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<< The downward spiral of the English Premier League
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Premiership has to be the worst league in the world. For decades, it's been bandied about that England's top flight is the pinnacle of all sport, both in entertainment value and level of competition. While it's still

<< JoePa's legacy will live on
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before deciding on which university I wanted to attend, and believe me it was few and far between thanks to an SAT score comparable to Babe Ruth's slugging percentage, my father said something that still resonates with me

<< Wenger's stubbornness is costing Arsenal
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The expression on the face of Arsenal captain Robin van Persie said it all as he watched Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain exit Sunday's match against Manchester United in favor of Andrei Arshavin. Chants of "You don't know w

<< Oilers' Eberle, Pens' Letang added to All-Star roster
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang made plans for the All-Star break, they will have to cancel them now. Both players on Monday were added to the 2012

Howard, Gasol named NBA Players of the Week >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Memphis Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol have been named the Eastern and Western Conference players of the week, respectively, for games played January 16 through

Balotelli charged with violent conduct >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has been charged with violent conduct by the FA and now faces a four-game ban. The incident occurred in Sunday's 3-2 win over Tottenham when Balotelli, who had

Most can't separate Penn State scandal, JoePa's legacy >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The thing about the water cooler is no one is wrong there. For some of us, it's still where we go for opinions - mostly to give ours, of course, but that doesn't mean our co-worker's thoughts are less vali

Kelly to remain the Ducks' head coach >>
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chip Kelly is staying in school. The Oregon head coach said Monday he's flattered by the interest shown in him by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he will remain the Ducks' head coach. "I enjoyed meeting with

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.