Vikings' Peterson moving along in recovery

Football Betting Lines

02/20/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some athletes never recover from devastating knee injuries, but then there are others who have unworldly healing capabilities.

Prayer, hyperbaric chambers and old-fashioned extensive rehabilitation come to mind when reflecting on ways to regain top form. Visiting a holistic healer wouldn't be an ideal way to mend an injury, however.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson isn't one to take the easy road in strengthening his anatomy (see NFL.com Fantasy ad) and alternative medicine just doesn't fit with the man better known as A.D. (All Day) or Purple Jesus. Peterson, of course, is undergoing extensive rehab on a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee suffered during a 33-26 win over Washington on December 24. Already getting over a high ankle sprain, Peterson said he knew something was bad after taking a blow from Redskins safety DeJon Gomes.

"Any time you take a blow to the knee like that, you're concerned about the ACL, MCL," Peterson said after he received a harsh gift on Christmas Eve. "I'm trying to stay as positive as I can."

Still a young player and in the prime of his career, Peterson said last week the rehabilitation process is "coming around" and he is continuing workouts in Houston -- his offseason home. With a nickname Purple Jesus and coming from Palestine, Texas, one would think Peterson has everything in his corner to make a full recovery with all the biblical references.

However, an ACL injury is one of the worst an athlete -- especially a running back who relies on cutting and shifting -- can suffer and it usually takes about eight to nine months for a full recovery. And even then experts believe it could still be more than a full year to get back at full strength if the body allows it. Defying the normal standards of recovery is something Peterson and the Vikings are hoping for and so far everything is going accordingly.

"I'm happy with the progress that I'm making so far," Peterson said on KFAN-FM 100.3 last week. "I'm extremely happy."

Peterson, who owns the most rushing yards in a single game with 296 back in his rookie year of 2007, added that he's getting muscle tone and strength back in his legs. Flexibility and bending used to be an uphill battle and now sitting in a tight airplane seat has no effect on the precious limb. Peterson was recently in New Orleans for the funeral of a friend's wife and mentioned no issues with traveling. Swelling in the knee has subsided, save a minor patch in the joints.

When asked if he's possibly overworking the knee, Peterson confided that he sometimes bumps heads with his trainer and understands that he's being held back in order to avoid overexerting himself. That's comparable to asking NFL defenders to simmer down on opposing quarterbacks the second he lets go of the football.

The former University of Oklahoma star comes from an extensive background of athletes, including his mother, Bonita Jackson, who ran track and field. So that explains where Peterson gets his speed and durability. Unfortunately, his sturdiness was put to the test against the Redskins and now Peterson faces an obstacle larger than Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Peterson, eyeing a return to the Twin Cities at the end of February or early March, failed to reach 1,000 yards (970) in his fifth year in the league. Already at 6,752 career rushing yards, Peterson still has a long road ahead and it wouldn't be a surprise if he misses all of training camp and the start of the regular season. If that's the case, perhaps the Vikings will use the third-overall pick in April's NFL Draft on a running back. QB Christian Ponder still has to go through some learning curves and a reliable running back behind him can only aid in his production.

Peterson said during his interview that Minnesota's secondary could use some bolstering and wouldn't be opposed to adding the likes of cornerback Cortland Finnegan or wide receiver Vincent Jackson -- two free agents on the market. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman weighed in on the possibility of building more around Peterson and Ponder.

"Whether we make a big splash or not, if there's someone out there we think can help us then we're willing to spend a lot of money," Spielman was quoted on the Vikings' website. "We'll definitely look at those options."

Minnesota has plenty of time to wheel and deal on turning things around, but for now the majority of the attention will be monitored on Peterson and his battle back to prominence.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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