Saturday January 5, 2008, the AFC wild card showdown between the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers will be indeed one football game to anticipate. The winner will move on to the Divisional playoffs against the New England Patriots.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers -1 

The NFL handicappers might have as well made it even, but then you’ll never know, 1 point against the spread can be critical, or not. At least, it gives the option for a draw, but for sure this opening betting line is still going to move after some heavy betting on both sides.

In the last 10 times Jacksonville and Pittsburgh have clashed, the Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten the better of the Steelers with a 6-4 straight up record and 8-2 against the spread (ATS). For this 2007-08 NFL regular season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have proved to have the better NFL record with  11-4 compared to the Pittsburgh Steelers who are 10-5. However, the home field advantage at Heinz Field will certainly favor Pittsburgh. It’s just too bad that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is still questionable to play due to his ankle injury. But really, that ankle is going to go out fighting, and we can expect a really close game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Betsandtips.com likes the chances of the Pittsburgh Steelers to win against Jacksonville Jaguars in their upcoming AFC Wild Card playoff.

To find out more about NFL betting odds, or to place a bet on Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers -1, then visit the Betus NFL sportsbook.

Some say the Dallas Cowboys could’ve made it difficult for the Washington Redskins to clinch the last playoff berth of the NFC had they played the football they were known for, but the Dallas Cowboys made a smart decision in resting some of its key starters for the upcoming 2008 NFL Playoffs.

Whatever reasons there are, it’s official! The Washington Redskins are heading to the 2008 NFL Playoffs after a 27-6 romp over the Dallas Cowboys. Washington Redskins  quarterback Todd Collins threw for 244 yards including a 42-yard touchdown reception with Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss. Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis rushed for 104 yards, including 2 touchdowns.

The Dallas Cowboys just relaxed and scored 2 field goals, opting to reserve their strength for the upcoming 2008 NFL Playoffs and letting the Redskins slide in, or whatever.  Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins will go against the Seattle Seahawks for an NFC Wild-Card showdown. The winner of the Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks wild-card playoffs game on January 5 will then advance to challenge the Dallas Cowboys for the Divisional Playoffs. Maybe then, the Dallas Cowboys will show their true football form.

In the meantime, Dallas Cowboys will wait for the NFC wild-card playoffs between Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks.

To find out about NFL wild-card odds, or to place a bet on Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks and other upcoming games of the 2008 NFL playoffs, then visit the Betus Sportsbook.

In a mixed martial arts (MMA) light heavy-weight showdown at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell slugged it out with Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva for one of the main events in UFC 79: Nemesis.

Chuck Liddell was judged as the winner by unanimous decision, out-slugging Wanderlei Silva to win their much anticipated showdown. Both Silva and Liddell had lost their two previous fights, and the winner of this MMA showdown would surely put some good news into their fight record.

Despite the loss, Wanderlei Silva did show some good form, catching Chuck Liddell with a solid punch that sent The Iceman to the mat in the second round of their UFC 79 match. However, Chuck Liddell was able to recover and end the round with a flurry of punches that dazed Silva by the round’s end.

A possible bout between Dangerous Dan Henderson vs. Chuck Liddell awaits MMA fight fans in the future, but nothing has yet been officially announced.

Meanwhile, UFC 80: Rapid Fire is scheduled to take place at the Metro Radio Arena on January 19, 2008 in Newcastle, England.

Some of the MMA fights to look forward to in the UFC 80 fight card include a bout for the vacant lightweight title between BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson. Gabriel Gonzaga looks to rebound from a UFC 74 title loss to Randy Couture and go up against Fabricio Werdum. Marcus Davis goes for his sixth straight UFC win versus Jess Liaudin.

To find out more about MMA betting odds, UFC 80 betting odds, or to place a bet on BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson, Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum, Marcus Davis vs. Jess Liaudin and other MMA fights of UFC 80: Rapid Fire, then visit the Betus Sportsbook and  look under the MMA tabs for the UFC 80 betting menu.

The New Orleans Saints (7-8) can still get back to the NFL playoffs as a wild card if they win and both the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings lose later in the day, but the Chicago Bears (6-9) were eliminated from playoff contention two games ago.

The Saints are coming off a disheartening 38-23 loss to the Eagles and are saddled with injuries to key players such as defensive back Mike McKenzie, Bush and running back Deuce McAllister, who’s been on injured reserve since early in the season. The slow start has forced them to play uphill all season.

The Saints’ downfall can also be related to the inability of its draft picks to make a major impact, with Usama Young the only 2007 pick who plays regularly.

