Flotidamarlins Football Betting News

<< Flyers try to keep up dominance of Islanders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Flyers hope to continue their mastery of the New York Islanders when the clubs meet tonight in an Atlantic Division battle at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers enter tonight having won eight straight, 23 of

<< Pens seek to stay hot against the Rangers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try for a fourth straight victory this evening, when they visit the rival New York Rangers for an Atlantic Division showdown at Madison Square Garden. Prior to their recent wins over Carolina,

<< Maple Leafs hope to snap slide versus Wild
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to avoid their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling Minnesota Wild tonight at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs had won a season-high four straight games befor

<< Sharks try to continue mastery of Sens
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan sounded like he felt his club deserved four points after its most recent victory on Tuesday. McLellan will have to settle for just trying to pick up another victory tonight against

In the FCS Huddle: SWAC can help Alcorn State give coach a push >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Is it 2013 yet? They hardly are words Southwestern Athletic Conference officials want to be uttering in January, but the troubled situation with Alcorn State football already is making 2012 feel like 2011.

Union forward Paunovic retires >>
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Union forward Veljko Paunovic has retired due to "family reasons," ending a career that started in 1994. Paunovic, 34, joined the Union last June and had three goals and three assists in 16 starts

FC Dallas loans Jackson to Brazil's Cruzeiro >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Dallas has loaned Jackson to Brazilian first division side Cruzeiro for one year. "Jackson needed to spend some time at home in Brazil for personal reasons," FC Dallas president and CEO Doug Quinn said. "

Dortmund's Gotze to miss Hamburg match >>
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund and Germany midfielder Mario Gotze will miss Sunday's fixture at Hamburg when the Bundesliga returns from its winter break. Gotze, 19, has a groin injury and Dortmund manager Jurgen K

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.

El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.