Windianapacers Baseball Betting News

<< Atwal shoots 61 to lead Wyndham Championship
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arjun Atwal fired a nine-under 61 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Wyndham Championship. Atwal birdied three of his last four holes to match the Sedgefield course scoring record and take a two-sh

<< NBA fines Blazers' Fernandez
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Basketball Association has fined Portland Trail Blazers swingman Rudy Fernandez $25,000 for public statements detrimental to the league. Fernandez has made it public that he wants to be t

<< Broncos sign DL Hunter
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos added depth to their defensive line on Thursday, signing free agent Jason Hunter. The 26-year-old Hunter was released by Detroit on Monday. The Appalachian State product enjoye

<< Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray reach Cincy QFs
Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal, two-time runner-up Novak Djokovic and former champion Andy Murray recorded third-round victories, while reigning titlist Roger Federer entered the quarterfinals via walkover Thu

Grube leads by one in Seaforth >>
Seaforth, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Rob Grube fired an eight-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Seaforth Country Classic. Grube, who stands fifth on the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, won the Riv

QB Randolph delighted by another chance >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Who said East Rutherford isn't a better summer destination than Nantucket? Dominic Randolph, the rookie quarterback from Holy Cross, surely was willing to put vacation plans on hold. He was plann

Pirates sign 16-year-old pitching prospect Heredia >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to terms with 16-year-old Mexican pitcher Luis Heredia on Thursday. The Pirates paid a $2.6 million signing bonus to secure the pitcher's rights from his Veracruz team, accor

QB Frye out for season for Raiders >>
NAPA, Calif. (AP) -The Oakland Raiders have placed backup quarterback Charlie Frye on injured reserve with an injured right wrist.Coach Tom Cable said Thursday that it will take four to five months for Frye to rehabilitate the hurt ligament. Frye un

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.