Passing Yards Leads Steelers Over Diego

Football Betting Lines

Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin moved to 1-0 against the 49ers for his career with that 2007 outcome, while Harbaugh will be facing both the Steelers and Tomlin for the first time in his present position.

 

Even if Roethlisberger (3526 passing yards, 21 TD, 11 INT) does manage to play, the Steelers' offensive game plan will probably be altered somewhat because of his reduced mobility. Normally a team that likes to stretch the field with its pairing of fleet-footed wide receivers Mike Wallace (62 receptions, 1034 yards, 8 TD) and Brown (55 receptions, 925 yards, 2 TD), both of whom are averaging over 16 yards a catch this season, Pittsburgh may decide to lean more on running backs Rashard Mendenhall (710 rushing yards, 8 TD, 13 receptions) and Isaac Redman (353 rushing yards, 1 TD, 14 receptions) in this one. It's not the desired strategy, however, as lead back Mendenhall has had a disappointing year after posting career bests of 1,273 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010, having recorded just one 100-yard effort while working behind a shuffled front line that's dealt with injuries throughout the season. One of those occurred in the Cleveland game, with standout center Maurkice Pouncey incurring an ankle sprain of his own that his status up in the air as well for Monday. The 37- year-old Batch has attempted just 53 passes over the past three years, but did make a pair of starts in place of a suspended Roethlisberger last season and threw for three touchdowns in a win at Tampa Bay in one of those assignments.

 

WHEN THE 49ERS HAVE THE BALL

 

San Francisco generally employs a conservative, ball-control philosophy that's been highly effective when workhorse running back Frank Gore (1054 rushing yards, 6 TD, 16 receptions) is at his best. That was certainly the case when the hard-nosed veteran ripped off five consecutive 100-yard games during a midseason tear, but he's been less of a factor down the stretch while fighting through some nagging injuries. The 49ers still sit seventh in the NFL in rushing offense (126.9 ypg) and have a league-low 10 giveaways on the year, with cerebral quarterback Alex Smith (2565 passing yards, 15 TD, 5 INT) having a fine season in what's been essentially a caretaker's role. There are some issues to sort out for the playoffs, though. San Francisco is at the bottom of the standings in red-zone execution, having produced touchdowns on an unwanted 35.6 percent of such drives, and Smith has been sacked 18 times over the past three weeks after being taken to the turf on five occasions by the Cardinals. The former No. 1 overall pick may be without his blind-side protector on Monday as well, with left tackle Joe Staley questionable after sustaining a concussion against Arizona. San Francisco doesn't throw the ball a whole lot, but young wide receiver Michael Crabtree (55 receptions, 2 TD) and athletic tight end Vernon Davis (49 receptions, 5 TD) have both been reliable targets for Smith.

 

Without question, what will transpire at the quarterback position for Pittsburgh will have a big impact on the outcome of this game. Though Batch is serviceable and experienced, it would be a stretch to believe he'll be able to slice through a top-tier defense like San Francisco's without a hitch, and it's a must that the Steelers mount some semblance of a passing threat because the 49ers are so good against the run. Even at far less than 100 percent, Roethlisberger gives his team its best chance of winning, though Pittsburgh's explosiveness on offense may be reduced if his arm strength is affected by the injury.

 

The 49ers will likely encounter some difficulty running the ball on Monday, especially with Gore not having been in top form lately, so it's absolutely critical that the team protects Smith sufficiently. San Francisco's quarterback has been sacked five or more times in four games this season, and the Niners are 1-3 in those tilts. If Woodley does indeed make it back, Pittsburgh will have a pass rush to be reckoned with regardless of Harrison's absence.

 

Roethlisberger is rarely at a loss for drama, whether it's on or off the field, and his history says there's a pretty good chance he's in the huddle with his teammates come Monday. And the Steelers will need their clutch quarterback in this game, with the 49ers likely to shut down any attempts Pittsburgh makes at running the ball. San Francisco's been able to win double-digit games largely by establishing an efficient ground attack and playing superior defense than its foe, but both of those chores will be tough to accomplish against the Steelers. Experience counts as well, and Pittsburgh's familiarity with participating in high-stakes affairs combined with the 49ers' newness to the scene puts another check mark in the column of the reigning AFC champs, who seem to possess the requisite skills that their opponent could have plenty of trouble dealing with.

 

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Steelers 20, 49ers 16

 

On the Bears' second possession of the game, Knox caught a 17-yard pass over the middle of the field. Knox then lost control of the football and a scramble for the ball followed.

 

Seattle defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove came flying in and hit Knox up high. The wide receiver's head snapped back due to the force of the hit.

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SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.

Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"

A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."

Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.

In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.

"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."

Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.

But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"

Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.

This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.

Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.

In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.

No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.

And that's all any bettor can ask for.

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