame, he has had his shares of ups and downs. He has been hit and miss with his accuracy, at times, looking really sharp sometimes, hitting on 62% of his throws, in his good games, and then we have the rough games, where he is 10-27 completing 37%. Who is the real Ryan?

Ryan has led his team to 15 wins over 32 games, which is pretty satisfactory for a team that is playing in a division with the mighty Patriots. And has led his teams to wins over the Colts, the Pats and Bengals last season. But it’s time for him to take his team on his shoulders, and can he, does he have the ability to that? When he was drafted 8th overall in 2012 he came out of Texas A&M as a high-end prospect. With most opinions about him being that he was a manageable “work in progress, but could be amazing.”

When playing in Texas, Tannehill was nothing short of a quick wonderboy, with 29 TD passes, a late upsurge and a great 2011 season behind him to back up his legacy. And in only 2 seasons of playing, had a following that many felt he was going to be an exceptional player. He has always had a slight issue with his accuracy, even then. How does his future look wearing the Dolphins aqua blue?

His receiving corps has been unstable over the last couple seasons. With Brian Hartline being the best option for him in getting open, seemingly, all the time. And Davone Bess in 2012 and now he’s in Cleveland, awaiting Manziels legacy to begin.

Out of the backfield, in 2012, they have had Reggie Bush who could at least provide some alleviation in the passing attempts for him, as the Dolphins were in the top 10 last year, in the NFL with passing the ball. Tannehill has had 12 games with at least 35 passing attempts. That’s a lot of pressure to move the team via airwaves. Now, adding Knowshon Moreno, will be a priceless piece in this offense. He has an ability to gain positive yards in certain downs, in particular on 3rd downs. Where the ‘Phins were awful last year. Moreno got 53 first downs in 2013. Compared to just 26 for Lamar Miller and 17 for Daniel Thomas. Moreno will really help them gain more short yardage conversions. Again taking away some urgency of their QB to be forced to throw. Every team, would like to have a guy out of the backfield who can catch some balls, and make a play. Moreno can be that guy. He proved in 2013 that he can do that easily. I feel the Dolphins need to employ his all around ball skills often.

And with Mike Wallace looking like he could be a growing in his advancement as a legit WR1, and rookie Jarvis Landry coming in to show what he has to add to the mix, I think it’s time for Tannehill to come around. The Dolphins have put their QB in position to deliver the goods. Last year, their O-line was garbage. And throwing the ball all the time, was their best choice. But they have fixed the O-line this off-season. Adding LT Branden Albert and keeping Mike Pouncey, quickly created an offensive line with 2 Pro-Bowlers. I think that Tannehill is going to be the long haul guy to carry them forward. Ryan Tannehill is only going to get better with his passing skills and his knowledge to read defenses once he gets a solid RB behind him, I feel he could easily be a 25+ TD guy in the NFL. As long as they give him some time to throw, they could win 10+ games pretty quickly.

Written by TonyK of VegasTopDogs.com

Tennessee Titans NFL 2014 Season Preview

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TennTitans

The Tennessee Titans come into 2014 with a new Head Coach as Ken Whisenhunt will be looking to right the ship and have the Titans competing in the AFC South and to make a surprise run at the Playoffs.

The Titans went and got OL Taylor Lewan in the 1st round of the Draft this season to bolster the line along with OL Chance Warmack in last year’s draft. The Titan’s had increased production in the running game last year, and I look for a bigger increase this season with a solid offensive line. Expectations are high for rookie RB Bishop Sankey as he is expected to fill the hole for CJ2K who went to the Jets in the off-season.

