Seahaqks Football Betting News

<< Isles try to move on with trip to Montreal
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders play their first game since the Chris Simon suspension was handed down when they visit the Montreal Canadiens tonight at the Bell Centre. Simon has been suspended for the rest of the regular

<< Lightning conclude trek in Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to close out their lengthy road trip on a positive note as they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre tonight. The Lightning are 3-2-0 so far on their longest trek of the

<< Surging Panthers visit rival Hurricanes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers have a chance to further their push for the playoffs this evening, when they visit the struggling Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center. Having won two straight and six of their last seven

<< Pacers try to avoid 10th straight loss vs. Timberwolves
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The slumping Indiana Pacers try to avoid their 10th straight loss, as they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at the Target Center. Indiana is still No. 7 in the Eastern Conference playoff race, one-half game ahea

Mets release Soler >>
Winter Haven, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets released pitcher Alay Soler on Tuesday. Soler, 27, signed a three-year deal with the Mets in 2004 after defecting from Cuba. In eight starts in 2006, the right-hander went 2-3 with a 6

Report: Bickerstaff to be replaced on Charlotte bench >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bernie Bickerstaff will reportedly not return as the Charlotte Bobcats head coach next season. The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday that managing member of basketball operations Michael Jordan stated

Timberwolves still alive in West >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves are a disappointing 27-35 this season, but with the 20 games left on their scheduled they are still in the mix in the Western Conference playoff race. Minnesota, which has missed the pla

UMKC fires Zvosec >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Missouri-Kansas City announced on Tuesday that Rich Zvosec will no longer serve as the head coach of the men's basketball team. The Kangaroos went 12-20 last season under Zvosec, w

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.