PANAMA CITY, September 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Bet you didn't know that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens were playing again this weekend. Or that Big 10 foes Wisconsin and Nebraska will go head-to-head even though they aren't scheduled to play for a couple more weeks.

Well they might not be on the official NFL and College schedules, but they are on the betting board at the fastest growing sportsbook in the US, BetOnline.com.

For the first time in the 14-year history of the company, BetOnline is offering "Imaginary Match-ups" as a betting option. It's pretty simple, the odds-makers at BetOnline have calculated a point spread on games that aren't actually on the upcoming weekend's schedule. The team that scores the most points  on the day in their "real" game (point spread included) covers the bet.

"This is giving our players a whole new way to bet on their favorite team," stated BetOnline's Dave Mason. "For example, not only can a Saints fan play them at minus 6.5-points this weekend versus the Bears, but they can also take them at plus half a point versus the Packers and minus half a point versus the Lions."

To no surprise, the Imaginary Match-up that is getting the most early action is another rematch from Week 1. The Dallas Cowboys are plus 1.5-points versus the New York Jets.

"Tony Romo and the Cowboys' offense pulled a big old choke job down the stretch Sunday night. Now he gets a chance to redeem himself against the Jets, well at least in the imaginary world," Mason stated.

Taking these match-ups a step further, BetOnline's odds-makers are matching up NFL vs. College teams for territorial bragging rights. The Pittsburgh Panthers are three-point dogs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Steel City Showdown.  Meanwhile in the Midwest the turnover prone Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 7.5-point underdogs versus the Chicago Bears.

Here are some more of this weekend's football Imaginary Match-ups; only found at BetOnline.com:

Baltimore Ravens (+5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Texans (-2.5) vs. New England Patriots
Alabama (-4) vs. Cincinnati
Boise State (+6.5) vs. Michigan
Miami Hurricanes (-2.5) vs. Miami Dolphins
Texas Longhorns (-1.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys

There's also another non-stop weekend of live, in-game wagering on tap. This weekend BetOnline will be featuring  in-game betting on these televised games:

   
    Aston Villa vs Newcastle  EPL        Saturday, Sept 17th    10:00 ET
    Pittsburgh @ Iowa        NCAA FB     Saturday, Sept 17th    12:00 ET
    Michigan St @ Notre Dame NCAA FB     Saturday, Sept 17th    15:30 ET
    Tennessee @ Florida      NCAA FB     Saturday, Sept 17th    15:30 ET
    USA vs Canada            Soccer      Saturday, Sept 17th    19:00 ET
    Ohio St @ Miami (FL)     NCAA FB     Saturday, Sept 17th    19:30 ET
    Oklahoma @ Florida St    NCAA FB     Saturday, Sept 17th    20:00 ET
    Tottenham vs Liverpool    EPL        Sunday, Sept 18th      08:30 ET
    Man U vs Chelsea          EPL        Sunday, Sept 18th      11:00 ET
    Jaguars @ Jets            NFL        Sunday, Sept 18th      13:00 ET
    Cardinals @ Redskins      NFL        Sunday, Sept 18th      13:00 ET
    BMW Championship         Golf        Sunday, Sept 18th      15:00 ET
    Chargers @ Patriots       NFL        Sunday, Sept 18th      16:15 ET
    Texans @ Dolphins         NFL        Sunday, Sept 18th      16:15 ET
    Cardinals @ Phillies      MLB        Sunday, Sept 18th      20:05 ET

Take your traditional spread or moneyline, enjoy the adrenalin-full, live in-game action or even try your hand at the new Imaginary Match-ups-- you'll find lots of ways to make your favorite sport even more entertaining at BetOnline. Because you can.

About BetOnline.com

One of the few online sportsbooks to be legally licensed and regulated in one of the banking capitals of the world, Panama City, Panama, BetOnline's management have been servicing players from around the world for over 14 years.

With a reputation for excellent customer service, 100% payment history to players, the industry's best bonuses, a multitude of deposit methods including all popular credit cards, sports lines that appeal around the world (including live betting on English Premiership Football, PGA Championship Golf as well as MLB, NFL and NCAA football), BetOnline is now the fastest growing sportsbook featuring US sports.

In addition to sports betting, BetOnline offers a full featured online casino with 3D slots and live Texas Hold'em and Omaha Poker room. BetOnline: because you can.

For more information, see http://www.BetOnline.com.

SOURCE BetOnline.com