Avril hopes to step up on new Lions defensive line

Football Betting Lines

08/12/2010 -

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -The Detroit Lions don't have many good memories of the Matt Millen era.

They are hoping that Cliff Avril turns out to be one.

Avril, a third-round pick in 2008, has 10 1/2 sacks in his two seasons, but has struggled against the run and never given Detroit a consistent pass rusher.

This season, the defensive end will have to improve his performance against the run in order to earn a regular role on the Lions' revamped defensive line.

``I've got a lot of work to do,'' Avril said. ``We've got a lot of new guys here, and I know I've got to get better.''

Lions coach Jim Schwartz thinks Avril is off to a good start, and has made good progress toward becoming a consistent, full-time player.

``Cliff is still a young guy, and at times last year, he played like that,'' Schwartz said. ``But he's taken a step forward in that department. He has had a very, very consistent camp.''

Schwartz is most pleased that Avril is showing versatility on the field.

``We know the skills he has as a pass rusher, but we're seeing more from him this year,'' he said. ``He's doing a better job at the point of attack in the run game.''

Avril says that the improvement is a combination of several factors, starting with hard work.

``I know that I've got the talent around me that I should be able to take a big step forward this year, so I'm working hard at it,'' he said. ``I've got a better understanding of what I'm doing out there, and of what the whole defense is doing.''

Avril has also picked up valuable lessons from newly acquired veterans like Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams.

``It's great to be able to pick those guys' brains,'' he said. ``It's been awesome to be on the field with two guys like that, and with a young kid like Ndamukong (Suh). We're all learning from each other, and we're starting to mesh as a unit.''

Avril, though, knows that Saturday's preseason opener against Pittsburgh will be the biggest test of the new unit.

``We're ready to get out there and hit someone other than our own offensive linemen,'' he said. ``We know what they can do, but we need to work against someone else for a change.''

Schwartz is equally ready to see how well Avril and his linemates handle someone other than the Detroit offensive line.

``At this point, our defensive linemen know all of the offensive line's blocking schemes, and the offense knows every defensive lineman's pass-rush moves,'' he said. ``That's not going to be the case on Saturday.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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