What's with Tonite's Odds?

[BigdaddyQH]

The Bears have now gone to -3 in tonites game at Miami. Who is not playing?

[Highrolla]

This is from a Mybookie.com e-mail I received with some info on tonight's game...... Hope it will be some help to ya!



The Nick Saban era kicks off in Canton, Ohio, tonight as the Dolphins meet the Bears in the Hall of Fame game. Chicago is a three-point favorite with the total listed at 33.

Tonight’s game not only marks Saban’s head-coaching debut, but also the return of Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, who abruptly retired just prior to the start of training camp last summer. Just how much Williams – or any of the Dolphins – will play tonight is unknown, as Saban has refused to disclose his game-day plans to the media, saying not even the players know how much action they’re going to see. Still, don’t expect to see the starters for more than a couple of series or, at most, a quarter.

Miami will reportedly start A.J. Feeley at quarterback, who is expected to be followed by Gus Frerotte, Sage Rosenfels and Brock Berlin. Frerotte was held out of Saturday’s practice with a slightly sore arm, but is expected to be available this evening.

Williams is listed as the Dolphins’ third-string running back behind Lamont Gordon and Sammy Morris. He’d be fourth on the depth chart if not for rookie Ronnie Brown’s holdout.

Miami will be without defensive tackle Larry Chester, linebacker Eddie Moore and cornerback Will Poole, all of whom began training camp on the team’s physically unable to perform list. Linebacker Junior Seau (calf) also won’t play.
The Dolphins went 2-2 in each of the last two preseasons. They beat the Jaguars 16-5 in last year’s preseason opener.



The Bears will get a chance to see quarterback Rex Grossman in live game action for the first time since he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 last year.

Chicago coach Lovie Smith hasn’t revealed how long Grossman or the rest of his first-team offense will play, but it’s not expected to be long. In last year’s preseason debut at the Rams, Grossman led the Bears’ first-string offense on a 13-play, 67-yard drive to open the game. After the drive ended with a field goal, the starters retired to the sideline for the rest of the night.

Quarterbacks Chad Hutchinson and rookie Kyle Orton are expected to follow Grossman. All three will have a new wide-receiving target to throw to in former Panther Muhsin Muhammad, who signed a free-agent deal with Chicago in the offseason. However, they won’t be handing off to rookie running back Cedric Benson, who, like Miami’s Brown, is holding out.
In Smith’s first preseason with the club last year, the Bears won their first two games before losing their last two. The 2-2 mark ended a streak of three straight years in which Chicago went 1-3 in the exhibition campaign.

The Bears are 5-1 straight-up in their last six preseason openers.

The Bears will play the entire preseason without starting cornerback Jerry Azumah, who is out three to four weeks after surgery to repair a bum hip. Second-year pro Nathan Vasher, who led the club with five interceptions last season, will replace Azumah.

Chicago ’s only other significant injury is to punter Brad Maynard, who won’t play.

The Bears are 3-0 in the Hall of Fame Game, but haven’t appeared in the contest since blanking the Browns 13-0 in 1990. Conversely, Miami is 0-2 in two Hall of Fame game appearances, losing most recently to St. Louis in 2001 by a score of 17-10.

This is the first preseason meeting between these clubs since 1992.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE