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<< Dallas Cowboys 2010 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jerry Jones has never been one to scale back when it comes to his goals. The colorful Dallas Cowboys owner is certainly thinking big in 2010. Last year Jones unveiled to an awaiting public his longtime grand design, a spe

<< Cards re-sign FB Maui'a
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals have re-signed fullback Reagan Maui'a and waived-injured fullback Charles Ali. Maui'a was released by the Cardinals on July 30 after being signed last January. He originally sig

<< ODU won't have Davenport on roster
Norfolk, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Virginia transfer Dominik Davenport will not be eligible for Old Dominion's football team this season. The redshirt freshman defensive tackle joined the Monarchs in the spring. The school announced he comp

<< No American men in top 10 for the first time
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the first time since the computer rankings began in 1973, no American man is in tennis' top 10. On Monday, top-10 fixture Andy Roddick dropped to No. 11 in the world. An American man hasn't wo

Edmonton re-ups with winger Reddox >>
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with left wing Liam Reddox on a one-year contract. Reddox collected two assists in nine games for Edmonton last season. He spent most of the campaign with Springfi

Blue Jays' draft pick Diedrick proving his worth >>
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - About the only thing bigger than Philip Diedrick's heart is his smile. Diedrick's infectious grin and mild-mannered approach to life are attributes that serve him well in life and on the diamond. I

Rematch between Blame and Quality Road not immediate >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Saturday's dramatic stretch drive between Blame and Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap will have to satisfy race fans for more than a month. The earliest the two four-year-olds will meet again appears

Mahan up to 12th in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hunter Mahan's victory Sunday at the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational moved the American to 12th in this week's world golf rankings. Mahan moved up 19 spots this week after his biggest professional win.

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.