Niemi decision expected by Saturday
Hockey Betting Lines
07/29/2010 -
CHICAGO (AP) -Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman expects to learn on Saturday whether his salary cap-squeezed team will be able to keep restricted free agent goaltender Antti Niemi.
After Bowman and Niemi's agent, Bill Zito, were unable to reach contract terms for the 26-year-old netminder, the case advanced to an arbitration hearing Thursday in Toronto.
Both Bowman and the NHL Players Association presented their cases and undisclosed one-year salary figures to an arbitrator, who has 48 hours to make a decision.
The arbitrator can choose either side's offer, or any amount between the two, per the NHL's collective bargaining agreement.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly signed veteran and longtime Dallas Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday revealed the deal is for two years. A former second-ro
<< Broncos come to terms with Tebow
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos agreed to terms with
quarterback Tim Tebow, a first-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, on
Thursday.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but The Denver Post reports it is a
<< Orioles send Tejada to Padres
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles on Thursday traded
veteran infielder Miguel Tejada and cash considerations to the San Diego
Padres in exchange for right-hander Wynn Pelzer.
Tejada batted .269 with seven ho
<< Jimenez gets 16th win as Rockies snap eight-game slide
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ubaldo Jimenez turned in seven strong
innings and Clint Barmes drove in three runs as Colorado blitzed Pittsburgh,
9-3, to stop an eight-game losing skid in the finale of a three-game series at
Coors F
<< Sanchez throws gem as Marlins earn split with Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Anibal Sanchez was nearly perfect on the
mound as he tossed his second career shutout in Florida's 5-0 win over San
Francisco.
Sanchez (8-6), who authored a no-hitter in 2006, gave up just one hi
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers bolstered their infield, acquiring Jorge Cantu and cash considerations from the Florida Marlins in exchange for a pair of pitching prospects. Cantu, 28, was in the starting lineup
Lorenzen Wright's death ruled a homicide >>
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The death of Lorenzen Wright has reportedly
been termed a homicide by gunshot wound.
The Commercial Appeal cited a police statement in reporting Wright, a former
Memphis basketball star and NBA player,
Vikings sign second-round pick Cook, three others >>
Eden Prairie, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Vikings have signed rookie
cornerback Chris Cook.
The Vikings selected the Virginia product in the second round (34th overall)
of the 2010 draft. Cook was an All-Atlantic Coast Conf
Tribe pitcher Talbot leaves game >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Indians starter Mitch Talbot left
Thursday's game against the Yankees with an undisclosed injury.
Talbot made his exit with a runner on first and none out in the third. Rafael
Perez entered the g
Dolphins ink first-round pick Odrick >>
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins and defensive lineman Jared
Odrick have reportedly agreed to a five-year deal worth $13 million, including
$7.133 million guaranteed.
Additionally, second-round selection linebacker Koa M
College Football Betting Tips From a Pro
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.