Bradford to start for Feeley Thursday

Football Betting Lines

08/23/2010 - St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo announced Monday that overall No. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford will start Thursday's preseason game against New England due to a thumb injury to A.J. Feeley.

Feeley was hurt during this past Saturday's 19-17 win at Cleveland. He injured his right thumb while striking the helmet of another player during his follow- through on a pass.

"Just a little bit of swelling in the hand," Feeley said. "It's a questionable deal right now. Probably take this week off and play it day-by-day."

Bradford completed 6-of-14 passes for 24 yards in Saturday's game.

"There's a little bit of an adjustment when you're coming in as a starter and when you're coming in second or third series, but I don't think Sam will see it any differently," Spagnuolo said. "He'll be in there, it'll be a little bit different, hopefully (RB) Steven (Jackson) will get some reps so he'll be in there with Steven. I think that will be comforting."

Gamblingriverboat Football Betting News

<< Ohlendorf leaves game versus Cardinals
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ross Ohlendorf's season continues to get worse, as the Pirates starter left Monday's game versus St. Louis with an apparent shoulder injury. Ohlendorf had just a 1-10 mark despite a 3.90 earned

<< Nadal named top seed for U.S. Open
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Nadal will seek his first U.S. Open title and a career grand slam as the top-seeded player in the tournament, as the men's seedings for tennis' final major of 2010 were announced on Monday. Nadal,

<< Patchan returns, Nixon out for No. 4 Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Florida's Matt Patchan is back at practice, but the player competing with him at left tackle is out with a knee injury.Coach Urban Meyer says sophomore Xavier Nixon, who started the final five games last season, is having his

<< Judge in Clemens case issues gag order
WASHINGTON (AP) -A judge assigned to Roger Clemens' perjury case has issued a gag order designed to prohibit public comments that could affect the jury pool for a possible trial.Clemens was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for allegedly lyi

<< Red Sox claim Tigers' Damon; decision pending
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have claimed outfielder Johnny Damon off waivers from the Detroit Tigers, and the veteran has until Wednesday to decide if he will waive his no-trade clause to re-join the club he help

Saints put RB Hill on IR; sign Wynn >>
Metairie, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints placed running back P.J. Hill on injured reserve Monday due to a season-ending triceps injury. The team also added DeShawn Wynn, signing the former Green Bay Packers running back.

South Carolina TE Saunders suspended >>
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders has been suspended indefinitely by coach Steve Spurrier for violating team rules.Saunders was not at practice Monday night. Spurrier said after the workout that Saunders' absence was not

Eli Manning expected to play vs. Ravens >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning plans to return to game action Saturday at Baltimore after missing last week's preseason contest against Pittsburgh due to a cut on his forehead. Mann

Americans Blake, Dent advance in New Haven >>
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Americans James Blake and Taylor Dent both won their opening-round matches at the $750,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final hardcourt U.S. Open tune-up. Blake, who titled here in 2005 and 2007, mad

Scutaro drives in four as Red Sox down Mariners >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marco Scutaro drove in four runs and John Lackey tossed eight solid innings, as the Boston Red Sox used a three-run seventh to defeat the Seattle Mariners, 6-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

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.