Basketball Betting








 

Basketball Betting


NFL Football
NCAA Football
NCAA Basketball
MLB Baseball
NHL Hockey
Soccer
Auto
Horse Racing
Golf
Tennis
 

NBA Basketball Betting

Thrashers recall G Lehtonen

Hockey Betting Lines

02/07/2010 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers have recalled goaltender Kari Lehtonen from a conditioning assignment with the AHL's Chicago Wolves.

Lehtonen has yet to play in the NHL this season after undergoing back surgery on October 30. The procedure removed edges of bone that were applying pressure to nerve roots in his back in two locations. The Finn had previously undergone a back disc surgery on July 20 of last year.

Taken second overall by Atlanta in the 2002 draft, the 26-year-old Lehtonen was 19-22-3 with three shutouts, a 3.06 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 46 games last season.

In 204 games over five NHL seasons, all with Atlanta, Lehtonen has posted a 94-83-17 record with 14 shutouts and a 2.87 GAA.


<< Drogba's double sinks Arsenal
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Didier Drogba's first-half brace allowed Chelsea to claim an important 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, returning the Blues to the top of the Premiership table. Drogba opened the

<< Czechs win doubles match to advance in Fed Cup
Brno, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Czech Republic reached the semifinals of the Fed Cup after disposing Germany in the decisive doubles match. The tandem of Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke defeated Anna-Lena Groenefe

<< Italy tops Ukraine in Fed Cup quarters
Kharkiv, Ukraine (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Francesca Schiavone rallied from a set down to beat Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine and help defending champion Italy secure a spot in the Fed Cup semifinals. Schiavone defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 2

<< Stricker six clear after three rounds at Riviera
Pacific Palisades, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Stricker polished off a five- under 66 Sunday and stretched his lead to six strokes after three rounds of the Northern Trust Open. Stricker, who led by five entering the day, carded a p

<< England draws Wales in EURO 2012 qualifying
Warsaw, Poland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England will take on Wales in qualifying after the two nations were placed in the same Euro 2012 group. Switzerland, Bulgaria and Montenegro were also drawn in Group G alongside England and Wales ah

Dodgers ink Brian Giles to minors deal >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed veteran outfielder Brian Giles to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The 39-year-old battled an arthritic right knee last season

Eintracht rallies to beat Borussia Dortmund >>
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sebastian Jung and Alexander Meier scored goals in the final 25 minutes to help Eintracht complete a 3-2 comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday. The visitors went

Turner leads Ohio State over Iowa >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Evan Turner matched a career high with 32 points, as 13th-ranked Ohio State defeated Iowa, 68-58, at Value City Arena. Turner added seven rebounds and four assists for the Buckeyes (18-6, 8-3 Big Ten),

Cilic defends Zagreb crown >>
Zagreb, Croatia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seed Marin Cilic outlasted Germany's Michael Berrer 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 to retain the title at the Zagreb Indoors tennis event. Cilic beat Mario Ancic in last year's All-Croatian final, and now

Bosh powers Raptors to win over Kings >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Bosh poured in 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, helping Toronto to its seventh consecutive win at Air Canada Centre, 115-104, over the Sacramento Kings. Andrea Bargnani contributed 22 points

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.