08/14/2008 - Signed goalkeeper Kasey Keller to a multi-year contract.
<< White Sox tie MLB mark with four straight homers, top KC
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jim Thome hit a three-run home run and the
Chicago White Sox tied a major league record with four consecutive home runs
as part of a 9-2 win over the Kansas City Royals, completing a three-game
sweep.
<< Golf Tidbits: Who will step up for the Americans?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The changes have been made to the
selection process, the standings have been set, so what now for the United
States Ryder Cup team?
Captain Paul Azinger had the rules changed so that he had four captain's
<< Rockies' Torrealba scratched
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba was scratched
from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an
undisclosed injury.
Chris Iannetta started in his place, and the club called u
<< SEC and CBS Sports agree to 15-year extension
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southeastern Conference and CBS
Sports announced a 15-year contract extension Thursday for broadcast rights to
SEC football and basketball games.
Beginning with the 2009-10 season CBS Sports w
Western leader RSL inks Mathis >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake added veteran American
attacker Clint Mathis from Ergotelis FC of the Greek SuperLeague, the team
announced on Thursday.
"Mathis' veteran experience in both MLS and international a
Sounders FC sign American goalkeeper Keller >>
Kirkland, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Sounders FC signed American
goalkeeper Kasey Keller to a multi-year contract, the team announced on
Thursday.
"Kasey is arguably the top goalkeeper that the United States has
Haren, D-backs top Rockies >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Haren threw eight strong innings, and Adam
Dunn knocked in his first two runs for Arizona as the Diamondbacks downed the
Colorado Rockies, 6-2, in the rubber-match of a three-game set.
Haren (13-6) scatt
Official: Artest traded to Rockets >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After much speculation, the Houston
Rockets officially landed controversial forward Ron Artest from the Sacramento
Kings on Thursday.
Reports have been circulating since July 29, but because
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
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