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02/12/2009 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA fined Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown $25,000 on Thursday for critical remarks he made about officiating after Tuesday's loss to Indiana.
In the game, a 96-95 Pacers win, Indiana's Danny Granger was called for a foul on Cleveland's LeBron James while trying to block out on a pass. James made both free throws with 0.4 seconds left to tie the game at 95.
But following an Indiana timeout, Granger came off a screen and received the inbound pass on a similar play that netted James his two foul shots. Granger, who was closer to the basket, was fouled when James tried to get back, and went to the line with 0.1 seconds remaining. Granger made the first shot and intentionally missed the second to secure the win.
Following the game, Brown said, "I went back and I watched the last two plays. That last call on LeBron was the worst call that I've ever been a part of...It was an awful call and for him to take away a basketball game from a team with .04 seconds on the clock is irresponsible. We got the game taken away from us, absolutely horrible. I feel badly for the guys in the locker room.
"We played well enough to give ourselves an opportunity," Brown continued. "That game should have gone into overtime. He determined the outcome. If they want to fine me for telling the truth, then fine me."
<< Rockies sign P Flores to a minor league deal
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies agreed to a minor league
contract with pitcher Randy Flores on Thursday.
Flores, 33, went 1-0 with one save and a 5.26 earned run average in 43 games
for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008
<< Redskins waive P Plackemeier
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Redskins waived punter Ryan
Plackemeier on Thursday.
Plackemeier joined the Redskins at midseason last year and played in 10 games,
with 55 punts for a 41.7-yard average. Durant Brooks beat
<< Razorbacks guard Fortson suspended indefinitely
Fayetteville, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arkansas freshman guard Courtney Fortson
was suspended indefinitely on Thursday.
The first-year guard was having a fine freshman campaign with 14.6 points, 6.5
assists and 5.3 rebounds per contest.
"C
<< Broncos name Xanders new GM
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos named Brian Xanders
their new general manager Thursday.
Xanders joined Denver's staff in May 2008 as assistant general manager, having
spent the previous 14 years with Atlanta in
Defending champ Almagro loses in Costa do Sauipe quarterfinal >>
Costa do Sauipe, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded and defending champion
Nicolas Almagro lost, while former top-10 star Tommy Robredo was an easy
quarterfinal winner Thursday at the $562,500 Brasil Open.
Almagro beat Carlos Moya
Senators used balanced scoring to top Flyers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The dynamic trio of Dany Heatley, Daniel
Alfredsson and Jason Spezza each registered a goal and an assist, as the
Ottawa Senators defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-2, at the Wachovia Center.
Nick
Senators use balanced scoring to top Flyers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The dynamic trio of Dany Heatley, Daniel
Alfredsson and Jason Spezza each registered a goal and an assist, as the
Ottawa Senators defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-2, at the Wachovia Center.
Nick
Vokoun, Panthers blank Hurricanes >>
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Vokoun notched his fourth shutout of the
season and 29th of his career, making 42 saves, and the Florida Panthers put
forth a dominating effort with five different goal scorers in knocking
off th
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.
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