Wattiors Hockey Betting News

<< CFL East Division: Despite loss, Als still team to beat
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Typically, when a team loses, adjustments are made to account for those failings. And although the Montreal Alouettes had many of those in their overtime loss to Saskatchewan, they're likely to win a whole lot

<< Free agency a bust so far for Kings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles area is home to Venice Beach, Hollywood and the famous 90210 zip code. The Fresh Prince once called it home (on television at least), and former Yankee icon Joe Torre made the jump from the Bi

<< Antonio Pierce retires; heads to TV
Bristol, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former linebacker Antonio Pierce has decided to retire and will become an NFL analyst for ESPN. Pierce spent the past five seasons with the New York Giants and played his first four years with the Washing

<< Latos shoots for win No. 10 in DC
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - At just 22 years old, Mat Latos has quickly emerged as the ace of a San Diego staff that's been among the best in baseball this season. The Padres will ask their young standout to play the role of stopper when the National L

Nets agree in principle with F Outlaw >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets agreed in principle with veteran forward Travis Outlaw, the club announced on Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "We are very pleased to add Travis to our roster,"

Top-four seeds reach semis in Sweden >>
Bastad, Sweden (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - This week's top-four seeds, including Italian Flavia Pennetta, all secured berths in Friday's semifinals at the $220,000 Swedish Open. The top-seeded Pennetta battled past 36-year-old American

Massu will open for host Chile against Czech Republic >>
Coquimbo, Chile (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nicolas Massu will meet Ivo Minar in Friday's opening singles rubber in the best-of-five Davis Cup quarterfinal tie between host Chile and the 2009 runner-up Czech Republic. The Chilean Massu, a 2004

Knicks make it official with Stoudemire >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks made it official on Thursday and signed forward Amare Stoudemire to a contract reported to be worth about $100 million over five years. Stoudemire agreed to the deal earlier thi

Betting Football

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.

MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

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