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<< Steelers name Dixon starting quarterback
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers named Dennis Dixon as the team's starting quarterback in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's suspension and Byron Leftwich's knee injury. The choice was between either Dixon or

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Freehold, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Odds-on favorite One More Laugh rolled to victory Labor Day in the $300,000 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace is the first of Pacing's Triple Crown races. Pacing's Triple Crown will continue

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Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed running back LaGarrette Blount off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released veteran wide receiver Reggie Brown. Blount was let go Sunday by the Titans afte

<< Soto's homer in eighth lifts Cubs past Astros
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto's two-out homer in the eighth proved to be the difference, as the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros with a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field. Soto launched his

Anderson sensational as Oakland slows down Seattle >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coco Crisp drove in two runs and Brett Anderson spun a gem on the mound, as the Oakland Athletics beat Seattle, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game series. Anderson (4-6) scattered a run on four hits and d

Padres scratch Latos due to illness >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Just hours prior to his scheduled start against the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres scratched pitcher Mat Latos due to an undisclosed illness. Latos has been the team's most consistent starter this season, goi

Chargers sign QB O'Sullivan >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Chargers signed quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan to a one-year contract on Monday. O'Sullivan will be the third-string quarterback behind starter Philip Rivers and backup Billy Volek. An eig

Schierholtz helps San Fran down D'Backs in extras >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nate Schierholtz ended a pitchers' duel with a two-run triple in the 11th inning, leading the surging Giants to a 2-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks to start a three-game series. Aubrey Huff and Edgar

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.