Blazers sign G Matthews to offer sheet

Basketball Betting Lines

07/10/2010 - Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed restricted free agent guard Wesley Matthews to an offer sheet.

Financial details were not disclosed, but a report in the Oregonian places the pact at five years and $34 million. Matthews was relied on to start as a rookie last season for the Jazz, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.7 minutes per game. He played in all 82 games, making 48 starts.

Matthews was an undrafted rookie out of Marquette, but proved himself further by posting 13.2 points, 4.4 boards, 1.7 assists and 1.8 steals in starting all 10 of Utah's playoff games in 2009-10.

He averaged 37.1 minutes over the stretch and added 15 three-pointers. During the regular season, the 23-year-old connected on 63 three-point attempts, shooting 38.2 percent from long distance.

Utah has seven days to match the Blazers' reported offer.

Wwwthesimpsons Basketball Betting News

<< Dillon wins record third straight truck pole at Iowa
Newton, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Austin Dillon became the first rookie driver in the Camping World Truck Series to claim three consecutive poles after winning Saturday's qualifying for the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway. Dillon, the 20-year-

<< Garza strong as Rays blank Tribe
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Garza pitched six shutout innings, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Cleveland Indians in the third of four games at Tropicana Field. Garza (10-5) yielded just one hit and one w

<< Braun and Fielder team up to down Pirates, again
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder hit back-to- back home runs to support 6 1/3 strong innings from Dave Bush, as the Brewers held on to defeat Pittsburgh, 4-3, in the middle test of a three-game series from Mi

<< New England makes a statement, tops L.A. 2-0
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Heading into Saturday night's Major League Soccer fixture, the New England Revolution had lost three straight without even scoring a goal, while winning just one fixture in their last 10. The latest se

<< United, Red Bulls battle to scoreless draw
Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York and D.C. United battled to a scoreless draw in Major League Soccer action at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The draw, New York's second straight, extends the club's unbeaten run to fi

Ruiz breaks up perfect game, scores winner in 11th for Phillies >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz broke up Travis Wood's bid for perfection with a leadoff double in the ninth inning and scored the winning run on Jimmy Rollins' single in the bottom of the 11th, as the Phi

Posey stays hot, keys late rally for Giants >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buster Posey singled in the go-ahead run during a rally in the seventh inning and added a two-run homer in the ninth, as the Giants upended the Washington Nationals, 10-5, to win for the fifth time in

Tillman shines as Orioles top Lee in Rangers' debut >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Tillman overshadowed the much- anticipated Rangers debut of Cliff Lee with 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, and the Baltimore Orioles recorded their first road series win of 2010 with a 6-1 victory

Rockies surge to sixth straight win >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Gonzalez and Melvin Mora belted home runs in support of Jason Hammel's 6 1/3 sturdy innings in Colorado's 4-2 win over San Diego in the middle test of a three-game series. Brad Eldred added a hom

Braun leads Chivas USA to road win against K.C. >>
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Braun scored two goals in the second half as Chivas USA defeated the Kansas City Wizards, 2-0, on Saturday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark for its first MLS victory in more than two months. Braun

Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards

Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.

Bet on NFL Football

Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.

Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.

Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.

Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.

All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.

A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.

2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award

Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1

Ron Brace (NE) 25/1

Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1

Darius Butler (NE) 40/1

Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1

Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1

Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1

Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1

Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1

Larry English (SD) 15/1

Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1

Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1

Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1

Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1

James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1

Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1

Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1

Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1

Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1

Roy Miller (TB) 20/1

Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1

Fili Moala (IND) 30/1

Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1

Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1

B J Raji (GB) 7/1

Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1

Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1

David Verkune (CLE) 20/1

Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 6/1

NFL football gambling

To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

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.