Dexter McCluster was also an acquisition for the Titans and I look for a good amount of touches to go McAlister’s way. Whisenhunt was the OC for the Chargers last season and he made great use of Danny Woodhead out of the backfield and McCLuster is the same kind of player. If Shonn Greene stays healthy, this gives the Titans a versatile backfield with a ‘Thunder & Lightning’ combo with Greene a Power Back in the Red Zone and Goaline situations. The biggest question this season is, “Can Jake Locker can stay healthy?” If he can avoid injury, then I see the Titans winning at least 6 or 7 of their 8 home games, and 1 or 2 road wins is not out of the question to get them at a possible 9-7 record and at least a shot at the Playoffs. The receiver core is solid with veteran Nate Washington, then youngsters Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright with another year under their belt. Tight End Delaney Walker is also a quality TE that came from San Francisco and I’ve seen this guy make some key catches in games and he is also an excellent blocker.

 

On defense, the Titans improved last year from allowing 29 ppg to only allowing 24 ppg and trimmed 36 yards ppg of their total defense allowed. I like the front 7 of the Titans this year, but the secondary might be a bit weaker but should still be competitive. Overall, the Titans have the 2nd softest schedule in the league and I like them to be a good ‘PLAY ON’ team early in the season as amateur bettors will not be giving the Titans any respect.

*** Brandon’s Power Play: *** ***Week 1 Sept. 7th Tennessee @ Kansas City*** Play on : Tennessee as an Underdog*** The Titans will travel to Kansas City looking for revenge from last year’s 26-17 loss they suffered at home. I fully expect the Titans to put forth a better effort in this game than last year. The Titans got off to a slow start in this game down 13-0 as Ryan Fitzpatrick was playing in his first game as Locker was injured. The result was three-and-out on the first 5 series for the Titans and they could never establish a running game. Fitzpatrick was 0-for-8 with an INT on passes 15+ yards down the field. This year, they will have Locker under center and I look for the Titans to take some shots deep down the field early in this one. Expectations are high for the Chiefs this season, but I am expecting a sub-par season under HC Andy Reid. The Chiefs were fortunate last season to benefit from a +18 turnovers. I don’t think they will be as lucky this year to have the ball bounce in their direction.

The Chiefs do not have a strong passing game as it’s more dink and dunk passes from Alex Smith, so I don’t see the secondary of the Titans getting exposed in this game. I would also like to note that the Chiefs actually only outgained 5 opponents this year and this is a major red flag as they somehow won 11 games. A lot of their wins came from the fortunate bounces of the ball going their way and I got the feeling that the Titans win the turnover battle in this game. McCLuster will also be eager to make some plays against his former team and I also feel he can help out with the scouting report as he knows the Chiefs offense very well. The last note is that the Chiefs have a road game @ Denver in week 2 and I think it’s safe to assume that the Chiefs will be ‘looking ahead’ to this game as they will be playing with double revenge from last season and actually had the 21-7 lead on Denver before Peyton Manning went on a tear en route to a 35-28 victory.

*** Closing thoughts:*** Like I said, the Titans are not expected to be competitive this season by many, but all indicators tell me they will present some very good value for us bettors and should be a profitable team to bet on in 2014. If Locker stays healthy, and if they can win some of the close games they will be in, I expect the Titans to be a sleeper team in the AFC.

Written by Brandon Shively of VegasTopDogs.com

NFL Pre-Season Report part 1

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NFL-Preseason-700x400

Contrary to popular opinion there’s money to be made during the NFL preseason. One of the tools I use is my 4D handicapping software in order to develop proven betting systems that have survived the test of time.

As I have stated on several occasions, you shouldn’t just limit yourself to one facet of sports handicapping when wagering your hard earned money. However, I’ve taken the time to share some extremely profitable betting systems during the NFL preseason that can serve you well as a fundamental starting point. All of this information is originated from the 4D software, and only a handful of professional sports handicappers in the country currently possess.

•Any NFL preseason away underdog of 3.5 or less that’s coming off a straight up favorite loss by 10-points or more, versus an opponent coming off a SU&ATS win is 23-4 ATS (85.2%) since 1980.

•Any NFL preseason away underdog of 7.0 or more, versus an opponent coming off a SU&ATS win in which they covered by 5.5 or more, has gone 19-9 ATS (67.9%) since 1980.

