When it comes to NFL Betting lines, players have to be just as thorough with paying attention to numbers as they are with paying attention to factors such as injuries and other trends. Key numbers indicate the margin of victory most common in the NFL, and they can tell players a lot about what the pay head bookies are trying to do with the spreads for particular games. Three points is the most common final score by a long way, with seven the next in line. Other key numbers in football are four, six, and 10, so keep an eye on them when they come up.

About 16 percent of NFL games fall on the number three, compared to 8 percent that fall on seven, and 6 percent with 10 or six. When a sports betting line for a given game is close to that number just missing on either side, then the bookies is apparently looking to lure you in to one side. For example, if the most common final margin for a game is three, than by listing a team at minus-2.5 or plus-3.5, the bookie is trying to entice you to roll with that number. When it comes to buying points or teasing games, these numbers have to be considered the most attractive to work with as you then have the ability to manipulate the system. Those half-points could end up being crucial in the end, so make sure that when you play you take advantage when those numbers come up.

The No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys came the closest to spoiling the party for the SEC in the BCS Championship game, finishing with an identical record to the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide at 11-1, but missing out on the biggest sports betting game because of the lack of strength in the Big 12 this season. The No. 4 Stanford Cardinal also finished with 11 wins in 12 contests, and will turn to their Heisman trophy candidate at quarterback in Andrew Luck as they clash with the Cowboys in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

The majority of the focus for this game will be on the quarterbacks, as Brandon Weeden leads Oklahoma State against Luck, as perhaps one of the most underrated NCAA football signal-callers in the nation. While Luck threw for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns in the PAC-12, Weeden threw for 4,328 yards and 34 touchdowns in the Big 12, which is part of the reason why the pay head bookies will set the total so high. While Luck has gotten the job done with relatively mediocre wide receivers, Weeden has had the luxury of throwing to one of the best receivers in college football in tight end Coby Fleener. Considering the way that the Cardinal defense let them down in a 53-30 loss to the Oregon Ducks, which was their only defeat of the season, and the statement that the Cowboys’ defense made in a 44-10 win over Oklahoma, the difference could very well come down to the job that the Oklahoma State defense does.

After 10 months and 15 days, Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby finally made his return to NHL ice, and he did it in style on Monday. Crosby scored twice and added two assists as the Penguins dominated the New York Islanders for 60 minutes in a 5-0 shutout win, and it may be foreshadowing of what is to come for one of the league’s most complete teams. It is hard to overlook the fact that Pittsburgh managed to stay at the top of the Eastern conference standings through the first quarter of the season even without Crosby in their lineup, but now that they have No. 87 back, they have to be the sports betting favorites to bring home the Stanley Cup this season.

It wasn’t just about Crosby last night, as Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for the shutout and Evgeni Malkin registered a goal and an assist. The duo of Crosby and Malkin ranks among the most talented in the NHL, and with the additions of Steve Sullivan and James Neal the Penguins have an incredible top-six group of forwards. The fact that Jordan Staal is the team’s third-line center is testament to their depth, while their defense core has made major strides over the pay head years, including the development of Kris Letang as one of the top defenseman in the NHL. The Penguins will have a tough road to the Eastern conference finals, but after watching the performance that Crosby and his teammates put on his season debut, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them back in the finals.

With the new NCAA Final Four logo recently revealed, fans across the sports betting nation have to be getting even more excited about the return of basketball and the coming college basketball season. While it is still early, there is one particular school that has dominated all of the headlines in regards to the March Madness road to the National title, and while there is no denying their talent and reputation as a program, there is one big reason to believe that they won’t be there when it matters most.

While the North Carolina Tar Heels have the talent and the coaching experience to overcome the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC after falling just short a pay head year ago, there may already be too much pressure on them to live up to the hype of becoming national champions. When you look back to last year’s Final Four and the fact that only one of the top teams made it through based on a relatively easier road, it is hard to imagine that the Tar Heels will be able to peak at just the right time with so many expectations and such a long road to get there. Tyler Zeller and John Henson are among the notable returning stars for UNC, and there incoming class is projected to be absolutely loaded, but the same could have been said for several teams that haven’t reached the Final Four over the years, and the same could potentially be said about the Tar Heels for this coming intertops season.