Cowboys ink first-round pick WR Bryant

Football Betting Lines

07/22/2010 - Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick wide receiver Dez Bryant.

Terms of the contract were not yet known, although The Dallas Morning News reports the deal is for five years.

Bryant, who was one of the most talented receivers in the nation at Oklahoma State, comes with character issues after he was suspended for most of the 2009 season for violating an NCAA rule. In 2008, his last full season, Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 scores.

He is the first first-round pick to sign with any club this season.

Cbaaports Football Betting News

<< Phils' Moyer out indefinitely; weekend rotation filled internally
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer will be out indefinitely after suffering an elbow injury on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Moyer, 47, is expected to be placed on the disabled

<< Kang into quarters at U.S. Girls' Junior
Village of Pinehurst, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stroke-play medalist Danielle Kang posted two impressive wins on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. Kang, who was also the medalist at last year's U.

<< San Jose's Convey added to MLS All-Star roster
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Bobby Convey was named to MLS All-Star roster by coach Bruce Arena on Thursday. Convey will replace injured Jonathan Bornstein. Convey is the first member of the Earthquakes

<< Union sign Argentinean midfielder Coudet
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Union signed Argentinean midfielder Eduardo "Chacho" Coudet on Thursday. Coudet, who last played for Colon in the Argentinean First Division, will be eligible to play when the Union r

<< Roddick moves on in Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top seed Andy Roddick lost a second set tiebreaker, but managed to pull out the final set to advance to the quarterfinals of the Atlanta Tennis Championships. Roddick needed less than a hal

Ralston joins Houston as assistant coach >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Ralston was hired as an assistant coach by the Houston Dynamo on Thursday, just two days after he ended his storied playing career in Major League Soccer. Ralston had played in MLS since the league s

Trial date hearing in Bonds case to be held Friday >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A hearing has been set for Friday to determine a trial date in the Barry Bonds perjury case. Bonds faces several counts of making false statements under oath to a federal grand jury during

Thrashers re-sign Pavelec >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers announced they have re- signed goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to a multi-year contract. Exact terms of the contract were not provided, per team policy. The 22-year-old appeared in 42 game

Kaye leads in Ohio with course-record 63 >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Kaye fired a course-record, eight- under 63 Thursday to grab a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational. Kaye, a two-time winner on the PGA

McCoy in fold with Browns >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns have reportedly signed quarterback Colt McCoy, a third-round draft pick. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports McCoy and the team's other third-round selection, guard Shawn Lauvao, bo

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

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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.