•Any NFL preseason away underdog that’s coming off 2 consecutive wins, versus an opponent coming off a win by 10-points or more, has gone 22-6 ATS (78.5%) since 1994.

•Any NFL preseason underdog of 6.5 or more that’s coming off a loss by 10-points or more, versus an opponent coming off a SU&ATS win has gone 20-5 ATS (83.3%) since 1980.

Written by Ross Benjamin of VegasTopDogs.com

March Madness is here and we have your winning tips!

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March-Madness-Sermon-Slide1

This is the most exciting time of the college basketball season and the most anticipated and watched event in sports next to the Super Bowl.

I have correctly pegged 2 of the 4 teams who made it to the FINAL FOUR in eight straight years.
This year I am giving you some of my top advice on what it takes to be a champion. Of course, you can never foresee injuries, suspensions, foul trouble, poor officiating, etc. throughout the big dance.
Everyone likes underdogs and Cinderella teams but you have to look at the team records, their strengths and the conferences that they play in. There is usually one team that surprises everyone but fails to win it in the end, such as Utah in 1998 vs. Kentucky and Butler coming up short in 2010 and 2011.

Since 1998, the Championship team has not been seeded lower than a #3 and in 1997 Arizona was a #4 seed and won it all. As you can see in the past 15 tournaments, the top teams usually go all the way. Digging even deeper you have to go back to 1988 when a #6 seed Kansas team coached by Larry Brown won it all, but things were different back then as players didn’t bolt to the NBA after one season in college. As much as I like to select a solid #4 or #5 to go all the way, it’s not a smart idea. Nineteen of the last 22 National Champs have been a #1 or #2 seed.

Before I start to bore you with all of my numbers and trends, let me share some of my top tips for picking your brackets. Great teams do not lose more than 7 games in a season, so if a team has 8 or more losses, stay away from them. Also, each of the past 15 champs were from one of the major 6 conferences (Big East, SEC, PAC-12, BIG 12, ACC, BIG 10). The teams in these conferences play the toughest games night in and night out on a regular basis and have been more battle tested. Mid majors/small schools tend to make it to the Sweet 16 or Elite 8, but not the FINAL FOUR.

So, if you are like me and really like the way Gonzaga, SD State, St Louis, Memphis and Wichita Stare playing this season, you might want to think twice about advancing them deep in your brackets.
Looking at the teams who lost 7 or fewer games this season, play in a major conference, and are seeded #3 or better this year, you can narrow down your Final Four selections from this list of nine teams.

FLORIDA

ARIZONA

VIRGINIA

SYRACUSE

IOWA ST

CREIGHTON

WISCONSIN

MICHIGAN

VILLANOVA.

From here, I would look at how these teams faired on neutral courts and on the road during their season. It is also important to consider each team’s starting guards, their defensive strength, team rebounding, and if they can make their foul shots.

From my 21 years of experience, I offer you my professional advice and helpful tips. My hope is that this article has fed your excitement for the tournament while giving you a competitive edge to turn some heads in your company pools! Enjoy the tournament and remember, pick with your head, not with your heart!

Follow Tony Karpinski for more updates and information throughout the tournament at VegasTopDogs.com.

College Hoops Takes Center Stage

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SyracuseOrange

With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the next big event on the sports stage is college basketball’s season-ending tournaments. Since 1997, college basketball’s national champion has come from several different conferences: the Pac 10 (Arizona), SEC (Kentucky and Florida), Big 10 (Michigan State), the ACC (Duke, Maryland, North Carolina), Nig 12 (Kansas) and the old Big East (UConn, Syracuse, Louisville). Over the next few weeks, let’s examine some of the top hoop teams in each conference, starting this week with the ACC. Duke: A down year for Duke? For losses already for Coach Mike Krzyzewski, a pair against the Top 10 but also a pair of defeats (Notre Dame, Clemson) outside the Top 25. It’s a young team with 6-8 freshman Jabari Parker (19 ppg, 7.7 rpg) team with sophomores Amile Jefferson and Rodney Hood. They like the uptempo style, tops in the conference in scoring averaging 87 ppg in ACC play.

