Oistons Tennis Betting News

<< Eintracht rallies to beat Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sebastian Jung and Alexander Meier scored goals in the final 25 minutes to help Eintracht complete a 3-2 comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday. The visitors went

<< Dodgers ink Brian Giles to minors deal
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed veteran outfielder Brian Giles to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The 39-year-old battled an arthritic right knee last season

<< Thrashers recall G Lehtonen
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers have recalled goaltender Kari Lehtonen from a conditioning assignment with the AHL's Chicago Wolves. Lehtonen has yet to play in the NHL this season after undergoing back surg

<< Drogba's double sinks Arsenal
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Didier Drogba's first-half brace allowed Chelsea to claim an important 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, returning the Blues to the top of the Premiership table. Drogba opened the

Russia outlasts Serbia in Fed Cup quarters >>
Belgrade, Serbia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alisa Kleybanova and Svetlana Kuznetsova booked Russia's ticket in the Fed Cup semifinals after winning the decisive doubles rubber on Sunday. Kleybanova defeated Ana Ivanovic in the second reverse si

UConn rolls on with 46-point win >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tina Charles scored 20 points and Maya Moore added 16, as top-ranked Connecticut demoralized Louisville on the road in an 84-38 romp at Freedom Hall. The Huskies (23-0, 10-0 Big East) took a commanding 5

Ovechkin's hat trick keys Caps' OT comeback over Pens >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Knuble scored on the power-play with 2:11 remaining in overtime, and Alex Ovechkin recorded a hat trick, as the Washington Capitals fought back from a three-goal deficit to edge Pittsburgh, 5-4, an

Ohio State rallies in second half to clip Lady Lions >>
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Samantha Prahalis hit five three- pointers and scored 26 points to pair with 12 assists, as No. 8 Ohio State rallied from down 14 in the second half to secure an 86-73 win over Penn State.

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.