Cliooers Basketball Betting News

<< Celtics pull out OT win versus Portland in Garnett's return
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Allen made just 3-for-14 from the field but hit the go-ahead three-pointer in overtime, as Boston edged Portland, 98-95. Kevin Garnett returned to the court and posted 13 points and four rebounds in nearly

<< Colts CB Powers questionable
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colts starting cornerback Jerraud Powers is questionable heading into Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets with an injured foot. Powers was unable to practice all week due to the

<< Jack helps hammer out Raptors win over Bucks
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jarrett Jack made 7-of-9 shots from the field on his way to a season-high 27 points, as the Toronto Raptors used a late surge to take down the Milwaukee Bucks, 101-96, splitting a home-and-home set. Chri

<< Young comes off the bench to lead Sixers past Mavs
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thaddeus Young, removed from the starting lineup for the first time this season, responded with a game-high 22 points to lead the 76ers in a 92-81 win over the Mavericks at the Wachovia Center. Marreese S

Bryant's big fourth quarter lifts Lakers past Knicks >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, carrying the Los Angeles Lakers to a 115-105 victory over New York at Madison Square Garden. Pau Gasol recorded 20 points and eight rebounds, wh

Crawford leads Hawks past Bobcats >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamal Crawford poured in 24 points and dished out five assists, as the Atlanta Hawks used a strong third quarter to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats, 103-89, in a Southeast Division clash at Philips Arena. Al H

Bobcats' Felton leaves game with injury >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charlotte Bobcats guard Raymond Felton left Friday's 103-89 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first half with a sprained right ankle. Felton stepped on Hawks guard Jamal Crawford's foot and twisted h

Rockets escape San Antonio with win >>
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks scored 23 points apiece and combined to account for 18 points in the final quarter, as Houston got the better of its in-state rivals San Antonio in a 116-109 final from th

Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

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.