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<< Buehrle pitches ChiSox over Indians to start season
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Konerko hit a two-run homer and Mark Buehrle allowed only three hits over seven innings, as the Chicago White Sox earned a convincing 6-0 win over the Cleveland Indians in the regular-season opener

<< Jones, Doumit power Pirates over Dodgers in opener
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garrett Jones slugged two homers and drove in three runs and Ryan Doumit blasted a three-run shot, as the Pittsburgh Pirates dropped the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-5, in the season opener for both teams.

<< Halladay and Polanco shine in Phils win over Nats
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of newcomers for the two-time defending National League-champion Philadelphia Phillies opened the 2010 campaign with a bang, as Roy Halladay hurled seven stellar innings and Placido Polanco

<< New season, same Pujols as Cardinals down Reds
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Albert Pujols hit a pair of home runs, knocked in three and scored four, and Yadier Molina belted a grand slam, as the reigning National League Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals outslug

Rockies hold off Brewers to take opener >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Stewart hit a solo homer and added a sacrifice fly, and Colorado held on for a 5-3 Opening Day win over Milwaukee despite a shaky ninth-inning performance from Franklin Morales. With regular closer

Seahawks trade G Sims to Lions >>
Renton, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Lions have acquired guard Rob Sims and a seventh-round 2010 draft pick from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for defensive end Robert Henderson and a fifth-round 2010 draft pick. Sims, Seattle's

Six-run seventh off Royals' bullpen lifts Tigers >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Damon and Miguel Cabrera each recorded two hits and two RBI, as the Tigers used a six-run seventh inning to come away with an 8-4 victory against Kansas City on Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium

Lakers coach Jackson fined for comments >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was fined $35,000 by the National Basketball Association on Monday for publicly criticizing game officials. The fine stems from comments that Jackson made after

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.