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<< Anderson, Stalberg, Malkin named NHL's 'Three Stars'
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson, Chicago Blackhawks left winger Viktor Stalberg, and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending January

<< Syracuse remains top team in men's hoops poll
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Syracuse is again the top team in the latest Associated Press men's college basketball poll. The Orange, after double-digit wins over Villanova and Providence last week, again earned 60 first-place vote

<< The long-last vindication of Alex Smith
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's taken just one year for Jim Harbaugh to undo nearly a decade's worth of missteps and restore the San Francisco 49ers back to prominence. But for the quarterback who helped steer the previously-fallen

<< Aloha should mean goodbye
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aloha is Hawaiian for either hello, or goodbye. The PGA Tour should bid a permanent goodbye aloha to opening the season in Hawaii. The tour heads to the mainland of the United States this week after a

2012 Kentucky Derby Countdown >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hansen and Union Rags ran their hearts out last November in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with the former defeating the latter by a diminishing head. Hansen comes into 2012 undefeated in three starts

Rose, Bryant named NBA Players of the Week >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant have been named the Eastern and Western Conference players of the week, respectively, for games played January 9 through

Winning on the road is as tough as it sounds >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I wouldn't have wanted to be in Frank Martin's locker room Saturday afternoon. The same holds true for those of Roy Williams, or Tom Izzo or John Beilein. Winning on the road is difficult in co

Royals sign C Pena to one-year deal >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals have avoided arbitration with Brayan Pena, signing the catcher to a one-year contract. The 30-year-old Pena batted .248 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI in 72 gam

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.