Slouisrams Basketball Betting News

<< Wildcats and Musketeers collide in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Into the Sweet 16 for the third straight year, the Xavier Musketeers try to extend their 2009-10 campaign a bit longer as they challenge the Kansas State Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament West Regional Semifi

<< Huskies and Mountaineers duke it out in Sweet 16
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers have reached the NCAA Tournament's round of 16 as expected, and they will attempt to avoid an upset tonight against the red-hot Washington Huskies, the East Region's 1

<< Butler and Syracuse clash in West Regional semifinals
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Owners of a 22-game win streak, the Butler Bulldogs take their act to EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah tonight where they will clash with the Syracuse Orange in the round of 16 in the 2010 NCAA

<< Yankees release Gaudin
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Chad Gaudin has cleared waivers and has been released by the New York Yankees. New York is still on the hook for 25-percent of his $2.95 million salary, meaning they will pay him $737,500. Gaudin,

Heat, Bulls set for Windy City skirmish >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat are closing in on their second straight postseason berth, but will face a tough challenge tonight versus the hungry Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Miami is tied with Charlotte for the sixth sp

Thrashers resume playoff push against visiting Leafs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers missed out on a golden opportunity to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race in their most recent trip to the ice. The postseason hopefuls may have another chance to boost their prospects ton

Bruins hope to continue surge against Lightning >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have come up with important wins in their last two trips to the ice and the playoff hopefuls will aim for a third straight victory when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at TD Garden. Boston enter

Devils host Rangers with first place in reach >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Devils will try to take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division tonight when they host the rival New York Rangers at Prudential Center. New Jersey enters tonight one point behind the Pen

MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.

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.