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<< NFL Inactives (Thursday, December 14, 2006)
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The following is a list of the players placed on the inactive squad for this week's NFL games. SANFRANCISCO 49ERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 8:00 P.M. (ET) 49ers - 3rd QB Shaun Hill, RB Chris Hetherington, LB

<< San Diego accepts 2006 Sports Network Cup
Chattanooga, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Diego, which went 11-1 and won the inaugural Gridiron Classic, Thursday accepted The Sportsbook Betting Lines Cup, emblematic of the top I-AA/FCS mid-major program. The Toreros, who garnered all 20

<< Jerry Moore wins 2006 Eddie Robinson Award
Chattanooga, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore was named the 20th winner of the Eddie Robinson Award Thursday at the Division I-AA College Football Awards held in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the Divisio

<< Kyle Shotwell wins 2006 Buck Buchanan Award
Chattanooga, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cal Poly linebacker Kyle Shotwell was named the 12th winner of the Buck Buchanan Award Thursday at the Division I-AA College Football Awards held in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the Division I Footbal

Miller and Buffalo shut down Florida >>
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maxim Afinogenov's power-play goal early in the third period provided the difference and strong goaltending by Ryan Miller paved the way for a 2-1 Buffalo victory over the Florida Panthers at HSBC Arena.

Bergeron leads Bruins over Devils in Beantown >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrice Bergeron scored two goals to help the Boston Bruins to a 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils at TD Banknorth Garden. Brad Boyes had a goal and two assists and Brad Stuart added a goal and

May's career night paces Bobcats past Magic >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sean May scored a career-high 32 points and feasted at the free throw line, leading Charlotte to a 99-89 win over the Orlando Magic. Adam Morrison added 22 points and seven rebounds, while Emeka Okaf

Arnott comes off injured reserve >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nashville center Jason Arnott was activated from injured reserve, in time for the Predators' tilt with the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. Arnott, who inked a five-year contract in July with the Predators

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.