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Burke busy trying to retool Leafs' fateHockey Betting Lines07/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After coming off one of their more distressing seasons in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs headed into the summer with more holes to patch than a gulf oil pipeline. But it didn't take long for Leafs general manager Brian Burke to start phase two of his self-described retooling plan. On the eve of the July 1 free agency extravaganza, Burke pulled out another trademark multi-player deal that saw the Leafs acquire Chicago Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg and minor leaguer Bill Sweatt in exchange for prospects Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis. While Versteeg doesn't exactly fit Burkes vision of truculence, belligerence or any other colorful adjective he spews out, he does bring some much-needed skill to a lineup that finished 25th in the NHL in scoring. Versteeg, a 2009 Calder Trophy nominee, followed up a 53-point rookie campaign with a solid 20-goal, 44-point sophomore season while playing a depth role on a stacked Blackhawks' squad. And perhaps of greater significance, Versteeg represents yet another young, proven player who will pay immediate dividends as opposed to optimistically waiting for a prospect to mature into a top-six scoring threat. The following day, Burke stuck to his guns in saying that July 1 will be his draft ... after sitting on the sidelines for the opening round of the actual draft two weeks ago ... and went and acquired versatile winger Colby Armstrong. Armstrong comes equipped with relentless grittiness, good character and leadership skills painted over the ability to light the lamp on the odd occasion. He scored 15 goals for the Atlanta Thrashers last season. As per usual for the inflationary nature of free agency, it can be argued the Leafs overpaid for a perennial third-line grinder, having footed a three-year $9 million bill to obtain his services. Regardless of Armstrongs perceived value, he is the exact type of player Burke clamors for, and like Versteeg, he will aid in the fast tracking of a time-sensitive rebuild. What is the next step for the brash boss of the blue and white? Cue Tomas Kaberle, the sole leftover from an era of broken hearts and early summer vacations. The 32-year old Czech blueliner is heading into the final year of his contract that will pay him $4.25 million, a relative bargain considering his production in comparison to other top-tier defenseman. With prize free agent defenders such as Dan Hamhuis, Paul Martin, Sergei Gonchar and Anton Volchenkov all off the market, teams looking for a veteran puck-moving blueliner might be tempted to ante up in order to get a deal done. Patience has been the key to Kaberle's situation, and now that the market is depleted of bona fide top-end talent, Kaberles value has perhaps reached its peak. What the return will be is anybodys guess. But as we have seen with Burke, his ability to turn tired assets into important pieces is uncanny. Whether you agree or disagree with Burkes blueprint, it is hard to neglect the tectonic shift that has occurred under his watch. And based on this, one would have to expect that the acquisition of Versteeg and Armstrong is a start, but not the end to the roster shuffle set to unfurl this summer. With training camp still two months away, there is still plenty of time for more tinkering ... or a lot of tinkering if playoffs are on the menu for 2011.
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Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It is ironic how a student-athlete will transfer to a new school to try to get a fresh start, only to find himself faced with the added burden of expectations. Many fans and media put a transfer under a mi
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Dodgers hope to reverse fortunes against NL East >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't enjoyed much success against NL East foes this season and will try again tonight in the continuation of a three-game home series versus the Florida Marlins. The Dodgers lost, 6-5, in last n
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SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?" A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."
Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook. In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small. "Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets." But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?" Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year. This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here. Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions. In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries. No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning. And that's all any bettor can ask for. To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter JohnsonJUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm. MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season . ''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.'' Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain. He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday. ''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.'' Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia. Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind. With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer. Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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