Football Gambling: Can Bush Live up to the Hype

When Reggie Bush played at USC he was well known to all bettors who enjoyed college football because Bush was unquestionably the most talented and dynamic runner in the league. Bush won a Heisman Trophy and helped form an amazingly talented USC squad that consistently offered excellent football gambling value. Consequently, many football gambling enthusiasts felt assured that Bush would thrive in the NFL just as he had thrived in the NCAA.

These football gambling fans could not believe that he was not taken with the very first pick in the 2006 draft and they believed he would propel the Saints forward when New Orleans selected him with the second pick. Football on the Saints in 2006 was surprisingly successful, as the team earned a trip to the playoffs after finishing the previous season at the bottom of the NFC South. However, this turnaround had little to do with Bush.

The reality is that Bush has not come close to redefining the running back position, and has rather established himself as a mediocre runner. Bush certainly has the skills to play as a starter, so in that sense he does have some impact over the odds in football online match ups. Nevertheless, Bush has not been very successful at running through the tackles and has a penchant for losing yardage. After two years in the NFL Bush was averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, had scored only 10 touchdowns, and had a longest run of only 22 yards.

In other words, those football gambling fans that hyped Bush so much before entering the league were very mistaken in their football predictions. Some football analysts still maintain that Bush is improving and will develop into a better player within a few years. However, veterans of football online know that the learning curve for running backs is not like that for quarterbacks, and running backs are expected to adapt to the NFL fairly quickly. Therefore, football enthusiasts may simply just have to accept that Bush remains a talented runner, but he will never live up to the hype with which entered the league.