Toronto FC postseason hopes rest with defense

Soccer Betting Lines

09/07/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a story that Toronto FC fans have grown accustomed to. A strong start to the season that looks to be leading to the eventual reward of making the MLS playoffs for the first time, only for the team to have a dismal finish and fail to reach the promised land.

The 2010 version of TFC still has time to give that story a different ending, but a few members of the club must improve significantly for that to come to fruition.

Goalkeeper Stefan Frei has been marvelous in net for TFC, but he is also the most overworked keeper in the MLS. Through weekend play, the side had allowed the most shots on net in the entire league.

The midfielders have at times failed to pull their weight defensively, and defenders Nick Garcia and Adrian Cann have occasionally been caught cheating to the tune of several goals, and points in the standings, surrendered.

This affliction was on full display July 31 in a loss to the Kansas City Wizards, where a misguided back header by Cann allowed KC's Teal Bunbury to break in on net alone and beat Frei for the only goal of the game.

At times, Cann's lack of pace has also been his undoing, with the more fleet- footed opposing forwards taking advantage of the former Canadian international player. Cann's current form kept him from being selected to the national team for one of their upcoming friendlies.

Garcia has been perhaps more frustrating to watch, simply because you do not know what to expect from him on a game-by-game basis.

In some fixtures, he shows off his ability to make sound judgements and displays wonderful crossing ability, while in others he makes poor decisions with the ball.

Considering the fact TFC has allowed 26 goals this season, compared to 22 scored, the offense must also do its part in order for the club to succeed and make up for its deficiencies on the back end.

Designated players Mista and Julian De Guzman must live up to their big-money price tags and produce more than they have. After his move from Spain, Mista has been especially disappointing, considering he was supposed to add another dimension to the TFC offense.

Though Dwayne De Rosario and Chad Barrett have done a decent job in leading the TFC attack, the presence of Maicon Santos allowed more flexibility and his full return from injury would make the club more complete.

If TFC hopes to maintain a playoff spot throughout the rest of the season, they must improve at both ends of the field and perform better on the road, which has been their Achilles' heel since entering the MLS in 2007.

With CONCACAF Champions League games on the horizon and the absence of several top-notch players leaving their team for international duty, TFC's roster depth will be put to the test in the coming weeks. The old adage that offense wins games but defense wins championships should be a philosophy that TFC adheres to during the stretch run.

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Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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