Bet on Chicago Bears vs New Orleans Saints

The Bears have had a long list of injuries, as well, but played their best game of the season last week by routing the NFC North champion Packers 35-7. They’ve given Kyle Orton - like Brees, a former Purdue quarterback - a shot the last three games as they hope to sort out a murky future at quarterback that once seemed so bright.

The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 5 games when playing Chicago. New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road. Chicago is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games. Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.

The El Clasico is one of the biggest football rivalries ever in the entire world, and is fought between Spanish La Liga clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Just recently, the El Clasico was held at the Nou Camp, FC Barcelona’s home pitch. However, the home pitch advantage wasn’t enough to provide Barcelona with a win as Spanish La Liga champions Real Madrid scored an upset by winning 1-0.

Real Madrid’s Julio Baptista scored the lone goal at the 36th minute. An exchange of passes between Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Julio Baptista eventually saw Baptista driving the ball into the top corner to silence the Barca fans at the Nou Camp.

Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas provided some valuable saves to keep Real Madrid at the advantage. When the final whistle blew, the Real Madrid players were ecstatic. Barcelona could’ve done much better, but they missed the valuable services of Lionel Messi, who was out on injury. Barcelona’s Ronaldinho seemed out of form.

Real Madrid’s win secures them 3 more points to bring their total to 41 points to lead the Spanish La Liga standings. Barcelona is in 2nd place with 34 points while Espanyol is at 3rd with 33 points in the Spanish La Liga standings.

Spanish La Liga matches will resume on January 6, 2008. Real Madrid will play hosts to Real Zaragoza at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona will be visitors to Mallorca.

To find out more about Spanish La Liga betting odds, or to place a bet on Real Madrid vs. Real Zaragoza, Barcelona vs. Mallorca or other upcoming matches of the 2007-08 Spanish La Liga season, then visit the Betus Sportsbook. Betting odds for the Spanish La Liga can be found at the Soccer section.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Duke Blue Devils -6

Madison Square Garden in New York was the setting for a highly-anticipated college basketball game between the Number 11 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers versus the Number 6 ranked Duke Blue Devils in a showdown of unbeaten records of 10-0 going into this game.

It looked like Duke’s winning streaks would remain intact as the Blue Devils took a 16-point lead in the first half and were still up 39-26 with 16:31 left in regulation. But Pittsburgh picked up its rebounding and defense and cut back on the turnovers during the second half, and eventually in overtime.

Pittsburgh’s Levance Fields hit a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in overtime to give Pittsburgh a 65-64 victory over Duke. Duke’s Jon Scheyer took a running 3 and was able to grab the rebound and get off a final shot but it was another miss for the Blue Devils, whose record dros to 10-1. . Pittsburgh’s Levance Fields, who finished with 21 points for the Panthers hit all three of Pittsburgh’s 3-pointers in the game. The second one he made was part of a 12-0 run that gave the Panthers a 50-49 lead with 5:27 to play in regulation, their first since 2-0.

Sam Young had 17 points for Pittsburgh, while freshman DeJuan Blair had 15 points and 20 rebounds and his energy on the boards was a big key for the Panthers in their comeback from a 13-point deficit four minutes into the second half. Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson both had 17 points for Duke, while DeMarcus Nelson added 14.

To find out more about NCAA basketball odds, or to place a bet on upcoming NCAA basketball games, then visit the Betus Sportsbook for a complete list of odds and upcoming NCAA basketball games.

Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets -8

The Houston Rockets were without all-star Tracy McGrady, who has been sidelined again due to an injury. Odds makers were quick to make the Denver Nuggets the favorites with the home court advantage at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, and also because it had a complete and healthy starting five.

The Denver Nuggets really did come out with a straight-up win over the Houston Rockets, even having to do it in double overtime. However, the Denver Nuggets were not able to cover the -8 point spread, giving the money over to the Houston Rockets for those who bet on the Rockets to win bet against the spread.

The Denver Nuggets were led by the 37 points and 16 rebounds of Carmelo Anthony plus the 36 points and 9 assists of Allen Iverson. Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby had only 2 points in the game, but his 18 boards and 6 blocked shots were a big help in stopping the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets were led by the 26 points and 19 rebounds of Yao Ming. Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston had 18 points and 10 assists while Luther Head contributed 22 points.

The Denver Nuggets improve their NBA standing to 15-10 while the Houston Rockets sink to 12-13. The Denver Nuggets will go on a road trip to visit Brandon Roy and the Portland Trailblazers on December 21 before visiting Brad Miller and the Sacramento Kings on December 23.

The Houston Rockets continue their road tour with a game against Ben Wallace and the Chicago Bulls on December 22 before visiting Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons on December 23.

To find out more about NBA betting odds, or to place a bet on Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trailblazers, Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls and other upcoming games of the 2007-08 NBA regular season, then visit the Betus sportsbook.