One problem is defense, ranked second to last in the ACC in field goal shooting defense, giving up 45% shooting. It’s not a big team in the low post and they can be pushed around by power frontcourts. In the last to Clemson, Duke was outrebounded 48-30. The Blue Devils are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 home games, 10-4 over on Saturdays. Duke has at least 4 losses in its first 16 games for the first time since the 1996-97 season. Syracuse: Coach Jim Boheim has a powerhouse team that has met every challenge, including wins over No. 8 Villanova (78-62), No. 18 Baylor (74-67) and No. 22 Pitt (59-54). Freshman guard Tyler Ennis (12 ppg, 5.5 apg) leads a unit that is tops in the conference in steals, while 6-8 senior C.J. Fair (16.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and 6-8 sophomore Jerami Grant (12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg) provide frontcourt muscle. They turn up the defense on the road, 4-1-1 under the total away. Syracuse is in the middle of a stretch playing 5 of 6 at home.

The Orange is 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning record. Pitt: The Panthers have been impressive, with a pair of losses to Cincinnati and Syracuse by a total of 5 points. Their calling card is defense, third in the ACC in points allowed with 6-9 senior Talib Zanna (13 ppg, 8 rpg) and 6-8 Mike Young in the paint. In the backcourt, 6-5 senior Lamar Patterson (17 ppg) and sophomore James Robinson are highly efficient, as the team doesn’t score a ton of points but ranks 7th in the nation in assists. Despite all that defense this team is 60-29-1 over the total on Saturdays. They only play one top 20 team before the ACC tourney, hosting Syracuse next week. Virginia: The Cavaliers are getting it done with a terrific one-two punch of 6-5 sophomore Malcolm Brogdon (11 ppg, 5 rpg) and 6-6 senior Joe Harris (12.3 ppg). Virginia plays great defense, second in the ACC in points allowed, as well as third in field goal shooting defense (36% allowed). Virginia hasn’t done well when stepping up, losing to Wisconsin (48-38), VCU (59-56) and Duke (69-65), slowing the pace down. The Cavaliers are 22-8 ATS in their last 30 Saturday games. One flaw that could be fatal in March is free throw shooting, one of the worst in the ACC at 62.5%.

Clemson: The Tigers are one of the poorest offenses in the country (64 ppg), but stay alive by strangling opponents with defense, tops in the ACC in points allowed (53.6 ppg), field goal defense (32% allowed) and three-point defense (22%). 6-6 junior K.J., McDaniels (16 ppg, 7 rpg) is a workhorse in the paint along with 6-10 sophomore Landry Nnoko. It’s no surprise they started the season 8-5 under the total. But do they have the offense to come back against good teams when needed? Clemson got thumped by Florida State (56-41) and Pitt (76-43) shooting 30% and 32%. Against Pitt Daniels got into early foul trouble and this team doesn’t have other offensive options. Clemons is in the middle of a stretch now playing 5 of 6 on the road. Florida State: The Seminoles are a tough team to play because they attack opponents in a variety of ways.

Florida State is a dynamite defensive team allowing 36% shooting in ACC play (third), solid from the line and tough on the road. They lost at No. 15 Florida by one point and a two-point loss to Michigan in overtime. The Seminoles have a lot of depth and balance with 6-9 senior Okaro White (12 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and 6-7 Montay Brandon up front, plus senior Ian Miller and 6-5 sophomore Aaron Thomas in the backcourt, both averaging 13 ppg. The under is 14-5 versus a team with a winning record.  Written by Jim Feist for VegasTopDogs.com.

Exposing the Top 25: Where the polls went wrong

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Each week throughout the college basketball season,  Jesse Schule
will dissect the new Top 25 rankings, looking for betting value. He’ll showcase
the most overrated team, along with the most underrated ranked team, and an
unranked squad that he feels should be in the Top 25.

