2010 FBS Positional Analysis: Linebackers

NCAA Football Betting Lines

07/30/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - They are free to roam the middle of the field, looking to lay the lumber on the ball-carriers and receivers that dare to enter their domain. The job of the linebacker is to be instinctual, to be in the right place at the right time and deliver punishing hits.

Here are the top linebackers in the FBS heading into the 2010 season.

INSIDE LBS:

GREG JONES, MICHIGAN STATE

While this Spartan looks a little small for a linebacker (6-1, 228), there is no denying that he plays much bigger and is regarded among the best in the country. Jones has earned All-American honors in each of his first three seasons at MSU, including being named a consensus first-team member in 2009. The 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year finished third in the nation in tackles (154), with 13.5 TFLs and nine sacks. The ultimate defensive playmaker Jones heads into his senior season ranked eighth on the school's all-time tackles list (359). The Spartans may not be lifting the Big Ten trophy at the end of the season, but that won't stop the accolades from raining down on Jones.

QUAN STURDIVANT, NORTH CAROLINA

On one of the best defenses in the entire country, Sturdivant stands out as the leader. Perhaps the most NFL-ready LB heading into the 2010 campaign, this Tar Heel has the ability to do it all. The 6-2, 230-pound senior can make plays all over the field and is rarely caught out of position. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors in 2009, finishing with 79 total tackles and 12 TFLs. UNC's offense definitely plays second-fiddle to the defense, which is chock-full of All-American talent throughout. The Tar Heels aren't ready to win the ACC, but opponents will definitely know they are in a fight week-in and week-out.

CHRIS GALIPPO, USC

Following in a long line of stellar LBs at USC, Galippo had a strong sophomore season in 2009, earning some All-American honors, while being a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. The 6-2, 250-pound middle linebacker finished last year with 70 total tackles, eight TFLs, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The Trojans are under new management and will begin serving a postseason ban this year, but that shouldn't prevent Galippo from once again putting up big numbers, as the team's defensive leader.

MIKE MOHAMED, CALIFORNIA

Mohamed is a veteran LB who has played in all 39 games for the Golden Bears over the last three seasons. The 6-3, 245-pounder came into his own last year, becoming a full-time starter, earning All-Pac-10 First-Team honors, leading the conference with 112 total tackles, with 8.5 TFLs, two sacks and three INTs. On quite a few preseason All-American lists, expect big things from Mohamed in 2010. The Golden Bears are always in the mix when talking about the Pac-10 title, and this senior LB will do everything in his power to keep that going.

ALEX WUJCIAK, MARYLAND

A throwback type of LB, this Maryland Terrapin just keeps getting better. Regarded as one of the top playmakers at his position in the entire country, the 6-3, 245-pound Wujciak followed up Second-Team All-ACC honors in 2008, with First-Team honors in 2009. As a junior last season, he ranked second in the ACC with a team-high 131 tackles (eighth nationally), with 8.5 TFLs and two interceptions. The Terps are not in a position to return to the top of the ACC standings, but expect to hear Wujciak's name mentioned often regardless of where Maryland finishes up.

OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Kelvin Sheppard (LSU), Casey Matthews (Oregon), Josh Bynes (Auburn), Tank Carder (TCU), Mario Harvey (Marshall).

OUTSIDE LBS:

MARK HERZLICH, BOSTON COLLEGE

The legend of Herzlich will follow him forever, as the standout LB, who was the ACC Player of the Year, an All-American and a finalist for the Butkus Award in 2008, missed the entire 2009 season while battling and beating a rare form of bone cancer. In 2008, he amassed 110 total tackles and led all LBs nationally with six interceptions, two of which he returned for TDs. While Herzlich is expected to play this season, it remains to be seen if he can return to form. At less than 100-percent, he will still be a driving force on the BC defense. If he makes it all the way back, he will stockpile most of the defensive awards by season's end.

TRAVIS LEWIS, OKLAHOMA

After breaking Brian Bosworth's school record for tackles by a freshman in 2008 (144 stops), the 6-2, 232-pound Lewis once again picked up All-Big 12 First-Team honors with 109 total tackles as a sophomore in 2009. As instinctual as they come at the linebacker position, the third-year Sooner might not remain in school after the 2009 campaign, as he has everything needed to excel at the next level. The Sooners took it on the chin in 2009, but expect Lewis to be one of the main reasons the team returns to form among the Big 12 elite in 2010.

BRUCE CARTER, NORTH CAROLINA

Another extremely gifted Tar Heel, the 6-3, 235-pound Carter has a complete skill set. With above-average strength, speed and athleticism, this senior will surely be mentioned among the best OLBs in the country. Carter has started 33 career games, including all 13 as a junior in 2009, where he racked up 65 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, two sacks and an interception returned for a TD, en route to All-ACC Second-Team honors. If he stays healthy, it will be difficult to keep him off the First Team this season.

VON MILLER, TEXAS A&M

The first Aggie to be tabbed a First-Team All-American since cornerback Jason Webster in 1999, the 6-3, 240-pound Miller led the nation in sacks (17), while amassing 21 TFLs. Miller is regarded as a hybrid player, who can also line up along the defensive front with his hand on the ground. He projects to be a big- time pass rushing threat in a 3-4 system in the NFL. The Aggies aren't exactly stacked with All-American talent throughout the roster, but Miller is as good as it gets at his position.

ROSS HOMAN, OHIO STATE

The linebacker position at Ohio State has become a launching pad for many a talented player of late, and this year may be no different. Compared favorably to 2007 Butkus Award winner James Laurinaitis, the 6-0, 227-pound Homan may just carve out an award-winning career in Columbus as well. As a junior in 2009, Homan was a Second-Team All-Big Ten member, racking up a team-high 108 total tackles. With above-average speed and playmaking ability, the sky is the limit for this Buckeye, as he should be a driving force in Ohio State's run toward a Big Ten title and perhaps much more.

OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Akeem Ayers (UCLA), Michael Morgan (USC), Chris Walker (Tennessee), Wayne Daniels (TCU), Lawrence Wilson (UConn).

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.