Vlippers Basketball Betting News

<< Lions, Jaguars lose OTAs
Allen Park, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars have been forced by the league to cancel organized team activities because of violations in rules governing offseason workouts. A joint statement from the NFL

<< Sunderland signs goalie Mignolet
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland has completed the signing of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from Belgian club Sint-Truidense. The 22-year-old moves to Wearside for an undisclosed fee, having signed a five-year contract with

<< Report: Flyers' Briere suffers minor injuries in crash
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Briere reportedly suffered minor injuries when he and his son were involved in a highway crash early Thursday morning. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Brie

<< Utah accepts invitation to join Pac-10
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -The University of Utah has accepted an invitation to become the 12th member of the newly expanded Pac-10 conference.University president Michael Young says in a release that the Utes are pleased to accept the invitation and join

West Ham signs Boa Morte to two-year deal >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portuguese forward Luis Boa Morte has signed a new two-year contract with West Ham United, having overcome a long- term knee injury. The 32-year-old former Fulham and Arsenal man missed almost the

Sevilla signs midfielder Guarente >>
Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sevilla has wrapped up the signing of midfielder Tiberio Guarente from Italian club Atalanta. The 24-year-old has left his former club following their relegation from Serie A, having signed a five-

Phillies put Bastardo on DL, recall Mathieson >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have placed pitcher Antonio Bastardo on the disabled list with left elbow ulnar neuritis. Bastardo, 24, has posted a 5.11 earned-run average in 16 appearances for the Phillies this

Simon ousted in Eastbourne >>
Eastbourne, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former top-10 performer Gilles Simon came up a quarterfinal loser Thursday at the grass-court Aegon International tennis event, a final Wimbledon tuneup. Eighth-seeded Frenchman M

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.