Most underrated Top
25 team: Wichita State Shockers (19-0 SU, 12-3-1 ATS)

It’s tough to make
an argument that the Shockers aren’t underrated. After all, they have the best
record in the country at 19-0 and yet they’re ranked behind both Villanova and
Michigan State, despite the fact that both those teams have suffered at least
one loss this season. There is also the fact that the Shockers are covering the
spread in 80 percent of their games so far, a truly amazing statistic
considering we are more than halfway through the season.

Critics will say
that the Shockers’ schedule doesn’t see them play a single ranked opponent all
season. That doesn’t mean they haven’t played any quality teams. They have
registered impressive double-digit victories over BYU and DePaul, and they beat
Saint Louis and Alabama on the road. We saw what this team was capable in last
year’s tournament and there is every reason to expect them to be a contender
once again this March.

Most overrated Top 25 team: Villanova Wildcats
(16-2 SU, 12-4 ATS)

The Wildcats climbed all the way to fourth in the
national polls this week. But on the very same day the new rankings came out,
they were blown out on their own court by the Creighton Bluejays. They didn’t
just lose that game – they lost by a staggering 18-point margin at
home.

The Wildcats play three straight road games over the next 10 days,
then return home to host a dangerous Xavier team. It seems inevitable that
Villanova will slide downward in the rankings as the season
progresses.

Unranked team that should be ranked: Creighton Bluejays (15-3
SU, 12-5 ATS)

The AP dropped the Bluejays from the rankings this week,
after their 10-game winning streak came to an end on the road against
Providence. Creighton, though, is almost guaranteed to shoot back up into the
rankings after its upset win at Villanova.

Doug McDermott and the boys
shot 60 percent from 3-point range in the win over the Wildcats, hitting 21
3-pointers. Any team that is capable of doing that on the road versus one of the
nation’s Top 5 teams is going to strike fear into any opponent.

By Jesse Schule of VegasTopDogs.

Is the 2014 QB draft class the best ever?

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Johnny Football

This years draft class coming up for the heralded franchise QB is frothing at the edge of anticipation. The draft this year is months away still, but for teams that aren’t in the playoffs, this is a very sober issue to be looking at in particular if your team happens to lack that special guy behind the center.

There will be 4 QBs going in the 1st round this year, guaranteed, and possibly, in my opinion maybe 5.

Teams that are all in dire need of a QB to help them get to the next level, will be studying, to try and and bring their franchises some winning and excitement.

The utter importance of the QB position has always been so key to a teams success that drafting one has been known to say, “makes or breaks your team” or can set your team backwards 10 years if you draft the wrong guy. True? Maybe, but devastating when you miss on the QB you are hoping for, absolutely.

With all the recent success the young QBs coming into the league have had, it’s a terrible expectation for these kids to have walking into the NFL. But it is what it is. The old 3 year or 30 game tryout before knowing what you have seem to be as old school as tackling (remember that in football?) There are no more developing them for the future in their rookie year and then keep them around to learn, on the roster as the backup or even 3rd stringer.

The kids coming out this year all have ample windows, and even bigger expectations this year for their franchises that decide to draft them. Let’s take a brief look at them, in no particular order.

Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville. Bridgewater threw for 3,970 yards and 31 touchdowns, while completing 71% of his passes. And keeps his eyes downfield. Tough kid, even though very lanky, showing toughness to bounce back up, even after getting drilled.

Blake Bortles, Central Florida. Bortles to me is a surprise here, in the fact that, he was way better than I thought. Some speculating he has the highest chance of success of any QB in the ’14 class. He has a good size at 6-4 and a 230. He can run the ball well as well, giving him that dual ability. And he just throws a really nice football, with some extra spice on it.

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M. Johnny Football is absolutely one of the most energizing college football players in modern history. He has extraordinary mobility, avoiding what seems like everyone at anytime on the field. he is a highlight waiting to happen. He has great takeoff speed, bailing when needed. And has improved as a pocket passer also.

