07/15/2010 -
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Silva has targeted a place in the
top four this season after completing his $36.9 million transfer from Valencia
to Manchester City.
The 24-year-old, who has penned a four-year contract at Eastlands, joins a
team that finished fifth in the Premier League last term and will be playing
in this season's Europa League but Silva has set his sights on progress for
Roberto Mancini's team in the 2010-11 campaign.
"I will be happy if at the end we are in the Champions League - or if we win a
trophy," he told the club's official website. "My first target is to get into
the team and then to fight for the league and the other competitions.
"Roberto Mancini and (chief executive) Garry Cook have told me we are building
a very good team with some of the best players in the world and we are going
to fight for honors."
Mancini has also signed Hamburg's Germany international defender Jerome
Boateng and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure from Barcelona this summer and
continues to be linked with a host of other players.
David Villa has also left cash-strapped Los Che this summer to join Barcelona
for $52.7 million, while Nikola Zigic has moved to Birmingham City.
<< Fletcher wants to end career at United
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United midfielder Darren
Fletcher has admitted he wants to end his career at the club.
The Scotland international has been at the club for a decade and has already
made 255 appearances
<< Inverness signs goalkeeper Tuffey
Inverness, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Inverness manager Terry Butcher is
delighted to have snapped up Northern Ireland goalkeeper Jonathan Tuffey on a
two-year contract from Partick Thistle.
The 23-year-old had spent the last four
<< West Ham close to deal for Mexico's Barrera
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Ham United manager Avram Grant has
confirmed that Mexico international Pablo Barrera is close to finalizing a
4million transfer to Upton Park.
The 23-year-old winger, who is currently with U
<< Ducks in defenseman Mikkelson
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks announced defenseman Brendan
Mikkelson has accepted his one-year qualifying offer.
The 23-year-old Mikkelson had just two assists in each of the last two seasons
for the Ducks, who selected
<< Yankees to honor Steinbrenner, Sheppard this weekend
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees announced Thursday they plan
weekend tributes to honor late team owner George Steinbrenner and former
public address announcer Bob Sheppard.
Steinbrenner passed away Tuesday of a he
Brazilian midfielder Cicero joins Wolfsburg >>
Wolfsburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wolfsburg has confirmed that Brazilian
midfielder Cicero has joined the club on a one-year loan deal.
The 25-year-old joins the Bundesliga side after spending two seasons with
Hertha Berlin after
Chelsea's Essien, Mikel will be ready for EPL >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Wilkins is confident that Chelsea duo
Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel will have recovered from injuries in time
for the start of the new season in mid-August.
Blues' assistant Wilkins is pleased
Liverpool's Torres could play in EPL opener >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spain international Fernando Torres
could feature in Liverpool's first Premier League game of the season against
Arsenal at Anfield in just over four weeks' time.
It had been feared that the st
Scola staying in Houston >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets and forward Luis Scola have
reportedly agreed to a five-year contract on Thursday.
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the deal will be for $47 million.
Last season with Houston, his
Giants sign Willis to minor league deal >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants have signed
left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract.
Willis, who was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks earlier this
month, will report
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.