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<< Creamer, Yokomine share U.S. Women's Open lead
Oakmont, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paula Creamer and Sakura Yokomine shared the lead with two rounds finally completed at the U.S. Women's Open. Creamer posted a second-round, one-under 70 Saturday, while Yokomine managed her second straigh

<< TFC tops Colorado to stay unbeaten at home
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fuad Ibrahim's 61st-minute goal was enough to lead Toronto FC to a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at BMO Field on Saturday. The goal was Ibrahim's first of the season and it allows Toronto to exten

<< Petro headed to Nets
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets have reached an agreement in principle with free agent center Johan Petro. Terms of the deal weren't announced, but The Star-Ledger reports it's for three years and worth $1

<< Clippers ink two first-round picks
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers signed two first- round draft picks on Saturday - rookie forward Al-Farouq Aminu, the eighth overall selection and rookie guard Eric Bledsoe, the 18th pick. Aminu, who played

Heat meet with Derek Fisher >>
MIAMI (AP) -Free agent point guard Derek Fisher has met with the Miami Heat on the day after the team lavishly introduced LeBron James and Chris Bosh as Dwyane Wade's newest teammates.Fisher has been part of all five Los Angeles Lakers' championship

Khedira's late goal helps Germany claim third place >>
Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sami Khedira's goal eight minutes from time capped a 3-2 Germany win over Uruguay in the third-place match of the FIFA World Cup at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. Khedira brok

Maver's last-second FG sends Stamps past Hamilton >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rob Maver knocked through a 23-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to give the Calgary Stampeders a thrilling 23-22 win over the Hamilton Tigercats at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Maver nailed all three of his

Hornets agree with G Head >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hornets have reached an agreement to sign free agent guard Luther Head, according to New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower. Bower told the Times Picayune that the two sides agreed to a two-year c

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.