Derek Carr, Fresno State. Wow, out of nowhere, he finished the season with 50 td passes. And amazing accuracy as well at 69%. He was the only QB to throw for more than 5,000 yards, with that kind of passing quality. He is another with a big body, a powerful arm, and is able to launch the ball all over the field. An excellent pocket passer, with big anticipations.

Also keep an eye out for Zach Mettenberger from LSU, who I also feel could be a solid NFL product.

It’s going to be great, as always, GMs have better do their homework to make sure they hit  on these kids.

Maybe?

Written by TonyK of VegasTopDogs.

Or are they all going to be successful?

What kind of message is Carmelo Anthony sending to the Knicks with his free agency talk?

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Carmelo Anthonys career has been good overall. When he was drafted by the Nuggets in 2003 , I think that most everyone felt that the 6-8 forward was going to be a prominent player who was going to be a scoring machine and a possible champion someday. Melo has never been a poor scorer, by any means. Putting up career numbers of 25/ game. And has been a solid rebounder as well with 6.5/clip. And his clutch genes have always been there, with his excellent play with time running out at the end of games.

Personally I like Anthony, his scoring ability is almost unmatched, he can get a shot off anywhere on the court, he can hit it deep, take it to the hole, post up, and has a nice mid range shot. But he is also a guy who needs the ball, the game slows down, he gets the rock and it sits in his hands for 15 seconds, while he decides what he is going to do. It becomes isolation ball the minute he gets it in his hands.

When he went to New York, there was the Knicks exaggeration with him and Amare. Could they coexist on the court together, I think we all saw what happened when they played together, they were much less impressive. Carmelo, for some reason, can’t get other guys over the hump to the next level with his game style.

Last year, the Knicks were on the doorstep, of becoming the next big thing in the NBA. Most felt this way after they lost in the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Indiana Pacers in 6, where Melo scored great, but shot miserably. So this season coming in, certainly looked as if only promise and getting better should follow, signing yet another shooter, Andrea Bargnani. to help out in the lineup.

Then early on, as in, as the season was starting, Carmelo brings up talk about trying out free agency next season. Free agency? What? Are you serious? And now he’s saying the Knicks are the laughing stock of the NBA. Are they a failure of a team so far, yes, but keep your mouth shut, talk to your team behind closed doors.

At some point, there has to be some kind of loyalty. Or are those days long gone, with the high short shorts in the NBA? After saying while he was in Denver, how much he wanted to play in hometown New York? Says to me that he is simply giving up on the team.

Of course, on the sniffing radar are the LA Lakers, who seem to always be prepared to snag someone to help Kobe get his magical and mystical 6th ring. But I hate to break the news, him and Kobe would never make it together on the court. Both are too selfish of players. Both needs to be “the man” and I don’t see either one willing to bend and play 2nd fiddle to the other. Were talking about guys who take about 40+ shots a game between the 2 of them, it would be them chucking up shots back and forth, feeling no one could stop them, yet that would likely not be the case. When other players check out mentally, when it becomes a 1-2 man show on offense. They are both primary scorers, who need the ball in their hands, neither can facilitate an offense happily, and Kobe wants the ball for every shot.

Carmelo needs to stop the talk, stop the nonsense and get his head in the game and his team at this time. That should be his only concern right now, is trying to turn around his lousy team and make them into something better. Unfortunately, Carmelo seems to be riding down the path of being one of those excellent scorers who just cant seem to make his teammates better.

Do the Knicks look like a serious playoff team now? Not even close. Do they look like they can become a legitimate playoff team, absolutely, they have scoring shot blocker, Andrea Bargnani and underestimated PG, Raymond Felton, both of whom are supportable and adequate players who can get them through some games as well. Carmelo needs to take care of his team and his business now. Melo, of course, has been the biggest gleaming spot on many bad nights this season keeping the Knicks in games.

But it still just seems to be Carmelo worrying about Carmelo.

Written by TonyK of VegasTopDogs.com